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Week of August 8-12

2022

Welcome Back Symposium 2022: Registration full, but live stream of keynote available

Although registration for the in-person Welcome Back Symposium 2022: Teaching Strategies for Increased Student Engagement is full, interested faculty and staff still have an opportunity to view the live stream of Saundra McGuire's opening keynote, “Increasing Student Motivation: Strategies that Work.”

McGuire’s presentation will take place August 16 from 9:30 - 10:45 a.m. and those who wish to join virtually can request a link to the online session. Requests must be received by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, August 15.

Welcome Back Symposium 2022, hosted by the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL), is designed for teaching faculty members at Virginia Tech to gain information, inspiration, and ideas for strategies that they can implement in their teaching to increase student engagement.

For more information or if you have questions about registering for the live stream of the keynote address, please email CETL.

Provost Cyril Clarke and SVP-CBO Chris Kiwus: Updates, steps for a successful fall 2022 return

Provost Cyril Clarke and Interim Senior Vice President and Chief Business Officer Chris Kiwus shared a joint message this week with the university community that included updates on Virginia Tech’s management of COVID-19 and what can be done to provide on-campus student experiences and protect the community at large. The following are summary points from their message:

  • COVID-19 is now one illness among many that university employees and students manage on a regular basis. 
  • While the threat of COVID-19 has shifted and we have developed coping mechanisms and personal knowledge to mitigate its effects, we will continue to monitor and inform our community on guidance and available resources. 
  • We believe the time has come for us to stand down the daily emergency management of COVID-19 and other communicable diseases. 
  • Virginia Tech continues to strongly encourage COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters, and masking is always welcome anywhere at the university. 
  • Employee “at-will testing” will end on August 26. Employees are encouraged to visit the VDH website to find free COVID-19 testing sites throughout Virginia. 
  • Faculty should keep in mind that students who test positive for COVID-19 need to isolate and not attend in-person classes for at least five days. Students should seek absence verification from the Dean of Students. 
  • Instructional resources (Continuity in Teaching and Learning) are available for facilitating student access to academic activities in virtual environments. 
  • It is essential that faculty respect the medical privacy of students who have tested positive for COVID-19 or have been identified as a close contact. Please do not share with the class that a student is in quarantine or isolation, nor make testing or other recommendations based on that information. 
  • We are grateful for all the support and acceptance of the reality of the impact of COVID-19 on our campus and are looking forward to a great semester.

Please read the complete message from Provost Clarke and SVP-CBO Kiwus containing additional guidance/updates for faculty, staff, and students.

Provost’s Office and TLOS: Grants to explore teaching, course design, and research

The Provost’s Office and Technology-enhanced Learning and Online Strategies (TLOS) invite submissions of proposals for a variety of grants that support the exploration of technology-enhanced approaches to teaching and learning, the expansion of flexible/online course opportunities, and collaborative research across Virginia.

Seed grants, curricular redesign grants, and research grants are available through the Innovation in Learning, Develop, Redesign, Innovate, Vitalize, and Enhance (DRIVE), and 4-VA programs.

  • Innovation in Learning (IL) grants support the evaluation and implementation of new approaches to teaching and learning using technology. These small seed grants are awarded to individuals or teams working on pedagogical and curricular projects that push the boundaries of technology-enhanced learning and have the potential for broad institutional impact. Proposals may be submitted online with grant awards typically capped at $5,000. 
  • The Develop, Redesign, Innovate, Vitalize, and Enhance (DRIVE)  grants fund the creation or redesign of flexible and online learning experiences for Virginia Tech students in undergraduate and graduate programs. Submit a proposal online for grants funded at up to $8,000 per course. (Note: DRIVE grant proposals will also be considered for 4-VA Course Redesign funding.) 
  • 4-VA is a multi-college/university collaborative with members working together to realize Virginia’s goals for higher education. Grants are intended to promote collaborations that leverage the strengths of each university. 4-VA grants at Virginia Tech support innovative approaches to collaborative endeavors, collaborative research (including complementary funds), and course redesign.

The deadline for proposal submissions is September 14. Review of proposals will take place on a rolling basis through the deadline. Awards will be announced beginning October 7, for work beginning in the spring or summer of 2023.

Information sessions are scheduled via Zoom at 7:00 p.m. on August 24, 25, 29, and 30. Registration is required and participants must sign in at virginiatech.zoom.us using their Virginia Tech username (PID) to join a session.

During the 2021-2022 fiscal year, TLOS and the Provost's Office awarded nearly $850,000 in grants through the above programs. Innovation in Learning and DRIVE grants are funded and managed by the Provost’s Office and TLOS. 4-VA grants are funded through the Commonwealth of Virginia budget process.

Read more information in the campus notice about these grant opportunities. Questions, concerns, or requests for further details can be emailed to Lujean Baab, senior director of Grants and Awards for TLOS.

CETL: Resources available for faculty preparing for fall 2022 course instruction

For faculty and instructors who are finalizing their plans and materials for fall 2022 course instruction, Section 9.6.1 (Syllabus and Performance Expectation) of the Faculty Handbook offers guidance for providing students with course syllabi that effectively communicates information about course content, class schedules and attendance, grading scales, and overall expectations of the instructor.

Faculty and instructors should design their syllabi and other course documents as a useful means for clearly setting the tone of their courses. Syllabi requirements, per the Virginia Tech Faculty Handbook, include the following:

While not required, faculty and instructors may also consider additional information in the syllabi such as promoting student success, inclusion and diversity, creating a sense of belonging, and clear communication regarding expectations.

The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) has developed a number of useful resources for further helping faculty prepare or update course documents in order to provide students with the necessary information and resources to successfully complete the course. These resources include:

In addition to course content and expectations, some instructors may choose to share their teaching philosophies, student resources available across the university, suggested readings, or policies that relate to their specific disciplines or course needs. Additionally, some instructors opt to include syllabus acknowledgement statements for students to sign that they have read the syllabus and understand the course policies.

For more information and resources on developing/updating course syllabi, please access the Faculty Handbook or visit the CETL website.

ICYMI: Proposals for Faculty Teaching Group Grant Program due September 1

The Faculty Teaching Group Grant Program, offered through the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL), is designed for faculty members who would like to explore a topic related to higher education teaching and learning in a small and interactive learning community.

The primary goals of this grant program are to encourage faculty members to form collaborative support networks within or outside of their home departments and colleges, and to encourage exploration and discovery related to teaching and learning in higher education.

Groups will receive a $2,000 grant toward their proposed goals. Approximately five grants will be funded each year.

The program supports the exploration of a range of topics related to teaching and learning. For example, recent Faculty Teaching Group topics have included

  • supporting/mentoring early career university teachers, 
  • creating cross-discipline experiences in study abroad, 
  • developing learning experiences that incorporate multiple disciplines, 
  • incorporating R programming and data analytics in the classroom, 
  • exploring teaching and learning practices using telemedicine in clinical veterinary and medical education programs, 
  • building an online community among students, and 
  • creating a discipline-specific and university teaching-focused learning community with an emphasis on peer observation and reflection.

Proposals for the grant program should be submitted electronically on or before September 1, 2022.

For more information on evaluation criteria and example proposals, please visit the Faculty Teaching Group Grant Program website or email CETL.

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.