Mission Summary
The mission of the Department of Entomology at Virginia Tech is to provide professional expertise concerning arthropods to the Commonwealth, the nation, and the world. This includes teaching and advising undergraduates, teaching and training graduate students, conducting basic and applied research on arthropods and disseminating the results, making information about management of arthropods and the usefulness of beneficial arthropods available to clientele and the public, developing management strategies for arthropod pests in Virginia, fostering development of entomological expertise at the international level, and contributing to debate on pertinent University, State, or National issues.
We approached this review as a planning exercise, emphasizing the future. The plan focuses on four areas of emphasis: Teaching, IPM, Environment/Pesticides, and Information Technology. For each area, we developed a review document, and we've organized this website, an evolving snapshot of our department, based on those four areas.
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External Factors,
Accomplishments,
Strengths
Areas of Emphasis
Our teaching program involves instruction at both the undergraduate and graduate level. The undergraduate courses are directed at basic and applied entomology and serve the needs of students in many disciplines. The department does not offer an undergraduate degree, but provides service courses, a University core curriculum course, courses for the Agricultural Technology Program, and an undergraduate concentration (i.e.; minor). Entomology faculty also teach courses in Biology, Forestry, and Agricultural Life Sciences.
The graduate program trains students seeking masters and doctoral degrees. Formal courses are offered in several areas to help students meet the core course requirements for their degrees. Students may also take advantage of experiential learning opportunities or participate in the Molecular Cell Biology Program. In addition students must satisfy research requirements for the degree and prepare a written thesis or dissertation. A non-thesis M.S. degree is available for students seeking a terminal degree.
Both agriculture and urban issues in Virginia provide pest management challenges and require a strong effort in IPM. Excellence in IPM research and extension has long been a major strength and area of commitment in the Department of Entomology at Virginia Tech. An overarching goal of our IPM emphasis has been to develop programs which reduce unnecessary insecticide applications in agriculture, forest, and urban pest systems. Our department is addressing the major pest issues across Virginia as evidenced by the broad diversity and scope of the IPM research and extension programs being conducted by our faculty.
IT, defined as information integration and transfer using networked computers, is a cognitive tool that has expanded people's notions of what is possible. IT has perfused our society faster than any technology in history, and its influence on education has already been significant. In Entomology, from how we teach our courses, to how we do research and interact with clients, IT is extending our capabilities and transforming how we work. The department is actively integrating IT into our curriculum and is an innovator in the use of IT in extension, research, and teaching programs.
The environment/pesticides research effort in the Department of Entomology
at Virginia Tech is a continuum of activities, from the very basic to the
applied. The overriding philosophy of our efforts are to enhance human
health and social sustainability through our research projects on the
environment and pesticides. Although much of the emphasis of the
environment/pesticide group pertains to problems located in the
mid-Atlantic area, faculty in the group are collaborating with a broad
range of individuals and organizations to address environmental and
pesticide-related problems with national and international impact.
Review Team Resourses
Departmental Information
- Departmental Resources
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Lists of faculty, staff, and students, our courses and resources or services. Also includes a link to the graduate student handbook.
- Outcomes Assessment Report, 2000
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Conducted every five years, the Outcomes Assessment reviews our Department's graduate programs. This year's report is based on surveys and comments from former students and their employers.
- Post-Tenure Review Document
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This describes the expectations of all tenured faculty, listing minimum standards of professional performance
that were developed internally based on our department's mission.
- Peer Review Guidelines for Teaching
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All formal courses and all instructors in the department are reviewed by their peers based on the guidelines set forth here.
The peer review of teaching is required as part of the promotion and tenure process, as well.
- Peer Review Guidelines for Extension Programs
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Developed to serve the same purpose for extension programs that the Peer Teaching Evaluation serves for
teaching faculty: to provide constructive criticism of a faculty member's program based on a peer evaluation.
Related Planning Documents
- VT &
Virginia State's Agricultural Research and Extension Plan
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Submitted to CRREES 15 July 1999, the plan has five goals relating to:
- Developing a globally competitive agricultural production system
- Providing a safe and secure food and fiber system
- Achieving a healthier, more well nourished population
- Promoting harmony between agricultural production and environmental quality
- Enhancing economic opportunity and quality of life among families and communities
Each goal has a set of objectives and measures.
- VCE's Planning & Reporting
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Virginia Cooperative Extenstion's planning and reporting system framework is explained in this summary.
- The Plan to Serve Virginia Agriculture, Human, and Natural Resources
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The "Plan to Serve..." is a focal point of the College's interactions with its clients and
stakeholders. It is a key part of lobbying efforts and is used internally to prioritize allocation
of resources, expecially faculty and staff positions.
- University Cross-Cutting Initiatives
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Part of the strategic plan for the university, these cross-cutting initiatives have been developed by faculty
teams working with the Provost's office. They represent initiatives that cut across all strategic
directions identified in the University's Academic Agenda
- The University Plan 1996-2001
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The foundation for all strategic planning efforts at Virginia Tech. Also see the
Provost's Strategic Planning site.
- The University's Self-Study 1998
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Part of the recertification process, the self-study focused on information technologies and their role
in transforming Virginia Tech.
Other Information
- University Governance
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Intranet site for the Faculty and Staff Senates, information on the Constitution and Bylaws, and
current events in the University Council.
- SCHEV
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The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia is the commonwealth's coordinating board for higher
education. They set standards and collect statistics on all higher education degree programs.
