Greetings from the University Staff Advisory Council!

September Meeting Highlights

USAC was joined by Professor Andrea Capizzi, who serves as the Chair of the Faculty Senate. Prof. Capizzi presented an overview of the structure of the Faculty Senate and discussed its objectives for the coming year. The work and objectives of the Faculty Senate and USAC often align and there is a lot of room for collaboration between the two groups and our respective committees in the months and years ahead.
Dylan Platz, Principal IT Consultant with the Office of Continuous Improvement, presented on maximizing the use of the Microsoft Teams tool. USAC is transitioning to Microsoft Teams as our main communication and organizational tool for the Committee. Dylan's presentation was a wonderful overview and would benefit anyone who is looking to grow their knowledge of the platform.

Employee Critical Support Fund

The Employee Critical Support fund provides assistance to qualifying faculty and staff who are experiencing a temporary hardship due to a significant life event. This is a valuable offering that provides employees peace of mind during times of uncertainty and demonstrates the power and values of the Vanderbilt community.

Employees are encouraged to contribute to the fund in whatever ways you can through direct one-time gifts, through payroll deduction, or through
the Kroger Community Rewards Program.

USAC at Fall Staff Assembly

The Fall Staff Assembly will be held Thursday, September 21 beginning at 3:30. All staff members are encouraged to attend either in-person or virtually to hear from Chancellor Diermeier and to celebrate staff colleagues who are being honored with one of the Fall Staff Awards. USAC representatives will be identifiable via nametags at the reception that follows the assembly - seek one or multiple of us out to learn more about USAC, to discuss issues that impact your work life, or to simply meet colleagues from across campus!

The Nashville Children’s Theatre will present the world premiere of Strong Inside, a stage adaptation of Andrew Maraniss’ acclaimed biography of SEC basketball and civil rights pioneer Perry Wallace, Sept. 7–26 in a unique collaboration with Vanderbilt University.

The Vanderbilt community can receive a 50% discount for the Sept. 9, Sept. 23 and Sept. 24 performances while tickets are available.

This production is supported by a V150 Sesquicentennial Grant; read more about this play and opportunity in the recent MyVU article.

Meet a Member:

Madeline Long

Research Specialist, Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery

"I was inspired by the parental leave proposal in 2022 by the Staff Life committee to join USAC and now I get to participate in these conversations!"

For Madeline's full feature and to connect with USAC representatives from around the university, visit our Blog.

Grow Your Career

Interested in seeing what opportunities are available across campus? Looking for a new role? Visit the Vanderbilt job board!

Vanderbilt Job Board

Share your event!

Do you have an event, activity, or resource relevant to university staff that would benefit from promotion via the USAC social media channels (Instagram, Twitter and Facebook)? Let us know!

Submit Your Info

Whether you are working from home or are back on campus, know that USAC remains committed to being a champion for staff, and our digital door is always open. Do not hesitate to share your feedback or experiences via usac@vanderbilt.edu or via our contact form.

All are welcome! USAC Meetings are held virtually from 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on the second Tuesday of each month and are always open to staff members served by the council. Email usac@vanderbilt.edu for a Zoom link.

Vanderbilt University is committed to principles of equal opportunity and affirmative action.