Week of September 11-15

2023

University Libraries and TLOS: Workshops on open access policy, elevating your research profile

University Libraries and Technology-enhanced Learning and Online Strategies (TLOS) offer a number of online workshops throughout the fall semester to help researchers take advantage of the university’s open access policy.

Virginia Tech's open access policy enables authors to legally provide open access to the accepted version (not the journal's published version) of their scholarly article, regardless of what your copyright transfer agreement says, through the university’s open scholarly repository VTechWorks.

VTechWorks is an open repository allowing anyone around the world with an internet connection to access and download journal articles, presentations, theses, dissertations, and other documents that are hosted on the site. Openly available research is cited 18 percent more, on average, than research that is only available behind publisher paywalls. Open access facilitates the advancement of knowledge and makes a greater impact on society, including economic benefits.

For more information and to register for an online workshops, read this campus notice or visit the TLOS Professional Development Network website.

Student Affairs: Call for proposals for Living-Learning Programs for fall 2025 launch

Student Affairs and the Office of Living-Learning Programs invites faculty and departments to submit a Living-Learning Program (LLP) proposal for communities that will launch at the beginning of the fall 2025 semester. LLPs are intentional communities at Virginia Tech where students make powerful connections between their academic and residential environments.

In LLPs, students integrate their intellectual life with where they live, who they live with, and how they make meaning of their university experience. LLPs are a highly effective way for faculty to enact innovative pedagogy and create an environment that helps students make the most of their experience at Virginia Tech.

Faculty interested in submitting a proposal are encouraged to attend an information session where they will receive more information about LLPs, creating a proposal, and coaching resources available throughout the process.

To ensure enough time to launch high quality programs, proposals must be received by November 6, 2023.

For more information and to register for an information session, visit the LLP Program proposals website or email Jamie Penven, director of LLPs.

Faculty Affairs: Participate in research study on Virginia Tech faculty work-life balance

The Office of Faculty Affairs invites Virginia Tech teaching and research faculty of all ranks, including tenure-track or tenured, collegiate, clinical, or instructional, to participate in a study about work-life balance and burnout.

The goal of this study is to understand both short-term and chronic influences on burnout and work-life balance in Virginia Tech faculty and evaluate how different university policies and resources affect outcomes. Participation requires:

Completing an online survey
Completing brief daily surveys during a five-day work week
Optionally, joining a focus group to provide more detailed feedback about experiences at Virginia Tech and with various work-life balance initiatives

Participants are eligible to earn up to $50 for completing the study. Additionally, Faculty Affairs will use feedback to inform future programmatic and policy decisions. Those interested in participating are asked to complete the screener survey.

For more information, read this campus notice or email Rosanna Breaux or Charles Calderwood of the Department of Psychology.

Global Education: Faculty, staff invited to learn about global programs at Study Abroad Fall Fair

Virginia Tech faculty and academic staff are invited to learn about the more than 70 short-term and semester-length study abroad programs and opportunities to lead students in global education experiences during the Study Abroad Fall Fair, September 26 from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. on the Drillfield.

Hosted by the Global Education Office in Outreach and International Affairs, the Study Abroad Fall Fair is part of Study Abroad Week 2023, which runs September 25 through October 1. Study Abroad Week is a showcase of Virginia Tech’s international programs and commitment to providing students with active learning opportunities that are an integral part of the Virginia Tech experience.

Faculty members interested in leading a study abroad trip will have the opportunity to speak with Global Education Office staff members to learn how to get started. Information sessions are also available for college and department academic advisors to learn how partnering with the Global Education Office can connect their students with study abroad experiences.

For more information, read this campus notice or visit the Global Education Office’s Study Abroad Fall Fair website.

Reminder: Campus impacts from October 26 home football game vs. Syracuse University

Virginia Tech will host a nationally televised football game on the evening of Thursday, October 26 against Syracuse University. Traffic impact on the university community for events such as this is especially acute on a weekday evening. Therefore, the university will take steps to ensure the orderly flow of traffic and increase safety across the Blacksburg campus:

University employees who have remote or hybrid work agreements and schedules are strongly encouraged to work remotely on October 26.
Administrative offices and non-instructional university offices will close at 2:00 p.m. in Blacksburg.
All online classes will be held as scheduled.
All in-person classes on the Blacksburg campus beginning at or after 3:15 p.m. will be canceled.

For more information, please 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.

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.