Week of September 16-20

2024

Provost’s Office: Support for students, employees observing religious holidays

Many Virginia Tech students and employees engage in religious observances during the fall semester that may impact their workplace or classroom participation. As stated in the Faculty Handbook (section 9.6.2: Class Attendance), “in accordance with the Virginia Tech Principles of Community, faculty are encouraged to accommodate students when the observance of religious, cultural, ethnic, meaning- making, or faith-based beliefs conflict with academic requirements.”

The Provost’s Office acknowledges that every course section and class is different, and some are able to be adapted more easily than others. Recognizing that faculty are primarily responsible for making decisions on academic requirements for their courses, including modifying assignments and exam timelines, please do your best to support students and colleagues who are observing religious holidays and practices whenever it is academically feasible.

Northern Virginia Steering Committee: Faculty, staff invited to town hall on September 26

The Northern Virginia Steering Committee will host a town hall meeting at the Virginia Tech Research Center in Arlington (VTRC-A) on September 26 from 1:30-2:45 p.m. to update faculty and staff on the future vision and organizational plan for Virginia Tech in the Washington, D.C. area.

Led by Julie Ross, dean of the College of Engineering and special advisor to President Tim Sands, the steering committee’s work includes the development of instructional, research, and outreach missions with an emphasis on those that will distinctively position Virginia Tech among land-grant universities and leverage the opportunities afforded by operating in the nation’s capital.

Faculty and staff are invited to join the town hall discussion to learn about recommendations and next steps as the university moves toward implementation this fall. A social reception at the VTRC-A will follow the discussion.

For more information or to register for either in-person or virtual attendance (via Zoom), read this campus notice

Research and Innovation: Understanding, planning ahead for limited submission programs

For many funding opportunities, sponsors restrict the number of applications they will review from a single institution. When more applicants are interested in these limited-submission grants than available slots, the university conducts an internal selection process to determine which proposals will advance.

On October 8 from 1:00-2:30 p.m., the Office of Research and Innovation will host a virtual discussion designed to help attendees plan ahead for these opportunities by previewing some of the most popular annually recurring limited submission programs, explaining how the internal competition process works at Virginia Tech, and offering guidance for navigating it successfully.

Featured speakers are Eleanor Nelsen, senior research development coordinator with the Office of Research and Innovation, and Janet Webster, director of proposal development for Fralin Life Sciences Institute.

For more information and to register to attend (via Zoom), visit the seminar webpage on the Office of Research and Innovation’s Events webpage or email Robyn Smyth

CETL: Call for nominations for 2024 University Exemplary Department or Program Award

The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) is accepting nominations for the 2024 University Exemplary Department or Program Award (UEDPA). The award recognizes the work of departments and/or programs that maintain exemplary teaching and learning environments for students and faculty.

This year’s theme is “developing and implementing accessible and engaging undergraduate research experiences.” A total of $40,000 will be available for awards to the department(s) and/or program(s) determined by the selection committee drawn from the university community.

Nomination materials are due by September 30 and are invited from students, faculty, or others who have benefited from the nominated department or program.

For more information on the award and nomination instructions/criteria, visit the UEDPA webpage or email CETL.

ICYMI: New Courseleaf Curriculum Information Management system guidance, resources

Virginia Tech, through the Office of the University Registrar, transitioned from Jira to the Courseleaf CIM (Curriculum Information Management) system in AY 2023-24 to standardize and secure the process of managing course and program proposals.

Over the past 18 months, teams from the Registrar’s Office and Academic Advising Initiatives have met with administrators and curriculum committees in each college to discuss the changes that were sent through curricular governance, share timelines and workflows, and conduct trainings and presentations on the new platform.

Primary reasons for the transition to Courseleaf CIM include:

Support for the university’s move to an industry-standard system where graduation requirements are based on the date a student entered the institution (catalog year) rather than when they plan to graduate.
Transition away from paper-based (PDF) check sheets that frequently had errors and no direct tie to Banner.
Entering and securing curriculum information via an online form rather than revising and submitting a PDF or other electronic document formats.
Clarity for students by reducing the different formats being used across for curriculum “check sheets” and making it easier to read and understand.

Department heads and faculty with questions are encouraged to connect with their college curriculum committees for resources and updates or email the University Registrar’s Academic Governance unit.

For more information including Courseleaf CIM trainings, guidelines, and definitions, visit the University Academic Curriculum Governance webpage.

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.