In response to student and faculty feedback, the Office of the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs has redesigned the forms students use to submit their plans to fulfill the Immersion Vanderbilt degree requirement. This change applies for the Class of 2024 and classes beyond. The new process will make it easier for students and faculty to navigate immersive experiences and final projects.
How it works
Proceeding through the four phases of Immersion Vanderbilt—experience, reflect, ideate and create—students will reflect on their learning on each of the four corresponding milestone forms.
For current sophomores, the first step will be the Experience Declaration Form.
- The new form is focused on the immersive experience alone; you do not need to provide detail about your final project.
- You will be asked to identify an immersion mentor for your experience; this can be your Office of Immersion Resources adviser or another VU faculty or staff member who is directly overseeing your experience. This adviser does not need to be the same person that will eventually be your immersion faculty adviser for your final project, and you do not have to know who that final adviser will be at this stage.
- If you already have an immersion faculty adviser, then you may add their information to this form.
Learn more about the other three phases and their corresponding forms on the Immersion Vanderbilt website.
Students with ongoing projects
Faculty and students with an ongoing Immersion Vanderbilt project will continue without interruption. Faculty and students are encouraged to check their Vanderbilt email for updates from the OIR later today.
What has changed
- The new process allows sophomores more time to naturally discover their passion project and develop a clearer scope for their research before being required to submit a proposal.
- The OIR will help students find their immersive experience and provide support for any necessary logistical or administrative planning.
- Faculty advisers will then mentor students for the completion of their final culminating project.
Funding and resources for immersion projects
As Immersion Vanderbilt continues to develop, additional resources are available for students and their mentors. Visit the Immersion Vanderbilt website for information about funding your immersion project. Applications are currently being accepted for the Joe C. Davis Fund, which supports immersion experiences in the Middle Tennessee region. More details and the application are available here.
Questions about Immersion Vanderbilt can be directed to the OIR at immersion@vanderbilt.edu.