Dear Virginia Tech community,

Welcome to the new academic year! The start of the fall semester is a time to set ambitious goals, reconnect with old friends, and find new communities. The beginning of the new academic year also represents as good a time as any to remember what brought us to Virginia Tech, what keeps us here, and the values that we share as Hokies.

By choosing Virginia Tech, we all commit to the basic idea that none of us should ever have to choose between ourselves — our identity and dignity — and the amazing wealth of programs and opportunities that the university offers. That commitment comes with shared responsibility: to maintain living, learning, and working environments that are free from discrimination and harassment, including discrimination and harassment based on sex and gender. We can all do our part by taking the time to become familiar with the network of programs, policies, and procedures related to the university’s work to prevent and, when necessary, respond to discrimination and harassment, including sex- and gender- based violence.

Three key themes are ever-present in these programs and procedures. First, nobody in our community should have to carry the weight of an incident of sex- or gender- based harassment or violence alone. Second, we prioritize support for our students, faculty, and staff and provide as much autonomy as possible in any process connected to an incident. Third, we recognize that there must be multiple pillars to a comprehensive anti-harassment program, each requiring specialized expertise, including advocacy, response, and prevention.

I want to take a moment here to highlight this third theme. For the first pillar, advocacy, the CARES (Campus Advocacy, Resources, and Education for Survivors) Program serves as a confidential resource for all members of the university community who have been impacted by an incident of sex- or gender- based discrimination or harassment. The Office of the Dean of Students also serves as an excellent resource for any student in need of assistance navigating university systems and processes.

For the second pillar, as always, the Office for Equity and Accessibility’s Title IX team provides a prompt and equitable response to every report of sex- or gender- based harassment. Part of that response is our focus on coordinating support measures that are individually tailored to the particular needs of any party involved in a report or complaint of sex- or gender- based harassment. We encourage you to learn more about the reporting and response process and the availability of support measures at the SAFE at VT website.

For the third pillar of prevention, thanks to the tireless efforts of student advisory committees and members of the steering committee for the Sexual Violence Prevention Initiative, we welcome the newly created Office of Sexual Violence Prevention Education. It will advance the university’s framework for sustainable transformation that establishes sexual violence prevention as a shared responsibility of our community.

As Virginia Tech’s Title IX coordinator, I am committed to addressing sex- and gender- based discrimination and harassment, including incidents of sex- and gender-based violence through an equitable process free from bias or prejudice. Together, our team will ensure that all parties are aware of available support and are treated with compassion and respect. If you need help, I encourage you to contact me.

I hope you have a great semester.

Harrison Blythe
Interim Title IX Coordinator and
Director of Compliance and Conflict Resolution
Office for Equity and Accessibility
hblythe@vt.edu
540-231-2010

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