The Vanderbilt community welcomed more than 4,000 family members and friends to campus Oct. 13–15 to celebrate this year’s Family Weekend—a 30 percent increase in attendance over last year’s celebration.
To mark the university’s 150th anniversary, Family Weekend 2023 featured an interactive scavenger hunt called Cornelius’ Quest, named in honor of the university’s founder and namesake, Cornelius Vanderbilt.
This year’s festivities also included the return of the Fall for the Arts festival and a question-and-answer session with Chancellor Daniel Diermeier and other Vanderbilt leaders discussing the university’s commitments to open dialogue and free expression and to fostering radical collaboration.
The weekend continued with the Commodore football tailgate and game against Georgia and a grandparents’ social and tea, before closing with a farewell breakfast for students’ family members and friends.
Conversation with the Chancellor
Diermeier and Vanderbilt leaders answered questions on a range of topics submitted by parents and families, including issues related to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, campus security and safety, and the university’s ever-expanding efforts to support career development and student success.
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