Tuesday, August 18th, 2026

News

How much every VCU employee makes (UPDATED)

August 17, 2026

Andrew Kerley, Executive Editor Emeritus Heciel Nieves Bonilla, News Editor Emeritus Last April, The CT obtained VCU and VCU Health’s payrolls for active employees through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Request. A new version of the payroll is now available. The data is publicly available information. Click here to view the VCU payroll via Google Sheets — organized by name, title, department, salary, earnings and bonuses. Click here to view the VCU Health payroll.  The CT originally requested “a comprehensive list of Virginia Commonwealth University/VCU Health System Authority’s payroll, to include employee names, titles, departments and salaries” in spreadsheet form.  The salary data was pulled in April 2026. The CT received the contents of the requests on April 22, 2026. Additional information, including exact earnings and bonuses, was received in May 2026. The data provided is an exact copy of what VCU sent to The CT.  Who isn’t on the payroll Employees earning a salary of less than $10,000 or less per year are not included, pursuant to Virginia state code. People exclusively employed by MCV Physicians, VCU Health’s nonprofit wing, are also not included. Nonprofits are not considered public bodies subject to FOIA requests, thus The CT could

Widespread heat wave forecasted to bring ‘significant risk’ to Richmond

July 1, 2026

Sal Orlando, News Editor Dangerously high temperatures are forecasted for the Richmond area this week, potentially being the region’s worst in several years, according to the National Weather Service. The projected temperatures, set to break 100 degrees, are being caused by a weather phenomenon called a “heat dome,” where high atmospheric pressure traps hot air. Temperatures are expected to peak around 3 p.m. each day from Wednesday to Sunday. Overnight temperatures will drop to the 70s, providing little cooling relief. Richmond is under elevated risk for extreme heat on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. The risk increases on Thursday and Friday, causing possible heat exhaustion or heat stroke with prolonged exposure. Residents are advised to take caution when working outside, rest often in cooler locations and drink plenty of water during the heat wave, according to the NWS. Symptoms of heat exhaustion include headaches, muscle cramping, shortness of breath and nausea, according to the Centers for Disease Control. People who are pregnant, people 65 years or older, young children and those with underlying health conditions like heart disease and asthma are at elevated risk of heat-related illness. Over 4,000 Virginians received health care for heat-related illness last summer, the highest it

Some ICA staff describe ethics violations, ‘toxic’ work culture

June 28, 2026

Heciel Nieves Bonilla, News Editor  Current and former employees of the Institute for Contemporary Art at VCU described a deteriorating work environment marked by ethics complaints, restrictions on expression, a fear of retaliation among staff and a high turnover rate.  The ICA has been involved in at least 32 formal ethics complaints since its opening in 2018, according to Freedom of Information Act requests filed by The CT.  Beyond the ethics complaints, some staff said work environment issues are longstanding and have been exacerbated under new leadership and a shift in direction since 2024. Grievances include Title IX complaints The CT viewed correspondence for three Title IX reports filed by separate ICA employees. They all described repeated harassment by the same administrator working for the institute.  EDITOR’S NOTE: The CT made the decision to omit the administrator’s name for legal reasons, as well as to protect the identities of victims.  The employees observed frequent sexual comments made by the administrator to or about femme-presenting coworkers and their bodies, including younger and undergraduate workers.  Complainants variably described the administrator’s “grooming” of young coworkers and in-house retaliation against employees of past romantic interest. Two complainants described the existence of a group chat

VCU Police ward off bear in Oregon Hill

May 14, 2026

Andrew Kerley, Executive Editor VCU Police officers had just gotten out of a morning briefing when the department received an unusual call. “Somebody told them they thought it might be a big Rottweiler or something, and they saw it and they were like ‘yeah, no, that’s not a dog,’” VCU Police spokesperson Jake Burns told The CT. After arriving at the scene, the initial report officers received was confirmed to be true. A teenage, 100-pound black bear was wandering around the VCU-adjacent Oregon Hill neighborhood.  The notice came in around 6:50 a.m. on May 14 from the 400 block of South Pine Street — just next to Pleasant’s Park. VCU Police officers Gregory Perry and Jason Malone could not find the furry fellow at first, not until bystanders proved its presence with videos off their phones. They decided to look again, this time up, leading them to find the bear in a tree. The officers kept the bear cornered off until animal control and state officials could arrive. The creature roamed between people’s yards, and at one point even got on someone’s roof. “As he was hopping the fences, we made loud noises and shouted and made ourselves look big,”

VCU’s new provost on tenure policies, research, academic freedom

April 29, 2026

Andrew Kerley, Executive Editor VCU’s year-long search for a new second-in-command and chief academic officer finally came to a close last week. Arturo Saavedra, the former School of Medicine dean and interim provost since December, was confirmed by the VCU Board of Visitors into his new role as the permanent provost. Saavedra is the third person to hold the high office in the last year, as former Provost Fotis Sotiropoulos departed in April 2025 for his same job at Pennsylvania State University. It was then held by interim Provost Beverly Warren until December 2025. Now, at the crossroads of new goals, policies and a shifting university identity, Saavedra sat down with The CT to discuss the matters most important to the VCU community. EDITOR’S NOTE: This interview has been shortened and edited for clarity. The full transcript can be read here. Why do you think you were chosen to be the new provost? Saavedra: “I would like to say that through my life, my utmost goal has been to be of service, to understand where I sit from the perspective of impacting change so that others benefit.” For those who have no idea, how would you describe the job of

Qatar student describes hope, adaptation as Iran war settlement stalls

April 29, 2026

Heciel Nieves Bonilla, News Editor  As peace talks between the United States and Iran continue on an unpredictable path, a student from VCU’s Qatar campus spoke to The CT regarding his experiences of living through threats of bombing and a peace in the balance. VCUarts Qatar shut its doors to the public on Feb. 28 in response to hostilities in the area when the U.S. and Israel began a bombing campaign on Iran, according to previous reports by The CT. The conflict went on to impact the entire region through retaliatory strikes and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Qatar lies beyond the strait in the Persian Gulf and has been the target of Iranian strikes on industrial, military and natural gas infrastructure. Second-year VCUarts Qatar graphic design student Anirudh Anil Kumar said the university had students limit entry to the campus as much as possible for several weeks afterward. “They told us not to come to campus, like ‘come only if necessary to take important items, and just don’t come in as a group, so you don’t get crowded in here.’” Anil Kumar said. “So we had a system to come one by one or something like that,

VCU’s $720 million payroll reveals wide wage gaps

April 29, 2026

Heciel Nieves Bonilla, News Editor Andrew Kerley, Executive Editor EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated. A new version of the payroll has been made available, while the previous version has been removed. Click here to read the update and access the new payroll.  VCU’s payroll shows a substantial gap between the salaries of administrators and other staff. Data shows that gap has increased nationwide, and VCU salaries are consistent with those of other universities — with some notable exceptions. The CT obtained VCU’s stated payroll for active employees as of April 2026 through a Freedom of Information Act request. It includes the salaries of 7,925 employees who make more than $10,000 per year. The median salary earned across all employees at VCU as-listed is $74,257, and the average is $91,149. Those figures, and the following averages, only include the university — not VCU Health. The average salary for professors of any type is $167,984, according to an analysis by The CT. An assistant professor’s average salary was less than half that at $82,277. The average associate professor makes $106,388. Highest earners and administrators Employees with “chair” in their title, such as department, division or program leads, make an average

Virginia lawmakers bluntly decline Spanberger’s cannabis bill changes

April 29, 2026

Erika Vasquez, Contributing Writer   Virginia lawmakers rejected Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s proposed amendments on legislation to create a retail cannabis market during the General Assembly’s reconvened session on April 22. This follows lawmakers expressing disappointment towards the governor’s recommendations on retail cannabis markets in Virginia. Since the legalization of cannabis possession in 2021, adults above the age of 21 have been able to possess an ounce of cannabis and to own up to four plants. Former Gov. Glenn Youngkin  twice vetoed bills to provide consumers with a way to purchase regulated cannabis legally during his tenure. With six years of legal possession but nowhere to legally purchase recreational cannabis, many Virginians have been left anticipating the results of the ongoing legislative dispute. “I have been waiting for this because it’s so many people, you know — college students sometimes partake in recreational weed use to get off the edge a bit,” third-year English student Owen Collins said. “I think a lot of us are watching very closely as to what will be the outcome of this for sure.” Introduced by Sen. Lashrecse Aird, D-Petersburg, the bill originally establishes the framework for the creation of a retail cannabis market in Virginia

How much every VCU employee makes (UPDATED)

August 17, 2026

Andrew Kerley, Executive Editor Emeritus Heciel Nieves Bonilla, News Editor Emeritus Last April, The CT obtained VCU and VCU Health’s payrolls for active employees through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Request. A new version of the payroll is now available. The data is publicly available information. Click here to view the VCU payroll via Google Sheets — organized by name, title, department, salary, earnings and bonuses. Click here to view the VCU Health payroll.  The CT originally requested “a comprehensive list of Virginia Commonwealth University/VCU Health System Authority’s payroll, to include employee names, titles, departments and salaries” in spreadsheet form.  The salary data was pulled in April 2026. The CT received the contents of the requests on April 22, 2026. Additional information, including exact earnings and bonuses, was received in May 2026. The data provided is an exact copy of what VCU sent to The CT.  Who isn’t on the payroll Employees earning a salary of less than $10,000 or less per year are not included, pursuant to Virginia state code. People exclusively employed by MCV Physicians, VCU Health’s nonprofit wing, are also not included. Nonprofits are not considered public bodies subject to FOIA requests, thus The CT could not obtain that information. Some names have been removed from the payroll at the request of employees due to particular circumstances jeopardizing their safety. The CT removed/changed those individuals’ names, but not their salaries or other data. Payroll now includes exact earnings, bonuses Upon initially posting the payroll in April, numerous employees reached out to The CT saying their listed salaries did not reflect their true earnings.  The data provided by VCU represented employees’ wages as though they all worked full time and year-round, according to VCU spokesperson Michael Porter. Due to the way the data was calculated, the provided salaries were not an accurate reflection of everyone’s earnings. To correct the record, The CT submitted additional FOIA requests for employees’ exact earnings in tax year 2025, as well as their bonuses in academic years 2024-25 and 2025-26.  The new VCU spreadsheet includes salaries, exact earnings and bonuses for employees. The VCU Health spreadsheet includes salaries and exact earnings, but not bonuses. Not every employee has data for every category.  New wage data draws new conclusions A previous report by The CT outlined the wide wage gaps between VCU administrators and other staff.  The median salary among VCU staff was

Widespread heat wave forecasted to bring ‘significant risk’ to Richmond

July 1, 2026

Sal Orlando, News Editor Dangerously high temperatures are forecasted for the Richmond area this week, potentially being the region’s worst in several years, according to the National Weather Service. The projected temperatures, set to break 100 degrees, are being caused by a weather phenomenon called a “heat dome,” where high atmospheric pressure traps hot air. Temperatures are expected to peak around 3 p.m. each day from Wednesday to Sunday. Overnight temperatures will drop to the 70s, providing little cooling relief. Richmond is under elevated risk for extreme heat on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. The risk increases on Thursday and Friday, causing possible heat exhaustion or heat stroke with prolonged exposure. Residents are advised to take caution when working outside, rest often in cooler locations and drink plenty of water during the heat wave, according to the NWS. Symptoms of heat exhaustion include headaches, muscle cramping, shortness of breath and nausea, according to the Centers for Disease Control. People who are pregnant, people 65 years or older, young children and those with underlying health conditions like heart disease and asthma are at elevated risk of heat-related illness. Over 4,000 Virginians received health care for heat-related illness last summer, the highest it

Some ICA staff describe ethics violations, ‘toxic’ work culture

June 28, 2026

Heciel Nieves Bonilla, News Editor  Current and former employees of the Institute for Contemporary Art at VCU described a deteriorating work environment marked by ethics complaints, restrictions on expression, a fear of retaliation among staff and a high turnover rate.  The ICA has been involved in at least 32 formal ethics complaints since its opening in 2018, according to Freedom of Information Act requests filed by The CT.  Beyond the ethics complaints, some staff said work environment issues are longstanding and have been exacerbated under new leadership and a shift in direction since 2024. Grievances include Title IX complaints The CT viewed correspondence for three Title IX reports filed by separate ICA employees. They all described repeated harassment by the same administrator working for the institute.  EDITOR’S NOTE: The CT made the decision to omit the administrator’s name for legal reasons, as well as to protect the identities of victims.  The employees observed frequent sexual comments made by the administrator to or about femme-presenting coworkers and their bodies, including younger and undergraduate workers.  Complainants variably described the administrator’s “grooming” of young coworkers and in-house retaliation against employees of past romantic interest. Two complainants described the existence of a group chat

VCU Police ward off bear in Oregon Hill

May 14, 2026

Andrew Kerley, Executive Editor VCU Police officers had just gotten out of a morning briefing when the department received an unusual call. “Somebody told them they thought it might be a big Rottweiler or something, and they saw it and they were like ‘yeah, no, that’s not a dog,’” VCU Police spokesperson Jake Burns told The CT. After arriving at the scene, the initial report officers received was confirmed to be true. A teenage, 100-pound black bear was wandering around the VCU-adjacent Oregon Hill neighborhood.  The notice came in around 6:50 a.m. on May 14 from the 400 block of South Pine Street — just next to Pleasant’s Park. VCU Police officers Gregory Perry and Jason Malone could not find the furry fellow at first, not until bystanders proved its presence with videos off their phones. They decided to look again, this time up, leading them to find the bear in a tree. The officers kept the bear cornered off until animal control and state officials could arrive. The creature roamed between people’s yards, and at one point even got on someone’s roof. “As he was hopping the fences, we made loud noises and shouted and made ourselves look big,”

VCU’s new provost on tenure policies, research, academic freedom

April 29, 2026

Andrew Kerley, Executive Editor VCU’s year-long search for a new second-in-command and chief academic officer finally came to a close last week. Arturo Saavedra, the former School of Medicine dean and interim provost since December, was confirmed by the VCU Board of Visitors into his new role as the permanent provost. Saavedra is the third person to hold the high office in the last year, as former Provost Fotis Sotiropoulos departed in April 2025 for his same job at Pennsylvania State University. It was then held by interim Provost Beverly Warren until December 2025. Now, at the crossroads of new goals, policies and a shifting university identity, Saavedra sat down with The CT to discuss the matters most important to the VCU community. EDITOR’S NOTE: This interview has been shortened and edited for clarity. The full transcript can be read here. Why do you think you were chosen to be the new provost? Saavedra: “I would like to say that through my life, my utmost goal has been to be of service, to understand where I sit from the perspective of impacting change so that others benefit.” For those who have no idea, how would you describe the job of

Qatar student describes hope, adaptation as Iran war settlement stalls

April 29, 2026

Heciel Nieves Bonilla, News Editor  As peace talks between the United States and Iran continue on an unpredictable path, a student from VCU’s Qatar campus spoke to The CT regarding his experiences of living through threats of bombing and a peace in the balance. VCUarts Qatar shut its doors to the public on Feb. 28 in response to hostilities in the area when the U.S. and Israel began a bombing campaign on Iran, according to previous reports by The CT. The conflict went on to impact the entire region through retaliatory strikes and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Qatar lies beyond the strait in the Persian Gulf and has been the target of Iranian strikes on industrial, military and natural gas infrastructure. Second-year VCUarts Qatar graphic design student Anirudh Anil Kumar said the university had students limit entry to the campus as much as possible for several weeks afterward. “They told us not to come to campus, like ‘come only if necessary to take important items, and just don’t come in as a group, so you don’t get crowded in here.’” Anil Kumar said. “So we had a system to come one by one or something like that,

VCU’s $720 million payroll reveals wide wage gaps

April 29, 2026

Heciel Nieves Bonilla, News Editor Andrew Kerley, Executive Editor EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated. A new version of the payroll has been made available, while the previous version has been removed. Click here to read the update and access the new payroll.  VCU’s payroll shows a substantial gap between the salaries of administrators and other staff. Data shows that gap has increased nationwide, and VCU salaries are consistent with those of other universities — with some notable exceptions. The CT obtained VCU’s stated payroll for active employees as of April 2026 through a Freedom of Information Act request. It includes the salaries of 7,925 employees who make more than $10,000 per year. The median salary earned across all employees at VCU as-listed is $74,257, and the average is $91,149. Those figures, and the following averages, only include the university — not VCU Health. The average salary for professors of any type is $167,984, according to an analysis by The CT. An assistant professor’s average salary was less than half that at $82,277. The average associate professor makes $106,388. Highest earners and administrators Employees with “chair” in their title, such as department, division or program leads, make an average