Department Climate Compendium

Departmental Climate Components and Strategies

Component One: Creating a Sense of Intellectual Community

• Why Intellectual Community Matters
• What Our Survey Data Tell Us about Intellectual Community
• Points to Consider about Creating a Sense of Intellectual Community
• Virginia Tech Successful Strategies
  

Component Two: Providing a Fair and Full Evaluation

• Why Good Evaluation Practices Matter
• What Our Survey Data Tell Us about Evaluation Practices
• Guidelines for the Evaluation Process
• Virginia Tech Successful Strategies
• Supplemental Materials:
  1. P&T Good Practices
  2. Proposed Qualitative Terms For Use in Faculty Evaluation
  3. Sample Written Feedback to a Faculty Member
  4. Pre-Tenure Faculty Reviews (including reviews for part-time tenure-track faculty). Section 2.8.2 of the Faculty Handbook
  5. Faculty Annual Evaluation and Salary Adjustments. Section 2.9.1 of the Faculty Handbook
  6. Guide to Faculty Expectations and Evaluation Procedures, Department of Biological Sciences

Component Three: Providing Effective and Supportive Communication

• Why Effective and Supportive Communication Matters
• What Our Survey Data Tell Us about Departmental Communication Issues
• Points to Consider about Effective and Supportive Communication
• Virginia Tech Successful Strategies
• Supplemental Materials:
  1. Responsibilities of Mentors and Mentees
  2. Examples of Successful Mentoring Programs in Other Universities
  3. Holding Difficult Conversations:
     a. Issue Discussion Form
     b. Sixty Second Opening Statement
     c. Delivering Negative Feedback
  4. Communication Faculty Guide, Department of Communication
  5. Department of History Statement on an Inclusive and Scholarly Community
  6. Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering Values Survey

Component Four: Providing Effective Policies

• Why Having Written Departmental Policies Matters
• What Our Survey Data Tell Us about Departmental Policies and Practices
• Points to Consider about Providing Effective Policies
• Virginia Tech Departmental Policy Practice
• Virginia Tech Successful Strategies
• Supplemental Materials:
  1. Reappointment, Tenure, and Promotion Productivity Indicators, Department of Human Development
  2. Tenure and Promotion Policies and Procedures, Department of English

Component Five: Focusing on Work- Life Balance

• Why Focusing on Work/ Life Balance Matters
• What Our Survey Data Tell Us about Work/Life Issues
• Points to Consider about Providing Work/Life Policies and Practices
• Best Practices for Warming Department Climate
• Supplemental Materials:
  1. On-line Virginia Tech Resources for Departmental Heads
  2. External On-line Resources and Forms
  3. University Policies that Promote Work/Life Balance