Frequently Asked Questions
If you have a question not answered here, please contact us.
About USAC
What is USAC?
How can I join USAC?
I have feedback on a topic, a question or a comment. How can I share that with USAC?
What is the Faculty and Staff Hardship Fund?
How do I connect my Kroger Reward Card to the Faculty and Staff Hardship Fund?
Human Resources
Where can I find more information about benefits offered by Vanderbilt University?
What is Vanderbilt’s PTO policy?
Where can I find the list of the university’s paid holidays?
Where can I find the payroll calendar?
Where can I find information on Vanderbilt’s policy on parental leave?
Where can I learn more about HR’s career and compensation framework?
Where can I find information on professional development opportunities?
Miscellaneous
Does Vanderbilt offer wellbeing resources to employees?
How can I learn more about equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) at Vanderbilt?
What are my parking options on campus?
Does Vanderbilt offer any discounts on public transit?
Does Vanderbilt offer any employee discounts?
Do employees receive discounts at campus dining facilities?
What is USAC?
University Staff Advisory Council (USAC) represents you if you are a staff member in University Central and are not in a union-eligible job. We are an advisory group to administration and staff on issues, policies and practices that affect the university and those served by the council. We are more than 90 elected individuals, who in turn represent more than 3,000 full- and part-time exempt and non-exempt Vanderbilt University staff members.
How can I join USAC?
All USAC representatives are elected by fellow staff in their respective USAC groups. Elections for even-numbered groups take place in spring of even ending years, and elections for odd-numbered groups take place in spring of odd ending years (ex. Odd-numbered groups like Group 1 have elections in 2021). All staff are made aware of upcoming USAC elections via email in advance of the elections taking place. If you would like more information on elections and what it means to be a USAC member, please contact usac@vanderbilt.edu.
I have feedback on a topic, a question or a comment. How can I share that with USAC?
Use the anonymous Contact Us form on our website to submit your comments and feedback. You can also email us at usac@vanderbilt.edu.
What is the Faculty and Staff Hardship Fund?
The Faculty and Staff Hardship Fund was established in 1994 to financially assist Vanderbilt faculty and staff who are experiencing a temporary hardship due to a significant life event. An award is intended to be a major step for the employee in the return to financial stability.
The following criteria apply for each employee to be eligible to receive an award:
- This must be a temporary hardship;
- The employee must be a full-time employee;
- The employee must have been employed at Vanderbilt for at least one year; and
- The employee cannot be in a disciplinary status, such as on a progressive discipline or performance improvement plan.
The Faculty and Staff Hardship Fund Committee, composed of your peers, determines if your request matches the established criteria of the Fund. The application process is administered through Work/Life Connections-EAP.
To apply, the Vanderbilt faculty/staff member needs to schedule an appointment with a Work/Life Connections-EAP clinical counselor by calling for a confidential appointment at 615-936-1327. The clinical counselors serve as the liaison between the applicants and the Hardship Fund Committee.
Learn more about the fund and application process here.
How do I connect my Kroger Reward Card to the Faculty and Staff Hardship Fund?
The Kroger Community Rewards Program is an easy way to contribute to the Faculty and Staff Hardship Fund. Under the system, shoppers register their Kroger discount cards online and choose a favorite charity from a list of local nonprofits that Kroger has agreed to help fund. Kroger then tracks all of the card holder's purchases (excluding alcohol, tobacco and gasoline) with every dollar counting as a vote for the shopper's preferred organization. Shoppers do not sacrifice any in-store discounts or gas points that they would ordinarily earn on their Kroger card — the charitable component is a separate feature.
To register, have your Kroger Plus card handy and follow the instructions below. If you do not have a card, pick one up at the customer service desk of any Kroger.
- Go to krogercommunityrewards.com and sign in or register in the upper right corner of the page.
- Go to the Community Rewards section and enroll.
- Search for and select Vanderbilt Employee Assistance Program.
- When you are done, Vanderbilt should appear under the community rewards section of your account summary.
Remember, you must swipe your registered Kroger Plus card or use the phone number associated with your account when checking out at the store for your purchase to count.
Where can I find more information about benefits offered by Vanderbilt University?
Vanderbilt benefits are described in detail on the Human Resources website under the benefits tab. Additional information on benefits including adoption and surrogacy assistance, education assistance programs (employee tuition programs), dependent tuition assistance, and retirement benefits can be found on the Human Resources policy webpage under “Benefits.”
What is Vanderbilt’s PTO policy?
The PTO policy can be found here under “Time Off” and “PTO.”
Where can I find the list of the university’s paid holidays?
The university’s official holidays/closings schedule can be found here.
Where can I find the payroll calendar?
The payroll calendar can be found here. Information on pay dates, different methods of payment, paycheck/advice distribution and calculation can be found here.
Where can I find information on Vanderbilt’s policy on parental leave?
Vanderbilt’s parental leave policy can be found here under “Leaves of Absence” and “Parental Leave.” Additional details on parental leave benefits and examples can be found here.
Where can I learn more about HR’s career and compensation framework?
Learn more about the Career & Compensation Framework and the current status of the effort here.
Where can I find information on professional development opportunities?
The HR Employee Learning & Engagement team offers a variety of professional development, training, enrichment and engagement resources and opportunities to individuals and teams. Learn more here.
Does Vanderbilt offer wellbeing resources to employees?
Vanderbilt University is committed to creating an equitable and inclusive working environment by identifying support and services for their employees. Find support and services that relate to employees’ emotional, career, social, financial and physical wellbeing here.
How can I learn more about equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) at Vanderbilt?
Learn more about equity, diversity and inclusion here .
What are my parking options on campus?
If you drive to and park on campus, you are required to have a parking permit; violations are subject to fines and towing. Staff have several options for parking on campus including daily parking , annual permit parking , and additional options for occasional parking on campus. Sustainable commute modes like walking, biking, carpooling, vanpooling and taking public transit are encouraged.
Does Vanderbilt offer any discounts on public transit?
As part of its EasyRide program with WeGo Public Transit, Vanderbilt provides free rides on WeGo Public Transit local and regional buses and the WeGo Star commuter trains when you swipe or show your Vanderbilt ID card. All full-time and part-time Vanderbilt staff, postdocs, faculty and students (undergraduate, graduate and professional) are covered by the program.
Does Vanderbilt offer any employee discounts?
Vanderbilt University has partnered with Abenity Perks on a new employee discount program called Vanderbilt University Employee Perks. Learn more and register for the program here. You can still enjoy the existing employee discounts from the HR webpage, now located under the new “Vanderbilt Exclusives” tab on this new platform.
Do employees receive discounts at campus dining facilities?
Faculty, staff and graduate and professional students are not required to purchase a meal plan, but are offered a discounted rate for bundles of 10 meals and are good at open Vanderbilt Campus Dining locations. Those who wish to purchase a meal plan can do so with a credit card here. Historically, Vanderbilt Campus Dining has offered Vanderbilt University faculty and staff members a limited-time discount on meal plans once or twice per year, which is advertised in MyVU.