Gottwald Center For The Sciences - Student Life

Student Life

Richmond has over 275 student organizations. Student groups include those devoted to:

• Academic interests: (Phi Beta Kappa, Golden Key International Honour Society, Women Involved in Learning and Living, Model United Nations),
• Student government: (Richmond College Student Government Association and Westhampton College Government Association)
• Media: (The Collegian, student newspaper published since 1914; WDCE, campus radio station; The Messenger, annual arts and literary magazine);
• Community service: (Bonner Scholars, Habitat for Humanity, Alpha Phi Omega, Volunteer Action Council (VAC)),
• Intramural athletics
• Club sports: (Richmond Crew, Richmond Ice Hockey Club, Richmond Men's and Women's Soccer, Richmond Co-Ed Swimming, Richmond Synchronized Swimming, Ultimate Frisbee Club, University of Richmond Rugby Football Club)

• Religion: The Office of the Chaplaincy is home to 18 different campus ministries and hosts many different services and events for staff, faculty, and students. The mission of the Office of the Chaplaincy is to "Inspire generous faith and engage the heart of the University."

• Performing arts: (including four a cappella groups: The Octāves, Choeur du Roi, The Sirens, and Off The Cuff; and a student run Improv Comedy Troupe, Subject to Change, which performs free shows on campus several times a year and has also performed at festivals across the mid-Atlantic)
• Culture and diversity: (Ngoma African Dance Company, Multicultural Student Union, SASD for the GLBTQ community, Russian and Slavic Cultural Organization)

Richmond also has an active Greek life with 16 national fraternities and sororities. The fraternities include Theta Chi, Alpha Phi Alpha, Kappa Alpha Order, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Sigma Chi, Lambda Chi Alpha and the founding chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon. The sororities are Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, Delta Delta Delta, Delta Gamma, Kappa Alpha Theta, Kappa Kappa Gamma, and Pi Beta Phi. About 50 percent of the women and over 30 percent of the men participate in the Greek system.

The Upsilon Gamma chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha is the first historically black fraternity to be chartered on the University of Richmond campus.

From 1990–2003, the Shanghai Quartet served as quartet-in-residence at UR, and their relationship with the university continues with their roles as Distinguished Visiting Artists. In 2004, contemporary music sextet eighth blackbird (spelled in all lowercase) was named ensemble-in-residence. Camp Concert Hall, located on campus, is a favorite recording venue for National Public Radio.