January Meeting Highlights

We kicked off 2025 with a full agenda of USAC business and speakers from People, Culture and Belonging and the Office of General Counsel.

USAC Business

In the President's Update, it was shared that the Kroger Community Rewards program supporting the Employee Critical Support Fund only has 77 households with cards linked (as of December 2024). A challenge was launched aimed at enrolling 250 households by June 30th. Please note, enrolling in this program does not impact your personal rewards.
The Staff Life Committee kicked off a new segment in their monthly report called the "Comment Corner." Each month during the Staff Life Committee report, information will be shared about what comments/concerns are coming in through the USAC Contact Form and what actions have been or will be taken.
See all the January USAC Business in the full meeting link below; or view USAC Business only here.

Guest Speakers

Matt Estes, Director, Learning Innovation & Impact, People Culture and Belonging, shared some exciting updates about learning initiatives. Click here to view his presentation; scroll down to learn about and register for upcoming learning opportunities.
Sophia Saison, Assistant Director, University Policy Office, and Paul Liebman, Chief Compliance Officer, provided information about Convergepoint, the new policy platform.
Pam Jones, Associate Vice Chancellor for Health, Wellbeing and Belonging and Courtney Vogelpohl, Senior Director Payroll and Employee Records: Rewards and Recognition platform, Kudos

Watch the Full Meeting

All are welcome! USAC Meetings are held virtually from 8:30 to 10:00 am on the third Thursday of each month. Meetings are open to staff members served by the council. Email usac@vanderbilt.edu for a zoom link.

Next meeting: February 20, 8:30-10:00 via zoom.

Upcoming Learning Opportunities

Starting February 4th, the Learning Hub will launch Tech Tuesday and Thrive Thursday. These are bi-Weekly sessions designed to build foundational knowledge and foster key professional and personal growth skills.

February 4th, 12:00 pm CST: Tech Tuesday - Kudos: The Staff Appreciation Platform. Join this session to explore essential tools and tips for using Kudos, the staff appreciation platform. Learn how to recognize and celebrate your colleagues' contributions and foster a culture of positivity and collaboration across the organization. Register here
February 6th, 12:00 CST: Thrive Thursday - The Growth Mindset: How to Embrace Challenges. This Thrive Thursday course focuses on developing the mental framework needed to see challenges as opportunities for growth. Register here
February 18th, 12:00 pm CST: Tech Tuesday - Grow Your Skills: Oracle Learning Essentials. This is a foundational session aimed at helping learners navigate the features of Oracle Learn. Register here
February 20th, 12:00 pm CST: Thrive Thursday - Building Stronger Relationships Through Active Listening. Participants will learn techniques to listen attentively, understand others' perspectives, and respond effectively, fostering deeper connections both personally and professionally. Register here

Launching February 17th:
The Vanderbilt Path Courses will provide a structured, staggered approach to professional development through web-based learning on essential growth topics.
All staff will be notified via Oracle Learning of the courses they are enrolled in. The first course in the Vanderbilt Path series will launch on February 17, with additional courses to follow throughout the year.

Version 1.0 February 17th:
SharePoint Learning Hub: A centralized space where staff can access learning resources and stay informed about new offerings. A link will be provided by the PCB Learning Hub once the page is live.

Learn more about these initiatives in this letter from Matt Estes to USAC representatives. Please contact Matt directly with any questions.

Printing Services wants to hear from you!

Printing Services oversees CampusPrint, Vanderbilt’s copier/printer multifunction device (MFD) program. As they consider future enhancements to this program, they are asking for your input to help shape the evolution of office printing, copying, and scanning on campus.

Please complete the following brief survey, which should take approximately 2-3 minutes to complete. Your feedback is essential as Printing Services considers changes or enhancements to the program.

Survey Link: https://easycode.com/vucampusprintsurvey

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 on campus, know that USAC remains committed to being a champion for staff, and our digital door is always open. We encourage you to share your feedback or experiences via usac@vanderbilt.edu or our contact form.

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