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Level of Selectivity: Slightly competitive
Motto: Dominus Providebit (The Lord Will Provide)
Location: The campus is located in the center of Richmond, the capital of Virginia, with a population of approximately 219,000. It is easily accessible by local transportation to commuting students. The city of Richmond offers museums, theaters, concerts, and professional sports. Sites of interest include the Governor’s Mansion, the Capitol, and the Federal Reserve Money Museum. The city’s mass transit systems provide easy access to historic Colonial Williamsburg, about 1 hour to the south; Washington, D.C., about 2 hours to the north; and Virginia Beach, about 2 hours to the south.
HISTORY
Virginia Union University (VUU) is a four-year, private, coed, liberal arts college affiliated with the American Baptist Church of the U.S.A. Founded in 1865 as Richmond Theological Institute, Virginia Union is the result of an 1899 merger of the Institute and Wayland Seminary in Washington. Later, Hartshorn Memorial College of Richmond and Storer College of Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia, merged with VUU to complete the union. The first bachelor’s degrees were awarded in 1899.
Located on the site of a former slave jail, VUU is now home to a black institution whose original mission was to “free the mind of the newly emancipated through education in a humanistic environment.” Virginia Union can take pride in the fact that the first black governor of the United States, the first black admiral of the U.S. Navy, numerous college presidents, and more than one tenth of all black ministry graduated from the University.
The 72 acre campus has five older granite buildings that have been restored and designated as national historic landmarks. The Belgian Friendship Building, which was a gift from the Belgian government, was on exhibit at the 1939 New York World’s Fair and was reconstructed on the campus in 1941. The architectural blend of the twenty-two-building campus embraces the old and the new.
While VUU continues to grow in programs and student diversity, it remains true to its mission to free the minds of blacks through education; its liberal arts and sciences education emphasize both western culture and African American heritage. This historically black college is a member of the United Negro College Fund (UNCF).
ACCREDITATION
Virginia Union University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, and Master of Divinity degrees.
2002–03 Tuition: $9990
Room and board: $2362 (room; $2570 (board)
Special fees: $580
Books: $50
Estimated total cost: $16,252
Financial Aid Specific to the School
Financial Aid Deadline: Continuous notification: August 1 (fall and spring); May 1 (priority)
Director of Student Financial Aid
Virginia Union University
Richmond, Virginia 23220
Telephone: 804-257-5882; Toll-free: 800-368-3227
Fax: 804-257-5880 or 804-257-5797
SAT or ACT required.
Entrance Requirements: Graduation from an accredited high school (or equivalent) and completion of 16 units: 4 English, 3 mathematics (algebra I and algebra II), 2 foreign language (same language), 2 social sciences (history, government or civics), 2 natural sciences (biology, chemistry or physics), and 3 electives. A copy of student’s social security card and a counselor's written recommendation are required. A $25 nonrefundable application fee is required.
Admission Application Deadline: July 1 (fall); December 1 (spring); May 1 (summer). Early admission allows qualified students to enter college full-time before completing high school. Deferred admission.
Admission Contact: Director of Admissions, Virginia Union University, 1500 North Lombardy Street, Richmond, Virginia 23220; Telephone: 804-257-5881; Toll-free: 800-368-3227; Fax: 804-257-5855 or 5856.
Graduation Requirements: A minimum of 124 credit hours is required, including the core curriculum with a 2.0 minimum GPA and a C or better in each course in the major. An essay exam in English must be taken by the junior year. Students must complete freshman orientation and two hours of physical education.
Bachelor of Arts: Communications, English, French, History and Government, Journalism, Music, Music Education, Philosophy and Religion, Political Science, Psychology, Social Work, Sociology
Bachelor of Science: Accounting, Biology, Biology Education, Business Administration, Business Education, Chemistry, Chemistry Education, Computer Science, Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, English Education, French Education, History Education, Mathematics, Physics, Psychology Education, Recreation and Physical Education, Special Education
Preprofessional Program: Engineering
Master’s Degree: Theology
Doctorate Degree: Theology
ATHLETIC PROGRAMS
Virginia Union University is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Central Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). The football team has gone to six consecutive NCAA Division Playoffs.
Intercollegiate Sports: men’s basketball, cross-country, football, golf, tennis, and track & field; women’s basketball, cross-country, softball, track and field, and volleyball.
Intramural Sports: coed softball and basketball; men's basketball; women's basketball.
Athletic Contact: Director of Athletics, Virginia Union University, 1500 North Lombardy Street, Richmond, Virginia 23220; Telephone: 804-342-1495; Toll-free: 800-368-3227.
STUDENT LIFE
Campus Regulations: Student automobiles must be registered at a small cost.
Campus Services: Health center, personal and psychological counseling, career planning and placement, stress management and conflict resolution seminars, post office, and religious activities, including chapel.
Campus Activities: Campus activities emphasize “total student development and growth” with the more than fifty student organizations available to stimulate interest and develop leadership.
Social and group activities include concert, theater, band, chorale, dance, and a visiting lecture series. Annual activities include homecoming weekend, the president’s reception, the Coronation Ball, the Annual Winter Concert, and the Fine Arts Festival. Interested students can work on the yearbook (The Panther) or the student newspaper (The VUU Informer). Communication students can get involved in the campus television station.
Leadership opportunities can be found in the more than 45 student organizations including the Student Government Association (SGA). Greek-letter societies include Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, Sigma Gamma Rho, and Zeta Phi Beta sororities; and Alpha Phi Alpha, Kappa Alpha Psi, Omega Psi Phi, and Phi Beta Sigma fraternities. Honor societies include Alpha Kappa Mu and Beta Kappa Chi.
Housing Availability: 780 housing spaces. Freshman are given priority. About two-thirds of VUU students live on campus.
Handicapped Services: Include wheelchair accessibility.
Web site: http://www.vuu.edu
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