August 22, 2025

You can “COME AS YOU ARE” to the new Connected Communities office in Heth 157. The flexible and inviting space is open to all faculty, staff and students to lounge, host a meeting or grab a treat.

As a reminder, Radford University Night at the Party in Elmwood was postponed from its original date in July until Thursday, Sept. 4, from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at Elmwood Park in downtown Roanoke.

All Radford University faculty, staff and students are invited to join us.

Please note that food and beverages will be served on-site by vendors (see the Party in Elmwood webpage for information on costs). No outside food, drinks or coolers are allowed. Lawn chairs are welcome.

The Radford University Department of Emergency Management is launching “Radford Ready: Plan Today. Ready Tomorrow.” This new campus-wide initiative is focused on building a culture of preparedness and resilience.

Emergencies can happen at any time, and knowing how to respond in those first moments can make all the difference. Radford Ready provides tools, tips and training to help Highlanders stay informed, be prepared and look out for one another.

You can connect with Radford Ready to learn more about events, resources and ways to get involved on:

As a reminder, we will kick off the 2025-26 academic year and celebrate the successes of our university with special guest Eugene Naughton ’89, president of Dollywood, at University Employee Convocation on Friday, Aug. 22, from 2:45-4:15 p.m. in Bondurant Auditorium in Preston Hall.

Roanoke employees can view the convocation in the RUC Board Room.

You are also invited you to give a spirited welcome to our incoming Highlanders as they enter the New Student Convocation at 5 p.m. and keep the spirit alive by participating in the annual aerial “R” incoming class photo at 6 p.m. on Moffett Lawn. Red Radford t-shirts will be available on Moffett Lawn for photo participants.

Do you need to update your calendars with the holidays observed by the Commonwealth of Virginia and additional holidays granted by the Governor? Then check out the 2025 Alternate Holiday Calendar on the Radford University website and bookmark it for easy reference. 

The calendar provides the dates and hours the university will be closed for holidays, like our upcoming observance of Labor Day on Monday, Sept. 1. On that day, Radford University offices will be closed, and no classes will be held. 

The Radford University Department of Human Resources has announced that student wage hires can now be processed electronically through the new Student Wage Hire Form. This streamlined process is designed to improve efficiency and reduce paperwork.

Paper forms will continue to be accepted through Tuesday, Sept. 9. After that date, any paper submissions will be returned and must be resubmitted electronically.

For ease of access, a tile titled “Student Wage Hire Form” has been added to OneCampus and can be bookmarked for quicker navigation. You are encouraged to begin using the electronic form immediately to ensure a smooth transition.

Get ready to light up the night at the Tartan 5K: A Twilight Run on Friday, Sept. 19, at River’s Edge Park in Roanoke. Pre-race activities begin at 5:30 p.m. and the run begins at 6:10 p.m.

Hosted by the Radford University Division of Student Affairs, this timed glow run is perfect for runners and walkers alike and celebrates Radford University’s Highlander spirit. Dogs are also welcome. All participants will receive a race T-shirt, finisher medal and tropical ice. Sign up today before prices go up on Sept. 1.

The Radford University Faculty Professional Development Leave Program provides tenured faculty an opportunity to engage in advanced study, research and/or other scholarly and creative activities that will enhance their competencies as teachers/scholars and better prepare them to fulfill their teaching and other professional obligations to the university.

This program supports traditional forms of professional development as well as alternative opportunities that would enable a faculty member to intern with a company, agency, school or other such entity in order to enhance, re-establish or re-energize their research, scholarship or creative activity in their areas of professional practice.

Leave may be requested at full pay for one semester or at one-half pay for two semesters, according to the terms specified in the Faculty Handbook.

There will only be one call for applications, and the deadline for applying is Nov. 3. An application guidelines document and more information about the program are available on the Internal Funding page on the Radford University website.     

Join volunteers from across the New River Valley for the annual “ReNew the New: Fall Into the New” river cleanup on Saturday, Sept. 6, from 8:30 a.m. to noon.

This community-driven event brings together area residents, students and local organizations to help preserve the beauty of the New River. 

The cleanup will begin at 9 a.m. and will wrap up by noon, followed by a free lunch. Volunteers will receive gloves, bags, water and a commemorative T-shirt. Waivers can be signed on-site or downloaded and completed in advance.

Participants are encouraged to bring:

Those who have their own boats can also bring them to the cleanup.

Volunteers will meet and register at Shelter 3 in Bisset Park at 375 Berkley Williams Drive in Radford. Parking signs will be posted in the park on the day of the event. Whether you’re a seasoned paddler or just want to lend a hand on land, your help makes a difference.

The Radford University Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship (OURS) is offering a regular faculty and student support seminar series called the OURS: Research Ready Series. These seminars are open to all Radford University students, faculty and staff.

The first meeting of the month will be focused on faculty support, and the third meeting will be focused on providing student support. Meetings will be offered both in person and via Zoom. The first meeting of the Fall semester will be:

As a reminder, OURS is available to meet individually or with groups across campus and can be contacted at ours@radford.edu, at 540-831-7203 or by visiting Whitt Hall 118-126. OURS can also run workshops on various professional development areas for classes or research teams.

Radford University’s Office of Accounting Services will offer Emburse (Chrome River) Travel Training and Food and Beverage Policy Training in September for faculty and staff.

The September training sessions will be:

To attend a session, e-mail travel@radford.edu with the subject line “Training.” In the body of the e-mail, indicate if you would like to attend the Emburse (Chrome River) Travel Training session or the Food and Beverage Policy Training. You may also indicate in the e-mail that you would like to attend both sessions.

Each Zoom session is limited to 20 participants. Once your e-mail request is approved, you will receive a link to attend the requested session.

Looking for a convenient place for your undergraduate research students to present their work? The Network for Undergraduate Research in Virginia (NURVa) is hosting an undergraduate student research conference on Saturday, Nov. 1, at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Abstracts are due Monday, Sept. 15.

NURVa invites submissions from undergraduates in all disciplines in the categories of oral presentation, poster or performance. Students can submit abstracts, 750 words maximum, with one letter of support from a faculty mentor.

The Radford University Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship (OURS) will support student registration and can help provide transportation to the event.

For more information about the conference, contact David Salomon at david.salomon@cnu.edu. For more information about Radford University’s participation, contact ours@radford.edu.

The Radford University Department of Human Resources reminds supervisors that they are required to complete certain processes in a timely and effective manner prior to an employee’s separation date in order to ease the transition and safeguard the university.

Depending on the type of employee, a personnel action may be required to complete the separation. For all full-time employee and 1500-hour wage employee separations, supervisors must complete a separation EPAF (Electronic Personnel Action Form) as soon as possible after notice of the employee’s separation is received and no later than the separation date. More information on employee separations is available via Human Resources’ EPAF Frequently Asked Questions.

The completion and certification of a separation checklist are required for all employee separations to ensure all final processes are completed by the employee for payroll purposes, to collect university-owned property and to ensure that system access is updated. Supervisors must complete a separation checklist prior to the employee’s departure. Please see the separation checklist for student employees and all other employees, as well as employee separation procedures.