From the Desk of the Vice President
A Strong Start to the Academic Year – Let's Go Hokies!
Dear Virginia Tech Auxiliary and Business Services Team,
As we begin a new academic year, I hope this email finds you in good spirits and ready for the exciting journey that lies ahead. The start of a new year brings with it renewed energy, fresh opportunities, and the chance to make a positive impact on our campus community.
Our campus is bustling with anticipation, and your dedication and hard work is instrumental in ensuring a smooth transition into this academic year. Throughout the whirlwind of activity at Hokie Passport Services, Mail Services, Transportation Services, The Inn at Virginia Tech, and our Support Services, your commitment to excellence shines through.
Hokie Passport Services welcomes our new students to the Virginia Tech family. With a surge of eager students acquiring their very first Hokie Passports and others visiting because they misplaced their card during the summer, your team's efficiency and enthusiasm will undoubtedly set the tone for their memorable journey on campus.
Mail Services, I commend you for your resilience in the face of the deluge of packages and mail that accompanies the arrival of our new students in the residential halls. Your dedication ensures that their essential belongings reach them, creating a sense of home and belonging from the moment they step foot on campus.
Transportation Services, your unwavering support during this time of heightened activity, is truly commendable. Your assistance with parking permits, bicycle registrations, fleet reservations and the guidance you provide to our customers is a testament to your commitment to their safety and convenience. I appreciate the hard work of our parking enforcement officers who have been diligently managing the bustling move-in traffic. Remember, deep breath in and deep breath out.
The Inn at Virginia Tech, your commitment to hospitality has not gone unnoticed. From parents moving in their first-year students to gearing up for the upcoming football games, your dedication is an integral part of the overall Virginia Tech experience.
Our support services teams keep us running smoothly, often working behind the scenes. Whether it’s completing the flurry of fiscal year-end activities, processing expenditures, assisting with emergency hires, or helping us redesign websites, you put your customers first and never hesitate to go the extra mile.
As we all embark on this new academic year together, I encourage you to embrace the challenges and triumphs that this year will undoubtedly bring. Let us approach each day with a sense of purpose and pride, knowing that our collective efforts are shaping the lives of the talented individuals who grace our campus.
I am truly proud to lead such an exceptional team, and I wish you all a fantastic start to the academic year!
Lynsay
Lynsay Belshe
Vice President
Virginia Tech Auxiliary and Business Services
Good morning, Enterprise Administrative and Business Services (EABS) team members,
Every March during the week following spring break, Virginia Tech celebrates Principles of Community Week to commemorate and reaffirm our collective commitment to the fundamental values of who we want to be as a community. This year’s theme is Moving from Words to Action.
I invite you to join me in using the week of March 13-17th to remember, recognize, reaffirm, and reflect on the Principles of Community. By participating, you will have the chance to learn from experts, engage in meaningful conversations, and develop the skills we need to build a stronger and more inclusive community.
Remember
Learn more about how the Principles of Community came to be. The Inclusive VT Insight, “What Are the Principles of Community and Why Are They Referenced So Often?” describes the collaborative process by which they were authored and then endorsed by the Board of Visitors in March 2005.
Recognize
Who embodies the Principles of Community in EABS? Raise up colleagues whose lives reflect the values of civility and respect, and an active commitment to inclusion and diversity.
Nominate them for the Principles of Community Award.
Nominate them for the Positively Hokie Award
Reaffirm
Principles of Community Week is an opportunity to revisit our shared values and refresh the skills of listening, collaborating, and communicating across differences.
- The Principles of Community Week webpage lists programs occurring throughout the week such as the Community Conversation with President Sands and members of the Council on Virginia Tech’s History on the Next 150 Years on Tuesday, March 14th
- The Principles of Community Week Spring 2023 Professional Development Network Course is a gateway to 21 professional development sessions occurring throughout the week that build skills and competencies related to dialogue, collaboration, conflict transformation, and more.
Reflect
In the spirit of this year’s theme, Moving from Words to Action, I invite you all to reflect and then take action on this question…How can you affirm the principles of community in your everyday interactions?
I believe that by investing in our own personal and professional development, we can create a more supportive and inclusive workplace culture. That's why I strongly encourage all members of EABS to participate in Principles of Community Week.
Lynsay
Enterprise Administrative and Business Services is noted for having loyal and dedicated employees. Each of you play a vital role in fulfilling the University’s mission of having an inclusive community of knowledge, discovery, and creativity dedicated to improving the quality of life and the human condition within the Commonwealth of Virginia and throughout the world. That’s why I’m happy to announce our new EABS Employee Recognition Program! This program will provide opportunities to recognize employees’ dedication, commitment and contributions to the strength, success and reputation of our division and the University.
Our employees are our greatest strength going above and beyond every day to provide quality service to the University. In support of my commitment to cultivate a workplace culture where people feel valued and recognized, the EABS Employee Recognition Program will provide a way for us to express our appreciation and recognize employees for committed dedication and outstanding service. An overview of the recognition programs is listed below and more details can be found on the VPEABS website.
Employee Spotlights:
Award: Monthly public recognition
Monthly, an employee will be highlighted from within the EABS division. The selected employee will have the opportunity to receive a professional headshot and a short list of get-to-know you type nuggets of information posted on our website and social media. This will allow members of each unit to be spotlighted and it will give us the ability to get to know our colleagues better.
Positively HOKIE Award:
Award: Certificate, recognition on the EABS website, and entry to the Above and Beyond Award | Awarded throughout the year
This award can be presented to any member of the division throughout the year. It is intended to provide an on the spot expression of appreciation to recognize a colleague who through one single act or continuous selfless service makes a positive impact on their colleagues, unit, EABS division, or the University. The recipient will receive a certificate, be featured on our website, and be entered into the Above and Beyond Award. Nominations can be submitted on the VPEABS website.
Above and Beyond Award:
Award: $1,000 | Awarded Annually
This award recognizes the importance of employee recognition. Research has shown that receiving a compliment, words of recognition, and praise can help individuals feel more fulfilled, boost their self-esteem, and trigger positive emotions. One awardee will be selected randomly from the list of all nominators and recipients of the Positively HOKIE Awards annually.
The Innovation Award:
Award: $500 for an individual or $500 per person for a team/group | Awarded Annually
This award is presented to an employee or team within EABS for their exceptional contributions toward efficiency and effectiveness of operations, special efforts in promoting workforce excellence, transformational and visionary ideas in the areas that include but are not limited to process improvement, technology improvement, or collaboration that advanced the work of one or more units in a manner that may be considered ambitious by many.
The Rising Star Award:
Award: $500 | Awarded Annually
This award is presented to an employee of EABS that has been in the division five (5) years or less whose accomplishments distinguish them as possible future leaders in their career field. Their performance demonstrates innovation, professionalism, and leadership qualities; their actions represent the Virginia Tech motto “Ut Prosim”.
Wishing you the very best in this new year,
Lynsay
EABS Colleagues,
Please take time on Friday November 11th, Veterans Day, to honor the service of our Veterans. I hope on this day and every day that they fully know the depths of our gratitude. We do not have to look past our own division to find several individuals who have served in the armed services. Veterans are truly the embodiment of the Virginia Tech motto, Ut Prosim, (That I May Serve).
You will find a list of Veterans Day events taking place at Virginia Tech here. I encourage you to attend these events as you are able and to keep our veterans top of mind both today and every day.
Please join me in saying Thank You to our Veterans.
Lynsay
Enterprise Administrative and Business Services Team,
After a summer of preparing, training and hopefully rejuvenating, it is time for the HOKIE Nation to return to campus!
As we welcome a new class to our campuses, we are sure this year will be full of challenges. There are lots of exciting events planned for the Weeks of Welcome for the students, I have included a link to them below. Then as football season kicks off, we anticipate a renewed sense of excitement and an increased level of activity to our campus. For all of these things and more, I am confident that we are up to the task because we have the right team for the job.
I want you to know that what you do matters and your work has a huge impact on many. As I have gotten to watch you over this past year, I truly am in awe of the many selfless acts and above-and-beyond achievements I witness from you every day. The high degree of professionalism coupled with the humility and humanity with which you go about your work is noticed and does make a difference in the lives of our students, faculty, staff, and local communities. For all that you do, I am very grateful.
Admittedly, the rigors of what we do can be difficult at times, to say the least. I want to encourage you to find time to take care of yourself. A better you, makes us all stronger. After all, you are the driving force behind the success of Virginia Tech!
As we start a new year, I only ask that you begin each day with one question to yourself and that is, “how can I make a positive impact today?”
Go Hokies,
Lynsay
Football Schedule;
https://hokiesports.com/sports/football/schedule
Weeks of Welcome;
https://students.vt.edu/transition/welcome.html
HOKIE Wellness;
Enterprise Administrative and Business Services Team,
In June, we nationally celebrate Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) Pride Month to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan and to recognize the positive impact the LGBTQ+ community has had on the local, state, and federal levels.
This special month is recognized by the Hokie community through the Virginia Tech Principles of Community, where all forms of prejudice and discrimination, including those based on gender, gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation are rejected.
I encourage you to learn more about the ways we can continue to support our Hokie LGBTQ+ community through the LGBTQ+ Resource Center. Also during this month, University Libraries has developed a thoughtful LGBTQ+ Pride Month Collection on the second floor of Newman Library, complete with free buttons.
Lynsay