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Week of October 20-24

2025

Virginia Tech: Search committee recommends finalist for executive vice president, provost 

The search committee for Virginia Tech’s next executive vice president and provost has recommended Julie Ross, the Paul and Dorothea Torgersen Dean of Engineering, as the finalist for the position. President Tim Sands has accepted the search committee’s recommendation. 

The search committee invites faculty, staff, and students to attend a campus forum with Ross from 3:00-3:45 p.m. on Tuesday, October 21, in Assembly Hall at the Holtzman Alumni Center. Additional details on the forum and a link for the livestream will be available on the provost search webpage. 

The executive vice president and provost is the chief academic officer and serves as the second-highest university official, responsible for Virginia Tech's instructional, research, and outreach programs. 

For more information including a full position description and areas of responsibility, read this VT News announcement. 

Offices of the Provost, COO: Campus impacts from Friday's home football game vs. California 

Virginia Tech will host a nationally televised football game this Friday, October 24,against California. Kickoff for the game is 7:30 p.m. With increased traffic and travel impacts expected, the university will take steps to ensure the orderly flow of traffic and increase safety across the Blacksburg campus: 

  • All in-person classes on the Blacksburg campus beginning at or after 3:00 p.m. will be canceled.
  • All online classes will be held as scheduled.
  • University employees who have remote or hybrid work agreements and schedules are strongly encouraged to work remotely on October 24.
  • Administrative offices and non-instructional university offices will close at 2:00 p.m. in Blacksburg. 

Faculty and instructors who have in-person classes affected by this early closing may want to inform their students early and update information on their course syllabi. 

For more information, read this campus notice or refer to University Policy No. 4305: Authorized Closings Leave and Compensation Policy. If employees have additional questions, they should contact their supervisor or HR representative. 

University Libraries: Celebrate Open Access Week with series of campus activities, events 

Virginia Tech’s University Libraries invites faculty, staff, and students to take part in Open Access Week, October 20-24, and explore open access through talks, panel discussions, and workshops designed to help the camp community understand and access the support the library provides. All events will be hosted via Zoom with some also available in-person.

Monday, October 20:

Tuesday, October 21:

Wednesday, October 22:

Friday, October 24:

For more information and to register, read this campus notice. If you are an individual with a disability and desire accommodation, email Library Events.

Reminder: Faculty, staff participation in elections and political activity

Virginia Tech is supportive of all faculty and staff exercising their right to vote and participate in local, state, and federal elections. While the university encourages civic engagement, all political activity should be kept separate from the workplace. 

Per the university’s Statement of Business Conduct Standards (Professional and Personal Integrity), “Employees must take care to ensure that their university-related activities are kept separate from political activities; it must be clear that they act as citizens in such activities, not as representatives of the university. Further, employees must not use university resources, including computer and network systems and university work time to promote political positions or political campaigns.” 

For more information, refer to the university’s Business Conduct Standards webpage and the Faculty Handbook (Section 2.32: Political Activity). For further questions or concerns, email the HR Service Center or call 540-231-9331. 

ICYMI: Working group establishes framework for responsible, ethical use of AI at Virginia Tech 

Virginia Tech’s artificial intelligence (AI) working group, co-chaired by Dale Pike, associate vice provost for Technology-Enhanced Learning, and David Raymond, associate vice president for security and identity in the Division of IT, has published a report establishing a framework, guidelines, and core principles for the responsible and ethical use of AI at Virginia Tech. 

With input from campus stakeholders, the framework establishes seven core principles to guide AI use across Virginia Tech’s teaching, research, operations, and outreach functions: 

  • Mission alignment
  • Innovation for good
  • Human-centered benefit
  • Responsible and ethical use
  • Fairness and transparency
  • Human judgment and accountability
  • Data security and privacy

Implementation of the report recommendations will include AI literacy training programs, policy and procedure updates, governance structure establishment, and expanded access to approved AI tools and resources. 

For more information including the complete AI working group report, AI principles, and framework implementation details, read this announcement or visit the Artificial Intelligence at Virginia Tech website.

Additional Resources and Updates

Newsletter Spotlight: Focus on Research (Research and Innovation) 

Please submit a Google form or email Provost Communications for comments or recommendations to improve the Weekly Communications Update or to share faculty, staff, and academic program personnel information.

Visit the provost’s website frequently for new and updated university information. All members of the campus community should also read their VT News daily email for further important updates, notices, and resources.