Board of visitors approves resolution affirming commitment to inclusion and diversity
At its recent fall meeting, the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors unanimously passed a resolution to revise the university’s anti-discrimination and harassment prevention policy. Virginia Tech will now include gender identity and gender expression in its non-discrimination policy.
Virginia Tech's updated Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Statement may be found online.
“The passage of this resolution speaks to our overall commitment at Virginia Tech to make all members of our community, including students and employees, feel valued and appreciated,” said President Timothy D. Sands who praised the board for their leadership and commitment to revitalizing Virginia Tech’s inclusion and diversity efforts.
"The university community, working through the governance system, enthusiastically proposed the inclusion of gender identity and gender expression in our non-discrimination statement," said Senior Vice President and Provost Mark G. McNamee. "I was impressed by the openness of the discussions and the opportunity to learn about the issues affecting transgendered members of our community. I am proud that our evolving commitment to inclusion is now reflected in our policies and in our Principles of Community."
Adoption of the new policy language is timely.
This fall, the university will implement a university-wide effort to advance inclusion and diversity initiatives. Representatives from across the university will be appointed to serve on the President’s Inclusion and Diversity Executive Council.
A campus forum was held Sept. 29 at The Inn at Virginia Tech to afford the university community an opportunity to provide guidance on successful existing inclusion and diversity efforts and how the university can build upon them. Sands, McNamee, and other university representatives led the forum.
Virginia Tech Board of Visitors member Dennis Treacy attended the forum to reaffirm the board's commitment to the Principles of Community.
For information on non-discrimination policies, email Pam White, executive director for equity and access, or call 540-231-8771.
Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech takes a hands-on, engaging approach to education, preparing scholars to be leaders in their fields and communities. As the commonwealth’s most comprehensive university and its leading research institution, Virginia Tech offers 240 undergraduate and graduate degree programs to more than 31,000 students and manages a research portfolio of $513 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.
