Provost's Update - September 2018

The perspectives and insights of our campus community are among the most valuable indicators that we can use to evaluate progress in moving the university forward. Soliciting and listening to direct feedback from students, faculty, and staff is absolutely essential to guide our decision making in support of building a strong and focused future for Virginia Tech.

A Gallup survey that was recently administered to students and an upcoming campus climate survey that will poll the larger university community will offer us yet another opportunity to hear directly from those whom we serve and support. More than 2,000 students took part in the Gallup survey and it was encouraging to learn that, compared to our national peers, our students believed Virginia Tech excelled in areas such as student well-being, student engagement, student experiences, experiential learning, campus climate, and educational value and quality. Perspectives on inclusion and diversity shared by the student population at large were also positive, although it is clear from those viewpoints shared by underrepresented students that we still have work to do to ensure that all of our students have an opportunity to engage fully in our university community.

The campus climate survey to be administered to faculty and staff this fall, and to students in the spring, will measure current attitudes and perceptions related to diversity, inclusion, leadership, environment, and job satisfaction at Virginia Tech. Chief among these outcomes will be gaining a better understanding of our actual engagement with students, faculty, and staff, and how invested and excited they are about their role in and capacity to participate in advancing the university. Students and employees at all Virginia Tech campuses, centers, and offices will be invited to respond to these surveys, and I ask that you encourage everyone in your respective areas to take part.

Engaging our campus community is critical to the success of our university and our ability to fulfill our land grant mission. Whether through a survey or in-person conversations, I hope you will join me in actively seeking the input of our students, faculty, and staff, and that you will use the information you gather to create a stronger and better Virginia Tech.

Sincerely,
Cyril