University Writing Program Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement

Virginia Tech’s University Writing Program prioritizes and advocates for diversity, equity, and inclusion in all areas, including matters of personnel, curriculum, and professional development programming. In addition to honoring the program’s primary responsibility for providing vibrant writing instruction and support for all Virginia Tech first-year students, the program concomitantly affirms a collective stance against discrimination on the basis of race, gender or gender expression, sexual orientation, religion, immigration status, nationality, ethnicity, ability, socioeconomic status, age, or body type. Given the program’s charge for helping all students to develop skills in writing and research, we also reject discrimination on the basis of language usage. We recognize and respect that all university spaces and writing classrooms are multilingual spaces and thus affirm the value of linguistic diversity in our students, across campus, within our communities, and throughout the Commonwealth. We believe that efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in and beyond the University are ongoing projects, and as such, we are committed to working continuously to promote inclusive and accessible instruction in rhetoric and writing.

Approved unanimously (8-0) by the Composition Program Committee on Monday, March 29, 2021.

Contact writing -AT- vt.edu if you have questions or wish to discuss this statement. The University Writing Program encourages the re-use and/or adaptation of this language by other programs, departments, and academic units.