Program Values
The Public Health Program has determined that two cornerstone documents of Virginia Tech embody the values of the program. The program stands on the pillars of Virginia Tech: Virginia Tech’s Core Values and Virginia Tech’s Principles of Community. These two documents are living and breathing resources at Virginia Tech – present in classrooms and administrative offices and very much evident in the every day life on the campus.
Virginia Tech’s Core Values:
Fundamental to the creation and transmission of knowledge is a commitment to nurture and protect freedom of inquiry. Intellectual freedom is the foundation of academic excellence and is vital to sustaining environments in which sound and rigorous learning, discovery, and engagement occur.
At the center of the educational enterprise is the commitment to the exchange of ideas and information. Respect for varied points of view and the diverse backgrounds upon which they may be based is essential to the continued growth and advancement of all members of the university community.
A commitment to lifelong learning and inquiry within and outside the university community guarantees continued growth and secures for society the benefits of ever advancing knowledge.
In carrying out its mission, Virginia Tech values the educational benefits of diverse ideas, peoples, and cultures. Articulated in the Virginia Tech Principles of Community, adopted by the board of visitors in 2005, diversity enlivens the exchange of ideas, broadens scholarship, and contributes to just engagement in all the world’s communities.
Ut Prosim (That I May Serve) is Virginia Tech’s motto. This attribute distinguishes Virginia Tech from all but a few of the nation’s institutions. As a community of scholars and reflective of our land-grant mission, Virginia Tech is committed to service to individuals and society in all its forms.
Integrity demands that all members of the university community and the university itself engage in continual civil discourse and ethical behaviors that advance learning, discovery, and engagement, supported by the administration. Integrity demands maintaining standards of personal and professional behavior of the highest order.
Through benchmarking, assessment, evaluation of academic and administrative goals, and a commitment to process improvement and change, Virginia Tech will achieve greater national and international prominence.
Virginia Tech’s Principles of Community:
Virginia Tech is a public land-grant university, committed to teaching and learning, research, and outreach to the Commonwealth of Virginia, the nation, and the world community. Learning from the experiences that shape Virginia Tech as an institution, we acknowledge those aspects of our legacy that reflected bias and exclusion. Therefore, we adopt and practice the following principles as fundamental to our on-going efforts to increase access and inclusion and to create a community that nurtures learning and growth for all of its members:
We affirm the inherent dignity and value of every person and strive to maintain a climate for work and learning based on mutual respect and understanding.
We affirm the right of each person to express thoughts and opinions freely. We encourage open expression within a climate of civility, sensitivity, and mutual respect.
We affirm the value of human diversity because it enriches our lives and the University. We acknowledge and respect our differences while affirming our common humanity.
We reject all forms of prejudice and discrimination, including those based on age, color, disability, gender, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, and veteran status. We take individual and collective responsibility for helping to eliminate bias and discrimination and for increasing our own understanding of these issues through education, training, and interaction with others.
We pledge our collective commitment to these principles in the spirit of the Virginia Tech motto of Ut Prosim (That I May Serve).