Message from Provost Cyril Clarke: Academic Year 2023-24 Welcome

Dear colleagues,

Welcome to the 2023-24 academic year. It is great to see students moving across our Virginia Tech campuses once again and to welcome our new and returning faculty to the fall semester.

First and foremost, I wish to thank each of you for your ongoing commitment to our university mission and your unwavering dedication to serving and supporting our students during this important and transformative time in their lives. From our distributed locations across the Commonwealth of Virginia and around the world, our faculty and academic staff form the foundation upon which our success is built and I am excited to partner and collaborate with you.

As we embark on a new year, I am pleased to connect you with important information and several updates on university initiatives, resources, and announcements that will impact our academic and research efforts.

• Virginia Tech Advantage and Enhancing our Global Reputation (Top 100 Global) – The Virginia Tech Advantage represents a leading strategic priority of Virginia Tech and President Sands to provide a high-quality educational experience to all students, regardless of income. Another leading university priority is to achieve a place among the top 100 research institutions in the world that attracts global talent and research partners.
• Goals and Priorities: Virginia Tech’s Academic Enterprise – In partnership with faculty, staff, and the academic community, these themes, goals, and initiatives have been developed and framed to support and contribute to the progress of the visionary concepts of Beyond Boundaries.
• Update to Beyond Boundaries vision – Virginia Tech has begun the process of updating the Beyond Boundaries vision through reviewing and refining our goals and focusing our leading university strategic priorities (Virginia Tech Advantage and Top-100 Global).
• New deans for the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design, and Pamplin College of Business – Please join me in welcoming Dean Lu Liu (Architecture, Arts, and Design) and Dean Saonee Sarker (Pamplin College of Business).
• Update on relocation of D.C. Area programs and services – The repositioning of academic programs and support services in northern Virginia is an important step towards enabling Virginia Tech’s long-range vision for the region.
• Destination Area 2.0 – DA 2.0 teams target transdisciplinary discovery, learning, and outreach efforts that yield solutions to complex problems and have a high likelihood of Virginia Tech sustaining or establishing an international leadership position in the area of interest. Phase II grants have been awarded.
• Guidance and information on ChatGPT, generative AI tools – As we continue to learn more about this technology, it is important to take an objective and informed approach to evaluating the possible pedagogical and other impacts of generative AI and how we can use these tools to advance accomplishment of the university’s mission.
• Changes to undergraduate admissions process for 2023-24 admissions cycle – Changes include discontinuing the early decision option, formally eliminating legacy as a factor, and complying with the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision to remove race and ethnicity as a factor in the admissions decision process. Please also review information on the graduate application and admissions process.
• Updated timeline for elevating Minimum Security Controls – Virginia Tech continues its commitment to protecting the data of students, alumni, faculty, and staff as well as the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information and IT services important to the university's mission.
• Changes planned for Google email, calendar, and online storage – Modifications to the service decision on Google Workspace are planned in response to a statement from Microsoft on upcoming major changes to their licensing model for higher education institutions.

I will continue to share information and updates with you as often as possible through the Weekly Communications Update, and welcome your feedback as we progress through the academic year.

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 across the university are here to support you in your teaching, research, and outreach activities in the spirit of Ut Prosim.

Sincerely,
Cyril