Fall HR Update

Virginia Tech is a hopping place right now as we push toward the last six weeks of a busy fall term.  Just as you are busy, there is a lot going on in the Department of Human Resources as well. This month's blog highlights a few of the main items on our agenda of general interest.  And introduces you to Bo…

Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign (CVC)
The CVC is in full swing and the generosity of the campus to date has been amazing.  We really do have a culture of giving here.  With six weeks to go in the CVC, we have already raised $172,000 toward our $300,000 goal.  You can fill out a paper form or give online.  Thanks to all who have given and all the many more employees who will contribute between now and Dec. 14.

Extraordinary Employees

Nothing reminds us of our mission of teaching and learning, research and discovery, and outreach and engagement more than the return of 31,000 students with the start of the new academic year!  Nothing could be more central to our mission than our impact, inside and outside the classroom, on the lives of those 31,000 students. 

We have such an opportunity in the development of our students that it makes working in higher education a privilege for us all.  While our thoughts jump first to the classroom and the lab and the interactions of our faculty and students, so many others behind the scenes support our students and the infrastructure that keeps Virginia Tech running.  Unfortunately, we don't often highlight their roles. 

Give women a chance, and they'll take the gold

What an amazing performance by America's Olympians!  The 2012 Olympics will be most remembered for the performance of America's female athletes.  Of the 46 gold medal winners from the United States, 29 of them were women.  Only two countries won as many gold medals as the women of the United States.

How wonderful that this tremendous success occurred on the 40th anniversary of Title IX.  The purpose of the 1972 federal law sponsored by Indiana Senator Birch Bayh was simple - Title IX bans sex discrimination of both men and women in programs receiving federal financial assistance. 

Do you take better care of your car than your body?

We love our cars. Even so, we worry about how much we spend on them - our gas, our repairs, keeping them looking clean and shiny… We know if we do a good job in maintaining our car, it will be less likely to break down and hit us in the wallet with a costly repair. It’s the old “pay me now or pay me later” idea. We get regular oil changes, check-ups at regular mileage intervals, even an annual inspection required by the state of Virginia.

Without you, the driver, the car isn’t going anywhere no matter how well you maintain it. The basic idea behind preventive maintenance for a car and preventive health care for its driver is similar – both the car and the driver need attention to keep running. And the driver of that car, you, is so much more important than any car will ever be and deserves the very best preventive care.

Welcome

Welcome to Hal’s HR Happenings, a bi-monthly blog written by Virginia Tech’s Associate Vice President of Human Resources, Hal Irvin.

In this bi-monthly blog, Hal will share HR-related information with Virginia Tech's employees. If you have suggestions for topics that you'd like to know more about, please comment below.

Past issues of Hal's communications to Virginia Tech employees are available here. They are also available on the right side of the page, under "Archives."

Click here to learn more about Hal.