Includes some clips from the VCU Insight Show, the entire show is available upon request.

The Recyclemania package was reported, written, shot, and edited by myself.

March 2008

The writing and reporting of this story was done by me.

Wrote, shot, edited, and reported by me.

By Tamika Dillard
VCU Student News Service

RICHMOND, Va. — To accommodate a record enrollment of more than 31, 000 students this year, VCU is working to construct three campus housing projects.

“Five years ago, the university housed 2,400 students on campus, the university now houses 4,700 students,” said Brian Ohlinger, assistant vice president of facilities management.

A dorm capable of housing 408 students will be located on Belvidere Street, south of the new business and engineering buildings, Ohlinger said. Another plan is to demolish Franklin Street Gym and replace it with upscale housing. Construction on a third housing project will take place on Grace Street behind Ramz Hall, located on West Broad Street.

The university expects to have 6,000 total beds within three to four years.

“The housing growth will keep up with the universities enrollment growth,” Ohlinger said.

Some students have mixed feelings about the prospect of more housing on an already dense campus.
Hamere Mekonnen, a 21-year old senior, said VCU should get its priorities straight.

“We should not concern ourselves with having flat-screen TV’s everywhere, and we should get another dorm,” Mekonnen said, referring to the rise in the number of TV’s on campus.

Resident assistant Darryl Greene, 22, said VCU’s open-door policy contributes to the housing crunch.

“I think we’re accepting way too many people,” Greene said.
Reuban Rodriguez, dean of student affairs, said although VCU did not over -enroll this year, the university accepted 200 more students than its target of 15,000.

Many factors play a role in VCU’s increasing enrollment, Rodriguez said. One factor is the retention rate of current students.

“The biggest rate is seen in freshman continuing into their second year as sophomores,” Rodriguez said.

Students who stay at an institution for their first two years will likely continue for the rest of their degree, Rodriguez said.

Another factor is VCU’s targeted enrollment increase. The business and engineering complexes under construction will house two new schools that have programs specifically targeted to increase enrollment, Rodriquez said.

According to Ohlinger, the buildings will jointly increase enrollment to about 3000 students.
“The growth from the engineering and business buildings will be a gradual growth,” Ohlinger said.

By Tamika Dillard
Student News Service

RICHMOND, Va. — The fight might be over on the battlefield, but many Virginia Commonwealth University student veterans still are fighting the battle for better benefits.

James Chambliss, student veteran association adviser and veteran affairs coordinator, says one important issue on the association’s agenda is military educational entitlements.
Chambliss says the problem is the student veterans pay for benefits, but the money is counted against them because the government considers the money part of a veteran’s income when applying for financial aid.

As a result student veterans’ federal aid is reduced.

“It is not fair, how can you call it a benefit when the money is coming out of my own pocket,” Chambliss said.

The Student Veterans Association has been established for 30 years. It is not a political organization but a support group for veterans and veteran supporters.

“One issue on the association’s agenda is VCU‘s lack of participation in veteran programs,” said Keia Watkins, SVA president.

One of the programs that the association seeks VCU participation in is the Service Members Opportunity College. The SMOC is a network of colleges that accept military work for college credit.
Concurrent admission is another program that the SVA wants VCU to take part in to guarantee admittance to students returning from the war.

“I believe VCU should participate in these program because it helps (student veterans) to have a smooth transition,” said Saif Khan, former SVA member.

Associate Vice Provost Delores Taylor says VCU is not participating in these veteran programs, but there is nothing stopping the university from participating.

“I don’t think funding is an issue,” Taylor said. “Is it something that’s going to benefit prospective students, veterans, and the university? All of those things would have to be reviewed.”

However, Chambliss says these veteran programs would benefit VCU because it would bring more student veterans to the school.

“The University is losing a certain amount of the veteran population (because) they go elsewhere,” Chambliss said. “(The university) is losing dollars so it doesn’t make a lot of sense.”

I was the writer, reporter, and co-editor of this story.