About 60 seconds after the University of Richmond announced a contract extension for men’s basketball coach Chris Mooney yesterday, his boss made clear the program’s ambitious goals. Said Spiders Athletic Director Jim Miller: “We expect to consistently and successfully compete for Atlantic 10 championships and earn post-season opportunities that will enable the University of Richmond to be recognized nationally as fielding quality basketball programs.“

Who was Abraham Lincoln? A group of historians will delve into the life and works of one of America’s most celebrated presidents at a conference next month on Lincoln and the South at the University of Richmond’s Jepson Alumni Center. The March 12-14 conference is presented by the American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar.

University of Richmond students will pay 3.1 percent more in tuition and room and board next school year, bringing their overall cost to $48,490. “It’s the smallest increase in 40 years,“ UR President Edward L. Ayers said yesterday. The increase will cover rising costs of expenses such as utilities and food, but UR will use its endowment to protect the university’s educational quality, Ayers said.

The cost of attending the University of Richmond could exceed $50,000 next year, according to UR’s student newspaper, The Collegian. UR students this year pay undergraduate tuition of $38,850, which with $8,200 for room, board and fees brings the total to $47,050. The Collegian quotes UR President Edward Ayers as saying a “modest” increase may be necessary.

More than 15 years after the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy came about, opponents hope the new presidential administration will lift the federal ban on gays and lesbians serving openly in the military. During a panel discussion at the University of Richmond School of Law last night, an audience of about 40 people heard arguments for repealing the ban. The program was sponsored by the law school’s Equality Alliance Board.

Virginia Commonwealth University has a new critical-care hospital in downtown Richmond, an environmental life-sciences center that opened in the fall on the James River and a campus in Qatar that just celebrated its 10th anniversary. Those buildings are about more than bricks and mortar, says VCU Rector Thomas Rosenthal. They represent “a remarkable testament to the reach and breadth of this university.“

Final minute. Tie score. This was the kind of game the University of Richmond had fumbled. Not last night. The Spiders beat Rhode Island 78-75 before 3,538 at the Robins Center in an Atlantic 10 Conference game UR badly needed for confidence in light of late fades in three previous defeats.

“Stay together,“ advised University of Richmond forward Ryan Butler after Saturday’s 71-67 loss to St. Bonaventure. That’s the Spiders’ mindset as they entertain Rhode Island tonight because they experienced a distressful, dysfunctional, disorderly finish so disturbing that it could be disabling in their next date. UR lost a seven-point lead in the final three minutes against the Bonnies, marking the third time this season that Richmond fell as a result of ineffective closing.

The University of Richmond’s Mike London yesterday was named the American Football Coaches Association’s top coach for the 2008 season in the Football Championship Subdivision.

Check Jarhon Giddings’ eligibility. When the University of Richmond’s starting senior center plays at Virginia Tech tonight, he will be on the court where he received compensation for basketball activity prior to his UR matriculation.

Richmond City Councilwoman Delores L. McQuinn concluded her tenure in City Hall last night before she crosses East Broad Street to work in the General Assembly. “I hope that I’ve been instrumental in helping to change the city of Richmond and my district,“ the longtime 7th District councilwoman said. McQuinn is resigning today so she can be sworn in tomorrow to serve the 70th District in the House of Delegates. She won a special election this month to fill the seat vacated when Dwight C. Jones was elected mayor.

There weren’t many VMI students at the Keydets’ home basketball game against the University of Richmond on New Year’s Eve, but those in Cameron Hall loudly made their presence known. Among the things one screamed was, “Anderson! Act your height!“ That came after UR’s Kevin Anderson, who is listed at 6-0 but may be a bit shorter, scored two of his 23 points by driving into a cluster of much taller defenders and sinking an acrobatic shot. Had VMI’s student fans been more familiar with Anderson’s game, they wouldn’t have made such a “big” deal of the play.

Conard B. Mattox Jr. was born in Gretna in rural Pittsylvania County. After five years as a U.S. Army Air Forces pilot in World War II, he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Richmond, and his law degree there in 1951. He stayed on to teach economics in UR’s Evening College, was law librarian at T.C. Williams School of Law, and also practiced law.

Two perspectives on Chris Mooney: 1. Extend his contract now. 2. A decision on that subject requires more time and evidence. These viewpoints regarding the University of Richmond basketball coach circulate among hoops fans and UR administrators as the school studies whether Mooney’s contract will be extended, when that should happen and how many additional years may be appropriate. Mooney is 3½ seasons into the five-year deal he signed when hired.

The business schools at Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Richmond will lose their deans at the end of the spring semester.