Week of March 18-22

Human Resources: Participate in the 2024 employee campus climate survey

Virginia Tech has launched its 2024 employee campus climate survey to collect valuable feedback from faculty and staff about their Virginia Tech experience. Information collected through this survey will help the university understand:

• How to support developing a culture of attracting and retaining talent and encouraging a culture of belonging and connection for all.  
• The perceptions of employees as it relates to job satisfaction and work environment and the university’s diversity, inclusion, and leadership.
• The campus experience for different groups of people and across locations. 
• How the university climate has changed since the last survey in 2021.

All employees with a Virginia Tech email account will receive an email from climatesurvey@vt.edu that contains a personalized link to the survey. While the survey has been pre-populated with some organizational information to ensure accurate reporting, responses are confidential.

For more information, read this campus notice or contact your supervisor or college/department HR representative.

Policy and Governance: Recent updates to academic, research policies

Through the Office of Policy and Governance, the following university policies were updated between November 2023 and February 2024.

• No. 6100 – Department Head, Chair or School Director Appointment and Review: Updated to provide clarification on tuition remission for executive and professional programs, clarification for summer out-of-state waiver eligibility, update work-life grant term to 8 weeks, and update links. 
• No. 6210 – Management of Graduate Assistantships and Tuition Remission:  Modified to incorporate information about continuing undergraduate eligibility listed in President’s Policy Memorandum 191 and 272 and retire President’s Policy Memoranda 35, 36, 91, 191 and 272. 
• No. 6320 – Maximum Loads for Undergraduates: Revised to include graduate students and provide clarification regarding part of term for summer terms. 
• No. 6363 – Administration of Credit-by-Contract Partnerships for Graduate Courses: Substantial revision that aligned with the new proposal process, established a deadline for closing contracts, and updated policy title, content organization, links, and references. 
• No. 6700 – Undergraduate Credits: Modified to reflect current transferrable criteria recognized by the university, the maximum CLEP hours that can be awarded, and removal of retired PPMs. 
• No. 6800 – Undergraduate Grading Policies: Modification included clarifying language consistent with the Undergraduate Catalog and PPM 11b reflecting limitations on course attempts. 
• No. 13010 – Conflict of Interest: Revised to eliminate sponsor specific language allowing for broad application and updates to references and links.

For more information including recent updates to Advancement, Finance and Business, IT, HR, and Student Affairs policies, read this campus notice or visit the Policies at Virginia Tech website.

Equity and Accessibility: Campus community invited to attend Accessibility Awareness Week events

Virginia Tech will hold its inaugural Accessibility Awareness Week, March 18-22. Modeled after Global Accessibility Awareness Day, the goal of this week is to provide learning opportunities and resources to that engage the campus community to think, discuss, learn, and take action regarding digital and physical accessibility.

There is no charge to participate in events and activities throughout the week however, some sessions require registration. Virginia Tech’s Accessibility Awareness Week is sponsored by the Office for Equity and Accessibility, Campus Accessibility Working Group, and Technology-enhanced Learning and Online Strategies (TLOS).

For more information including a schedule of events and registration, visit the Accessibility Awareness Week webpage. If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please email Amber Hagan or call 540-231-2010.

Provost’s Office: Share your ideas, insights for improving our Weekly Communications Update  

If you have comments or recommendations for how we can improve the Weekly Communications Update, or you would like to make a request to have specific information or topics shared with faculty and academic program staff across the university, please provide your feedback and suggestions through this Google form.

Along with the Weekly Communications Update, faculty and department heads should visit the provost’s website frequently for new and updated information impacting the academic community. All employees of the university should also read their VT News daily email for important campus events, notices, and resources.

For more information or feedback, please email Provost Communications.

ICYMI: Instructional grant proposals due March 31

The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) offers multiple types of instructional grants for faculty and departments to engage in the development of instructional skills, the application of effective teaching strategies, and the scholarship of teaching and learning. Five types of instructional grants are available:

• High-Impact Project Grants – support departments, programs, and/or interdisciplinary collaborators in designing (or re-designing), developing, and implementing a large-scale project with the potential to have a significant impact on student learning and teaching excellence. 
• Large Class Teaching Grants – support for the enhancement of student learning in large-class settings. 
• Instructional Innovation Grants – support for enhancement of instruction. 
• GTA Training Program Grants – support for the enhancement or the creation of faculty-led training programs for graduate teaching assistants with a focus on knowledge and skills needed to develop as effective educators. 
• Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Grants – support for faculty conducting a scholarship of teaching and learning research project.

The deadline for fall 2024 grant project proposals is March 31.

For more information and to submit a proposal, read this campus notice or visit CETL’s instructional grant webpage.

Additional Resources and Updates

• University Council meeting discussion items for March 18
• Virginia Tech celebrates National Agriculture Week, March 17-23
• This week in Virginia Tech’s Women's Month 2024
• Keynote on preventing, addressing technology-enabled abuse
• Town Gown series continues with the Built Game on March 21
• Board of Visitors to meet April 8-9, virtual public comment set for March 26
• Supporting caregivers through a national child care crisis
• Nominations for Teaching Scholar Award for Project-Based Learning