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Week of September 4-8

2023

Division of IT: Website offers details, guidance on Google and Microsoft service changes

As Virginia Tech prepares to move all users from Google to Microsoft for email and calendars and establishes a new operating model for the administration of Google Drive storage, the Division of Information Technology (IT) has created webpages to provide our university community with details on the following:

Email migration and storage changes will be implemented in phases, beginning in October. This work will proceed according to a schedule (to be posted soon) and will not be conducted for all groups at the same time.

Faculty and staff are encouraged to visit the Google and Microsoft Service Changes webpages frequently for new information and resources that may be helpful in managing Google storage and preparing for email migration to Exchange Online.

For more information, questions, or individual assistance, contact 4Help.

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.

CETL: Proposals for instructional grants for faculty, departments due October 15

The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) offers multiple types of instructional grants for faculty and departments to engage in the development of instructional skills, the application of effective teaching strategies, and the scholarship of teaching and learning.

Five types of instructional grants are available:

  • High-Impact Project Grant 
  • Large Class Teaching Grant 
  • Instructional Innovation Grant 
  • GTA Training Program Grant 
  • Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Grant

The deadline for faculty and departments to submit instructional grant proposals for the spring 2024 semester is October 15.

For more information and to submit a proposal, read this campus notice or visit CETL’s instructional grant webpage.

Hokie Wellness: Care.com backup care services for faculty, staff to end October 31

As of November 1, Virginia Tech will no longer offer Care.com as a benefit to employees. After reviewing the pilot’s results and listening to feedback from faculty and staff, it was clear that Care.com was not meeting Virginia Tech’s needs.

Hokie Wellness is researching other backup care options for full-time faculty and staff and hopes to share details soon.

With this change, Care.com access will change on November 1 to a basic membership, which allows users to only view caregiver profiles. Backup care and other services will no longer be available after October 31, however reimbursement requests for backup care that happens on or before October 31 can be submitted until November 30.

For more information or questions about backup childcare for Virginia Tech employees, email Hokie Wellness. Additional information on child and adult care services is available on the Caregiving website.

Research and Innovation: Reminder of requirements for USDA animal facility inspection reports

The Virginia General Assembly’s Animal Research Legislation now requires (as of July 1) all Virginia state institutions to post U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) animal facility inspection reports within 30 days of an inspection and receipt of the report on a university landing page in addition to the current annual report.

To comply with the legislation, Virginia Tech, through the Office of Research and Innovation, has published a dedicated landing page, USDA Animal Inspection and Annual reports, where animal inspection reports, university responses, and the current annual report will be posted.

The inspection reports are also available on USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s website inspection reports page.

From the USDA inspection reports page:

  • Enter Virginia Tech’s certificate number 52-R-0012. 
  • Select “search,” and the tab “view inspection reports.”

For more information, to inquire about prior reports, or for questions, please read this campus notice or email the IACUC administrator.

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.