Issue link: http://catalog.e-digitaleditions.com/i/144436
Greetings to Ram Nation, Welcome to "VCU Rising: The Black & Gold Standard", the new strategic plan for VCU Athletics. This document contains the goals, strategies and core values through which we will establish ourselves as a major NCAA Division I program. VCU Athletics has reached a critical point where we have the ability to compete at an elite level nationally and win championships – even national championships. This strategic plan lays the foundation we will build upon to achieve the status of a premier NCAA Division I athletic program. The hard work, integrity and passion that have transformed VCU Athletics in recent years gives us the foundation for future success. Our next steps will require a quantum leap in the support systems, infrastructure and financial resources necessary to provide a first-class student-athlete experience while winning championships. These goals and strategies will allow us to focus on our core mission and vision, while transforming VCU Athletics into a major NCAA Division I program at the premier urban research university in America. These goals and strategies are not easy, and we will need the help of friends, alumni, and the university community to achieve them. If they were easy, we would be common and ordinary. VCU Athletics strives to be unique and extraordinary every day. We have incredibly talented people whose diligence and dedication lend to amazing achievements on a daily basis. Our coaches, studentathletes and staff will work with campus partners and external stakeholders to realize our dreams. We will improve the student-athlete experience. We will improve facilities. We will have programs ranked nationally. We will serve the community. Most importantly, we will educate and graduate student-athletes who will act as leaders of future generations. The journey ahead of VCU Athletics excites me. Opportunities abound, and we have positioned ourselves to have lofty aspirations. The time to reach those aspirations is now. Go Rams! Sincerely, Ed McLaughlin Director of Athletics 2