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Week of November 21-25

2022

Message from Provost Cyril Clarke: Thank you and enjoy time with family, friends

The Thanksgiving holiday offers us an opportunity to pause and appreciate all that we have been afforded and have accomplished over the past year.

I would like to thank you sincerely for your steadfast dedication to our students, contributions to research and scholarship, and service to Virginia Tech. Your continued partnership and willingness to engage in important discussions that will shape the future of the university exemplifies the spirit of Ut Prosim and is key to our growth and success.

I hope you will take time during the Thanksgiving break to step away from your work responsibilities and enjoy some well-deserved rest and relaxation with family and friends.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Cyril

CETL and Academic Advising Initiatives: Help students Thank-a-Teacher, Thank-an-Advisor

The Thank-a-Teacher program allows students, alumni, and parents to send a note of appreciation to a faculty member at Virginia Tech. Those faculty with students who are interested in sharing a message of thanks (anonymously or name included) can direct them to the online form and ask them to include one or two sentences expressing their appreciation. The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) will then send the teacher the special ‘thank you’ note.

Academic Advising Initiatives manages the Thank-an-Advisor program that allows students the opportunity to thank Virginia Tech academic advisors who have gone above and beyond to make a difference in their lives. For faculty with students interested in recognizing an advisor, encourage them to submit a Thank-an-Advisor message (anonymously or name included). Students should access the online form, share a short message of appreciation, and indicate whether it is okay to publish comments (e.g., on a website, in a book or pamphlet, etc.) or only share comments with the advisor being recognized.

For more information on this program, please visit the Thank-a-Teacher and Thank-an-Advisor website.

Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign: Give thanks by donating to those in need

As our university community looks forward to the upcoming holidays and makes plans to visit family and friends in warm and safe surroundings, please take a moment to support those less fortunate through the Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign (CVC). Even a small gift can make a big difference in the lives of others.

The CVC is a voluntary, charitable donation program for state employees. It is an easy and convenient way for employees to support a wide range of not-for-profit health and human services organizations. Employees can designate their contributions to go to specific charities or donate to a general fund. Donations can be made through payroll deduction, check or cash.

Every donation, no matter how small, has an impact. A donation of $50 can provide a week of meals for home-bound senior citizens. Just $35 can provide a Thanksgiving meal for a family of four. With nearly 800 charities to choose from, you’re sure to find a cause that is meaningful to you. If there are multiple charities you are passionate about supporting, you can designate your donation to multiple organizations.

This year’s campaign has a university goal of $400,000 and runs until Friday, December 9. Thank you to all those who have donated so far. If you haven’t had a chance, please consider donating. No amount is too small and every dollar counts.

For more information on the CVC and how to donate, please contact your college/unit steering team representative or visit the CVC website.

ICYMI: Gradescope offers faculty, instructors flexible options to grade assignments

Technology-enhanced Learning and Online Strategies (TLOS) has secured a one-year license for Gradescope, a Canvas-integrated grading platform offering flexible options for grading paper-based, digital, and bubble-sheet quizzes, exams, and homework assignments. The license will allow Virginia Tech to pilot the platform beginning in spring 2023, when it will become available for use in all Canvas course sites.

Gradescope pairs AI-assisted grading with instructor-created rubrics to increase the efficiency and consistency of scoring and facilitate more timely feedback. After assignments are graded, faculty can analyze questions to gain a better understanding of student performance. While Gradescope is especially well suited for STEM classes, it can be used to grade assignments in any discipline.

Faculty and instructors can preview Gradescope’s features by watching a brief introductory video and can access the tool through the Gradescope website with their Virginia Tech username and passphrase.

To learn more about Gradescope, register for one or both of the following information sessions:

December 1 from 2:00-3:00 p.m.
Scoring Bubble Sheets with Gradescope: Session designed for faculty who are currently using paper bubble sheets for assessments.

December 2 from 10:00-11:00 a.m.
Getting Started with Gradescope for Faculty

TLOS is the service provider for Gradescope and Canvas at Virginia Tech.

For more information, please read this campus notice, visit the 4Help Knowledge Base, or request a consultation.

Additional Resources and 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.