We feel there is a need for opportunities for clinical and administrative faculties to connect with students in a way that can fit into the very busy schedules of both students and faculty/staff. Our plan is to use the Student Portal currently being developed by the Office of Academic Technology. There, one click would connect students to faculty/staff profiles where the student could query topics of interest and then email selected faculty and staff. To start the process, volunteer faculty and staff would create a profile of their professional and personal interests. The student would access database through a key-word search of the faculty/staff profiles. This project fits in well the following VCU goals and initiatives: Student Centered University, connections between the two campuses, and increased student, staff, and faculty retention
