Week of December 23 - 27

From Provost Cyril Clarke: Happy Holidays 2024!   

As we bring the semester to a close and the university community celebrates our fall 2024 graduates, I want to express my sincere appreciation for your ongoing commitment to our students and your partnership in and contributions to advancing our institutional goals and priorities. The impacts of your work and engagement extend far beyond our campus and have been transformative for our students, providing them with not only mentorship and guidance, but experiences and opportunities to thrive beyond the classroom.

Through your scholarly achievements and dedication to academic and research excellence, you continue to expand the boundaries of knowledge and discovery and elevate Virginia Tech nationally and globally. I hope you are as proud as I am of all the progress we have made this year in creating enriching experiential learning opportunities for our students and preparing them to make meaningful contributions to their fields and communities. Your collective efforts to enrich their lives while advancing Virginia Tech’s teaching, research, and outreach missions has positioned the university for continued growth and success in 2025.

Please take time during the winter break to rest and reflect on all you have accomplished this past year. On behalf of the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost, I wish each of you a peaceful and safe holiday season. May this time provide renewal, inspiration, and momentum for the year to come. 

TLOS and OEA: ADA Title II revisions require accessibility conformance for all digital content

Critical revisions to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title II now require accessibility conformance to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) for most digital content provided by Virginia Tech or through paid third-party resources by April 24, 2026. These revisions will impact all areas of the university.

The Office for Equity and Accessibility (OEA) and Technology-enhanced Learning and Online Strategies (TLOS) are leading this initiative to address the impact of new regulations on the university. Here’s what you can do to prepare:

• Become familiar with the updated regulations and the fact sheet. 
• Attend workshops and webinars provided by Professional Development Network (PDN) training, LinkedIn Learning or IAAP webinars to learn more. 
• Apply the Keep C.A.L.M. Campaign suggestions and resources . 
• Leverage the accessibility checkers available, such as Ally and Grackle, as well as the checkers built into Microsoft 365.

For more information, read this campus notice. Additional information will be available in early 2025 on the Virginia Tech Accessibility Portal. 
 

Center for Educational Networks and Impacts: Applications open for inaugural affiliate cohort

The Center for Educational Networks and Impacts (CENI) is accepting applications for its inaugural cohort of affiliated researchers. Affiliate status recognizes and enhances the work of a diverse network of faculty, postdoctoral scholars, and educators whose research is aligned with CENI’s mission.

The program is designed to advance interdisciplinary research partnerships in education ecosystems. Affiliates have access to the following:

• Use of the CENI affiliate title and recognition on the CENI website 
• Membership in a dynamic community of scholars dedicated to the enhancement of education systems 
• Opportunities to participate in CENI planning and joint grant proposals, engage with education partners, and have work featured in Dialogues: Education Research and Practice 
• Priority access to CENI training and workshops 
• Customized guidance on broader impacts planning for education and workforce development 
• Access to CENI co-working spaces, as available 
• AY faculty from Virginia Tech are eligible to apply for a CENI summer stipend ($5,000) to support co-development of external funding proposals

For more information including eligibility, expectations, and how to apply, read this campus notice or email CENI.
 

Division of IT: Research faculty input needed on Cyberinfrastructure Strategy Survey

As part of its commitment to enhancing research capabilities at Virginia Tech, the Division of IT is developing a comprehensive cyberinfrastructure (CI) plan and is seeking input from research faculty. The plan and strategy focus on addressing the university’s current and future cyberinfrastructure needs by evaluating and improving our research computing infrastructure, data storage resources, and high-speed networking capabilities.

Input will be collected through the Cyberinfrastructure Strategy Survey that should take no more than 10 minutes to complete. Responses will be kept confidential and used solely for improving research capabilities at Virginia Tech.

The goal of this strategy is to support and elevate the university's research endeavors through robust and scalable cyberinfrastructure development. Faculty feedback will be instrumental in developing an institutional CI plan, guiding our investment decisions, and setting priorities.

For more information and to complete the survey, access the online questionnaire. If you have questions, please email the survey team. 
 

ICYMI: Virginia Tech Experts profile can boost scholarly presence, attract collaborators

Virginia Tech Experts is a searchable online profile system managed through University Libraries that provides a public-facing view of researchers, scholars, and educators at Virginia Tech, along with their publications, research interests, teaching, and additional scholarly activities.

Faculty can easily set up an Experts public profile so their research and expertise can easily be found by Virginia Tech colleagues and potential collaborators around the world. Activate your profile by using the Elements database system with a few simple steps and boost your online scholarly presence.

• Step 1: What Information Shows on Your Virginia Tech Experts Profile 
• Step 2: Review, Update, or Hide Information on Your Profile 
• Step 3: Make Your Profile Visible to Others 
• Step 4: Ongoing – Review and Adjust Your Profile As Needed

For more information including overview slides, workshops, and a video guide, visit the Virginia Tech Experts website. 
 

Additional Resources and Updates

Newsletter Spotlight: Virginia Tech Autism Clinic and Center for Autism Research

• Guidance for the Implementation of Policy 4005 
• Care.com to offer series of Care Talks beginning in January 
• Submit a proposal for CETL instructional grants by March 15 
• Apply for National Institutes of Health R01 writing workshop 
• Message from President Tim Sands: End of the 2024 fall semester 
• Get ‘Hooked In’ to career development resources 
• Faculty invited to attend Mentoring Undergraduates Workshop 
• Innovation: Ideation to Commercialization call for proposals 

Please submit a Google form or email Provost Communications for comments or recommendations to improve the Weekly Communications Update or to share faculty, staff, and academic program personnel information.

Visit the provost’s website frequently for new and updated university information. All members of the campus community should also read their VT News daily email for further important updates, notices, and resources.