Mission and history

Official VCU mission: Why we’re here

As the premier urban, public research university in the state, Virginia Commonwealth University’s mission is to advance knowledge and student success through its commitments to:

• An engaged, learner-centered environment that fosters inquiry, discovery and innovation in a global setting
• Research that expands the boundaries of new knowledge and creative expression and promotes translational applications to improve human health
• Interdisciplinary collaborations that bring new perspectives to complex problems and mobilize creative energies that advance innovation and solve global challenges
• Health care that strives to preserve and restore health for all people, to seek the cause and cure of diseases through groundbreaking research and to educate those who serve humanity
• Diversity that provides a climate of inclusion, a dedication to addressing disparities wherever they exist and an opportunity to explore and create in an environment of trust
• Sustainable university-community partnerships that enhance the educational, economic and cultural vitality of the communities VCU serves in Virginia and around the world

History: How we came to be

Way back — we’re talking more than 175 years ago — in 1838, VCU was known by another name. We were the Medical College of Hampden-Sydney, later becoming the Medical College of Virginia. It wasn’t until 1968, when we merged with Richmond Professional Institute, that we were given the name Virginia Commonwealth University. But one thing is for sure: We have never stopped making history.