Week of November 10-14

Fall Commencement 2025: Ceremony information, schedules for faculty and guests 

Virginia Tech’s Fall 2025 University and Graduate Commencement Ceremonies will take place on Friday, December 19 in Cassell Coliseum. University Commencement will start at 10:30 a.m. and Graduate Commencement will begin at 2:30 p.m. 

Doors to Cassell Coliseum will open at 9:30 a.m. There is no shuttle service available for fall commencement ceremonies, but Blacksburg Transit will be operating on its normal schedule. Requests for accommodations for guests attending commencement ceremonies must be made to the Office of Civil Rights Compliance and Prevention Education at least two weeks before the events. For additional information, contact the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities. 

For more information, visit the Commencement 2025 website with detailed and undated information on schedules, event speakers, parking and transportation, live stream, regalia, and frequently asked questions. 

Board of Visitors: Quarterly meetings to take place November 17-18 in Alexandria 

The Virginia Tech Board of Visitors (BOV) will hold its quarterly meeting on Tuesday, November 18, at 9:30 a.m., Room 2110 of Academic Building One in Alexandria. 

On Monday, November 17, committee meetings will be held in Room 2110 (times are approximate; meetings will begin when the prior meeting ends): 

• Academic, Research, and Student Affairs: 12:45 p.m. (closed, then open)
• Buildings and Grounds: 9:00 a.m. (open), 5:30 p.m. (tour of Academic Building) 
• Compliance, Audit, and Risk: 10:00 a.m. (open, then closed) 
• Executive Committee: 11:45 a.m. (closed) 
• Finance and Resource Management: 3:30 p.m. (closed, then open session) 
• Finance and Resource Management and Buildings and Grounds joint meeting: 2:45 p.m. (open, then closed) 
• Governance and Administration: 8:00 a.m. (open) 

For more information including a link to the live stream and topics on the agenda, read this BOV meeting notice or visit the BOV website. 

Policy and Governance: New tutorials on shared governance system available online 

To assist faculty and staff in understanding Virginia Tech’s shared governance structure and how it serves stakeholders across the university, the Office of Policy and Governance has created a series of self-paced online tutorials that outline the history of and guiding principles for effective governance, and the role that faculty, staff and student representative bodies play in the process. 

New and updated online modules available to faculty and staff are as follows: 

• Introduction to Shared Governance
• History of Shared Governance at Virginia Tech
• Governance Structure at Virginia Tech
• Senates at Virginia Tech
• Roles and Responsibilities
• The Parliamentary Procedures Series
• How to Write a Resolution
• Approval Process of a Resolution
• Timing of the Governance Process
• Minutes and Record Keeping

For more information and to access these valuable resources, visit Virginia Tech’s shared governance system website. 

IT: HokieSPA platform to be replaced, informational website launched 

The Division of Information Technology (IT) is working with offices across the university to deliver a new, cloud-based platform that will replace HokieSPA, the legacy user-facing portion of the Banner enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. 

The new system, My Virginia Tech (my.vt.edu), includes many modernized aspects of the student online experience, from onboarding to student profiles and digital identity management, financial services, course registration, and more. A new website has been created that will contain updates, trainings, FAQs, and informational videos as the launch of My Virginia Tech approaches. 

For more information, read this ERP update campus notice, visit the Enterprise Resource Planning Changes webpage, or email the ERP changes team. 

ICYMI: Call for proposals for 2026 Virginia Tech Mentoring Forum

The Office of Faculty Affairs announces a call for proposals for the 2026 Virginia Tech Mentoring Forum set to take place, March 18, 2026 at The Inn at Virginia Tech. 

Proposals are welcome for topics that address, but are not limited to, the following: 

• Effective strategies for mentoring undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers
• Best practices for peer mentoring and mentoring networks
• Developing inclusive and supportive mentoring relationships
• Mentoring others for career development and professional growth
• Mentoring across the career trajectory
• Tools and technologies for enhancing mentoring experiences 

Proposals are submitted online and are due by January 5, 2026. Notifications of acceptance will be sent to presenters by January 16. 

For more information, email Barbara Lockee, associate vice provost for Faculty Affairs, or visit the Mentoring and Support webpage. 

Additional Resources and Updates

Newsletter Spotlight: Global Engagement (Outreach and International Affairs)

• International Education Week: Event and activities schedule
• Call for applications: ISCE’s Spring 2026 PREP Program
• Celebrate excellence at the December Aspire! Awards breakfast
• Accessing support during the holidays with TimelyCare
• Message to employees regarding a change to the Cardinal login process
• Virtual professional development series focuses on community engagement
• Honor service members during 'Veterans Day: Flags on the Drillfield’ event
• Recognition leave granted for November 26 and December 24