Our Values
The AOGP is guided by the following values:
Collaboration
Formation of meaningful collaborative partnerships is a top priority. Within our organization and beyond, we are committed to a spirit of lively fellowship and partnership with the central intention of creating brighter futures for the learning environment at Virginia Tech. It is through meaningful engagement with others that we are able to do our best work.
Empowerment
We believe in empowering the greater learning community of Virginia Tech to enact pedagogy rooted in student-centered learning, student and instructor joy, and the Virginia Tech Principles of Community. It is our vision that the process of teaching and learning should be a representative extension of the complex intersectional identities that students and instructors bring into the classroom, and celebratory of the strengths of that diverse makeup. So too, we hope to empower and celebrate instructors in non-traditional classroom environments, including laboratory and research spaces and asynchronous spaces.
Excellence
We strive to be the best we can be as teachers and learners, both for our students and ourselves. We celebrate continued education, mentorship, and curiosity to continuously evolve our practice. We seek to honor the work of graduate students that goes above and beyond standard expectation and convention, and recognize those who are outstanding in their pedagogical disciplines.
Inclusion
We recognize the complex intersectional contexts present in the classroom and the greater university, and are committed to centering justice-forward, equity-based teaching and learning in both our individual and community work. In our outlook, inclusion is not a facet or extension, and is rather a centric, essential foundation for excellent pedagogy. We seek to honor our diverse community in the classroom and beyond, and courageously advocate for continued systematic change to improve the experiences of all.
Innovation
It is our belief that teaching and learning are a continuously evolving set of skills and practices, and thus, we intend to continuously aim to raise the standards of pedagogy at Virginia Tech. It is our goal to exceed existing expectations to improve student engagement, curiosity, and learning in the classroom and beyond. We seek to position ourselves at the forefront of creative, innovative pedagogical thinking within the greater community of Virginia Tech.