Week of July 7-11

Virginia Tech: Federal Guidance webpage provides campus community with updates, resources

Virginia Tech has launched a new webpage that consolidates updated information, guidance, and resources to assist the campus community in navigating recent government actions and directives.

The Federal Guidance page serves as a resource hub for the following:

• Leadership messages 
• University commitments 
• University support and resources 
  • International students and employees 
  • Global travel 
  • Research 
  • Academics and instruction 
  • Other

Updates will be posted as new guidance and info becomes available. An online feedback form has also been created for members of the university community who need individual guidance or have additional questions or concerns.

For more information, visit Virginia Tech’s Federal Guidance webpage or contact your department head, school director, or immediate supervisor.

TLOS: Accessibility Professional Certification Grant Program call for applications

Technology-enhanced Learning and Online Strategies (TLOS) is now accepting applications for the Accessibility Professional Certification Grant Program.

Grant recipients will have the opportunity to develop cross-disciplinary knowledge of disabilities, accessibility, universal design, and the associated standards expertise and earn the International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP) Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC) certification.

Training topics include disabilities and assistive technologies; accessibility and universal design; and laws, standards, and organizational management. Cohort members will meet weekly via Zoom to review materials, ask questions, and see assistive technology demonstrations.

The deadline for applications is August 15.

For more information and to submit an online application, read this campus notice or visit the Accessibility Professional Certification Grant Application webpage.

Global Education Office: Recent updates to Policy 1070-Global Travel Policy

Virginia Tech, through the Global Education Office (GEO) and the Global Travel Oversight Committee (GTOC), recently updated Policy 1070: Global Travel Policy to continue to provide support to faculty, staff, and students taking part in university-supported travel outside of the United States.

What is new in Policy 1070:

• Travelers are now required to report incidents while abroad using Global Safety and Risk Management as a one-stop-shop for reporting requirements and support. Incidents include, but may not be limited to injury, illness, damage to university property, robbery, burglary, vehicle accidents, assault, harassment, and arrest. 
• More clarity in what is considered a “high risk” destination. 
• Improved support for faculty planning non-credit or co-curricular student travel.

Fiscal personnel, business managers, departmental leadership, and anyone who engages in university-supported international travel should familiarize themselves with the recent updates.

For more information on GEO support and resources, read this campus notice, visit the Global Safety and Risk Management website, or refer to Policy 1070.

Reminder: Employees should complete annual IT security awareness training by July 14

Annual IT security training is required for all employees, in accordance with Virginia Tech’s Minimum Security Standards for Information Technology systems. This training equips employees to identify and avoid scams that steal our time, personal information, and money; and which jeopardize university systems and data.

All faculty and staff, non-student wage employees, and graduate assistants who have not completed their training within the last year received a notification from PageUp during the spring semester asking them to complete "Annual Renewal – IT Security Awareness Training" within 90 days.

Those currently up to date on this training (i.e., having taken the required training within the last year) will receive this message when their annual training is next due.

For more information including access to a new, shorter refresher course available through PageUp, read this campus notice.

ICYMI: Support for faculty managing P&T impacts from grant, contract interruptions

Recognizing the concerns of pre-tenure, tenure-track faculty about the potential impacts of federal grant and contract disruptions on their research progress, a recent memo from Faculty Affairs clarifies the promotion and tenure (P&T) mechanisms available to support affected faculty.

To help mitigate the impact of these disruptions, the Faculty Handbook (Section 3.4.1.3) allows for extensions of the probationary period in cases of “extraordinary professional circumstances not of the faculty member’s own making.”

Faculty who believe their research progress has been significantly affected are encouraged to consult with their department head, chair, or school director to discuss their specific circumstances. As impacts become clearer, the Office of the Provost, in collaboration with departments and colleges, will carefully consider tenure clock extension requests to ensure faculty have the necessary support to succeed.

For more information, read the Faculty Affairs memo, contact your department head/chair or school director, or email Faculty Affairs.

Additional Resources and Updates

Newsletter Spotlight: Engineering Solutions (Biological Systems Engineering)

• Make the most of summer with training, development opportunities
• Considering use of generative AI at Virginia Tech
• Update to guest sharing settings in Microsoft 365
• Register for the CETL Welcome Back Symposium 2025
• Departmental Emergency Action Plans due August 1
• Fleet Services launching new vehicle reservation, fuel management systems
• Summer VirTual Safe Zone registration is open
• Campus invited to visit the new Immersa Deck 3D visualization chamber