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Week of July 18-22

2022

University Libraries and University Relations: Share news of published books, achievements

Virginia Tech employees can share news of recently published books by completing a new form developed by University Relations and University Libraries. A listing of books published will be compiled for inclusion in an upcoming edition of the Daily Email and will appear on VTx. The information collected through the form will also be used for the VT Authors event, held each spring by University Libraries.

University Relations and University Libraries are also interested in showcasing other scholarly achievements such as music and theatre performances, arts exhibits, and presentations. These can be submitted through college/department communicators or by contacting University Relations directly.

The submission form is open for all Virginia Tech employees who have authored or edited a book (or comparable audio CD or DVD) that has been published in the first half of calendar year 2022.

For questions or more information, please email University Relations.

Provost’s Office: Celebrate internship programs, partners during inaugural Virginia Intern Day

Virginia Tech is joining with SCHEV, Virginia colleges and universities, and partner companies and organizations across the commonwealth to celebrate the inaugural Virginia Intern Day (VID) on Thursday, July 28.

VID will take place in concert with National Intern Day as a way to energize stakeholders about the powerful impact that work-based learning has on students. It is also an opportunity to recognize students as well as the departments, faculty, and staff who are instrumental in delivering a variety of experiential learning opportunities.

Through Virginia Tech’s commitment to provide students with ways to learn experientially through place-based opportunities, we celebrate our programs and initiatives that help to advance the university’s strategic plans to engage students in internships and similar career-related experiences. These include, but are not limited to:  

Along with these university-wide programs, each college offers information and a variety of opportunities and resources to support students seeking internships and engagement with partner companies and organizations.

In advance of VID on July 28, a VID website has been created to provide event updates, a social media toolkit with hashtags and suggested content, and other ways to recognize student-interns, partners and employers, and university departments and personnel. Please feel free to access and use these resources to highlight VID and your own college/unit activities.

For more information on Virginia Intern Day, please visit the VID website or email Emily Salmon with SCHEV.

TLOS: Accessibility Professional Certification Grant Program call for applications

TLOS’ Accessible Technologies group is now accepting applications for the Accessibility Professional Certification Grant Program. Grant recipients gain the opportunity to develop expertise and earn the International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP) Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC) certification or the Web Accessibility Specialist (WAS) certification.

Faculty, staff, and graduate students who want to gain cross-disciplinary knowledge of disabilities, accessibility, universal design, and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), should apply for this grant. Past participants report that the program has provided them with the skills to produce high-quality work that meets the needs of a broad range of people.

CPACC training covers disabilities and assistive technologies; accessibility and universal design; and laws, standards, and organizational management. WAS grant recipients will learn to evaluate the accessibility of content or objects and to use the relevant technologies. Grant recipients will receive exam preparation and a waiver of program exam fees.

The deadline for CPACC grant applications is August 18. The deadline for WAS applications is September 2. Cohort members will meet weekly via Zoom to review materials, ask questions, and see assistive technology demonstrations.

For more information about the grant program and to apply, please visit the Accessibility Professional Certification Grant Application web page.

Career and Professional Development: Discontinuance of Hokie Mentorship Connect

Effective August 31, 2022, Hokie Mentorship Connect, a platform designed to provide networking opportunities for Virginia Tech students and alumni, will be discontinued. Career and Professional Development is currently working with Alumni Relations to develop a new approach to encourage student-alumni networking, which will be announced later this summer.

The decision to discontinue the Hokie Mentorship Connect platform is based on data indicating that the program in its current format is not meeting the intended outcomes.

Virginia Tech is seeking an alternative path to unite students with alums for career-related support and to connect them with graduates who took similar paths through college and beyond in order to foster career-focused relationships.

Career and Professional Development is asking that all faculty assess course syllabi and websites and remove references to Hokie Mentorship Connect.

If you have questions about the discontinuance of Hokie Mentorship Connect, please email Donna Cassell Ratcliffe, director of Career and Professional Development.

ICYMI: Registration open for 2022 Women Impact Virginia Summit

Registration is now open for the 2022 Women Impact Virginia Summit scheduled for October 12 at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond. Presented by Outreach and International Affairs, the hybrid summit aims to advance women leaders in Virginia through promoting connections, engagement, and empowerment of women who feel a desire to impact their community.

The event will feature inspiration and dynamic women sharing stories around the theme of "Transcending Boundaries Together." The 2022 Women Impact Virginia Summit will also feature a Hokie Highlight segment that addresses overcoming boundaries with presenters including:

Concurrent breakout sessions will take place for participants to engage with multiple other impactful women from across the commonwealth.

The summit will be anchored by opening and closing keynote speakers Nancy Howell Agee, president and chief executive officer of Carilion Clinic, and Nneka Chiazor, vice president of public and government affairs for Cox Communications.

For more information on the summit and how to register for either in-person or virtual attendance, please visit the Women Impact Virginia website.

Additional Resource and Information 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.