Open Mind

In her latest "Open Mind" column, Interim Chancellor and Provost Susan R. Wente discusses Vanderbilt's Return to Campus plan and how the university is considering next steps for resuming on-campus activities. Read More

While still focusing on the difficulties of the most recent couple of months, it’s more important now than ever to reflect on the strides the Vanderbilt University community has made throughout the 2019-20 academic year, writes Interim Chancellor and Provost Susan R. Wente in her latest "Open Mind" column. Read More

In her latest "Open Mind" column, Interim Chancellor and Provost Susan R. Wente reflects on the many unexpected short-term and long-term shifts members of the Vanderbilt community have had to make during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read More

In her latest “Open Mind” column, Interim Chancellor and Provost Susan R. Wente shares how multiple groups are contributing to potential strategies and planning related to the university’s response to COVID-19. Read More

Interim Chancellor and Provost Susan R. Wente reflects on the ways Vanderbilt is supporting VUMC's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Read More

Staff at Vanderbilt University have made the transition to online and alternative learning and remote work possible for many, all while prioritizing the safety, productivity and well-being of those in our university community, writes Interim Chancellor and Provost Susan R. Wente in her latest "Open Mind" column. Read More

Interim Chancellor and Provost Susan R. Wente offers thanks in a video message to the Vanderbilt community, and discusses how students, faculty and staff are harnessing creative and innovative solutions to continue their work and learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic in her latest "Open Mind" column. Read More

In her latest "Open Mind" column, Interim Chancellor and Provost Susan R. Wente discusses how we can live, learn and work with social distancing, and our responsibility to do so. Read More

In her "Open Mind" column, Interim Chancellor and Provost Susan R. Wente addresses the community's response to the March 3 tornado and the global outbreak of the coronavirus. Read More

Interim Chancellor and Provost Susan R. Wente writes about Vanderbilt's Strategic Plan for Athletics in her latest "Open Mind" column. Read More

Feedback in the form of surveys, town halls, listening sessions and frank conversations makes our university stronger and elevates the voices of all members of the Vanderbilt community, writes Interim Chancellor and Provost Susan R. Wente in her latest "Open Mind" column. Read More

Vanderbilt's growth is intertwined with Nashville's, and the successes and challenges of both are shaped and reflected by the other, writes Interim Chancellor and Provost Susan R. Wente in her latest "Open Mind" column. Read More

In her latest "Open Mind" column, Interim Chancellor and Provost Susan R. Wente reflects on the words carved into the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C.: “Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope.” Read More

Interim Chancellor and Provost Susan R. Wente looks back on an eventful 2019 and reflects on the many pivotal moments that will define the next chapter of Vanderbilt’s history in her latest "Open Mind" column. Read More

Ahead of Thanksgiving, Interim Chancellor and Provost Susan R. Wente expresses gratitude for the faculty, staff, students and all members of the Vanderbilt community who bring the university's mission to life each day, she writes in her latest "Open Mind" column. Read More

By embracing the knowledge and expertise of the veterans and service members at Vanderbilt, the university community expands its scope of diverse perspectives and lived experiences, writes Interim Chancellor and Provost Susan R. Wente in her latest column ahead of Veterans Day next week. Read More

Transparency keeps everyone informed so we can engage in meaningful debate and give input on actions, and it builds trust and teamwork by setting clear and consistent processes, writes Interim Chancellor and Provost Susan R. Wente in this week's column. Read More

Trust is critical to our work together as a university community, and we can develop it by building connectedness across our different experiences, opinions and disciplines, writes Interim Chancellor and Provost Susan R. Wente in this week's column. Read More

What distinguishes Vanderbilt is the value the university community places on collegiality and cooperative teamwork, appreciating what others bring to the table when working on common goals, writes Interim Chancellor and Provost Susan R. Wente in this week's column. Read More

In the debut of her "Open Mind" column, Interim Chancellor and Provost Susan R. Wente shares her perspective on the values, opportunities, challenges and priorities that drive Vanderbilt's mission. Read More