SEPTEMBER 2012

Student offers and services

Hugs from Home care packages are popular with parents and students alike. You can send a personal message of support during busy, stressful times like finals, or just for fun at different holidays. Each package is filled with nourishing snacks and treats. Packages are available to celebrate back to school, Halloween, Valentine's Day and fall and spring finals.

You can purchase each Hug from Home individually, or you can pay only once and save with our yearlong plan.

Reserve your student's Hugs from Home online today.

Guy Brown's partnership with OfficeMax® entitles Vanderbilt employees, students and alumni to discounts at any OfficeMax® retail location. They'll receive 10 percent off most office supplies, furniture, ink and toner and OfficeMax ImPress® services, as well as 5 percent off most technology items. The Customer Perks cards can also be used for personal purchases. Set up your student's personal Customer Perks card today and start saving.

Dry cleaning and bundled laundry service is available on campus through University Laundry. Learn more about this convenient service.

Mailing items to students

When shipping letters or packages to your students, use the following format:

Student name
PMB 35XXXX
2301 Vanderbilt Place
Nashville, TN 37235-XXXX
(XXXX = your student's assigned four-digit PMB number)

Remember—students keep the same PMB number for all four years at Vanderbilt.

Important links

Parents and Family Programs

Academic Calendar

Commodore Card

Housing and Residential Education

Athletics

Student Health Center

Student Accounts

Bookstore

Summer sessions

Family Weekend

Upcoming campus events

Kyle Abraham / Abraham.In.Motion
Live! The Realest MC
Friday, September 21
7:30 p.m.
Ingram Hall
Great Performances

"Empowering Women around the World"
Monday, September 24
7 p.m.
Langford Auditorium
The Sixth Annual Lawson Lecture featuring co-author of Half the Sky, Sheryl WuDunn.

Carnival Night
Friday, September 28
7–11 p.m.
Student Life Center
The VenUe Committee

Nashville Jazz Orchestra: Dancing the Night Away
Friday, October 5
8 p.m.
Ingram Hall, Blair School of Music
Nashville Jazz Orchestra and Dance Theater of Tennessee celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month with local entertainer Lalo Davila.
Learn more

Breaking the Silence—Music in Afghanistan
Monday, October 8
7:30 p.m.
Sarratt Cinema
Movie viewing presented by Gregory Barz, professor of ethnomusicology and faculty head of North House. View the movie trailer. Part of the International Lens series.

La Excelencia
Friday, October 12
8 p.m.
Ingram Hall
Great Performances

Around Nashville

Live on the Green
Sept. 20 and 27, Oct. 4 and 11
6 p.m.
Public Square Park
Free live music in downtown Nashville featuring Roots of a Rebellion, Missing Cats and the North Mississippi Allstars. Other popular bands are being added—keep up with the latest news.

Southern Ground Music and Food Festival
September 21–22
3 p.m.
Riverfront Park
Zac Brown Band will be performing both nights and additional artists will be announced soon.
Learn more

TACA Fall Craft Fair
September 28–30
Various times
Centennial Park
More than 160 artists will offer stained glass, sculpture, pottery and jewelry. No charge.
Learn more

6th Annual Cumberland River Dragon Boat Festival
September 29
9 a.m.–4 p.m.
Riverfront Park
Boats of 22 compete—learn more.

Germantown Street Festival/Oktoberfest
October 13
Learn more

Parent volunteers still needed for career networking event during Family Weekend!

The Vanderbilt Center for Student Professional Development (formerly the Vanderbilt Career Center), in partnership with Parents and Family Programs, is organizing the fourth annual Soiree at Sarratt—a parent-student networking event during Family Weekend. The event is scheduled for 3:45–5:45 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 12. Parents will serve on panels and briefly share their job-hunting experiences. Students will have the opportunity to ask questions and network with panelists.

Please register if you're interested in serving on the parent panel. Students who wish to participate may register with the Center for Student Professional Development.

Important dates and deadlines

Oct. 4–5
Mini fall break for undergraduate students (residence halls remain open)

Oct. 12–14
Family Weekend

Oct. 15
Spring 2013 class schedule is available in YES

Oct. 19
Last day an undergraduate may withdraw from a fall semester class; last day to change from pass/fail to graded status for a fall semester class

Oct. 25–27
Homecoming/Reunion Weekend

Career Corner: Seniors See Center As Key Resource

During an uncertain job market, seniors recently graduating from Vanderbilt indicated that the Center for Student Professional Development, formerly Vanderbilt Career Center, was a key resource in helping them transition to life after Vanderbilt.

• 78 percent of the School of Engineering graduating seniors with job offers received an offer from employers recruiting through the center. (Domestic graduates only, excluding military commissions.)¹
• 52 percent of graduating seniors indicated the center played the most significant role in helping them obtain full-time opportunities, while online job postings played the least substantial role (4.6 percent compared to 17.9 percent in 2011).²
• 70.2 percent of seniors taking the survey indicated satisfaction with the center, which is up from 53 percent just four years ago.

Please visit the center website for more information.

¹ Vanderbilt School of Engineering Class of 2012 Placement Report.
² Vanderbilt Institutional Research Group 2012 Graduating Student Survey.

September's most frequently asked question: travelling to and from the airport

• Free Vanderbilt Student Government shuttles—airport transportation for Thanksgiving break and spring break only
• InShuttle—serves Vanderbilt campus and hotels, one way is $14
• Gray Line Airport Express—serves downtown and West End Avenue, one way is $14
• Taxi—one way is approximately $25

Family Weekend 2012: Friday, October 12–Sunday, October 14

We hope you will be able to join us during Family Weekend. The days are filled with events created with Vanderbilt parents, grandparents and siblings in mind. We encourage all new and returning parents to join us for this most exciting and entertaining weekend.

Register for Family Weekend and review a complete schedule online. Online registration will be available until October 9. On-site registration will also be available on campus October 12 and 13. A late fee will apply.

Parent conversations
What to expect at Family Weekend, October 12–14

With Move-in Day well behind us and the semester underway, next up on parents' calendars is Family Weekend and it's never too early to start planning. Follow these tips to be prepared and enjoy the weekend:

Get reservations early: Local hotels fill up quickly for Family Weekend. As soon as you know the dates, make your travel arrangements. Buy tickets early to games, theater productions or other ticketed events.

Pack appropriately: Check the weather and pack accordingly. Be prepared to walk a lot, dress for hot or cold weather and bring your student anything left at home.

Catch a glimpse: Be enthusiastic to see a slice of your student's life at college. Participate in open houses, faculty lectures and special campus tours. Eat campus food, meet your student's friends and get to know other parents as well.

Delve into university resources: Now that your student has the basics of college figured out—dorm life, roommates, registering for classes, etc.—check out what resources the college has to offer. Study abroad programs, career preparation, sororities and fraternities may be options to discuss with your student during Family Weekend.

Go shopping: Especially if this is your first time seeing your student since he/she moved to school, expect a few trips to stock up on food, dorm necessities or even clothes for the coming season.

Meet with administration: If you have specific questions about finances, scholarships or academic advising, make an appointment before Family Weekend. While there will likely be faculty and administrators present throughout the weekend, they won't be available to sit down and talk with all parents who have questions.

Consider the family: Some universities have weekends for full families, including activities for young siblings. Others have activities appropriate only for college-aged students and older. Check the agenda to make sure it's a good idea to bring the whole family.

Get out in the community: One of the perks for college students whose parents visit is a break from campus food. Take your student out to dinner and explore the restaurants in the area. If your student is considering living off-campus next year, take time to check out nearby apartments and rental costs.

Plan for maintenance: Students who are a few months into living independently still need a little help from mom and dad. Allow for time to take care of things that might not be on your student's radar, like getting an oil change or haircut—unless your son is purposefully going for the unkempt look, of course—or even washing towels and sheets.

Article reprinted with permission of University Parent Media.

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Parents & Family Programs
PMB 401627  |  2301 Vanderbilt Place  |  Nashville, TN 37240-1627
Parent Helpline: (877) 887-2736