Campus Notice

Spring 2009 update from the Office of the University Provost

From: Mark McNamee, Senior Vice President and Provost

Dear Colleagues:

I want to extend best wishes to all of you as we begin the spring 2009 semester. The Martin Luther King Day celebrations, the inauguration events, and the beginning of classes converge to make this a very exciting start to our new term. I continue to be impressed by the dedication of our faculty, staff, and students to service activities, especially at this time of increased hardship for so many families and organizations. The volunteer efforts to help with the maintenance of local childcare centers organized through the Center for Student Engagement and Community Partnerships is a wonderful example of continuing commitment.

We are facing unprecedented challenges as we move forward to deal with the proposed state budget reductions necessitated by declining state revenues. We will be discussing this round of reductions under the framework of “Reductions and Reinvestments with a Focus on the Future” (RRFF). As noted in an earlier message, our intent is to make decisions that best prepare us to remain highly successful and competitive for the long term. Because the reductions are permanent changes in state funding, we will be looking for sustained rather than short-term savings. We are also considering as many ways as possible to enhance revenues as we become increasingly dependent on our own capabilities to support quality academic programs. During the next month, we will communicate with you in multiple ways to seek advice and feedback and to outline proposed strategies and actions. President Steger will be leading the overall effort and Vice President Dwight Shelton and I will be working closely with him and our other colleagues to develop effective strategies. Based on the current proposals from Governor Kaine and our own internal projections of central savings and new revenues, we are anticipating an average reduction of 5% at the college and administrative unit levels for both the university division (Agency 208) and the Agricultural Experiment Station/Cooperative Extension division (Agency 229). To make these plans work we will require substantial participation from all the auxiliary units, including athletics, student residential programs, etc. The University Strategic Plan will provide strong guidance as we make difficult budget adjustments and we expect to make selective investments over the next few years despite the tight budget situation. We welcome your comments at any time. (I can be contacted at mmcnamee@vt.edu.)

Despite the bleak budget news, the university continues to excel in all areas of our mission. Our faculty, staff, and students are receiving awards and honors from many sectors for their outstanding achievements. Our student retention rates continue to be very strong and applications for next year are robust. We should be in a strong position to attract an outstanding group of new first-year, transfer, and graduate students. Faculty recruitment has naturally slowed down as a result of the reduced budgets, but we have avoided across-the-board hiring freezes and we expect to attract outstanding candidates for the open positions. At the administrative level, we are very pleased that Dr. Daniel Wubah will be joining us as Vice President and Dean for Undergraduate Education on February 1. Dr. Wubah is eager to lead us forward in our efforts to enhance and strengthen the full range of our undergraduate education efforts. Once again, I want to express my appreciation to David Ford for his many years of outstanding leadership.

Over the holidays Dean Sharron Quisenberry from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences announced her decision to accept a new appointment as Vice President for Research and Economic Development at Iowa State University. I wish her great success. She has been a transformational leader and she leaves the college in a very strong position for continued growth and development. We are in the process of selecting a new dean for a term appointment beginning March 1 through an internal process. Interest in the position is very strong and the college is fortunate to have a wide range of experienced leaders who are viable candidates. The process should be completed by the end of this month.

Last week we held the largest “Advancing Diversity at Virginia Tech” conference for faculty and staff. Almost 300 individuals participated in the day-long events sponsored by AdvanceVT and the Office of Equity and Inclusion. The “Inclusive Excellence” model introduced last year continues to be a focal point for many of the initiatives in progress across the campus. The implementation plan that resulted from the Race and the Institution Task Force Report is moving forward with considerable success and efforts to improve campus climate and work-life balance options continue to make progress.

At the request of President Steger, I am chairing an ad hoc committee to plan events for the April 16, 2009, remembrance events. Debbie Day from the Office of Recovery and Support is serving as co-chair. The committee will be inviting suggestions as we develop plans that honor and remember the students and faculty members who were lost on that day. For the family members and the injured students, the events of April 16 remain painful and we will continue as a community to find ways to offer our love and support.

On a personal note, I am looking forward to teaching a seminar class this spring in partnership with Biological Sciences Professor Art Buikema. We will learn about the process of designing and implementing effective science exhibits and activities as part of the renewal process for the Science Museum of Western Virginia. We both believe that our nation’s future depends on engaging young people in the joy and benefits of science during their formative years. We hope that our Virginia Tech students may be inspired to become leaders in helping to enhance the learning options for the next generation of students.

May and commencement will be here before we know it and I hope you take time during the semester to focus some time and energy on your personal health and well-being. The university and community have many resources to help individuals, but we need to be open to receive help. If you are aware of a colleague who needs help, please reach out to offer support whenever possible. We are all part of a great adventure in unusual times. I am confident that Virginia Tech will once again rise to the challenge and emerge from the current economic crisis well prepared for the future.

With best wishes,

Mark McNamee
Senior Vice President and Provost

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