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Position Specification Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia

Senior Director of Cultural and Community Centers

Institutional Background Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, better known as Virginia Tech, is a public land-grant university with a 2,600-acre main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia, as well as educational facilities in six regions and a study-abroad site in Switzerland. The commonwealth’s third-largest university and a leading research institution, Virginia Tech is nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains and offers more than 31,000 students some 250 undergraduate and graduate degree programs and manages a research portfolio of more than $496 million. The university fulfills its land-grant mission of transforming knowledge to practice through technological leadership and by fueling economic growth and job creation locally, regionally, and across Virginia. In 1872, with federal funds provided by the Morrill Act of 1862, the Virginia General Assembly purchased the facilities of Preston and Olin Institute, a small Methodist school in southwest Virginia’s rural Montgomery County. That same year, 40 acres of the Solitude Farm were acquired for $21,250. The commonwealth incorporated a new institution on the site, a state-supported land-grant military institute named Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College. Under the 1891–1907 presidency of John M. McBryde, the school organized its academic programs into a traditional four-year college. The evolution of the school’s programs led to a name change in 1896 to Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute. The “Agricultural and Mechanical College” portion of the name was popularly omitted almost immediately; in 1944, the name was officially changed to Virginia Polytechnic Institute (VPI). In 1923, VPI changed a policy of compulsory participation in the Corps of Cadets from four years to two years. In 1931, VPI began offering classes at the Norfolk Division of the College of William and Mary (now Old Dominion University). This program eventually developed into a two-year engineering program that allowed students to transfer to VPI for their final two years of degree work. In 1943, VPI merged with Radford State Teachers College, which became VPI’s women’s division; the merger was dissolved in 1964. Today, Radford University enrolls nearly 9,800 students and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate programs.

VPI President T. Marshall Hahn, whose tenure ran from

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1962 to 1974, was responsible for many of the programs and policies that transitioned the school into a major research university. The student body was increased by roughly 1,000 students each year, new dormitories and academic buildings were constructed, faculty members were added—in 1966, for instance, more than 100 new professors joined the faculty ranks—and research budgets were increased. During Hahn’s tenure, not only did the university graduate its first Rhodes Scholar, W.W. Lewis, class of 1963, but the requirement for male students to participate in the Corps of Cadets for two years was dropped and membership in the corps was opened to women in fall 1973, making Virginia Tech among the nation’s first schools to do so. In 1970, the state legislature sanctioned university status for VPI and bestowed upon it the current legal name, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. In the early 1990s, the university’s administration authorized the official use of “Virginia Tech” as equivalent to the full legal name; it has been used as the first-reference name for the school’s athletic teams since the 1970s. However, diplomas and transcripts still spell out the formal name. Similarly, the abbreviation “VT” is far more common today than either VPI or VPI&SU.

Blacksburg, Virginia Blacksburg is an incorporated town located in Montgomery County, Virginia, with a population of 42,620 at the 2010 census. Blacksburg, Christiansburg, and Radford are the three principal jurisdictions of the Blacksburg- Christiansburg-Radford Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses those jurisdictions and all of Montgomery, Pulaski, and Giles counties for statistical purposes. The MSA has an estimated population of 159,587 and is currently one of the faster-growing MSAs in Virginia. Blacksburg is dominated economically and demographically by the presence of Virginia Tech. Blacksburg is the largest town in Virginia by population, and the 15th-largest municipality overall. It is larger than several of the commonwealth’s independent cities. Because of its award-winning services, reasonable cost of living, safety, moderate climate, and abundant leisure activities, Blacksburg is consistently ranked among the country’s best places to live and has earned a reputation nationwide as a well-managed, stable, and forward-looking community. In 2011, Businessweek named Blacksburg the “Best Place in the U.S. to Raise Kids.” Also in 2011, readers of Southern Living named Blacksburg the “Best College Town in the South.” Its public transportation system, Blacksburg Transit, which also connects to the neighboring town of Christiansburg, has repeatedly received recognition for the quality of its service. Blacksburg High School, which in 2013 unveiled its new state-of-the-art building, is often ranked among the top schools in the nation for its academics, and its soccer, track, and cross country teams are also among the top in the state. Blacksburg is the site of the Blacksburg Electronic Village or BEV, conceived as a computer networking project of Virginia Tech in 1991 and officially born in 1993 as a way to link the town together using the Internet. This project quickly ushered the town into what has been called the Information Age.

On July 8, 1997, ground was broken for the experimental “Smart Road” project. The second phase of construction was completed in 2002. The road is currently closed to the public and used as a research test bed for the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. A National Weather Service office is located in

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Blacksburg and serves most of southwestern Virginia, southeast West Virginia, and northwest North Carolina. Mission Statement Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) is a public land-grant university serving the Commonwealth of Virginia, the nation, and the world community. The discovery and dissemination of new knowledge are central to its mission. Through its focus on teaching and learning, research and discovery, and outreach and engagement, the university creates, conveys, and applies knowledge to expand personal growth and opportunity, advance social and community development, foster economic competitiveness, and improve the quality of life.

Brand Positioning Statement Virginia Tech is a high-performing research university with a worldview that advances the land-grant values of discovery, learning, and outreach. It serves and engages the citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the nation, and the world. It attracts motivated, high-achieving students, staff, and faculty who excel in an academically energized, technologically creative, and culturally inclusive learning community. Its bold spirit, climate of innovation and service, open boundaries of study and research, and entrepreneurial approach positively transform lives and communities. Beyond Boundaries The Challenge In August 2015 President Timothy D. Sands challenged the university community to engage in a visioning process to support two interrelated goals: advancing Virginia Tech as a global land-grant institution, and strategically addressing the challenges and opportunities presented by the changing landscape of higher education. Beyond Boundaries is an initiative that imagines the future university. In 2047, Virginia Tech will prepare VT-shaped individuals who prioritize purpose-driven engagement with disciplinary depth and interdisciplinary capacities. With partners, they will address complex problems that transcend economic, geographic, social and spatial boundaries, and leverage technologies to experience and learn from communities around the world. The university community will innovate and evolve as an institution in order to advance excellence and expand access to the Virginia Tech experience. Beyond Boundaries: A 2047 Vision offers a framework for the future as Virginia Tech looks ahead to the 175th anniversary of Virginia Tech. In response to President Sands' challenge to the university community, more than 90 committee members met during the 2015-16 academic year to imagine what we could and should be. This paper represents the work of thought leaders from across the university, and is just the beginning of an ongoing dialogue and new understanding of the university’s future in a changing landscape.

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Thematic Areas of Inquiry The higher education landscape is changing in many ways. Virginia Tech is interested in how these areas intersect and afford opportunities for advancement. This in mind, Beyond Boundaries is organized around four thematic areas of inquiry important to Virginia Tech’s future.

Advancing as a global land-grant institution — Today’s land-grant university must address economic, societal, and technological needs of this generation. Now and in the future, Virginia Tech will use research and service to address global issues such as health, sustainability, resilience and security, and advance knowledge through technical assistance. Global recognition is a testimonial to comprehensive excellence.

Preparing students for the world in which they will live and work — The impacts of globalization require us to consider how best to prepare Virginia Tech students for the interconnected world in which they will live and work. To foster global and engaged citizens, Virginia Tech must innovate the ways in which faculty and students teach and learn, including capitalizing on the opportunities that technology will bring to students in and out of the classroom.

Discovering new funding models — Shifting funding and cost models dictate innovative ideas toward enhancing and diversifying Virginia Tech’s resource base. To preserve accessibility and affordability, the university must evaluate new and diverse revenue sources. Virginia Tech’s continued strength as an institution will depend on how well it navigates this changing landscape.

Envisioning the campus of the future — The campus of the future may look very different in terms of student, faculty, and staff needs and the college experience. The questions of who will be learning, how will they learn, and where will they learn will determine future Virginia Tech facilities and infrastructure needs.

Destination Areas Virginia Tech is building transdisciplinary teams to tackle the world’s pressing problems through research, education, and engagement.

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Destination Areas, along with related, smaller-scale Strategic Growth Areas, provide faculty and students with new tools to identify and solve complex, 21st-century problems in which Virginia Tech already has significant strengths and can take a global leadership role. The initiative represents the next step in the evolution of the land-grant university to meet economic and societal needs of the world. The process will result in the creation of transdisciplinary teams, tools, and processes poised to tackle the world's most pressing, critical problems. As a result, Virginia Tech will become an international destination for talent, partnerships, transformative knowledge, and significant outcomes in these areas, enabling it to effectively fulfill its land-grant mission and apply its university motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), to meet the needs of a rapidly changing world. Destination Areas will be supported by large-scale partnerships with industry, government, and communities around urgent problems of common interest. They will advance large-scale funding opportunities and diversify the university's resource portfolio. They provide faculty with multifaceted opportunities and diverse communities for developing disciplinary and transdisciplinary activities to solve critical world problems. They will provide tools and processes for integrating the disciplinary, interdisciplinary and translational dimensions of our VT-shaped knowledge framework and will help make the framework available to all interested students at Virginia Tech. Destination Areas connect the full span of relevant knowledge necessary for addressing issues comprehensively. Humanistic, scientific, and technological perspectives are addressed in relationship to one another and they are treated as complementary to overcome traditional academic boundaries, such as those that separate science, technology, engineering, and mathematic (STEM) fields and liberal arts. Virginia Tech has five original Destination Areas.

Adaptive Brain and Behavior

Data Analytics and Decision Sciences

Global Systems Science

Integrated Security

Intelligent Infrastructure for Human-Centered Communities Faculty steering committees have developed descriptions and plans for the following Strategic Growth Areas:

Creative Technologies and Experiences

Economical and Sustainable Materials

Equity and Social Disparity in the Human Condition

Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Policy VT-Shaped Discovery Virginia Tech is set apart from other land-grant universities with not only their historical emphasis on outreach and application of knowledge, but also their commitment to communities and service to society. An education from Virginia Tech goes beyond the “T” shape by incorporating elements of Ut Prosim and the land-grant mission to create a “VT-shaped individual.” The challenges of the future require the capacity to work in interdisciplinary teams, engage in critical and creative thinking, collaborate with diverse people, communicate effectively, and conduct oneself with a deep sense of ethics. Students at all levels will be mentored to develop a knowledge base and skills while they are immersed in a culture that unifies multiple disciplines in a field of study within the context of these crucial values. Emerging from this work is the notion of a “purpose-driven and person-centered” curricular design. A Virginia Tech education will engage the whole person and through inclusive connections contribute to the value of each person and to the groups in which they participate. Beyond Boundaries envisions significant changes in Virginia Tech curricula to reflect the belief that students at both the graduate and undergraduate levels will want to shape their own course of study. A flexible approach enables students

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and faculty to be purpose-driven in curricular design and research, thus addressing the complex needs of communities and society at large as they arise. Communities of Discovery Knowing that learning comes alive when theoretical concepts or principles are observed in practice, learning communities will be integrated into curricular design. Communities of Discovery flip the traditional instructional model where course driven learning is at the core and experiential learning is peripheral. Experiential learning wrapped around an issue, problem, or topic of the community will become the core of the educational experience, with the traditional course instruction supporting that work. The place, focus, and direction of these communities will evolve over time. Regardless of what shape they take—professional communities, topical communities, or problem-based communities—their communal needs inform curricula with a feedback loop enriching the learning experience. The physical and virtual environments of campus, whether in their existing facilities or in new operations around the world, will be designed to support human-to-human interactions, emerging pedagogy, flexible learning, cutting-edge research, and the unique mission of Virginia Tech. Continuously advancing information and communication technologies will enable connections that will obviate the need for place-bound learning or research. In future decades, virtual faculty, student, mentor, or work relationships will be as rich and effective as current face-to-face interpersonal experiences. Within digitally enabled human-centered smart environments we will experiment, prove ideas, and learn from failures. Nexus of Discovery Higher education institutions provide intergenerational transfer of knowledge organized around disciplines. This purpose will be the same in the next generation. One limitation of such an arrangement, however, is that the institution tends to apply an academic or institutional lens to complex problem solving without considering the broader context. As Tech moves into the next generation, they will advance from a disciplinary-based university structure to a distributed university structure by better integrating disciplinary excellence for the resolution of complex problems. In 2047, Virginia Tech will project its talents to the world and in tandem view the world as an extended campus. Situated in a problem context, disciplinary boundaries stretch and overlap to meet the demands of the given domain. This intersection of disciplinary excellence is where strengths are formed that address problems related to improving the human condition. These strengths are so compelling that Virginia Tech is a primary destination for students and faculty wishing to pursue work in these areas. Virginia Tech’s success in these endeavors relies upon academic exceptionalism. Tech seeks to grow in its value to students and society such that it is recognized among the top 100 global universities. A diverse pool of highly qualified talent—students, faculty, and staff—drawn from all corners of the planet is a requirement to realize this aspirational position. Strategic Plan Virginia Tech faces a new horizon defined by a future characterized by geopolitical and geoeconomic transition, an accelerated pace of globalization, and structural shifts caused by technological innovation. Its graduates will face uncertainties that range from security issues and resource scarcities to political instability and social turmoil—challenges that will be embedded in and defined by complex and interdependent systems. Simultaneously, we have entered an era of data-driven, networked societies. As technology changes the landscape of the global economy and the practices of businesses and governments, there will be great demand for graduates who possess superior analytical, critical-thinking, management, and communication skills and who excel at abstract and computational thinking. Preparing students for this new horizon requires pedagogical models that spark curiosity, facilitate creative thinking, and develop the tools for effective communication.

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These models must be rigorous but not constraining, involving “hands-on” as well as “minds-on” approaches to problem solving. To address these issues successfully, Virginia Tech will build on its strengths to meet state and federal commitments for research and higher education while providing a superior environment for nurturing the life of the mind. The new horizon for research and scholarship will challenge Virginia Tech to build on its strengths as a comprehensive public research university and land-grant institution. It also values its long tradition as one of the nation’s senior military colleges. The new horizon will require Virginia Tech to develop team-driven initiatives within and beyond the university. Such initiatives will enhance the opportunities for its colleges and research institutes to pursue innovative research agendas that address complex problems and allow them to be responsive to new discoveries and technologies. New forms of digital, networked scholarly communication will require intensive faculty development and new modes of reward and recognition within the academy. Fulfilling Virginia Tech’s mission in an increasingly complex and interdependent world will also require initiatives that create networks spanning geographic scales. The university will not only contribute to agricultural, business, and community development but also promote local, regional, and national security, resilience, health, and sustainability while continuing to support core academic disciplines. With this plan, Virginia Tech is positioning itself to further develop a distinctive profile as a progressive and internationally recognized research university. It is poised to grow its undergraduate enrollment when appropriate and will pursue significant and strategic growth in graduate enrollment. Focusing on growth in graduate enrollment in science, technology, engineering, computational sciences, health sciences, and business- and policy-oriented subjects will provide additional teaching resources, sustain and expand its research portfolio, and provide a broad range of student research experiences. This growth will also facilitate the pursuit of its mission to address significant science, technology, economic, and social issues. Virginia Tech will continue to invest in a comprehensive educational portfolio in which the arts, humanities, business, and social sciences have an essential role in kindling curiosity and creativity; growing intellectual, entrepreneurial, innovative, and managerial capacities; expanding civic and intercultural understanding; and encouraging a commitment to personal, professional, and social responsibility. Virginia Tech aims to become the national model for the merger and application of the arts and technology as a catalyst for educational excellence. The integration of business with programs in science, engineering, and medicine creates the opportunity for radical innovation. The emergence of Virginia Tech’s architecture and design programs as among the best in the world provides a model for the power of transdisciplinary synergy. Achieving these goals will require the sustained fulfillment of the commonwealth’s base budget adequacy funding model, the continued growth of externally funded research and private support, and the implementation of innovative financial and business practices. Reaching the goals will also require a significant degree of flexibility, collaboration, and innovation on the part of the university in terms of existing resources and infrastructure. The plan for 2012–2018 is guided by four structuring challenges that impact the entire university:

the implications of global interdependence

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the challenges of a data-driven society

the need to meet its research expectations

the continuing need to focus on organizational efficiency and flexibility The plan outlines strategies to address these challenges by enhancing research and innovation; fostering the life of the mind of students, faculty, and staff; and positioning Virginia Tech as a dynamic and distinctive community

Diversity and Inclusion at Virginia Tech Virginia Tech is a public land-grant university, committed to teaching and learning, research, and outreach to the Commonwealth of Virginia, the nation, and the world community. Learning from the experiences that shape the institution, Virginia Tech acknowledges those aspects of their legacy that reflected bias and exclusion. Therefore, Virginia Tech adopts and practices the following principles as fundamental to their on-going efforts to increase access and inclusion and to create a community that nurtures learning and growth for all of its members:

Virginia Tech affirms the inherent dignity and value of every person and strive to maintain a climate for work and learning based on mutual respect and understanding.

Virginia Tech affirms the right of each person to express thoughts and opinions freely. They encourage open expression within a climate of civility, sensitivity, and mutual respect.

Virginia Tech affirms the value of human diversity because it enriches lives and the University. They acknowledge and respect differences while affirming common humanity.

Virginia Tech rejects all forms of prejudice and discrimination, including those based on age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, and veteran status. They take individual and collective responsibility for helping to eliminate bias and discrimination and for increasing their understanding of these issues through education, training, and interaction with others.

Virginia Tech pledges their collective commitment to these principles in the spirit of the Virginia Tech motto of Ut Prosim (That I May Serve).

InclusiveVT is the institutional and individual commitment to Ut Prosim (that I may serve) in the spirit of community, diversity, and excellence. Virginia Tech recognizes that they cannot meet the mandate of preparing students for service without equipping them with the tools and strategies they will need to work, live, and learn in a diverse and complex world. Today’s world is a world of many ideas, thoughts, perspectives, backgrounds, experiences, philosophies, and beliefs. It is a world of individuals with multiple identities – race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender identity, language, and ability. It is a world where some are privileged to serve and others are in positions to be in need of service, services, assistance, and support. It is a world that needs courageous and compassionate leaders who are committed to Ut Prosim (that I may serve), in the spirit of community, diversity, and excellence. With InclusiveVT and

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the Principles of Community as their core values, Virginia Tech is preparing leaders for the world. Virginia Tec President Timothy Sands called on the university to double underrepresented minority enrollment to 25% over the next six years. Underrepresented minority groups at Tech include students who are Black/African American, Hispanic or of Asian American/Pacific Islander descent. Currently, about 12 percent of Tech’s students are in that category. Sands also said the university should increase students who are first-generation college students or who come from poorer homes by four percent in the same time period. That would raise that figure to 15 percent. Sands said he wants underrepresented students – either minorities, first generation or low income – to make up 40 percent of Tech’s enrollment. The university is also working to increase the number of faculty and staff from underrepresented populations. The Office of Inclusion and Diversity actively works with university partners, including Cultural and Community Centers, to provide access to our country’s most vulnerable populations, and to educate students with the potential and ability to transform the world through their talents, ideas, and voices. Leadership Timothy D. Sands, President

Timothy D. Sands was named the 16th president of Virginia Tech on Dec. 6, 2013. He began his term on June 1, 2014. Prior to coming to Blacksburg, Dr. Sands had served as executive vice president for academic affairs and provost of Purdue University since April 2010. Dr. Sands was acting president from June 2012 to January 2013, before Mitch Daniels became the 12th president of Purdue. In his role as acting president, Dr. Sands led Purdue’s West Lafayette and regional campuses. Dr. Sands earned a bachelor’s degree with highest honors in engineering physics and a master’s degree and

doctorate in materials science from the University of California, Berkeley. He joined the Purdue faculty in 2002 as the Basil S. Turner Professor of Engineering in the schools of materials engineering and electrical and computer engineering. Prior to becoming provost, he served as the Mary Jo and Robert L. Kirk Director of the Birck Nanotechnology Center in Purdue’s Discovery Park. From 1993 to 2002, Sands was a professor of materials science and engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, and before that, he performed research and directed research groups at Bellcore, a New Jersey–based research company now known as Telcordia. Dr. Sands has published more than 250 refereed papers and conference proceedings and has been granted 17 patents in electronic and optoelectronic materials and devices. His current research efforts are directed toward the development of novel nanocomposite materials for environmentally friendly and cost-effective solid-state lighting, direct conversion of heat to electrical power, and thermoelectric refrigeration. He is a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the Materials Research Society (MRS), and the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). The Academic Program College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Agribusiness

Agricultural and Applied Economics

Agricultural Sciences

Agricultural Technology

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Agriculture Undecided

Animal and Poultry Sciences

Applied Economic Management

Biochemistry

Crop and Soil Sciences

Dairy Science

Environmental Horticulture

Environmental Science

Food Science and Technology

Horticulture: Environmental Horticulture & Landscape Contracting

Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise

Landscape Contracting

Life Sciences Undecided

College of Architecture and Urban Studies

School of Architecture and Design o Architecture o Industrial Design o Interior Design o Landscape Architecture

School of Public and International Affairs

o Government and International Affairs o Center for Public Administration and Policy o Urban Affairs and Planning

School of Visual Arts

o Art History o Creative Technologies o Studio Arts o Visual Communication Design

Myers-Lawson School of Construction* o Building Construction o Vecellio Construction Engineering and Management

* A joint school with the College of Engineering Pamplin College of Business

Accounting and Information Systems

Business (undecided)

Business Information Systems

Business Information Technology

Decision Support Systems

Economics

Finance

Hospitality and Tourism Management

Information Systems

Management

Management Information Systems

Management Science

Marketing

Operations Management

Systems Assurance

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College of Engineering

Aerospace Engineering

Biological Systems Engineering

Chemical Engineering

Civil Engineering

Computer Engineering

Computer Science

Construction Engineering and Management

Electrical Engineering

Engineering

Engineering Science and Mechanics

General Engineering

Industrial and Systems Engineering

Materials Science and Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

Mining Engineering

Ocean Engineering

College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences

School of Education o Teaching and Learning o Educational Leadership and Policy Studies o Learning Sciences and Technologies

School of Performing Arts o Music o Theatre o Cinema

Air Force ROTC (Military Aerospace Studies)

Apparel, Housing, and Resource Management

Army ROTC (Military Science) Communication Studies

Consumer Studies

Criminology

English

Fashion Merchandising and Design

Foreign Languages and Literature o Classical Studies o French o German o Russian o Spanish

History

Human Development

International Studies

Multimedia Journalism

Navy ROTC (Naval Science)

Philosophy

Political Science

Property Management

Public Relations

Religion and Culture

Residential Environments Design

Science and Technology in Society

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Sociology o Africana Studies o American Indian Studies o Women’s and Gender Studies

College of Natural Resources and Environment

Environmental Informatics

Environmental Resources Management

Fish Conservation

Forestry

Geography

Meteorology

Natural Resources (undecided)

Natural Resources Conservation

Packaging Systems and Design

Sustainable Biomaterials

Wildlife Conservation

College of Science

Biochemistry

Biological Sciences (Biology)

Chemistry

Computational Modeling and Data Analytics

Economics

General Biosciences

Geology

Geosciences

Mathematics

Microbiology

Nanoscience Neuroscience

Physics

Psychology

Statistics

Graduate School

Graduate Programs

Graduate Certificates

Interdisciplinary Academic Programs Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine

Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology**

Equine Medical Center

Large Animal Clinical Sciences**

Maryland Campus

Population Health Sciences

Small Animal Clinical Sciences**

Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital ** A Virginia Tech-Wake Forest University School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences department Most popular majors for incoming freshmen in fall 2016:

General Engineering

University Studies (undeclared)

Business (undecided)

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General Biosciences

Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise Full-Time Instructional Faculty: 1,443; 60% are tenured

The Student Body Enrollment—Fall 2016 31,090 on-campus

82.7% undergraduate

17.3% graduate

56.9% male

43.1% female

Race/Ethnicity – Undergraduate & Graduate

9% Asian American/Pacific Islander

5% Hispanic

4% Black/African American

.16% American Indian/Alaska Native Total enrollment on and off campus is 33,170 As of June 2016, total endowment: $843 million Admissions Virginia Tech received 27,178 applications for the fall 2017 freshman class. Cumulative SAT reasoning test scores had a middle range of 1,160 to 1,340.

Alumni There are more than 250,000 living alumni from every state and more than 100 countries. An Overview of the Division of Student Affairs The Division of Student Affairs (DSA) at Virginia Tech is composed of the following departments committed to the growth, development, and achievement of students:

Advancement

Alumni and Family Relations

Assessment and Professional Development

Career and Professional Development

Communications

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Cook Counseling Center

Corps of Cadets

Cranwell International Center

Cultural and Community Centers

Dean of Students

Dining Services

Family Relations

Finance and Operations

Fraternity and Sorority Life

Hokie Wellness

Housing and Residence Life

Human Resources

Information Technology

Leadership Education Collaborative

New Student Programs

Recreational Sports

Schiffert Health Center

Services for Students with Disabilities

Strengths-Based Learning Initiatives

Student Conduct

Student Engagement and Campus Life

VT Engage The Division of Student Affairs exists to sustain a culture of learning, reflecting the profound opportunities available to students. The Division of Student Affairs is deliberate in discerning and designing the learning opportunities available in student environments, creating new and innovative practices for student learning and assessing the extent to which students are able to apply knowledge to solve problems. Team members work closely with the academic staff to support students as they learn to be successful and effective leaders in the global community. Students are challenged to connect knowledge to the possibilities for improving humanity near and far, creating a legacy now and in the future. Mission Statement The mission of the Division of Student Affairs is to promote student learning, life skills, and personal growth through a strong focus on holistic student development and collaborative partnerships that deliver superior service to, and care for, students in the spirit of Ut Prosim (That I May Serve). Aspirations for Student Learning The Division of Student Affairs aspires to launch students on a lifelong quest to:

• Commit to unwavering CURIOSITY Virginia Tech students will be inspired to lead lives of

curiosity, embracing a lifelong commitment to intellectual development. • Pursue SELF-UNDERSTANDING and INTEGRITY Virginia Tech students will form a set of

affirmative values and develop the self-understanding to integrate these values into their decision

making. • Practice CIVILITY Virginia Tech students will understand and commit to civility as a way of life

in their interactions with others. • Prepare for a life of COURAGEOUS LEADERSHIP Virginia Tech students will be courageous

leaders who serve as change agents and make the world more humane and just. • Embrace UT PROSIM as a way of life Virginia Tech students will enrich their lives through

service to others. Guiding Principles for Service The Division of Student Affairs will foster a community of excellence and opportunity through learning, service, respect, and innovation.

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• Learning: DSA will advocate lifelong learning by challenging and supporting students and staff to pursue intellectual, personal, and professional development while embracing a variety of life

experiences. • Respect: DSA will embrace the Principles of Community, which value inclusiveness and

diversity, understanding that every individual should be treated with dignity, courtesy, and

kindness. • Service: DSA will, in the spirit of Ut Prosim, provide a quality experience for students,

colleagues, and customers that upholds or exceeds expectations. • Innovation: DSA will continually examine our practices, seeking creative and efficient ways to

improve while balancing the needs of today and preserving the resources of tomorrow. Leadership Dr. Patty A. Perillo

Dr. Patricia A. Perillo serves as vice president for student affairs and assistant professor of higher education at Virginia Tech. She provides leadership and oversight for the 22 departments and 3 administrative units in the Division of Student Affairs. She oversees a budget of nearly $150 million, a staff of approximately 3,400 employees, and has responsibility for more than 30 percent of the physical capital on campus. Prior to her work at Virginia Tech, Patty served as associate dean of students at Davidson College and assistant vice president for student affairs at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC).

Additional professional experience includes work at the University of Maryland, College Park; State University of New York at both the Plattsburgh and Albany campuses; and the University of Delaware. As a transformative leader in higher education for the past 25 years, Dr. Perillo has been actively engaged in all aspects of college life and has had the privileged opportunity to lead and serve in every functional area within a division of student affairs. She has also worked in academic affairs and is a champion of innovative collaborations between academic and student affairs. She obtained her doctoral degree from the University of Maryland, College Park, and earned her master’s and bachelor’s degrees from the University of Delaware. Overview of Cultural and Community Centers As a department within the Division of Student Affairs, the Cultural and Community Centers develop programs, policies, and personnel aligned to uplift and examine the Aspirations for Student Learning. The department’s mission is to create the conditions for underrepresented student success and to develop the cultural competence of every Virginia Tech student. It achieves this mission in three ways: advocacy, advising, and awareness. Advocacy The Cultural and Community Centers team members serve as advocates for traditionally underrepresented students by showing support, creating conditions for success, and working to develop the cultural competence of every Virginia Tech student. The team facilitates the following advocacy-based programs and services:

• Community Kick-Off • Cultural & Community Centers • Cultural Achievement Ceremonies • Policy Reviews • Bias Incident Response • Community Driven Response

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Advising The Cultural and Community Centers team provides advising support to the following student organizations:

• Asian American Student Union (AASU) • Black Organizations Council (BOC) • HokiePRIDE (LGBTQ+ student organization) • Jewish Student Union (JSU) • Latino Association of Student Organizations (LASO) • Muslim Student Union (MSU) • Informal advising of any student or student organization that believes they might fit within the

scope of our mission.

Awareness The CCC works to increase awareness of underrepresented students’ experiences and develop opportunities to gain cultural competence of every Virginia Tech student by supporting and facilitating the following:

• History & Heritage Months • MLK Celebrations • VTInterCom: Dialogues for Social Change • VTAction • Retreats • Safe Zone

Cultural & Community Centers Cultural & Community Centers are important spaces for Virginia Tech. Research affirms three main goals of effective cultural centers in U.S. higher education:

• There is a strong relationship between creating a comfortable campus environment and retaining students of color;

• Cultural-specific, multicultural, and intercultural centers offer opportunities for scholarship, research, and faculty enrichment in areas of race, culture, and ethnicity across all disciplines; and

• Cultural centers represent a major way to improve campus race relations by generating a wealth of lectures, dialogues, and exhibits that are useful in educating the campus community.

Virginia Tech has six centers, all within the Squires Student Center.

• American Indian & Indigenous Community Center (#VTAIICC) • Asian American Cultural Center (newest center just forming) • Black Cultural Center (#VTBCC) • El Centro (#VTElCentro) • Intercultural Engagement Center • LGBTQ+ Resource Center (#VTLGBTQRC)

History of the Position

The Cultural and Community Centers was created approximately 11 years ago. Initially, the CCC was run by an AVP, but then a director was hired to oversee the department. For years, the CCC consisted of two centers—the Black Cultural Center and the Multicultural Center—working to provide programs and services for students while also advocating for underrepresented students’ needs. The first director of the CCC served in this capacity for almost six years, after which an interim director served for a year. The most recent director was hired to lead the CCC in the summer of 2014. After almost three years in this role, the director has decided to pursue a new leadership role within the division but is open to answering questions or providing historical context for the new senior director. With the arrival of a new president in 2014, Virginia Tech began to make some exciting changes, including reaffirming its deep commitment to diversity and inclusion. When a new vice provost and associate vice provost for inclusion and diversity joined Virginia Tech in 2016, the institution saw a renewed focus on

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underrepresented students, faculty, and staff. Due to this renewed focus, the CCC was more closely examined and two new centers were created: the LGBTQ+ Resource Center and El Centro. Two new staff members came on board in the fall of 2016 to oversee the LGBTQ+ Resource Center and the Black Cultural Center. Additionally, a consultant was brought in to evaluate the CCC and its centers to determine how the centers could most effectively serve the students and the community. This evaluation provided many suggestions to enhance and expand the scope of the CCC’s work. In addition, the review has allowed the division to make changes to better align the CCC needs with direct supervision and support—thus, the department’s move from under the dean of students office to under the umbrella of an assistant vice president who oversees student engagement and crafting a more expanded role for the director. This move will foster increased collaboration between all departments that actively seek to engage students in intentional ways while also providing much-needed structure, guidance, and supervision. Responsibilities of the Position The Division of Student Affairs at Virginia Tech enhances the student experience by fostering an inclusive, innovative, caring, and learning-centered environment. Staff members are actively engaged in the lives of students and are committed to providing outstanding programs and services that foster student development and enrich the quality of campus life. As such, staff strive to engage every student in the division’s five Aspirations for Student Learning, which include creating a community that commits to unwavering curiosity, pursues self-understanding and integrity, practices civility, prepares others for a life of courageous leadership, and embraces the university’s motto Ut Prosim as a way of life. The senior director of cultural and community centers is fundamental to aligning staff, services, learning methodologies, and departmental initiatives toward these aspirations. The senior director must thrive in a dynamic, student-centered, engaging team atmosphere and must be committed to leading and challenging staff and students to engage fully in vital and vibrant learning environments that support holistic development. Reporting to the assistant vice president for student affairs, the senior director of cultural and community centers supports the university’s diversity and inclusion efforts by developing programs and services that facilitate the personal, social, academic, and cultural well-being of underrepresented and historically marginalized students. The senior director is a collaborative and highly visible leader who provides supervision, support, and oversight for cultural and community centers, which include the American Indian and Indigenous Community Center, Asian American Cultural Center, Black Cultural Center, El Centro, Intercultural Engagement Center, and LGBTQ+ Resource Center. This position will also support students in the development of their cultural awareness and cultural competence by creating educational opportunities that support dialogue and understanding among people of different backgrounds. In addition, the senior director serves on the DSA leadership team; leads the strategic planning, budget development, and assessment efforts of the office; and utilizes assessment data to facilitate opportunities that improve the campus climate. The senior director will provide direct supervision to a full-time staff of five assistant directors and an executive assistant, and indirect supervision to one graduate assistant and numerous student employees. The senior director is an advocate and educator who will work in partnership with the Office for Inclusion and Diversity to support InclusiveVT—the institutional and individual commitment to Ut Prosim in the spirit of community, diversity, and excellence. Perhaps most importantly, Virginia Tech seeks candidates who adopt and practice the Principles of Community, which are fundamental to the institution’s on-going efforts to increase access and inclusion, and to create a community that nurtures learning and growth for all of its members. The Virginia Tech Principles of Community are described at http://inclusive.vt.edu/vtpoc0.html

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Characteristics of the Successful Candidate The successful candidate must be an energetic, collaborative, learning-centered professional who enjoys working in partnership with students, faculty, staff, and community members to support the inclusion and diversity efforts of the university. The senior director must have a proven commitment to social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion, with a demonstrated capacity to connect with individuals across racial, ethnic, cultural, religious, gender, sexual orientation, ability, and other identities. In addition, the senior director will have extensive knowledge of student identity development and diversity and multicultural theories within higher education, including an understanding of issues related to cultural competency, retention/persistence, and intersectional approaches to social justice education. The senior director will possess proven critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. Other necessary skills include demonstrated organizational acumen and the ability to initiate, advance, and sustain organizational growth and change in a complex organization while fostering a collaborative work environment; excellent communication and interpersonal skills, clarity of thought, and the ability to make difficult decisions; and extensive experience in teambuilding, innovation, budget management, employee development, and strategic planning. A demonstrated commitment to developing strong working relationships with student affairs colleagues, university faculty and staff, and other community stakeholders and a willingness to engage across the division and university are all characteristics of the senior director. A master’s degree from an accredited institution in a related field, a minimum of five years of related experience including demonstrated progressive growth in leadership and supervision of professional staff in a higher education setting, and expertise in the areas diversity, advocacy, and intercultural dialogue are required. A terminal degree from an accredited institution in a related field is preferred. In addition to the above-stated qualifications and characteristics, Virginia Tech stakeholders identified the

following characteristics as important to the senior director:

Experience working with several cultural centers supporting students of multiple identities.

Deep understanding of diversity from both the academic and administrative standpoints.

A deep understanding of issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, social justice, and how these impact an entire campus community.

A thought leader who is well-networked nationally.

Strong supervisory skills with a demonstrated commitment to professional development and mentorship of others.

Coalition-building and boundary-spanning capabilities to reach out well beyond students to include faculty communities and local community members.

Highly skilled team builder with a track record of creating successful teams that are valued and respected within the community.

Open to an array of ideas, be open to challenges, and remain confident in decision making.

Energetic and engaged individual with a strong sense of self and an ability to appropriately infuse humor and enthusiasm into the workplace and campus community.

Commitment to using best practices, technology, and innovation to continually provide students with cutting-edge programs and services.

Capacity to equally hold staff accountable and celebrate accomplishments and positive contributions while appropriately sharing constructive feedback.

Ability to genuinely connect with, support, and relate to a highly engaged, diverse, and intelligent student body by being visible and accessible to all students, attending student events of all kinds, and serving as a strong resource.

Demonstrated commitment to a strong collaborative style and the capacity to build bridges to other departments, faculty, students, and the community.

An empathetic leader who truly knows and is comfortable with their own identity(ies) and can facilitate others in the midst of working through their own self-discovery journey.

Ability to maintain a strong sense of curiosity and entrepreneurial spirit.

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A proven record of implementing change, establishing a vision and direction for an office/department, motivating staff and students to embrace change, and successfully creating new programs and initiatives to enhance the quality of campus life for all students.

Appreciate the talents and expertise of staff, demonstrate a sincere willingness to partner with them, and advocate for their needs.

Be a good listener who can translate priorities into strategic action and influence others to support change.

Accessible, transparent, ethical leader with excellent communication skills to clearly articulate vision, direction, and purpose and earn the respect and confidence of the faculty, staff, and students.

Maintain a commitment to continual improvement through the effective use of assessment tools to measure the success of programs and services, and the ability to make changes based on relevant data.

Experience with restorative justice practices.

Possess a portfolio of professional experience that demonstrates success in varied settings—such as complex research institutions, student-centered undergraduate institutions, predominantly white institutions, and/or rural institutions.

Likely Opportunities, Priorities and Challenges of the Position In transitioning to Virginia Tech, the new senior director of cultural and community centers will encounter

the following opportunities, priorities, and challenges:

Virginia Tech is deeply committed to advancing diversity and inclusion efforts. The senior director will find an engaged environment ready to support diversity, inclusion, and social justice endeavors.

Create a department that truly supports the success of underrepresented students at Virginia Tech.

Lead change that will have a lasting impact on students and the campus culture.

Help to further define the role of the senior director and the new cultural and community centers.

Establish meaningful partnerships with institutional and community stakeholders.

Work to design, implement, and grow the learning experience for students.

Along with staff and students, construct a strategic plan for the department.

Work with a passionate staff committed to serving students to the best of their abilities.

Virginia Tech has exceptional students eager to work with the senior director to enhance the quality of the student experience for all.

The senior director will need to build an exemplary team by earning trust through authentic relationship building, enhancing current staff’s morale, and creating a culture of honest information sharing, solicitation of others’ input, and fair and consistent accountability methods.

Take the time to truly get to know the entire staff, their roles, talents, and contributions to the department and student success.

Establish a vision and direction for the department with goals, expectations, and priorities that the entire department embraces.

Earn the respect of the campus community through accessibility, visibility, and transparency.

Help the staff and campus community recognize that they are one department with multiple centers that all work together, not as stand-alone centers.

This department has many stakeholders who feel invested in the success of the centers. These stakeholders need to be appropriately managed to ensure the success of the department, the individual centers, and the students.

Dispel the misconception that this department is solely responsible for all inclusion and diversity efforts at Virginia Tech.

Remain vigilant in efforts to secure additional resources as needed to support the department, staff, and students.

The senior director must work for and support all students at Virginia Tech; showing any partiality to a particular culture or community will undermine the efficacy of the new senior director.

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Measures of Success for the Position At an appropriate interval after joining Virginia Tech, the senior director will be assessed using the following benchmarks for success:

Demonstrated a collaborative leadership style that is credible and collegial while contributing to being highly effective.

The students served by the department feel a true sense of belonging to the Hokie community.

Created an office environment focused on respect, communication, collaboration, cohesion, and service.

Demonstrated excellent communication and problem-solving skills; will have connected with key institutional and local stakeholders; and will have a good sense of the mission and priorities of the Division of Student Affairs.

Established a strong rapport with teams in each of the cultural and community centers by engaging with all staff members and students.

Actively sought out new opportunities for partnerships across campus.

Inspired a new culture within the department that acknowledges strengths and continues evolving to a culture of shared success.

Acclimated and embraced the culture of Virginia Tech and is enthusiastically involved, visible, and engaged in all aspects of campus life.

Clearly defined the role of the senior director and communicated this throughout the department, the division, and the campus.

Earned the respect of the campus community through accessibility and honest, open communication.

Supported and advocated for the staff as well as students’ needs and concerns.

Worked with the department’s staff to create a vision, purpose, core values, and goals.

Increased the use of assessment and data-driven decisions within the department.

Built a strong staff that feels supported, valued, empowered, and unified by a common vision; increased morale and professional development opportunities for all staff.

Is a trusted and valued member of the Cultural and Community Centers, Division of Student Affairs, and the Virginia Tech community

Benefits Overview

Health Care

Flexible Reimbursement

Accidental Death & Dismemberment

Workers’ Compensation

Short-Term Disability

Long-Term Disability

Employee Wellness

Long-Term Care

Tuition Assistance

Retirement/Finance

Investment Options

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Life Insurance

Application and Nomination Applications, including a position-specific cover letter and resume, may be submitted online at http://www.spelmanandjohnson.com/ . Nominations for this position may be emailed to Heather Larabee at hjl@spelmanandjohnson.com. Applicants needing reasonable accommodation to participate in the application process should contact Spelman Johnson at 413-529-2895.

Spelman Johnson Senior Director of Cultural and Community Centers – Virginia Tech

Heather J. Larabee, Search Associate

Visit the Virginia Tech website at www.vt.edu

Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion,

sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran status, or any other basis protected by law.

Spelman Johnson has prepared this document based on personal interviews and information copied, compiled, or quoted in part from source documents obtained from our client institution, and as such the

contents of this document are believed to be reliable. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this information, the original source documents and factual situations govern, and the

material presented here should be relied upon for informational purposes only.