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Week of August 22-26

2022

Notice: University closed on September 5 in observance of Labor Day

Virginia Tech will be closed on Monday, September 5 and classes will be canceled in observance of Labor Day. This will be a paid holiday for eligible faculty and staff.

University offices will be closed, except those that must be open for selected operations. Emergency personnel are required to work as determined by their department/unit head.

University Policy 4315: Guidelines on Holidays contains more information on university holidays, holiday time, and other procedures. Specific information related to leave reporting will be shared with department leave representatives from the HR Leave Team for the impacted period.

For additional questions, please contact your department’s HR representative, email the HR Service Center or call 540-231-9331.

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

Provost Cyril Clarke shared a message this week to welcome faculty and program staff to the new academic year, express appreciation for efforts to restore in-person teaching and learning, provide an update on the management of COVID-19, and reiterate academic goals and priorities that align with Virginia Tech’s Beyond Boundaries vision. The following are summary points from his message:

  • I wish to welcome our faculty and academic staff back to campus and to express my appreciation for your service to the university and support of our students. 
  • One of our most significant achievements as a university has been the restoration of face-to-face learning and co-curricular activities on campus. 
  • Face-to-face academic activities are also critical to the ability of faculty and staff to advance in their careers and contribute to fulfilling the university’s mission. 
  • Please know that I am not dismissive of the value of virtual work and how we should apply lessons learned during the pandemic. 
  • We are still in the preliminary stages of identifying circumstances that are appropriate for remote work and how best to align individual job duties with outcomes that will serve and advance our institution. 
  • Like the flu and other common viruses, COVID-19 is now one illness among several that the university will manage on a regular basis. 
  • We will continue to monitor and inform our community, but we believe the time has come to stand down the daily emergency management of COVID-19. 
  • Through our goals and priorities as an academic enterprise, we will continue to elevate and advance our Beyond Boundaries vision and the priorities outlined in our university strategic plan.
  • A cornerstone of this effort is Destination Area 2.0 and the solicitation for proposals for the first phase of Planning and Development Grants. 
  • 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 read the complete welcome back message from Provost Cyril Clarke on the provost’s website.

Global Education Office: Mandatory training for faculty leading student groups abroad

The Global Education Office (GEO) offers several trainings throughout the year to support faculty and administrators in their efforts to lead study abroad programs.

Virginia Tech Policy 1070: Global Travel Policy requires university employees leading either credit-bearing or co-curricular student groups abroad to complete training with GEO prior to departure. It also requires faculty/staff to be trained every two years in order to lead students abroad. To meet this requirement, faculty leading a student group will first need to attend New Program Leader Training and then every two years attend a Program Leader Community Update. Fall semester training dates are as follows:

  • New Program Leader Training (October 25, 8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.) is designed to provide program leaders and those supporting programs with the tools and resources to lead students abroad, meeting training requirements.

    A main focus of the training is health, safety, and risk management, including best practices in leading students abroad and compliance with university policy and procedure, all with the goal of enabling a safe, successful experience. The agenda for this session ends with a catered lunch during open Q&A.
  • Program Leader Community Update (previously Returning Faculty-Leader Training) is for those who have previously attended the New Program Leader Training. This training is a concentrated session and at completion updates faculty/staff training compliance. GEO is offering several sessions for you to choose from this semester:
    • Wednesday, October 26:
      • 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. (virtual)
      • 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. (GEO Conference Room, 526 Prices Fork)
    • Thursday, October 27:
      • 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. (GEO Conference Room, 526 Prices Fork)
      • 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. (virtual)

Please register for your preferred fall semester training session by October 18.

Spring sessions are also available for registration. For more information on these trainings, please email the Global Education Office or visit their website.

Research Development Series: Strategies for Winning NIH Program Project/Center Grants

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) provide the largest amount of public funding for biomedical research in the world. The most substantial awards are program project/center grants (P-series) that support large, multi-project efforts that generally include a diverse array of research activities.

As its first seminar in the 2022-23 Research Development Series, the Office of Research and Innovation is hosting a virtual discussion designed to inspire both experienced and new research faculty, by providing an overview of P-series grants and the winning strategies used by invited guest speakers.

“Strategies for Winning National Institutes of Health Program Project/Center Grants” will take place, via Zoom, on September 9 from 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. All members of the research community are invited, but registration is required.

The seminar will be hosted by Vince Baranauskas, senior research development coordinator in the Office of Research and Innovation, and will include the following guest speakers:

  • Sheree Toth, director of the Mt. Hope Family Center and professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of Rochester. 
  • Mark Peeples, professor in the Department of Pediatrics with The Ohio State University’s College of Medicine, and principal investigator for the Center for Vaccines and Immunity at Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital.

The Research Development Series is designed to help faculty in their journey to increase the scope and impact of their research, creativity, and innovation portfolio. With events focused on different facets of sponsored research, from sponsor-specific perspectives to how to work with partners, this webinar series is intended to answer researchers' biggest questions and enlighten scholars at every step in their career.

For more information on this and other Research and Innovation events, please visit their Events and Programs website.

ICYMI: Recommendations, resources for faculty in establishing class norm of inclusion

Virginia Tech’s Office of Inclusion and Diversity (OID) has developed a resource document with recommendations for instructional faculty and GTAs to assist them in establishing a “norm of inclusion” in their classes beginning with the course syllabus and the first class meeting. These resources and recommendations include:

  • Guidelines for a community of learners – Effective practice for fostering an inclusive classroom that emphasize the value of the classroom as a learning community with shared goals and aspirations.
  • Community guidelines that make a difference – How and when to meaningfully communicate these guidelines so that students will take note.
    • First day of class: Distribute a hard copy or include as a page on course Canvas site. Revisit after several class sessions to elicit revisions or additional suggestions.
    • Midterm: Offer students opportunity to provide feedback about their experience of class interactions and learning environment. 
    • Strategic moments: Use where interactions might feel tense. Remind student of the agreement if moving into a potentially high-stakes conversation. 
    • End of semester: Provide the students with an opportunity to self-assess their participation.
  • Communicating welcome, safety, and inclusion – Community guidelines are complemented by statements of welcome, safety, and inclusion. These statements are especially important to those who are historically marginalized due to their social identities or personal circumstances.

In addition to these guidelines, the downloadable document contains sample statements that help faculty set the tone of the class and demonstrate their willingness to engage with students. There are also several questions faculty can ask themselves when composing their guidelines.

Faculty and GTAs may also enroll in one of OID’s inclusive pedagogy courses offered through the Professional Development NetworkInclusive pedagogy is a learner-centered instructional approach built on the principles of respect, inclusion, and cultural engagement.

For further information on these norm of inclusion resources and recommendations, please email InclusiveVT or visit the InclusiveVT website.

Additional Resources and Updates

If you have comments or recommendations for how we can improve the Weekly Communications Update or suggestions for specific information and topics that should be shared with faculty, staff, and academic program personnel, please provide them through this Google form or email Provost Communications.

Please visit VT Ready and the Provost’s website frequently for new and updated university information. All members of the campus community should also read their VTx Daily email for further important updates, notices, and resources.