InclusiveVT Welcome

It is a new semester and a new academic year. I am always excited for new beginnings. 

This week is InclusiveVT Week.  This is a week where the campus collectively, and each department, unit, and program individually, are encouraged to focus on belonging and community-building as important components of a welcoming, accessible, safe, and affirming campus environment. 

Belonging is a feeling we have when we believe we are accepted, noticed, and valued as part of a community. Yet—it's more than just a feeling.  Belonging is the antidote to othering, which is the denial of the humanity of an individual or group based on their identity. This denial can manifest at every level of society—from the interpersonal to the structural.

According to research, belonging in the workplace is rooted in four elements:

Belonging is often the result of individual and collective actions as a community.  We have the ability to help others belong and feel welcomed.  Our individual actions of noticing, connecting, and engaging are essential to creating the community that is envisioned by InclusiveVT, our institutional and individual commitment to Ut Prosim (that I may serve) in the spirit of community, diversity, and inclusion. We hope each of you will take some time to step outside of your comfort zone:

• Connect with someone new this semester
• Attend events at the cultural and community centers (https://ccc.vt.edu/)
• Visit the Solitude-Fraction House and learn more about Virginia Tech’s history (https://www.inclusive.vt.edu/education/solitude-fraction--telling-the-whole-story.html)
• Sign up and take InclusiveVT education courses (https://www.inclusive.vt.edu/education/cbc.html)

This year as part of the ongoing work of InclusiveVT, the Office for Inclusion and Diversity will be collaborating with Student Affairs, Human Resources, and Faculty Affairs to understand our campus climate for our faculty, staff, and students, regardless of identity and background. We look forward to this important work this year.

Learn more about InclusiveVT week at the link below:
https://www.inclusive.vt.edu/Programs/inclusivevt-week.html

Genuinely,
Menah