Week of October 23-27

2023

Provost’s Office and Human Resources: Two percent pay increase effective December 10

The Virginia Tech Board of Visitors approved a two percent pay increase with an effective date of December 10, consistent with the outcome of the Special Session of the General Assembly. Employees receiving the increase will see it reflected on their December 29 pay statement.

The increase will be applied for eligible, full-time Virginia Tech employees, including administrative and professional faculty, teaching and research faculty, and university and classified staff, meeting the following criteria:

Faculty and staff must have been hired by Virginia Tech on or before July 10, 2023. State agency transfers after July 10, 2023, are not eligible.
Faculty and staff employees must have no documented performance issues within the preceding period from December 10, 2022 – December 10, 2023.
- Staff must not have been issued a formal written notice for the period noted above and must have received a performance rating of “meets” or “exceptional” on their most recent performance review.
- Faculty must not have been issued a formal sanction, and/or must not have received less than a two percent raise during in the spring 2023 merit cycle due to poor performance.
Employees who are on short-term disability or other paid leave will receive the increase on December 10.

Additionally, with the board approval, all graduate assistantships in the payroll system will receive a two percent increase effective December 10, and the minimum monthly stipend for graduate assistantships has been increased to $2,468.

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

Provost’s Office: Working group to review impact of math placement, foundational math outcomes

Executive Vice President and Provost Cyril Clarke has established a small working group to analyze the impact of math placement and foundational math outcomes for student retention, progression, and time to degree across STEM majors at Virginia Tech. Chaired by Vice Provost for Undergraduate Academic Affairs Rachel Holloway, the group will include representatives from the College of Engineering, College of Science, Enrollment Management, Undergraduate Academic Affairs, and Strategic Analysis, who will engage with faculty and academic program support staff throughout the review process.

The primary focus of the working group’s activities is as follows:

Analyze admissions data, math readiness protocols, and math course success for first-time in college (FTIC) and transfer student retention and progression in STEM degrees to include all relevant predictive factors.
Identify opportunities to promote student achievement, retention, and progression for FTIC STEM majors.
Recommend next steps to improve retention and progression of FTIC and transfer STEM majors.

The initial focus of this effort is on math and will serve as a foundation for a more expansive approach that addresses progress to degree across the undergraduate curriculum at Virginia Tech.

Information on the group’s progress and recommendations will be posted on the provost’s website and shared though the provost’s communications platforms. Inquiries can be submitted to the work group by emailing Provost Communications.

CETL: Call for applications for next cohort of Bridge Experience Program

The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) has announced a call for applications for the next cohort of the Bridge Experience Program. Academic programs in the Bridge Experience Program work with CETL to implement an undergraduate experiential learning requirement as part of Virginia Tech’s strategic plan and its Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP).

Bridge experiences are customized to students’ needs and ambitions. Common examples include undergraduate research, internships, or other site-based experiences matching student post-graduation goals and approved by departmental faculty. Students engaging in a bridge experience will be able to:

Apply and connect their learning across academic and professional settings.
Demonstrate professional self-awareness by articulating their personal and professional development.
Demonstrate a dedication to using their knowledge, skills, and talents in service to others, communities, and/or their field.

An information session will be held November 9, with more planned for the spring semester. During the sessions, faculty involved in the program will share their progress and participate in a Q&A session.

The application deadline for programs starting in Summer 2024 is March 15, 2024.

For more information or to submit an application, read this campus notice, visit the program website, or email CETL.

Faculty Affairs: Survey on work-life balance for teaching, research faculty at Virginia Tech

As a follow-up to the most recent COACHE Faculty Job Satisfaction Survey, Faculty Affairs has recruited members of the Department of Psychology to conduct a study to better understand the short-term (daily) and enduring (chronic) influences on burnout and work-life balance among teaching and research faculty at Virginia Tech, and how different university policies and resources may affect these outcomes.

This study is specifically designed for Virginia Tech teaching and research faculty, and participants are able to earn up to $50 for engaging with the different parts of the process. Participation includes an initial online survey, a series of daily rating surveys, and an optional faculty focus group.

Burnout and work-life balance are critical factors in employee health, wellness, and productivity. Faculty are a unique population in which to consider issues impacting burnout and work-life balance both from day-to-day and in a more enduring sense.

For more information or to review the consent form, see the online survey. Faculty interested in participating can also email Rosanna Breaux or Charles Calderwood in the Department of Psychology for additional details.

ICYMI: Honorific awards program supports, facilitates recognition of faculty achievement

The Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science (ICTAS) is home to Virginia Tech’s honorific awards program that supports and facilitates external and university award recognition for Virginia Tech faculty.

External awards can be vital to faculty at any stage in their careers. An important component of professional development, honorific awards can increase visibility, open doors to new communities of scholarship, forge connections, create research opportunities, and provide acknowledgment for extraordinary contributions.

As part of its mission to advance research at Virginia Tech, ICTAS is building a program to facilitate faculty awards through:

Maintaining updated lists of available awards and application requirements.
Using data to strategically identify and evaluate promising opportunities.
Curating resources that may be useful to faculty.
Working as a liaison to faculty to support nominations and submissions on a case-by-case basis.

Deans, department heads, and program faculty are encouraged to review the awards information and nominate faculty and colleagues. Resources are available regarding award deadlines, processes, and submitting a strong application.

For more information, visit ICTAS’ honorific awards program website. Additional information about external awards support and resources are available on the Faculty Affairs and the Office of Research and Innovation websites.

Additional Resources and Updates

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.