From Provost Cyril Clarke: Welcome to the new academic year, return of in-person activities

Dear colleagues,

There is no more exciting time for our university than the start of a new academic year and the new opportunities, experiences, and members of the community that it brings. The energy around the fall 2022 semester is certainly amplified as we return to the in-person instruction and activities that are the foundation for the Virginia Tech experience. I wish to take this opportunity to welcome our faculty and academic staff back to campus and to express my appreciation for your service to our university and your support and mentorship of our students.

One of our most significant achievements as a university community has been the restoration of face-to-face learning and co-curricular activities on our campus. The opportunity to engage with students in classrooms, labs, field experiences, and common spaces is important not only to their success in their educational pursuits, but also to their personal growth and well-being. It is also critical to the ability of faculty and staff to develop and advance in their careers and contribute to fulfilling the university’s mission. From the interactions in a break room to the side conversations that occur before and after meetings to the opportunities taken to simply get to know one another during our daily work, face-to-face engagement facilitates full expression of the extraordinary talents that our faculty and academic staff bring to the workplace.

Please know that I am not dismissive of the value of virtual work and how we should apply lessons learned during the pandemic as we design the future of work at Virginia Tech. That said, we are still in the preliminary stages of identifying the circumstances that are appropriate for remote work and how best to align individual job duties and responsibilities with outcomes that serve our constituents and elevate our institution. I look forward to collaborating with deans, department heads, and university leaders to advance this process.

As it relates to COVID-19 and the health and safety protocols that have guided Virginia Tech to the restoration of in-person instruction and operations, Interim Senior Vice President and Chief Business Officer Chris Kiwus and I shared a message recently with the university community explaining that, like the flu and other common viruses, COVID-19 is now one illness among several that university employees and students will manage on a regular basis. Our approach to dealing with COVID-19 on campus is now more in line with that of an endemic disease rather than a pandemic. We will continue to monitor and inform our community on the guidance and resources available, but we believe that the time has come for the university to stand down the daily emergency management of COVID-19. As we progress through the academic year, please watch for any updates in the VTx Daily Email and, when appropriate, through special email sends to campus.

Looking toward the new academic year and our goals and priorities as an academic community, we will continue our collective efforts to support and advance Virginia Tech’s Beyond Boundaries vision, and to achieve the strategic priorities outlined in The Virginia Tech Difference: Advancing Beyond Boundaries. A cornerstone of this effort is Destination Area 2.0 and the solicitation for proposals for the first phase of Planning and Development Grants. These grants will support important transdisciplinary discovery, learning, and outreach efforts that yield solutions to complex problems that can advance the human condition and that have a high likelihood of Virginia Tech establishing or sustaining an international leadership position in specific areas of interest. I hope you will find new avenues to engage with colleagues from different departments and disciplines and explore opportunities to accelerate your research and scholarly accomplishments.

I wish each of you every success this year and look forward to working together to serve and support our students and their academic progress. Please know that the Provost’s Office in partnership with Faculty Senate, Department Heads Council, Research and Innovation Council, Academic Affairs Council, and other leadership and governance groups are here to support you in your teaching and research activities, and your service to the university in the spirit of Ut Prosim.

Cyril