Virginia Tech to Reward Faculty For Diversity Efforts
BLACKSBURG, Va.
The new annual instructor evaluations at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University will include a review of faculty members’ activities to promote diversity on campus.
Virginia Tech President Charles Steger outlined a plan Aug. 28 to add diversity to the criteria used to evaluate university instructors. Under the new guidelines, faculty will report any diversity-related activities, such as advising a minority student group or conducting community outreach programs, each spring on their annual activity report. Academic departments use these reports to provide merit-based pay increases.
In his memo, Steger noted that “creating a diverse and inclusive community is an important and long-standing priority for Virginia Tech.” The policy will begin this academic year, with teachers reporting
on their 2006-2007 activities next spring.
In the past, faculty generally included only teaching, research and outreach on their annual activity report, says Dr. Mark G. McNamee, university provost.
“Virginia Tech is working hard on multiple fronts to increase the diversity of the campus,” he told Diverse. Two years ago, the university developed the Principles of Community, a set of “core values” for the campus that included commitments to diversity and non-discrimination. The university also organizes an annual diversity summit and a commission on equal opportunity and diversity.