CreateAthon onCampus

CreateAthon on Campus reocgnized in Richmond Times Dispatch. Read the story here.

School of Mass Comm will award more than 100 degrees in May 2009

The School of Mass Communications will hold its May 2009 commencement ceremony for BS and MS degree candidates Saturday, May 16 at River Road Church, Baptist. This year, the School will break a record by awarding more than 100 BS degrees. And with the record number of graduates comes a record number of guests.

The new location, although off campus, is larger than the university’s Commonwealth Ballroom, where the School’s December ceremony was held and should accommodate everyone.

“The ballroom’s maximum capacity is about 550. With more than 125 degree candidates and guests, we would easily fill the space, said Carol Mawyer, Assistant Director of Student Services and Scholastic Journalism. “By taking our ceremony off campus we won’t have to limit the number of guests each graduate can bring. Some of our students have spent four, five, six years in school; they shouldn’t have to choose only four guests to witness this important event.

River Road Church, Baptist, located at 8000 River Road, [Richmond, VA 23229], is 6 miles from the Monroe Park campus. (Visitors should allow 15-20 minutes travel time.) The church’s sanctuary seats 900 people.

Parking is limited to 275 vehicles. School officials are encouraging graduates to ride to the ceremony with their guests. All graduation candidates need to arrive at River Road Church, Baptist no later than 1:15 p.m. Doors will open at 1 p.m. for family and friends. The ceremony will begin at 2 p.m. Due to the limited about of parking, carpooling is strongly encouraged.

Students planning to participate in the May 16th ceremony, should sign the Intent to Participate list and indicate the number of guests who will attend. This list is located in the Mass Comm front administrative offices, Temple 2216.

Featured at the graduation ceremony will be guest speaker Donna M. Reed, Vice President of News and Multimedia Strategy, Media General, Publishing Division. Reed leads efforts to improve the quality of Media General’s newspaper journalism and focuses on growing the company’s multimedia initiatives.

School earns accolades from PR agency founder

When the co-founder of Richmond’s eminent public relations agency, The Hodges Partnership, spoke at the School’s public relations capstone course, he discovered one of the many secrets to the School’s success. Read Jon Newman’s review at http://jonnewman.typepad.com/jons_bridge/2009/02/what-vcus-mass-comm-students-taught-me-today.html.

Winter issue of alumni magazine is online

The Winter 2009 issue of Mass Communicator, VCU's alumni magazine, is online. Dowload the issue now!

Five inductees selected for Virginia Communications Hall of Fame

The 2009 class of inductees into the Virginia Communications Hall of Fame includes a decorated print journalist, an influential educator, a dedicated First Amendment lawyer, a service-minded public relations executive and television host and an innovative broadcasting executive.

Professionals with exceptional careers in journalism, public relations, advertising and other media fields are eligible for selection to the Virginia Communications Hall of Fame. Possible inductees must have significant ties to Virginia. The newest class of inductees increases the hall’s membership to 112.

The reception for the induction ceremony starts at 6:30 p.m. with dinner and the ceremony to follow. Tickets are $150 each and can be reserved by calling (804) 827-3761. Proceeds benefit the Hall of Fame permanent exhibit and scholarship fund.

Learn more now, and read about the new inductees.

Attend the Spring 2009 Career Fair & Related Events

Wednesday, Jan. 28
Career Fair Preparation Fashion Show
Noon -1 p.m.
Richmond Salons III & IV on the 2nd floor of the Student Commons


Monday, Feb. 2 and Tuesday, Feb. 3.
Resume Express—15-minute resume reviews; no appointment necessary
11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Career Center, 1st floor of the Student Commons (across from Chick-fil-A).


Wednesday, Feb.4, 2009
Career Fair
10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Check-in at the Richmond Salons
University Student Commons, 2nd floor

Book signing on Jan. 29

Mass Comm alumnus and advertising executive, Doug Burford, has just written a book on his life in the industry and will be participating in a book signing at the Barnes & Noble on campus Jan. 29 at 1 p.m.

Burford will be donating a portion of the proceeds from the book to the School of Mass Communications.

Agency Reveals All by Doug Burford takes readers from humble beginnings in Richmond, to Madison Avenue, to the jungles of Africa, all in an effort to encourage young people to go into advertising and show business owners how to produce effective advertising. It’s over 200 pages, comes with a thirty-minute DVD, and is really three books in one:

• It tells readers things they’ll need to know to get a job in advertising.


• It explains how to “Burf” people.


• It describes the looney world readers are about to enter.

Dowload the informational flyer now.