Greetings from the University Staff Advisory Council!

November Meeting Highlights

USAC was joined by James Moore, University Landscape Architect, who discussed the various construction projects taking place around campus. James highlighted completed projects, gave status updates and showed renderings of ongoing projects, and gave a high level overview of future projects that will continue our campus' transformation. As always, all construction projects are guided by our Future VU principles, including sustainability and walkability.
Sam Sliman, President of Vanderbilt Student Government (VSG), joined us (in the midst of finals!) to describe the work and structure of the organization and to discuss VSG's current and future initiatives. Sam ran for VSG President on the platform of transforming the organization and has initiated key changes to bring about transparency, to reduce internal spending, and to maximize student impact.

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, payroll deduction, or
the Kroger Community Rewards Program.

In celebration of Vanderbilt's Sesquicentennial, the University has created a commemorative V150 coffee table book authored by New York Times bestselling author (and USAC representative) Andrew Maraniss. The book, titled "Vanderbilt Sesquicentennial - Celebrating 150 Years," combines hundreds of photographs, documents, maps and artifacts to bring the story of Vanderbilt to life.

There was a reservation form emailed out to staff & faculty earlier in November and a reminder sent last Friday; if you completed that form, your copy is reserved. However, if you’d like a copy and did not complete the form, there will be extra available on a first-come, first-served basis!

You can pick up your copy on the 2nd floor of the Vanderbilt Bookstore (2501 West End Ave., Nashville, TN) during the following windows of time:

Friday, December 15: 8:30 a.m.-7 p.m.
Monday, December 18: 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

The university is also hosting a conversation between author Andrew Maraniss and university archivist Kathy Smith about Vanderbilt history from 2-3 p.m. on Monday, December 18 as part of our distribution.

Bring your Commodore ID for pickup!

USAC Tip of the Month is a program designed to highlight the services and resources available to university staff members.
Starting in January, USAC will release a monthly TOTM covering a variety of topics, including training, sustainability, transportation, health and wellness, and more.

Meet a Member:

Andrew Maraniss

Director of Special Projects, Vanderbilt Athletics

"Vanderbilt has become my home and it is the place where I feel most happy and comfortable. The campus is beautiful, the people are interesting and diverse, and this is a university that stands for the right things. I’m proud to be associated with this school."

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

Join relief efforts for Tennessee tornado victims

As mentioned in yesterday's MyVU, members of the Vanderbilt community who want to support relief efforts in Nashville and surrounding counties are encouraged to work through organizations engaged with Nashville VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster). Please consider volunteering, donating supplies, or offering financial assistance.

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 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.