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Week of September 23-27

2024

Reminder from Provost, Chief Operating Officer: Impacts from October 17 home football game

Virginia Tech will host a nationally televised football game on the evening of Thursday, October 17 against Boston College. 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:

  • University employees who have remote or hybrid work agreements and schedules are strongly encouraged to work remotely on October 17. 
  • Administrative offices and non-instructional university offices will close at 2:00 p.m. in Blacksburg. 
  • Designated emergency personnel who work will receive authorized closing leave for their time worked from 2:00 – 11:59 p.m. 
  • 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.

Faculty and instructors who have in-person classes affected by this early closing may want to include this 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: Services available to support faculty research, scholarship

Provost Cyril Clarke and University Libraries Dean Tyler Walters shared a message recently with faculty encouraging them to explore and use the many library services available to support research and scholarly activities. Beyond traditional collections, University Libraries provides in-depth services that directly support faculty and their success in areas such as grant applications, research, and instruction.

Services and resources available to faculty throughout the academic year include:

To stay up to date regarding upcoming events and library services, subscribe to the new University Libraries research services newsletter. Every month, faculty will receive info on programming to use as they continue their scholarly activities.

For the full message to Virginia Tech faculty from Provost Clarke and Dean Walters, visit the provost’s website.

Faculty Affairs: Gather to write in community during fall Roving Writing Retreats

The Office of Faculty Affairs invites faculty to join colleagues across the university for Roving Writing Retreats throughout the fall semester. During the retreats, attendees will gather in community and learn about the many writing nooks on and around campus, enjoy some coffee, snacks, and companionship, and just write.

All instructional faculty (tenured or tenure-track, collegiate, continued appointment or continued appointment track, research, extension, clinical, instructors, adjuncts) are invited to participate. Scheduled Roving Writing Retreat sessions are as follows:

Each retreat will consist of three 50-minute writing sessions with a 10-minute break in between for socializing and movement tips for writers.

For more information, read this campus notice, visit the Faculty Writing Retreats webpage, or email Catherine Piché in Faculty Affairs.

Provost’s Office: Share your ideas, insights for improving our Weekly Communications Update

If you have comments or recommendations for how we can improve the Weekly Communications Update, or you would like to make a request to have specific information or topics shared with faculty and academic program staff across the university, please provide your feedback and suggestions through this Google form.

Along with the Weekly Communications Update, faculty and department heads should visit the provost’s website frequently for new and updated information impacting the academic community. All employees of the university should also read their VT News daily email for important campus events, notices, and resources.

For more information or feedback, please email Provost Communications.

ICYMI: 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.

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.