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AUGUST 2012
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Career Center's new
name, mission reflect business climate
 The Center for Student Professional
Development, formerly the Vanderbilt Career Center, is rolling out a new
mission and a new name that reflects its holistic approach to preparing
students to be resilient in these uncertain times.
Two years ago, center staff began a quest to learn how they could best
prepare students for opportunities while in school and after graduation.
After numerous conversations with faculty and staff at The Martha Rivers
Ingram Commons at Vanderbilt, the Blair School of Music, the School of
Engineering, the College of Arts and Science, the Peabody School of
education and human development, debriefs with high-profile employers,
feedback from alumni and parents, and connecting with cutting-edge peer
schools, a comprehensive strategy was developed.
The model is built on the foundation of professional development and
focused on helping students map out the knowledge and behaviors that they
will need in their professional lives. These include identifying strengths
and interests, understanding change and managing transitions,
professionalism at school and in the workplace, understanding and pursuing
opportunities, and identifying networks and leveraging personal
connections.
The center will continue its successful employer relations program that
connects students to some of the top U.S. and international employers.
"While these are great opportunities that allow students to walk
across campus to interview with Fortune 500 companies, we also want to
teach them how to be self-reliant and how to discover and secure
opportunities once they leave campus," center director Cindy Funk
says.
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Career advice abounds
at Soiree at Sarratt
If your child had an opportunity
to achieve better insight into the career path they've chosen, would you
help? If your child had an opportunity to discuss their ambitions with
experienced and knowledgeable professionals that were actively engaged in
the field they have studied so hard to pursue, would you help? If maybe by
your words of wisdom and counsel your child could find the exact position
and information they needed to achieve and succeed in their first job,
would you help?
Of course, your answer to all of these questions is: YES!
Vanderbilt offers an incomparable program for students to learn about
career fields. The Soiree
at Sarratt is a very special event held each year during
Family Weekend where parents volunteer a couple of hours to be a part of
informal panel discussions, talking about their vocation, answering
questions and offering suggestions.
I have volunteered for this unique endeavor for the last four years and am
anxiously awaiting to be a part of it again this year. I have truly enjoyed
listening to the students and answering questions that textbooks may never
cover. Hearing parents reflect upon their profession, how they chose their
careers, their first interview, advice on success and more has helped so
many of our students. Each year volunteers, and that includes me, have left
this program feeling assured that Vanderbilt has again trained our children
to be leaders for the future. If just one suggestion or significant thought
puts them on the path to success, our time with them was well-spent. This
program is the result of a partnership between the Parents and Family
Programs Office and the Center for Student Professional Development.
If you would like to be an emissary for your profession and counsel
students who will be entering into the same field you have enjoyed, please
consider volunteering for Soiree at Sarratt on Family Weekend. The event is
scheduled for 3:45 to 5:45 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 12. You can find
more information and register on the Parents and Family Program's website. I assure you that you will
receive as much gratification from the experience as the students do. I
hope to see and meet you on one of the panels.
Bruce Ross
Parent of Bryant, BA'12, and Bruce, BA'10
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Important links
Parents and Family Programs
Academic Calendar
Commodore Card
Housing and Residential Education
Athletics
Student Health Center
Student Accounts
Bookstore
Family Weekend
Upcoming campus events
Vanderbilt Farmers' Market
3–6 p.m.
Thursdays
Through
Sept. 27
Medical Center Plaza
Shop for fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, flowers, breads, dairy and meat
from local farmers
Federal Work Study Job Fair 2012
11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
Aug. 21
Student Life Center
VPB Palooza
8:30 p.m.–midnight
Aug. 24
Student Life Center
Ballroom
Welcome
to Nashville Fair
3–6 p.m.
Aug. 27
Student Life Center
Local and national businesses will provide door prizes, giveaways, coupons
and more
Vandy Fanatics Tailgate
5:30 p.m. until
kickoff
Aug. 30
Student Life Center
lawn
Cross-Cultural Celebration: Edi ul-Fitr
6:30–10 p.m.
Aug. 31
Commons Center Patio
Students of all backgrounds are invited to enjoy The Ingram Commons' first
major cross-cultural festival of the year celebrating Eid ul-Fitr, an
annual event which marks the conclusion of the Islamic holy month of
Ramadan with fine food, dance and music.
Around Nashville
Music City BBQ Festival
Aug. 24–25
Riverfront Park
Professional & amateur BBQ teams will compete for cash and prizes
including gold records and Gibson guitars. Live music. Tickets $10 to $150.
Frist Fridays
6–9 p.m.
Aug. 31
Frist Center for the
Visual Arts
Enjoy art, hors d'oeuvres and music. Free for members, $10 for nonmembers.
Treehouses: Great Works of Literature
Cheekwood Botanical
Garden and Museum of Art
May 26 through
Sept. 2
The seven whimsical treehouses in this outdoor exhibition are inspired by
famous works of literature. Admission is free for members, $12 for adults;
$5 for college students with ID and children 3–17; free for children 2 and
under.
Americana Music Festival
Sept. 12–15
Nashville Convention
Center
Seminars, panels and networking opportunities along with a stellar lineup
of musical showcases
Nashville Farmers' Market
Open every day
900 Rosa Parks Blvd.
Bicentennial State
Park Mall
Home to farmers, artisans, local business merchants and several restaurants
Country Music Hall of Fame
Open every day
9 a.m.–5 p.m.
222 Fifth Ave. S.
Current exhibits: The Bakersfield Sound Exhibit and Taylor Swift
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Important dates and
deadlines
Aug. 18
Move-In Day for first-year students
Aug. 19
Residence halls open for upperclass students at 9 a.m.
Aug. 22
First day of fall classes
Aug. 29
Last day to add/drop a course
Sept. 3
Labor Day/Classes in session
Sept. 4
Last day to drop a course with no entry on the record
Waiving student
health insurance
If you missed the Aug. 1
deadline to waive the Gallagher Koster student health insurance, it's not
too late. Vanderbilt requires that all students be covered by a health
insurance plan that is comparable to or exceeds the Gallagher Koster plan,
and students with other health insurance must waive the Gallagher Koster
plan each year. If you have other insurance and do not wish to participate
in the Gallagher Koster plan, you must complete an online form indicating your other insurance
information. If you do not complete the annual waiver, then you will remain
enrolled in the plan offered by the university and will be responsible for
paying the insurance premium.
Vanderbilt football
season opener vs. South Carolina
The Commodores begin their second year under
Head Coach James Franklin on Aug. 30 with a nationally televised home
game against the South Carolina Gamecocks. Kickoff for this important
Thursday-night game is 6 p.m.
New library exhibit
opens Sept. 7
Part creativity, part craft and all magic, great
performances take us to a place where people sing and dance in the rain,
where a young girl can entertain a king with 1,001 stories of Arabian
nights, and where animals talk. From the first story told by primitive man
to the latest cinematic feature, we draw inspiration from great
productions. The works in the new stage and screen exhibition, selected
from the Jean and Alexander Heard Library's wealth of performing arts
collections, spotlight the world's most beloved entertainers.
Elegant costumes from Emma Calvé as Carmen and revolutionary set designs by
Jo Mielziner allow viewers to look behind the scenes while letters,
photographs and playbills from the illustrious Enrico Caruso to the dapper
Fred Astaire tell the story of the performing arts in the last century. Stage & Screen
draws on artifacts from the golden ages of Hollywood and television through
the treasures of Oscar-winning director Delbert Mann, including his Oscar
for his film Marty.
Metropolitan showman Francis Robinson's photographs, playbills and
correspondence with celebrated performers from Marian Anderson and John
Barrymore and rare country music interviews with Johnny Cash and other
legends give us a glimpse into the enchanted world of music, from opera to
Opry, and the exotic realm of dance. So come with us behind the curtain. It
promises to be a show-stopper.
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August's most
frequently asked question: Family Weekend Registration
 Registration
for Family Weekend is now open online. The registration fee is $35 per
person, which includes three meals during the weekend. The fee is waived
for Vanderbilt students and children 12 and under. *Additional charges will apply for
the football game against Florida and the Athenian Sing talent show.
Football tickets for the Florida game will be available as part of the
Family Weekend online registration process. The cost will be $50 per
ticket. Vanderbilt students may get in free with their Vanderbilt ID, but
they must sit in a student-only section. If you do not wish to register for
Family Weekend, single-game football tickets will be available beginning
Sept. 1 for purchase on a first-come, first-serve basis through the athletics ticket office.
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Parent conversations
Goal-setting: Teaching
your student a basic life skill
Parents don't have to feel helpless when their
college students are overwhelmed. According to a professor at the University of Pittsburgh,
the best way to help young adults prepare for college and beyond is to
guide them in basic life skills like communication, decision-making and
interpersonal skills. Parents can help their students strengthen these
skills by walking them through a goal-setting process that will instill
self-awareness, confidence and critical thinking skills.
Define the goal.
Sit down with your student and encourage him to think about his goal. Help
him define what exactly he wants to accomplish and when. Writing down goals
will help him keep track and look back to reflect on how much he's
accomplished, and he'll also be able to recognize if any of his goals
contradict each other. For example, if he wants to work out one hour every
day and also get an off-campus job for 20 hours a week, he might not have
time for both. He should start to recognize goals in every area of his
life—academic, personal, relational, professional, spiritual and more.
Encourage your student to make SMART goals that fulfill all of the
following requirements:
- S: Specific
or significant
- M:
Measurable or meaningful
- A:
Attainable or action-oriented
- R: Relevant
or rewarding
- T:
Time-bound or trackable
Believe in the goal.
Once your student has determined what he wants to accomplish, expect him to
explain why this goal is important to him. Identify the external and
internal motivators for the goal. Are other people counting on him to
accomplish this goal? Will he get in trouble or fail to meet standards if
he doesn't reach his goal? How will reaching his goal benefit him? Is he
prepared to put in the time and energy to make this happen?
Plan the steps.
Help your student write out the steps he will take to reach his goal. Identify
things that are hindering him now and what he will need to meet his
objectives. Let your student determine the level of detail that he
identifies in these steps; if he gets stuck during the process of attaining
his goal, suggest that he break down his steps to smaller, more manageable
tasks.
 Assess progress. A
written goal has no value if it's never read. Encourage your student to use
the steps he has outlined, and periodically ask him about his progress.
Celebrate with him when he reaches his goals, and support him in adjusting
his ambitions and priorities as he learns more about himself and gains
confidence. Remember to stay an observer in this process—it's not your job
to define his goals, believe in them more than he does or take the steps to
accomplish them.
Article reprinted with
permission of University Parent Media.
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Have something to say
about what you read here? Send us an email.
Parents & Family Programs
PMB 401627 | 2301 Vanderbilt Place | Nashville, TN
37240-1627
Parent Helpline: (877) 887-2736
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