Author
How does the Library provide scholarly resources to the Vanderbilt community?
Jan. 31, 2020—Library collection development is a complicated business involving several factors, such as price, budget, availability, and licensing. Libraries have never been able to own everything. In the 21st century, collections have evolved into a service. While they still purchase many print materials, academic libraries also concentrate on providing access to scholarly resources. At Vanderbilt University...
When is the collection of social security numbers required for human subject participation payments by Vanderbilt University?
Dec. 2, 2019—The IRS requires Vanderbilt to file form 1099-MISC (Miscellaneous Income) for each person receiving taxable payments of at least $600 during the calendar year. Guidelines for the 1099-MISC are listed at the following link: https://www.irs.gov/instructions/i1099msc. In order to satisfy our IRS reporting obligations, Vanderbilt collects the appropriate paperwork (which includes social security numbers) for human...
How does VU pay vendors and how can we all help?
Dec. 2, 2019—The following chart gives a quick overview of Vanderbilt’s purchasing and payments processes: VU faculty and staff can help this process run as smoothly and quickly as possible by double-checking the following steps: When reviewing contracts or agreements, authorized delegated signatories should always ensure that Vanderbilt’s standard “net 45 days” payment terms are listed. “Net...
An inquiry regarding child care at Vanderbilt, and specifically: Do graduate and professional students eligible for child care get some priority over staff/faculty? With the plan to expand services, will students be considered for some priority?
May. 20, 2019—Thank you for your advocacy of the critical need for child care to support the Vanderbilt community and our shared mission of research, teaching and service. Nashville is facing unprecedented growth – at the same time, the number of child care options have decreased due to the prohibitive expense of licensing and operation. As this...
Can you explain VU’s endowment returns?
May. 2, 2019—Since endowments typically don’t look at 11-year periods, I’ll start with 10 years. Over the last 10 years, Vanderbilt’s endowment has returned 4.9% per year. That ties for 301st out of the 391 endowments reporting 10-year numbers reported by NACUBO. Among the 93 endowments with over $1 billion in assets under management, it ranks 84th. Although...
How is the university responding to concerns raised by a recent Science article about an ongoing tenure review?
Mar. 6, 2019—Dear Colleagues, We are working across a variety of channels to communicate directly with those who have raised concerns about the issues referenced. We are responding to those who have raised questions, both within our community, at other universities, and beyond, and have held departmental meetings and open round table discussions, participated in conversations with...
Why do we need Multi-Factor Authentication (also knowns as “MFA”)?
Feb. 27, 2019—Higher education institutions are common targets for opportunistic and nation-state attackers because of the wide variety of personal and research data available. The most common attack vector is compromised accounts as a result of phishing campaigns. These compromised accounts can grant threat actors access to all of the data to which the account is entitled. Vanderbilt...
How does Vanderbilt regulate e-scooters on campus?
Feb. 26, 2019—Vanderbilt University embraces innovation in mobility and the new “shared urban mobility devices” (i.e. dockless electric scooters and bikes) operating in Nashville. The university is committed to providing the campus community with multiple mobility options, as well as ensuring that campus remains accessible and safe for all members. When Metro Nashville was first developing its...
What is the phone number for the VU appointment hotline? Dedicated Phone Line Gives University Health Plan Members Preferred Access to Tier 1 Providers
Feb. 13, 2019—Vanderbilt University faculty and staff (and eligible dependents) enrolled in the VU Select PPO or Choice CDHP plans now have exclusive access to the VU Appointment Hotline, which gives them preferred access to next-available appointments with Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) and other Tier 1 Vanderbilt Health Affiliated Network (VHAN) providers. Faculty and staff (and eligible dependents) looking...
When Should I Reach Out to Vanderbilt Export Compliance? Export Compliance Program Provides Faculty with Expertise
Feb. 1, 2019—Please reach out to Vanderbilt Export Compliance (VEC) for assistance if you… Hire or host foreign nationals Travel abroad for business purposes Ship items internationally Conduct research with dual use possibilities (e.g., research with applications for biological weapons) While an export can be a physical item, it is often more than shipping a box overseas....