May 15, 2026
Subject: Leading boldly in a changing world

Dear VCU faculty and staff:

In February’s State of the University Address, I endeavored to inspire all of us to lead boldly and think differently about the role of a public research university and how we learn, mentor, teach, discover, care and serve.

That challenge guides the work of shaping VCU’s next strategic plan.

As the public’s expectations of higher education rapidly change, this is VCU’s opportunity to define our next era. We do so by honoring the boldness that created our university while pursuing new levels of excellence that help us impact the world in completely new ways.

Amidst this change, VCU’s opportunity is to lead by creating a new strategic plan that brings us together around strengthening global economic competitiveness and wellbeing for the Commonwealth and ALL of its people.

Over the past several weeks, more than 200 members of our community participated in four strategic planning town halls, sharing ideas, questions and hopes for VCU’s future. I am grateful to the faculty and staff members who volunteered to support this process.

Your engagement reflects the VCU we all know: a community that cares deeply about our students, our patients, our teams, our inventions and our communities.

Announcing our co-chairs

Many thanks to Dr. Art Saavedra, executive vice president and provost, and Dr. Meredith Weiss, senior vice president for finance and administration and chief financial officer, for their service as co-chairs of VCU’s 2032 strategic planning committee.

Drs. Saavedra and Weiss bring complementary experience, deep institutional knowledge and a shared commitment to VCU’s mission. Their leadership will help ensure this work is ambitious and focused on advancing excellence across the university.

In the coming weeks, our co-chairs will help shape the structure for broader engagement, including a representative strategic plan executive committee and key working groups focused on areas central to VCU’s future:

• Research, innovation and discovery
• Academic curriculum, teaching and learning
• Student success, experience and belonging
• Community engagement and public impact
• Workforce and organizational climate
• Facilities and infrastructure

Together, these groups will help us ask important questions:

• What do we uniquely contribute to the world?
• How do we inspire future generations of students and scholars to choose VCU because here they can do their best work and create unimaginable impact?
• How do we engage and prepare students for lives of purpose and leadership?
• How do we grow funded research to $1B so that we can save and improve more lives, solve important problems, and innovate and create in ways that enhance the human experience like never before?

We will share more information about the planning process at the start of the fall semester when students and all faculty are back on campus. Our goal is to implement a fully reviewed and approved plan in 2027.

Creating the movement ahead

Our goal must be bold because VCU’s mission demands it.

We can all feel that this is a special moment for VCU. Our jobs are to turn this moment into a movement that is unstoppable. 

In doing so, we will define a future in which VCU’s contributions are more distinctive, connected and essential than ever.

Thank you for your continued engagement and for all you do every day for VCU. I look forward to working together as we shape this next chapter.

Sincerely,

Michael Rao President

June 18, 2026
Subject: The future of VCU, a message from executive sponsors

Dear VCU faculty and staff,

We are incredibly honored to serve as the co-chairs for the development of VCU's new strategic plan. This responsibility is a privilege, primarily because it gives us the opportunity to collaborate with all of you to chart VCU’s next great chapter.

First, we want to extend a sincere thank you to everyone who participated in our recent town halls – more than 250 faculty and staff participated in these idea sessions. Your energy, enthusiasm and initial ideas were inspiring and illustrate that our community is deeply invested in where we go next. We would also like to thank Dr. Bev Warren for facilitating these great events.

We are committed to a transparent, thorough and highly collaborative process. The strategic plan development timeline is built to encourage community input:

Summer 2026: Data gathering and steering committee onboarding and planning

Fall semester 2026: Campus-wide community engagement

Spring semester 2027: Plan finalization and official launch

We want to hear from you throughout this entire process, and need your input on two critical areas to get started.

What are the best ways to engage with you? We want to design engagement opportunities that fit your schedule and preferences.

What initial bold ideas or advice do you have for us? What are the big, ambitious or transformative concepts you think we should explore? What should be considered as work begins?

A strategic plan is only as strong as the voices shaping it and our collaboration will be the driving force. Thank you again for your innovative ideas and shared commitment to our future. We look forward to working alongside each of you in the months ahead and thinking boldly about the role of a public research university and how we learn, mentor, teach, discover, care and serve.

Sincerely,

Art Saavedra, M.D., Ph.D. MBA

Executive vice president and provost

Meredith Weiss, Ph.D., MBA, MAcc, CPA

Senior vice president for finance and administration and CFO

September 9, 2026
Subject: Join us in shaping our Uncommon Future

VCU is driven by a singular purpose: to help Uncommon Heroes build a better future for all. To accomplish this, we need your help. 

President Rao has charged us to develop our next strategic plan, and we are calling upon every member of our community to help shape the path toward an Uncommon Future at VCU.

As a modern public research university, innovation is part of who we are. Here, success is not measured by where you begin, but by how far you go, what you discover and who you become. Our mission is to make life better… not just for some of us, but for all of us. We do that by graduating and inspiring Uncommon Heroes who create, discover, lead and serve.

We believe that achieving this vision requires focused ambition across the following priorities:

• Revolutionizing the student experience to graduate Uncommon Heroes
  VCU will transform the student experience so our students thrive, graduate on time and leave prepared to elevate humanity. VCU will be a destination of choice for hard-working, talented students from all backgrounds. We will deliver engaging teaching, hands-on learning, research experiences and career preparation that expand opportunity, strengthen social mobility and prepare graduates who are in demand and ready to make life better and healthier for all of us.
  
  
• Igniting discovery led by Uncommon Heroes
  VCU will attract exceptional faculty and staff whose teaching, research, creativity, care and service improve lives, advance health and enrich communities. VCU will be a destination for innovative, caring and boldly original leaders who choose to build their careers here because this is where they do their most meaningful work. We will foster a culture of impact, urgency, focus and collaboration so faculty and staff can pursue discovery, drive economic prosperity, strengthen communities and solve difficult challenges others can’t ... or won’t.

Higher education stands at a pivotal, defining moment. As expectations evolve, we have the opportunity to redefine its promise, break free from the status quo and drive meaningful, lasting change. 

What are your boldest ideas for how we can achieve this? What are the barriers that we need to overcome? What’s missing from our prompts above? We want to hear your most audacious ideas, disruptive concepts and forward-thinking strategies. 

VCU’s next strategic plan will be strongest if our community shapes it. Join us in building our Uncommon Future. Visit uncommonfuture.vcu.edu.

Sincerely,

Arturo P. Saavedra, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A.
Executive vice president and provost

Meredith Weiss, Ph.D., M.B.A., M.Acc., CPA
Senior vice president, chief operating and financial officer