To the university community,

Thirteen years ago this week, the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors and university leadership endorsed our Principles of Community with the comment “We have made considerable progress, but important work remains.” In October, 2014, I was privileged to join the board in reaffirming these principles with the inclusion of gender identity and gender expression.

We mark Principles of Community Week at this time each year to publicly reassert our commitment to inclusion and diversity and acknowledge that “important work remains.” This week will feature a series of events designed to accelerate that work, facilitate important conversations, and help us learn and grow as an institution.

The Principles of Community articulate the values that bring our motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), to life on our campus and beyond. We demonstrate our commitment to Ut Prosim in the spirit of community, diversity, and excellence through InclusiveVT. This is what drives us to engage in the important work that is most needed in our communities and across the globe.

Please take some time this week to participate, and seek to exemplify our Principles of Community in your personal Virginia Tech experience.

Tim Sands,
President

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