From President Tim Sands: Welcome back, Hokies
![President Tim Sands President Tim Sands poses for a portrait inside the Moss Arts Center](/content/news_vt_edu/en/articles/2024/01/president-spring-welcome-2024/_jcr_content/article-image.transform/m-medium/image.jpg)
To the university community,
Welcome to the beginning of our spring semester! I hope you had a restful winter break and are ready for the opportunities and challenges ahead. My pride in Virginia Tech, and all of you, grows with each passing year, and I look forward to taking on 2024 together.
This year we will focus our attention on our two strategic priorities for the university: the Virginia Tech Advantage and the Virginia Tech Global Distinction. The first aims to help fulfill our responsibility as a public land-grant university in the commonwealth to provide the full Virginia Tech experience to Virginia residents regardless of income, underserved, or underrepresented status. The second focuses our continuous effort as a leading global university to convene top talent and researchers from around the world to pursue solutions to the most complex challenges. What these priorities mean for you and Hokie Nation will be discussed at this year’s State of the University address at the Moss Arts Center on Wednesday, Feb. 7, at 3 p.m. Please join me!
You can also look forward to the completion over the spring and summer of current construction in the North Academic District, including Hitt Hall and the new dining facility, the undergraduate science laboratory building, and the Multi-Modal Transit facility. These important projects will significantly impact how we live, learn, and access our Blacksburg campus, and I appreciate your patience over the next several months as these buildings come to life.
I recognize that this year’s contentious national election and ongoing global conflicts may create stress and challenges for members of our community in Virginia and around the world. As a higher education institution, we regard free expression and academic freedom as essential to the exchange and vetting of ideas. As Hokies, we must remain guided by our Principles of Community, engaging each other as active learners, with civility and respect.
Together, we will make 2024 a great year for Virginia Tech.
Let’s go Hokies!
Tim Sands,
President