Virginia Tech® home

Week of July 4-8

2022

Provost’s Office: CAUS renamed College of Architecture, Arts, and Design

The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) has approved the renaming of the College of Architecture and Urban Studies (CAUS) to the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design (AAD), effective July 1.

“The new organizational structure will provide greater visibility for arts, design, and architecture programs by grouping them together and locating all studio and performance-based instruction related to arts and design classes in one college,” said Rosemary Blieszner, Alumni Distinguished Professor and interim dean of the newly named college.

In addition to the college renaming, a program realignment will transfer the School of Performing Arts from the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences (CLAHS) to AAD, joining the School of Architecture, the School of Visual Arts, and the School of Design. It will also relocate the Myers-Lawson School of Construction to the College of Engineering and the School of Public and International Affairs to CLAHS.

For additional details, please read this VTx article or visit the AAD website.

Faculty Affairs: New Faculty Welcome event to be held on August 18

The Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost cordially invited all new Virginia Tech faculty to the New Faculty Welcome on Thursday, August 18 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at The Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center.

The annual event, hosted by Faculty Affairs and with contributions from units across the university, is designed to provide overview information about the university, perspectives from current faculty, and an opportunity to network with colleagues. Separate and different from orientation sessions provided by Human Resources, the program allows new faculty who have joined Virginia Tech between August 10, 2021, and August 10, 2022, to connect with faculty and academic leaders across the campus.

The event is free to attend, but registration is required.

The New Faculty Welcome program also provides breakout informational sessions for Administrative and Professional Faculty and Teaching and Research Faculty. This targeted program content is designed to address the specific needs and interests of the different faculty groups.

In addition to the August 18 general welcome session, special sessions for new teaching and research faculty will be held on August 19 at the following times:

  • Special Teaching Session for New Faculty, 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
  • Special Research Session for New Faculty, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Informational presentations from past years' events and other resources are available on the New Faculty Welcome website. Faculty are encouraged to continue to check this site before and after the August 18 event for updated resources.

For more information on the event or registration, please email Leslie Sullivan, faculty affairs coordinator for the Office of Faculty Affairs.

Inclusion and Diversity: Faculty, staff invited to take part in 2022 InclusiveVT Summit

The Office for Inclusion and Diversity invites the Virginia Tech community to participate in the 2022 InclusiveVT Summit (formerly called Diversity Summit) on Wednesday, August 10 at The Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center.

InclusiveVT is Virginia Tech’s institutional and individual commitment to Ut Prosim (That I May Serve) in the spirit of community, diversity, and excellence.

The keynote speaker is Paulette Granberry Russell, president of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE). She will lead a conversation on diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education. Both the keynote address and morning presentations will be live streamed on the InclusiveVT YouTube channel for those who join remotely.

The afternoon sessions include tours of the Solitude-Fraction site, as well as a variety of in-person, virtual, and asynchronous sessions about diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives at Virginia Tech.

The InclusiveVT Summit is an opportunity for all faculty and staff to learn and engage with InclusiveVT’s Four Institutional Goals through diversity and inclusion related initiatives, education and events across the university.

Registration is now open and required to attend the summit. The Canvas course includes a schedule of events and accompanying content for the summit. Participants will have access to content in Canvas (Professional Development Network or Orange Canvas) throughout the fall semester.

For more information about the event, please email Michelle Carter, director of diversity engagement, or visit the InclusiveVT website. If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Michelle Carter at least ten business days prior to the event.

Research and Innovation: Faculty reviewers needed for Postdoctoral Fellowship Program

The Office for Research and Innovation is seeking assistance from faculty members to review proposals as part of the new Virginia Tech Presidential Postdoctoral Fellowship Program. The program seeks to bring exceptional research talent to Virginia Tech where two years of funding plus a professional development allowance will be made available to selected postdoctoral fellows.

To prepare postdoctoral associates for the next step in their careers, the program fellows will receive:

  • Two-year appointments with nationally competitive salaries and benefits
  • $10,000 for training and professional development-related expenses (to be used over the two-year fellowship)
  • Mentoring and professional development

Proposals are written for a general, educated audience. Reviewers can expect to receive a mix of proposals, some of which may more closely align with their research expertise than others.

The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs expects each faculty reviewer will read no more than three to four, three-page proposals with candidate CVs, per review cycle. A rubric will be provided to aid in scoring of applications and a means for reviewers to submit their scores online. The office does not anticipate that reviewers will need to meet to discuss scores so faculty may score applicants at times that work best for them.

Additional details are available on the Eligibility and Proposal Details, Cycles, and Deadlines website.

If you are a faculty members who is willing to serve as reviewer for Cycle 2 (proposals sent to reviewers July 19 and scores due August 1) or Cycle 3 (proposals sent to reviewers November 17 and scores due December 5), please email Chris Smith, administrator for the Postdoctoral Affairs Program, with your availability.

For more information, please visit the new Virginia Tech Presidential Postdoctoral Fellowship Program website.

ICYMI: CETL Welcome Back Symposium – Strategies for Increased Student Engagement

The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL)invites faculty to join campus colleagues for the Welcome Back Symposium 2022: Teaching Strategies for Increased Student Engagement.

The symposium will be held on August 16 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (lunch provided) in 260 New Classroom Building.

This symposium is a one-day event focused on motivating and engaging students in courses to increase academic success. Throughout the day, participants will hear from Virginia Tech colleagues about their teaching strategies for fostering student engagement, as well from Saundra McGuire, director emerita of the Louisiana State University’s Center for Academic Success, who will present the opening keynote, “Increasing Student Motivation: Strategies that Work.”

The goal of the symposium is 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.

Participation in Welcome Back Symposium 2022: Teaching Strategies for Increased Student Engagement is free, but space is limited and registration is required. All participants who attend the symposium will receive a complimentary copy of McGuire’s book, "Teach Students How to Learn: Strategies You Can Incorporate Into Any Course to Improve Student Metacognition, Study Skills, and Motivation."

For more information or if you have questions, please email the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning or visit the CETL 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.