The university is seeking faculty to serve as VUceptors for the incoming Class of 2026.
Each fall the university welcomes a diverse cohort of more than 1,600 first-year undergraduate students. All new first-year students participate in an extended orientation program called Vanderbilt Visions, which is co-facilitated by an upper-division peer mentor and a faculty member, called a VUceptor.
Faculty VUceptors are dedicated to assisting first-year students as well as learning from them. VUceptors work to model dynamic and meaningful professor-student interaction by inviting first-year students to join the Vanderbilt family, providing support in the transition process, and showcasing the vast network of resources available to ensure success. VUceptors support students throughout CommonVU orientation and for the duration of the Vanderbilt Visions program during the fall semester.
Applications to serve as a faculty VUceptor are now open.
All individuals who hold a faculty appointment at Vanderbilt are eligible to apply. Staff members who do not hold a faculty appointment will be considered on a case-by-case basis if they hold a terminal degree in their academic field and have the support of their supervisor. Training will be provided to all faculty VUceptors, and no prior experience is necessary.
Successful faculty VUceptors usually commit about two to three hours per week of their time to the program between August and November. In addition, all faculty VUceptors are asked to attend a short orientation in the spring and a full-day orientation in August. Precise time commitments for the role are outlined on the application form.
“Vanderbilt Visions is one of the most important ways that new students learn how to connect with and contribute to a welcoming and inclusive community,” said Melissa Gresalfi, dean of The Martha Rivers Ingram Commons. “Equally importantly, Visions is an amazing opportunity to get to know students in a context that is different from a traditional classroom. In Visions meetings you have an opportunity to learn about who students are, where they come from, and how they hope to grow. Leading a Visions group has truly transformed my teaching and my relationship with students.”
Applications are available online, with a priority review deadline of Feb. 25.
For questions about the faculty VUceptor role, email commons@vanderbilt.edu.