September Meeting Highlights
The September meeting marked the first in the new monthly meeting cadence on the third Thursday of the month. The packed agenda kicked off with USAC Business with updates from the President as well as co-chairs from the six standing committees. We were then joined by three guest speakers:
Pam Jones, Associate Vice Chancellor for Health, Wellbeing and Belonging, joined us to share information about a new initiative – Share Your Experience: Benefits at VU. VU has partnered with Fidelity to better understand each unique perspective and identity – areas where PCB can improve to create a more equitable benefits experience. Join a confidential group session to share feedback on VU benefits and how they can best meet your unique needs.
Paul Liebman, Chief Compliance Officer, Office of the General Counsel, University Compliance Services, provided an overview of the compliance office at Vanderbilt and, in particular, how to report suspected illegal, unethical or concerning behavior – including how to use the anonymous hotline.
Melissa Gresalfi, dean of residential colleges and residential education and dean of The Martha Rivers Ingram Commons, spoke about VU’s residential colleges and residential education, the student experience, what makes the Commons experience special.
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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. 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 third Thursday of each month and are always open to staff members served by the council. Email usac@vanderbilt.edu for a Zoom link.
Next meeting: Thursday, October 17th. Following USAC business, we will hear from members of the Dialogue Vanderbilt team on current initiatives and ways to engage staff in their events and programming. Additionally, the People Experience Center of Expertise will review Open Enrollment, which begins on October 21, 2024.
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What USAC group are you in? Who are your USAC representatives?
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The university has transitioned from using physical Commodore Cards to the “QuickTicket by WeGo” app. Full and part-time faculty, staff and students can ride WeGo's buses and trains for free. Read more in the recent MyVU article.
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The Unity Lab actively recruiting staff, faculty and students for the fall 2024 cohort.
The goal of the Unity Lab is to help individuals develop the intercultural competence necessary to engage and to seek understanding, rather than to retreat when faced with discord and difference. On a grand scale, The Unity Lab seeks to decrease disunity. Practically, they seek to help participants develop intercultural competence, with the additional intended outcomes of:
- Enabling constructive relationship-building conversation;
- Reducing the identity “battle fatigue” experienced by historically marginalized individuals;
- Encouraging members of institutionally dominant identity groups to engage without fear of being labeled as prejudiced (e.g., racist, sexist, transphobic);
- Increasing empathy among individuals when responding to comments divergent from their own reasoning and thought.
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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.
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Grow Your Career
Interested in seeing what opportunities are available across campus? Looking for a new role? Visit the Vanderbilt job board!
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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!
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Vanderbilt University is committed to principles of equal opportunity and affirmative action.
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