Virginia Tech
PA-6: Support for Underrepresented Groups

https://vt.edu/about/equal-opportunity.html

Bias response protocol: https://www.dos.vt.edu/content/dam/dos_vt_edu/assets/doc/bias_incident_protocol.pdf A core response team is constituted by the Division of Student Affairs The Office of Equity and Accessibility investigates harassment and discrimination and provides guidelines for managers: https://oea.vt.edu/content/dam/oea_vt_edu/harassment-discrimination/complainthandlingguidelines.pdf

STUDENTS Virginia Tech's College Access Collaborative seeks to expand partnerships with communities in low high school attainment and low matriculation to post-secondary education. These include partnerships with inner city and rural high schools, community colleges, and college access programs, as well as relationships with Virginia Cooperative Extension and 4-H. Project 2022 is a pilot collaboration between Enrollment Management, Alumni Relations, College Access Collaborative, Advancement, Black Faculty and Staff Caucus, and the Office of Inclusion and Diversity to engage underrepresented alumni in recruiting students. Explore VT is a 5-day program that gives underrepresented students the opportunity to live in a Virginia Tech dorm, immerse themselves in a college environment, and learn from faculty from all 8 of Virginia Tech’s colleges. The Black College Institute (BCI), a 3-day residential pre-college program at the Blacksburg campus of Virginia Tech. Students will be immersed in university campus life, and experience a variety of college level seminars and experiential activities. The Virginia Tech Presidential Scholarship Initiative (VTPSI) is a competitive scholarship program designed to offset the costs of college for in-state Virginia high school students with significant financial need. The program will recognize and reward academically talented students who have shown persistence and a commitment to academic excellence. The Office of Recruitment and Diversity Initiatives (ORDI) in the Graduate School provides campus leadership in collaboration with academic departments and colleges in developing, implementing, and operating events and activities that are designed to recruit and assist underrepresented students’ personal development, academic achievement, and graduation. Virginia Tech collaborates with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) to explore research synergies. This annual Summit allows faculty from Virginia Tech to identify partner faculty and students at HBCUs/MSIs to engage in summer research opportunities and grant proposals. STAFF The Department of Human Resources produces a resource guide, Advertising Your Job Openings (https://www.hr.vt.edu/content/dam/hr_vt_edu/jobs/hiring-managers/graystonecontract.pdf), which lists all of the job boards and subscription resources Virginia Tech uses to recruit diverse applicants. The Office of Equity and Accessibility produces the guide, Tools for Recruiting a Diverse Workforce (https://oea.vt.edu/content/dam/oea_vt_edu/affirmative-action/file_tools_for_recruiting.pdf) FACULTY The Office for Inclusion has a Director of Faculty Diversity Recruitment who supports best practices in recruiting and identifies sources of prospective underrepresented candidates. The Office also administers a Target of Talent program to incentivise recruitment of underrepresented faculty. Search committee training and unconscious bias training is provided to all search committee members, and Diversity Search Advocates are assigned to each committee. The Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs sponsors the Future Faculty Development Program. This program brings a select group of doctoral students and post-doctoral scholars interested in pursuing academic careers to Blacksburg for two days of workshops and interaction with host departments. The Visiting Scholars Program provides funding to departments for short campus visits by potential faculty candidates to attract their interest in future faculty positions. Proposals are accepted throughout the year.

STUDENTS The Student Success Center supports undergraduate learning from enrollment to degree completion by offering programs and services that cultivate students to become effective, self-motivated learners. The Life Sciences Mentoring Program pairs freshmen life science majors with upper class mentors to assist them with issues impacting student success in these majors. The Multicultural Academic Opportunities Program (MAOP), is an academic success community founded upon the principles of self- efficacy, mentoring, and peer support. Central to the goal of MAOP is the promotion of diversity and inclusion within the student body of Virginia Tech. Through partnerships with various academic colleges and departments at Virginia Tech, other colleges and universities, governmental entities, and various organizations, MAOP provides support for students diverse students who demonstrate a clear commitment to the pursuit of academic excellence. Virginia Tech's Black Male Excellence Network (BMEN) is an initiative to increase the GPA's and retention rates of Black Male students. "My Sister's Keeper" was created to promote networking and professional development opportunities among diverse graduate and faculty women, and to enhance scholarship, positive thinking and social and academic adjustment within the Virginia Tech Community. Through a series of discussions and informal social gatherings My Sister's Keeper intends to recognize, celebrate and develop a support network for diverse women. There are six Cultural and Community Centers that offer support programming and mentorship to students: American Indian & Indigenous Community Center; Asian American Cultural Center; Black Cultural Center; El Centro; Intercultural Engagement Center; LGBTQ+ Resource Center. There are also six University Chartered Student Organizations that serve as umbrella networks for the many diverse student organizations at Virginia Tech: Asian American Student Union (AASU); Black Organizations Council (BOC); HokiePRIDE; Jewish Student Union (JSU); Latino Association Student Organization (LASO); Muslim Student Union (MSU). The Office of Veterans Services supports veterans, military service members, and their family members who are using VA benefits to feel like Virginia Tech is welcoming and an environment where they can thrive. The Graduate School offers connect luncheons for students from various identity groups: LGBTQ+, Women, Veterans, Students with Disabilities, African American/Black, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian, Asian students, etc. The Graduate School sponsors Mentoring Circles, designed to offer social, cultural, academic, and professional guidance to students who may need additional support such as students on academic probation, racial/ethnic/cultural/sexual/gender minorities, veterans, students with dependents, students with disabilities, and first generation students. The Graduate School brings together partners to offer shared programing and resources. FACULTY There are nine Faculty/Staff caucuses: the Black Faculty/Staff Caucus, the Hispanic and Latino Faculty and Staff Caucus, the LGBT Caucus, the Asian/Asian American Caucus, the American Indian and Indigenous People’s Alliance, the Disability Alliance and Caucus, the International Caucus, the Veterans Caucus, and the Women’s Alliance. These groups promote well being; advocate for recruitment and retention; serve as liaisons to university administration; and provide support networks for underrepresented faculty and staff. Virginia Tech is an institutional member of the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD). The independent center provides professional development, training, and mentorship opportunities to more than 65,000 members representing colleges and universities in the United States. The center focuses on helping faculty, particularly underrepresented faculty, successfully make the transition from graduate student to professor. The Executive Vice President and Provost and the deans of each college provide funds to support a mentoring program for newly appointed assistant professors, assistant clinical professors, and assistant professors of practice. Workshops are offered in the fall and spring semesters.

The VT-Initiative for Maximizing Student Development (IMSD) is a training program designed to increase the number of minorities with a Ph.D. in biomedical and behavioral sciences and engineering who want to pursue a career in biomedical research in accordance with the NIH mission. Our training program is a partnership with departments and programs in all colleges at Virginia Tech. The program emphasizes community, mentoring, and networking as a foundation to becoming a successful undergraduate and graduate student. The Edward Alexander Bouchet Graduate Honor Society (Bouchet Society) is to recognize outstanding scholarly achievement and promote diversity and excellence in doctoral education and the professoriate. The Bouchet Society seeks to develop a network of preeminent scholars who serve as examples of scholarship, leadership, character, service, and advocacy, for students who have been traditionally underrepresented in the academy.

Map of single occupancy restrooms: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?msa=0&mid=1IM4GyPr-p9bo8zW_MEavm8guyyk&ll=37.22571973673699%2C-80.42372&z=15 Gender neutral bathrooms in the residence halls: https://housing.vt.edu/experience/Halls/unisex_restrooms.html Housing and Residence Life has a Flexible Housing Option which allows returning, undergraduate students, who are of at least18 years of age, to request a roommate regardless of the students’ sex, gender, gender identity, or gender expression in two residence halls. Students must opt-in to be assigned in this program. https://housing.vt.edu/contracts/apply/flexible_housing_option.html