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Week of February 27-March 3

2023

Faculty Affairs: COACHE faculty job satisfaction survey open through April 12

The Office of Faculty Affairs reminds and encourages Virginia Tech faculty to take the 20-minute COACHE job satisfaction survey, open now through April 12. A personalized link to the online survey can be found in an email sent to you from coachefaculty@abtsurvey.com.

Eligible faculty who participate in the survey will be entered to win an array of prizes including faculty/staff parking passes, football tickets, Moss Arts Center season tickets, and University Club memberships. To see how your college is doing, check the participation tracker, updated weekly, on the COACHE website.

The longitudinal COACHE survey has allowed Virginia Tech to measure faculty perceptions of university climate and quality since 2007 and benchmark its results against those of its peers nationwide. The Office of Faculty Affairs uses survey results to identify areas of concern and make positive change.

If you have questions or would like more information, please email Rachel Gabriele, associate vice provost for Faculty Affairs, or call 540-231-4508. You can also visit the Virginia Tech COACHE website.

Task Force on Freedom of Expression and Inquiry: Academic freedom, free speech

A draft university statement affirming Virginia Tech’s commitments to academic freedom and the constitutional right of free speech, as well as recommendations for exercising and demonstrating these commitments in a manner that exemplifies Virginia Tech’s Principles of Community, has been presented to President Tim Sands from the Task Force on Freedom of Expression and Inquiry.

The full draft statement, developed by a 21-member group of students, faculty, staff, and alumni, is as follows:

“Virginia Tech unequivocally commits to upholding freedom of speech and academic freedom.

“Virginia Tech affirms the rights guaranteed by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, including the right to freedom of speech. The First Amendment requires the university to protect the expression of ideas and opinions, including those that people may find controversial, disagreeable, or offensive. Freedom of speech, like all rights in the Constitution, is not absolute. While most speech is protected by the First Amendment, it does not protect speech or actions that violate the law, such as incitement, defamation, threats, privacy violation, or intellectual property infringement, nor does it protect against unlawful harassment or discrimination. In addition, the First Amendment allows the university to regulate the time, place, and manner of expression. At Virginia Tech, freedom of speech should be exercised in a manner that ensures a learning environment that supports and promotes civil debate and mutual respect across differences.

“Academic freedom, free expression, and open inquiry are core principles of higher education. Academic freedom enables scholars to conduct research, teach, speak, and publish within an area of expertise without interference or penalty. Academic freedom is essential to create and disseminate knowledge with the mission of improving the quality of life and the human condition within the Commonwealth of Virginia and throughout the world. Virginia Tech must ensure that all members of the university community can ask questions, listen to others, and learn through exposure to a range of ideas from a diverse community of scholars. Virginia Tech is committed to defending academic freedom and freedom of speech while providing a diverse and inclusive learning and work environment.”

President Sands has reviewed the statement and recommendations and will provide them to the members of the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors for further discussion at the March 19-20 meeting.

For the full announcement and list of Task Force on Freedom of Expression and Inquiry members, please read this VTx article.

Women’s Center at Virginia Tech: Campus invited to celebrate Women’s Month 2023

The Women’s Center at Virginia Tech invites the university community to take part in a number of campus events and activities in celebration of Women’s Month 2023. The annual event occurs in March in conjunction with National Women’s History Month.

The theme for Women's Month 2023 at Virginia Tech is "A Chorus of Voices," complementing the national theme, "Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories." Join the Women’s Center and colleagues from across the campus for an engaging schedule of programs, events, and initiatives that promote, advance, and celebrate women at Virginia Tech and beyond.

This month-long celebration recognizes, affirms, and showcases the achievements, concerns, and diversity of women. A feminist perspective – one that encourages and advances women of all races, political affiliations, national origins, religions, ages, abilities, sexual orientations, gender identities, and income levels – underlies all Women’s Center programming.

Women’s Month has historically represented Virginia Tech’s broad commitment to celebrating diverse and inclusive communities. To honor this ongoing commitment, the Women’s Month 2023 calendar highlights programs and events aligned with the Virginia Tech Principles of Community.

The full calendar of Women’s Month 2023 programs and events is available on the Women’s Center website. Please check regularly for any updates to event details.

For more information or questions about specific programs, please see the contacts for each activity listed on the calendar. General questions about the Women’s Month at Virginia Tech can be emailed to Jessie Meltsner.

Pamplin College of Business: Saonee Sarker named new dean, effective July 1

Saonee Sarker, professor in the Department of Informatics in the School of Economics and Management at Lund University (Sweden), has been named the next dean of the Virginia Tech Pamplin College of Business. Sarker will officially step into her new role on July 1, succeeding Roberta "Robin" Russell, who has served as interim dean since July 2022.

“Saonee’s strong academic leadership experience, global perspective, and commitment to recruiting and retaining a diverse community of business faculty is well aligned with the goals and priorities of the Pamplin College of Business and the university. I look forward to her joining our leadership team and supporting her efforts to lead the college and advance Virginia Tech’s land-grant mission and global reputation.”

“I would like to thank Robin Russell for her outstanding leadership and guidance as interim dean and for continuing to elevate the Pamplin College of Business during this transition. I know that she will continue to be a valuable resource for the new dean and will advocate for and support the college’s future growth and success.”

-  Provost Cyril Clarke

Sarker has been a professor in the Department of Informatics in the School of Economics and Management at Lund University since 2021. She is also a visiting professor in the Department of Management at the London School of Economics. Sarker is director of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) for MIS Quarterly, serving as an ambassador for DEI initiatives and senior editor emeritus for the journal. She also is senior editor of the Journal of the Association for Information Systems.

Please join us in welcoming Dean Sarker to Virginia Tech and thanking Dean Russell for her exceptional leadership and service.

Reminder: Spring Break is March 4-12

Spring Break 2023 will take place March 4-12. In accordance with the university’s official academic calendar, undergraduate and graduate faculty/instructors are reminded that they should not hold any class meetings, have assignments due, or administer exams during spring break or any other designated student holiday.

The week of Spring Break is important to the mental health and wellness of all Virginia Tech students and faculty should preserve these as non-instructional/assessment days.

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.