Greetings from the University Staff Advisory Council!

August Meeting Highlights

  • USAC was joined by Professor Jules White, Associate Dean for Strategic Learning in the School of Engineering and the leader of the newly announced Future of Learning and Generative AI Initiative.  Prof. White presented on the emergence and importance of ChatGPT and provided strategies on leveraging this technology for use in daily life and in the workplace.  His Coursera course on Prompt Engineering for ChatGPT has been completed by nearly 100,000 people in its first weeks of availability.  Vanderbilt staff are able to enroll and earn the course certificate for free using their VU email address. Learn more about the course here.

  • Caitlyn Perry and Captain Patrick Conwell discussed VU Public Safety's
    Emergency Preparedness Resources and ways that all university staff can be as prepared as possible should an emergency arise on campus. Action items we can all take now include ensuring that you are signed up for AlertVU, downloading the VandySafe smartphone app, and saving VUPD's emergency line (615-421-1911) in your contact list.

  • Cleo Rucker, Chief Human Resources Officer, provided an update on the accomplishments and priorities of Human Resources for the year ahead.

  • Krystal Clark, Director of Employee Learning and Engagement, discussed the Staff mentoring program, which will soon relaunch for the fall semester.  Pay attention to MyVU for more information about how to participate as a mentor or mentee (or both)!
Watch the Full Meeting

 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.
Read more about the fund and how to contribute here

Important Update on 25th Ave. Garage
  • Major construction in the area will take place through the end of 2024. The purpose of this construction is to expand various utilities for future campus needs envisioned with the FutureVU Plan. Unfortunately, this will cause disruption to traffic and restrict access for extended periods of time.
  • University faculty and staff can park in other parking lots across campus with a valid annual parking permit. Those lots may be easier to access during this time. The Transportation & Mobility office can be reached for additional assistance in identifying these locations.
  • There are several ways within the 25th Ave. garage to switch between parking areas of the University and Medical Center, which can help with entry and exit.
  • University Public Safety staff, Med Center transportation staff, and the construction contractors monitor the traffic during peak times. They have worked with NDOT to adjust signal timings in the area. Additionally, personnel are directing traffic at key intersections to safely, continuously move traffic and pedestrians during peak times.
Meet a Member:
Alana Gilmore
Executive Assistant, Office of the Vice Provost for Research and Innovation

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

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
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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.
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