Week of March 30-April 3

2026

Reminder: Share your feedback, insights through COACHE faculty job satisfaction survey

The Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE) faculty job satisfaction survey will close on April 7 and Virginia Tech teaching and research faculty are encouraged to participate and contribute to this important assessment process. COACHE is specifically designed to determine current job satisfaction among faculty at Virginia Tech compared with those at peer institutions.

Check inboxes and spam folders for an email from coachefaculty@abtsurvey.com or coachefaculty@abtglobal.com, directing you to the online survey. COACHE will provide our campus with their summary analysis, as well as the confidential unit-record database, stripped of names and email addresses.

As results from the 2026 survey become available, the Office of Faculty Affairs will share findings with the university community in a town hall-style meeting and on Virginia Tech’s COACHE webpage.

For more information, email Rachel Gabriele in Faculty Affairs or call 540-231-4508. Faculty can also email COACHE directly with survey-related questions.

BOV: Virtual public comment session on 2026-27 tuition, fees scheduled for April 2

The Virginia Tech Board of Visitors (BOV) will meet on April 14, at 1:15 p.m. in the Latham Ballroom at The Inn at Virginia Tech to consider tuition and mandatory fees for the 2026-27 academic year.

In advance of the April board meeting, a virtual public comment session will take place on April 2, at 1:30 p.m. Several members of the BOV will participate virtually as university officials provide an overview of proposed tuition and fees ranges and to receive public comment consistent with guidelines posted to the BOV website.

The April 2 virtual public comment event will be live streamed for those who wish to observe without offering comment.

For more information including a link to the livestream, read this BOV virtual public comment campus notice or visit the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors website.

Division of IT: Three new Google AI tools are now available to Virginia Tech employees, students

After review by the Division of Information Technology’s IT Security Office and the AI working committee of IT Governance, three new Google AI tools are now available at Virginia Tech for employees and/or students.

Available to Virginia Tech employees and students, and currently offered by Google at no additional cost:

Gemini App: Gemini is a standalone AI assistant that offers features like generating text, brainstorming ideas, summarizing information, creating images, and answering questions using multimodal inputs (text, voice, images).
NotebookLM: NotebookLM works solely with content that you upload to it and can help organize ideas, develop summaries, and scan for insights across various sources.

Available to Virginia Tech employees through departmental purchase:

Google AI Pro: Google AI Pro integrates AI directly into Google Workspace applications and provides expanded access to premium models and features in the Gemini app and NotebookLM.

For more information and how departments can purchase for employees, read this Google AI tolls campus notice or visit the AI at Virginia Tech webpage.

TLOS: Faculty, staff invited to take part in Universal Design for Learning Day 2026 on April 10

Technology-enhanced Learning and Online Strategies (TLOS), Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL), and Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) invites the campus community to participate in Universal Design for Learning Day 2026 on April 10, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at North End Center.

“From Principles to Practice: Teaching Innovation with UDL and Artificial Intelligence” is the theme for this year’s event which will feature short, focused presentations and facilitated discussion on the following:

Foundational concepts (including UDL 101 and Academic Accommodations: How They Work Together)
AI-supported accessibility and teaching innovation
Community-based UDL projects
Student perspectives on technology-infused learning

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Day 2026 offers both in-person and virtual participation options, with in-person attendance limited to the first 70 registrants.

For more information, to register for the event, and to view a schedule of events, read this UDL Day 2026 campus notice or email TLOS.

ICYMI: Call for nominations for 2026-27 Provost’s Leadership Development Program

Faculty Affairs has announced a call for nominations for the 2026-27 Provost’s Leadership Development Program: Leading in Place cohort. This program embraces a broad view of academic leadership, from formal position-based roles to a more lateral view where leadership roles are available to all. Session themes include:

Starting Strong: Mapping Your Leadership Journey
Leading from Within: Emotional Intelligence and Values in Action
Navigating Tension: Leading Through Conflict and Courageous Dialogue
Finding True North: Ethical Leadership in Complex Times
Finding Your Place: Mapping the Institutional Landscape
The Leader as Architect: Shaping Culture, Building Teams
Creating Belonging: Leadership Through Connection and Community
Drawing the Next Map: Integrating Learning and Leading Forward

All applications should be submitted on or before April 15. Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their nomination by May 15.

For more information including the process and online form for nominations, visit the Provost’s Leadership Development Program: Leading in Place webpage.

Additional Resources and Updates

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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.