Faculty and Staff Resources
| Funding Stream | How to Apply | Application Dates* | Contact Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provost's Immersion Vanderbilt Faculty Grant | Apply for the Provost’s Immersion Vanderbilt Faculty Grant | Closes: Dec 3 | Email Assistant Provost Amy Johnson |
| College of Arts and Science Immersion Grant | Apply for the A&S Immersion Grant | Opens: Applications accepted on rolling basis | Email Assistant Dean Angela Sutton |
| Vanderbilt Undergraduate Summer Research Program | Apply for the Vanderbilt Undergraduate Research Program | Opens: Oct Closes: Jan/Feb | Email The Office of Experiential Learning and Immersion Vanderbilt |
Faculty and staff participate in Immersion Vanderbilt in several ways:
- Serve as instructors in tagged classes
- Teach in majors, minors, and programs pre-approved for Immersion Vanderbilt
- Offer non-credit bearing opportunities for individuals and cohorts
- Mentor students who design independent experiences and culminating projects
As an Immersion Vanderbilt mentor, you help students pursue their passions, identify short and long-term goals, reflect on their academic and personal growth, and apply their learning to new situations. You determine how much time to devote to mentoring, the length of the experience, and when the culminating project is complete.
Faculty or staff oversee immersive experiences. All research experiences must be mentored by a Vanderbilt faculty member, whether the research is done on campus or elsewhere. Only full-time Vanderbilt University employees with a faculty appointment can supervise culminating projects.
Contact the Office of Experiential Learning and Immersion Vanderbilt if you would like more information at experiential.learning@vanderbilt.edu.
Immersion Vanderbilt consists of two parts: immersive experience(s) and culminating project.
Students can complete Immersion Vanderbilt through their coursework, approved majors, minors, and programs, as part of a non-credit bearing learning opportunity, and by independent design.
As of February 2, 2024:
- Curricular Experiences- Any student enrolled in a pre-approved major/minor/program that satisfies Immersion Vanderbilt or who passes a class tagged as “experiential” will automatically complete the immersive experience component of Immersion Vanderbilt. These students do not need to complete the Immersive Experience Declaration form. No action is necessary by the instructor.
- Cohorted Experiences (ie. Curb Scholars Program, Buchanan Library Fellows, Provost Immersion Cohorts, etc.) – Faculty or staff leading a cohort will be asked to complete a short Cohort Information Form. Students in a cohort for which a Cohort information form has been submitted do not need to complete the Immersive Experience Declaration form.
- Independent Experiences (ie. specifically designed for that student) – These students are required to complete the current Immersive Experience Declaration form.
- The Experience Self-Reflection form is no longer required except for students who receive certain funds through EL&IV. The Immersion team will invite students to share meaningful reflections that can be used to communicate gratitude to donors and for marketing and promotion.
- Students enrolled in a pre-approved major/minor/program that satisfies Immersion Vanderbilt do not have to complete the Project Plan Proposal
- Every student must submit a Project Submission form to complete their Immersion Vanderbilt requirement. Faculty advisers mark the project as complete. The title of the project and the experiential pathway appear on the student's transcript shortly thereafter.
Tag your class in YES to highlight opportunities to complete Immersion Vanderbilt that are built into the curriculum. Read more about class tagging and access additional resources by visiting the Instruction Guide.
Submit an Opportunity Proposal to the Opportunities Database on the Immersion Portal. Posted opportunities are great ways to offer students immersive experiences and culminating project opportunities, such as research, internships, service opportunities, and project ideas. Contact the Office of Experiential Learning and Immersion Vanderbilt with questions or ideas at experiential.learning@vanderbilt.edu.
The Immersion Portal includes a variety of resources offered to support Immersion Vanderbilt. Please log into the Immersion Portal using your Vanderbilt University VUNetID and password.
*Faculty and Staff may need to complete the FERPA tutorial and quiz or request access to the view the Immersion portal.
Direct questions or comments to experiential.learning@vanderbilt.edu.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Immersion portal is the platform students use to submit forms that track their progress through Immersion Vanderbilt. In addition to accessing the required forms, students can schedule an advising appointment with the Office of Experiential Learning & Immersion Vanderbilt (EL&IV), view tutorials, and so much more.
Also included in the Immersion portal is the Opportunities Database, which students can use to search and browse available experiential and capstone opportunities for Immersion Vanderbilt. The opportunities are searchable based on type, location, and keyword.
Access to the Immersion portal is not limited to students; faculty and staff also have access to the host of resources available through the platform.
Any full-time Vanderbilt University employee with a faculty appointment can mentor an Immersive Experience and serve as a student's adviser on the culminating project.
Full-time staff who meet the eligibility requirements may mentor any Immersive Experience except for undergraduate research.
Questions and ideas can be directed to experiential.learning@vanderbilt.edu.
Use the Opportunity Proposal to add Immersive Experiences and options for final Culminating Projects. Posted opportunities are effective means to help students connect with mentors and advisers like you who are available to guide them through their Immersion Vanderbilt journey. Examples include undergraduate research, internships, and ongoing, faculty-led projects.
Questions or ideas can be directed to experiential.learning@vanderbilt.edu.
Beginning in the Fall of 2023, you may find this information in four easy steps:
- Log into Brightspace and select the appropriate semester (starting Fall 2023)
- Select Immersive Experiences or Culminating Projects for the appropriate semester (Fall 2023 and later).
- Choose “Classlist” along the top bar to see your list of student(s).
- Go to “Activities & Assessment” or “Class Progress” on the top bar if you would like to track their progress.
For additional assistance email experiential.learning@vanderbilt.edu
The duration of immersive experiences may vary based on the goals, type of experience, or standards set by the department, school, or college.
Mentors determine the length and communicate their expectations directly to their student(s).
As a general guideline, immersive experiences last a semester or more, Maymester, or Summer term. Shorter experiences like embedded travel typically include some preparation and post-event activities.
If you have questions about pedagogy or would like more information, contact the Center for Teaching, Dr. Amy Johnson (amy.m.johnson@vanderbilt.edu), or EL&IV experiential.learning@vanderbilt.edu.
We welcome the opportunity to speak with you:
Visit our office in Suite 109 of the Student Life Center or email experiential.learning@vanderbilt.edu with questions or requests.
Contact a member of the faculty steering committee.