December 5, 2025

Every year, the Radford University Office of Financial Aid administers a Cost of Attendance Survey to all current students to learn about their expenses. This information helps determine direct and indirect costs for students, helping determine aid amounts. Please encourage students to fill out the survey by Monday, Dec. 15. 

Radford University’s Winter Commencement ceremonies are coming up next week, with the graduate ceremony taking place on Friday, Dec. 12, and the undergraduate ceremonies taking place on Saturday, Dec. 13.

As a reminder, you can find details about the ceremonies on the Winter Commencement page on the Radford University website, including a schedule of events, information on the livestream and faculty, staff and administration information. Join us in congratulating our Winter 2025 #RadGrads.

Academic Advising in the Radford University Highlander Success Center (HSC) has been awarded the 2025 Student Choice Award for Holistic Advising from the Advising Success Network, an honor that includes a $10,000 grant to enhance student voice and engagement initiatives.

The award winners were selected by a panel of 11 student leaders from across the nation. Just five universities were selected from nationwide applicants, with Radford University the sole winner from the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The Department of Information Technology Services’ Identity and Access Management (IAM) group will be upgrading the Password and Account Management Portal user interface on Tuesday, Dec. 16, to improve your experience when managing your account.

During this window, the system may be briefly unavailable. After the update, it is recommended that users take a moment to explore the new layout. The knowledge-base articles will be updated to align with changes for the upgrade.

There are a few important enhancements to highlight so you know what to expect next time you reset your password. The biggest difference you will notice is the webpage’s modernized design. Key tools such as password reset have been reorganized to be easier to locate and quicker to access.

Information Technology Services will send a reminder closer to the date of the upgrade. No action is required from users in advance.

If you have any questions or run into issues after the upgrade, please email idmanagement@radford.edu. Feedback is always welcome.

Downtown Roanoke, Inc.’s annual Dickens of a Christmas series begins tonight, Friday, Dec. 5, at 6 p.m. with the City of Roanoke Christmas Tree Lighting on the Radford University Carilion main stage. This is one of the largest holiday celebrations in the region, and Radford University is a proud sponsor of the series, which takes place on three consecutive Fridays in December in downtown Roanoke.

Make plans to attend the Dickens events this month on the following Fridays:

Scite is hosting the webinar “AI for Research Papers Crash Course: Using Scite While Maintaining Academic Integrity” as part of Radford University's current VIVA trial. The webinar will be on Tuesday, Dec. 9, at 11 a.m.

This focused crash course demonstrates how to apply the Scite platform effectively and ethically to your current projects and exam preparation. You will be guided through the essential features and functionality. The interface is straightforward, and you’ll learn how to formulate better research queries, adjust key settings for more precise results and locate credible sources efficiently.

The session addresses real academic scenarios like constructing reference lists, verifying claims against published research, identifying scholarly debates and developing strong angles for your work.

All participants will receive the AI for Research Papers Skills Certificate.

Celebrate the season with the Radford University Division of Economic Development and Corporate Education at a Holiday Open House at The HUB at Radford University on Monday, Dec. 8, from 1-4 p.m., 1000 E. Main St., Radford.

Enjoy hot cocoa, festive treats and mingling with local businesses, university colleagues and community partners. Bring an ornament for the tree or create one at the Open House.

Join Radford University’s Department of Faculty Development and the Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning for an Accessibility Bootcamp on Wednesday, Dec. 17, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

This bootcamp will give faculty the nuts and bolts of digital accessibility and the time to work with people who can assist you. You’ll get the tools and support to make your courses accessible to all.

The morning will be filled with instruction, and the afternoon will be workshop time to develop your courses with assistance available from CITL, the Department of Academic Technologies and University Libraries. Bring a laptop and a few things to work on – syllabus, assessments, assignments, PowerPoint slides, an article or two, scanned book chapters, library resources frequently used, etc.

Lunch will be provided by CITL.

Participants can attend in person or via Zoom. In-person attendance is limited to the first 30 registrants.

There are two registration sites: one for in-person attendance and one for Zoom attendance. You can find both registration sites via the CITL Registration System.

The Radford University Office of Sustainability is holding a Sustainability Round Table on Thursday, Dec. 11, from 11 a.m. to noon, in the Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning conference room. A Zoom option is also available for this event.

Coffee, tea, cookies and good conversation will be offered as the Office of Sustainability seeks all employees who are interested in sustainability initiatives and would like to participate in next semester’s Earth Month.

Additionally, Sustainability is seeking individuals interested in serving on the university’s Sustainability Steering Committee. At the roundtable, we will discuss current sustainability initiatives on campus and how you are integrating sustainability into your classrooms and projects, as well as brainstorming ideas for improvement.

Are you looking for help in redesigning a course? Would you like to incorporate a peer-supported undergraduate research project? Are you interested in confidential, informative feedback on your in-person or online teaching? Do you want to increase motivation, innovation, belonging and active learning in your courses?

Consider joining the LIFT program (Learning Innovation for Fulfilling Teaching) and working with the Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning (CITL) and colleagues on redesigning a course.

LIFT has two tracks you can choose from:

For more information on the LIFT program, contact Heather Keith or Joe Wirgau.

Each year, Radford University provides an opportunity for students and staff to “take a day on – not a day off” by volunteering in the Radford, Roanoke and New River Valley communities for the MLK Day of Service.

On Jan. 19, 2026, a variety of projects will be available, including working with kids, sorting donations, preparing and serving meals and making blankets and toys for a local animal shelter.

Many organizations in our communities are counting on Radford University to assist with the projects they have planned.

Several art exhibitions will be coming to McConnell Library on Radford's main campus this spring. Everyone in the Highlander community is welcome to drop by to see these great shows and enjoy their receptions.

If you or your students are artists and need a public space to display your artwork, McConnell Library welcomes ideas for exhibitions. Email the University Libraries to learn more.