The Commission on Equal Opportunity and Diversity arises from extensive work conducted over the past two years by the Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action committee and the Advisory Council on Diversity and Multicultural Affairs. The faculty, staff, and student members of both of these advisory committees believe that a Commission on Equal Opportunity and Diversity would further advance the institutional goals outlined in the VT Strategic Plan and the University Diversity Plan by elevating the priorities of diversity and equal opportunity to the University's policy levels.

Diversity and Community are significant components of each of the four domains of the University's Strategic Plan: Research and Scholarship, Graduate Education, Undergraduate Education, and Outreach. The proposed Commission on Equal Opportunity and Diversity will support the University's efforts to achieve these stated goals.

Virginia Tech is aiming high. The nation's top research universities have long understood and benefited from the intellectual talent and promise of individuals from widely varying backgrounds from the U.S. and abroad. This is an aspect of excellence that Virginia Tech must emulate in order to compete nationally and internationally with our highly regarded peers. The research
evidence demonstrates that the intellectual environment is deeply

enriched by the contributions of individuals from many cultures and with widely varying perspectives and experiences. Continued expansion of our efforts to identify, attract, and retain highly qualified faculty, staff, and students will only enhance the intellectual vitality of Virginia Tech and strengthen our attraction to corporate and government partners.

The CEOD is charged to study, formulate, and recommend to University Council policies and procedures as they relate to the university’s responsibilities for equal opportunity, affirmative action, accessibility, and compliance; diversity planning and evaluation; diversity training and education; assessment of institutional climate; and similar matters of equity and diversity that affect the university.