Academic Support

Academic Support Service for Students

Interim Senior Associate Dean for Academics
Ruth Kleinpell, PhD, ACNP-BC, FAAN, FAANP, FNAP, MCCM, is available to assist students who have special curriculum needs or those who are experiencing academic difficulty. Prior to scheduling an appointment with the Interim Senior Associate Dean, students are encouraged to attempt to resolve the issue through consultation with their assigned faculty advisers.
Responsibilities of the Interim Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs include:
1. Notification to students of academic actions – probation, dismissals
2. Approval of leaves of absence
3. Planning of course schedules each semester
4. Responsibility for catalog submission
5. Serving as a resource to students and faculty in academic matters
Office Location: 407 Godchaux Hall
Email: ruth.kleinpell@vanderbilt.edu
Administrative Associate: Carolyn Schettler, Senior Administrative Officer (SON 277)
Appointments with Dr. Kleinpell can be scheduled by contacting Carolyn Schettler at 615.343.3241 or carolyn.schettler@vanderbilt.edu.
Assistant Dean for Academics and Associate Dean for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

Rolanda Johnson, PhD, MSN, RN, FAAN, assists with academic planning, program review, development, and implementation of VUSN policies relative to academic affairs. Dr. Johnson also assists students who have special curriculum needs or those who are experiencing academic difficulty. As Associate Dean for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, Dr. Johnson is responsible for the oversight of diversity and inclusion initiatives within VUSN. These include but are not limited to the evaluation of the learning environment and collaboration with the admissions office to continue to promote a more diverse and inclusive VUSN community.
Office Location: 275 School of Nursing
Email: rolanda.johnson@vanderbilt.edu
Administrative Associate: Beth Sims, Program Manager for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging (SON 276)
Appointments with Dr. Johnson can be scheduled by contacting Beth Sims at 615.322.2515 or beth.sims@vanderbilt.edu.
Assistant Dean for Academics, Generalist Nursing Practice

Mary A. Jessee, PhD, MSN, RN, CNE, ANEF, assists with academic planning, program review, development, and implementation of VUSN policies relative to generalist nursing education. Dr. Jessee also assists students who have special curriculum needs or those who are experiencing academic difficulty.
Office Location: 544 School of Nursing
Email: mary.a.jessee@vanderbilt.edu
Phone: 615.343.1629
Administrative Associate: Mia Wells, Senior Program Manager (SON 542)
Appointments with Dr. Jessee can be scheduled by contacting Mia Wells at 615.343.6745 or mia.s.wells@vanderbilt.edu.
Assistant Dean for Academics, Doctoral Nursing Practice
Terri L. Allison, DNP, ACNP-BC, FAANP, assists with academic planning, program review, development, and implementation of VUSN policies relative to nursing practice doctorate education. Dr. Allison also assists students who have special curriculum needs or those who are experiencing academic difficulty.
Office Location: 223 Godchaux Hall
Email: terri.allison@vanderbilt.edu
Phone: 615.343.7732
Administrative Associate: Angel Gaither, Senior Program Manager (GH 223)
Appointments with Dr. Allison can be scheduled by contacting Angel Gaither at 615.343.5831 or angel.d.gaither@vanderbilt.edu.
Responsibilities of the Assistant Deans for Academics include:
1. Long-range academic planning, program review, development and implementation of academic policies
2. Monitor academic progression of students and assist with academic coaching
3. Collaboration with the VUSN Diversity and Inclusion Committee regarding VUSN diversity initiatives and activities for faculty, staff, and students
4. Development and oversight of the VUSN diversity and inclusion strategic plan
5. Foster alignment of VUSN diversity and inclusion goals with those of Vanderbilt University
Assistant Dean for Student Affairs
Feylyn M. Lewis, PhD, serves as a resource to students concerning nonacademic matters. She is available to assist students with a variety of activities and issues related to their student experience. Dr. Lewis serves as a resource to refer students to appropriate services available on the Vanderbilt Campus. The Assistant Dean for Student Affairs also serves as the adviser to the Graduate Nursing Council and all other student organizations.
Responsibilities of the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs include:
1. Advising students concerning non-academic matters
2. Referring students to appropriate campus resources (University Counseling Center, Student Health, Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action, and Disability Services Department, Faculty Adviser, Course Faculty, Academic Dean)
3. Serving as adviser to School of Nursing student organizations
4. Coordinating programs and special events for students
Office Location: 179 School of Nursing
Email: feylyn.m.lewis@vanderbilt.edu
Phone: 615.343.3334 (You may leave a message by voicemail 24 hours a day.)
Administrative Associate: Allie Noote, Associate Director, Student Affairs (SON 172)
Appointments with Dr. Lewis can be scheduled by contacting Allie Noote at 615.322.2814 or allie.noote@vanderbilt.edu.
Associate Dean for Strategic Enrollment
Ernie Rushing, PhD, MBA, assists with the recruitment planning and oversight of VUSN admissions and financial aid, and serves as a liaison between the School of Nursing and the University Registrar’s Office.

Responsibilities of the Associate Dean for Strategic Enrollment include:
1. Identifying prospective students
2. Overseeing the recruitment process from initial inquiry to enrollment
Office Location: 176 School of Nursing
Email: ernie.rushing@vanderbilt.edu

Appointments with Dr. Rushing can be scheduled by contacting him at 615.322.3800 or ernie.rushing@vanderbilt.edu.
Academic Coaching Services

Rolanda Johnson, PhD, MSN, RN, FAAN, serves as additional faculty resources for students who need supplemental academic support. Dr. Johnson is available to provide assistance with study, test taking, and writing skills. Students who experience academic difficulty should contact the course faculty and Dr. Johnson as soon as possible to initiate a plan for improvement.
Office Location: 275 School of Nursing
Email: rolanda.johnson@vanderbilt.edu
Administrative Associate: Beth Sims, Program Manager for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging (SON 276)
Appointments with Dr. Johnson can be scheduled by contacting Beth Sims at 615.322.2515 or beth.sims@vanderbilt.edu.
Faculty Advisers
Advising is an integral part of the student experience at Vanderbilt. Far from being a passive exercise, advising is a collaborative process in which students are expected to assume primary responsibility for their academic planning while advisers provide expertise and support with the planning effort.
Each student will be assigned a faculty adviser who will assist with planning a program of study and will serve as a resource to students for academic matters, such as advice concerning any difficulty with courses, testing, or paper writing. The adviser should be contacted when the student is experiencing problems in maintaining an acceptable GPA. The Senior Associate Dean for Academics serves as adviser to special students.
Responsibilities of Advisers include:
1. Planning program of study with assigned students
2. Assuring that students meet graduation requirements
3. Serving as a resource to students for problem-solving related to academic progress such as difficulties with testing, paper writing, or clinical decision-making
4. Initiating meetings to discuss a student's plan for success if the student receives a mid-term deficiency or is placed on probation
5. Making recommendations to the Senior Associate Dean for Academics if a student needs a leave of absence or wishes to withdraw
6. Referring students to appropriate campus resources (Academic Coaching Services, Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action, and Disability Services Department, Counseling Center, Student Health Services, Senior Associate Dean for Academics)
Assistant University Registrar and Director of Nursing Student Records, Office of Enrollment Services

Sara Donahoe, M. Ed, serves as the primary enrollment officer for the school. Ms. Donahoe is the primary point of contact for issues related to student academic records and registration and coordinates the change in specialty process. You should contact her if you discover any errors or irregularities with the academic record you see in YES (http://yes.vanderbilt.edu), including your major, expected graduation term, degree audit, or adviser. Ms. Donahoe also serves as a liaison between the School of Nursing and the University Registrar’s Office. Please visit our web site for more information. Enrollment related approval forms are available online.
Office Location: 173 School of Nursing
Email: sara.a.donahoe@vanderbilt.edu or vusn-studentrecords@vanderbilt.edu
Appointments with Ms. Donahoe can be scheduled by calling 615.343.3411 or by e-mail.
Program Coordinator Nursing Student Records, Office of Enrollment Services
Terry Walker serves as the assistant to the Assistant University Registrar and Director of Nursing Student Records, Sara Donahoe. Ms. Walker is available to assist with issues related to education/enrollment verification forms and letters, transcripts, document notarization, and any enrollment issues.
Responsibilities of the Enrollment Services Office include:
1. Maintaining student academic records (Grades, Leaves of Absence, Withdrawals)
2. Notifying students regarding registration procedures and deadlines
3. Verifying student enrollment and graduation
4. Notarizing documents
5. Notifying course faculty and advisers of change in student status
6. Entering course schedule into student record system
Office Location: 173 School of Nursing
Email: terry.walker@vanderbilt.edu or vusn-studentrecords@vanderbilt.edu
You may contact Ms. Walker by calling 615.875.1118 or by email.
Director, Financial Aid

Kristie Futrell, M. Ed, is available to assist students who need to discuss financial aid opportunities. Ms. Futrell is the point of contact for issues related to the cost for the program, sources of funding, student loan processing, and general financial aid questions.
Office Location: 180 School of Nursing
Email: k.smith1@vanderbilt.edu
Appointments with Ms. Futrell can be scheduled by calling 615.322.8986 or by e-mail.

Clinical Placement

Assistant Dean for Clinical Placement

Melissa Carro and the Clinical Placement Office staff work with faculty to support students in securing appropriate clinical rotations during their time at VUSN. The staff are also responsible for negotiating affiliation agreements between agencies and Vanderbilt and ensuring students have met all the necessary requirements before beginning their rotations. More information about Clinical Placement is available here.

Clinical Placement staff offices are located on the 2nd floor of the School of Nursing

The Clinical Placement Office works collaboratively with faculty, program directors, and students to ensure all students have a productive clinical experience. Faculty evaluate both clinical sites and preceptors to verify that clinical experiences are consistent with course and certification requirements as well as with VUSN's mission. Due to regulatory requirements or a lack of available and appropriate preceptors, VUSN may not be able to accommodate clinical placements in all areas of the country. Please discuss your preferences with your specialty faculty to be sure you understand all possible options.

Additional Information:

MN and PreSpecialty (BA/BS in non-nursing field) Year Rotations

During their MN program or PreSpecialty year of the MSN program, students will be placed in group clinical experiences. These group experiences may be in a hospital or community setting in the Greater Middle Tennessee area (MTA). If a student requests an alternate site assignment, assuming it is possible, such change may result in a delay in clinical progression.
VUSN cannot guarantee students will be able to complete clinical rotations unless all agency requirements are met. Once a clinical placement site assignment is made, students are expected to attend clinical at the assigned site.
Specialty Year MSN - Placements within the Greater Middle Tennessee Area

For students admitted as MTA (Greater Middle Tennessee Area) students, the Clinical Placement Office works with the specialty faculty to secure clinical sites. Clinical sites located within a 150-mile radius from the School of Nursing are considered to be within this area. As a result, students may have rotations in Kentucky, Alabama, and East or West Tennessee, depending on the appropriateness of the site. Faculty consider several factors in assigning students to sites, including home address, specialty needs, and clinical interests.
Given the substantial number of health profession students in the area and the competition for sites, agencies and providers have asked that a school representative coordinate all Greater Middle Tennessee area VUSN placements. Therefore, students are not to reach out to local sites to arrange their own placements. If you identify a possible MTA placement, please contact your specialty director or course coordinator first; they will work with the Clinical Placement Office staff to see if a placement is possible.
Specialty Year MSN - Placements outside the Greater Middle Tennessee Area (OMTA)

For students admitted as OMTA (Outside the Greater Middle Tennessee Area), students, faculty, and the clinical placement staff work collaboratively to identify OMTA sites. Students are encouraged to develop a list of possible sites, as they often have a better knowledge of their local area and can use personal networks and connections to identify a potential rotation. Clinical faculty and clinical placement staff will meet regularly with students to evaluate progress in identifying possible clinical sites and to brainstorm potential placements.
Faculty and clinical placement staff can provide guidance on which geographic areas may be easier or more difficult to find sites, based on past experience. To assist in search efforts, the Clinical Placement Office can research the geographic area of interest and share information on agencies and practices where VUSN either has an existing relationship or where a previous student has rotated. In addition, the Clinical Placement Office coordinates with the VUSN Alumni Relations Office to contact or provide information on alumni in the area who might be able to assist.
Once the student has a secured agreement from a preceptor for a rotation, the student must submit information through the clinical placement system, Exxat. This enables the faculty to vet the preceptor in accordance with accreditation requirements, and ensures the potential clinical experience is curricularly appropriate and meets both the specialty requirements and the student’s educational needs.
Once the faculty has vetted the preceptor, the Clinical Placement Office ensures all appropriate agreements are in place and all agency requirements are met before a student may begin their rotation. Vanderbilt requires an affiliation agreement (contract) with all sites where a student will obtain experience. This includes the practice site and any ancillary sites, such as hospitals, surgery centers, and nursing homes, or outside agencies that employ preceptors, such as TeamHealth. A student may not go with the preceptor to a site where the school does not have an active affiliation agreement. Even when Vanderbilt has an agreement with the site, the Clinical Placement office must confirm it is still valid.
Students are strongly encouraged to plan ahead. Given the competition for clinical placements in some parts of the country, securing a preceptor and negotiating and finalizing the necessary agreements can take several months, or more. In rare cases, Vanderbilt is unable to come to an agreement with an agency, or a particular area may not have an appropriate site or preceptor available; the clinical placement staff communicates on a regular basis with the faculty to allow sufficient time for a student to secure another placement, if necessary. If an alternate placement is offered to the student but the student declines it, a letter of declination must be signed, and VUSN is under no obligation to find another site.
Faculty must approve any secondary sites for the student’s clinical experience to ensure that the sites are necessary or appropriate to the student’s clinical objectives. VUSN limits the number of sites and contracts per student. Due to the substantial number of placements each term, faculty review requests for rotations for a minimal number of hours (typically less than 80) on a case-by-case basis. If approved, the Clinical Placement Office will then begin the contract process.
Clinical Requirements

All requirements for enrollment must be completed and on file at the time of enrollment and must be kept current during the entire program of study. Clinical preceptors and/or agencies may require drug screening, fingerprinting, additional criminal background checks, or other requirements specific to that site. The Clinical Placement Office will notify students of any additional requirements associated with their rotation. Costs associated with these processes are the responsibility of the student.
VUSN cannot guarantee students will be able to complete clinical rotations unless all agency requirements are met. Once a clinical placement site assignment is made, students are expected to attend clinical at the assigned site. VUSN is under no obligation to honor a student's request for an alternate site, and where an alternate site assignment is possible, such change may result in a delay in clinical progression.
Students may not begin their clinical rotations until they have met all the site requirements and have received official confirmation from their faculty and the Clinical Placement Office that they are cleared to start. This will come in the form of a notification through the Exxat system.
Clinicals at the specialty level of the MSN program require an active and unencumbered RN license, valid for the state in which the student is doing the rotation. Depending on the clinical placement location, students may be required to obtain additional state licenses. Due to regulatory requirements or a lack of available preceptors, VUSN cannot accommodate clinical placements in all areas of the country.
COVID-19 as a Clinical Requirement

The overwhelming majority of clinical placement sites require either documentation of a completed series of COVID-19 vaccinations or (in some cases) an approved exemption before allowing students to rotate at their facilities. Students are strongly encouraged to have the COVID-19 vaccine in anticipation of this requirement. VUSN will not assign clinical placement sites based on an individual student's preference about COVID-19 vaccination, and VUSN will not reassign a student to a different site because of a student's preference about COVID-19 vaccination.
Transportation and Lodging

Students are responsible for their lodging and transportation to and from all clinical rotations. Practice sites are chosen for their ability to provide experiences consistent with the program requirements, the school's mission, and individual student objectives. MSN and PMC students admitted for MTA clinical placement should be prepared to travel up to 150 miles one-way from the nursing school.

Computing Services

Audiovisual Viewing and Additional Interactive Learning Tools

We request that you bring your own headphones, if you are going to use any audio resources within the lab, and always use headphones when viewing videos if others are in the room or in adjacent rooms. Students enrolled in VUSN courses may watch class lectures streamed on the web in the lab; however, course coordinators determine access policies for these resources.
Brightspace

Brightspace is a web-based course management system used at Vanderbilt University. It allows students to access course-related materials, such as course syllabi, assignments, handouts, slide presentations, and lectures, via the Internet. Brightspace can be accessed from https://brightspace.vanderbilt.edu/d2l/home or via Quick Links to Brightspace on all VUSN web pages. Use your VUnetID to access this system.
VUSN Testing Lab

The VUSN testing lab is located in Room 240A Frist Hall. It contains eight computers that are dedicated to web-based testing. This lab is closely supervised and should remain quiet at all times. The Vanderbilt University honor code is strictly observed in VUSN computer labs.
Outlook Access and Help

Outlook Web Access is the e-mail system used by the School of Nursing students and should be accessed using your Vanderbilt email address. You may contact VUSNIT.Support@vanderbilt.edu for support.
VUnetID
Your VUnetID identifies you as a member of the Vanderbilt community, allowing you to access services on the Vanderbilt University computer network (VUnet). You may also be granted a VUMC ID if you have clinical rotations in the Vanderbilt University Medical Center. It will be a different ID and e-password which is not used for academic work. The following essential services require a VUnetID and associated password:
- Outlook - the School of Nursing e-mail system
- Brightspace - the web-based course management system that allows instructors to post course-related information for students online in a secure environment
- YES (Your Enrollment Services) - single login for student services
- VU network and Internet access
- VUSN computer-lab printer card readers that allow user specified printing via VUnetID and password or Commodore Card swipe
All enrolled students will be assigned a VUnetID and obtain and manage their VUnetID. Students keep their VUnetID for as long as they are affiliated with Vanderbilt University.
- Activate (New Users)
- Manage (Current Users)
(VUnetID account holders should never share their VUnetID passwords with anyone else.)
If you receive a VUMC ID, it expires on a yearly basis and if needed will have to be extended for each additional required year with a request from the student.
VUSN Technology Overview Page

The Technology Overview web page has links to a number of important resources for students. From there you will be able to access the Tech Knowledge Base, where you will find information about configuring your computer and setting up necessary accounts.
Wireless Internet at VUSN

Your laptops, tablets, and phones can wirelessly connect to the Internet anywhere within the VUSN complex. Students who use the VU wireless systems will be responsible for installing critical software patches on all of their wireless devices.
Vanderbilt University is part of eduroam, a global Wi-Fi service enabling VU students to obtain secure and fast internet connectivity while on Vanderbilt campus as well as other participating institutions using your VUnetID and e-password. For more information, please visit http://wifi.vanderbilt.edu/.
Please remember that these are university resources for university-related activities. Please refrain from using wireless resources for the transfer of patient information, due to security reasons, and for downloading large personal files which limits availability to others.

VUSN Information Technology Resources

Student Computer Lab – 240A Frist Hall & 301 Godchaux Hall

Hours:

Monday-Thursday 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Friday 7:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Saturday-Sunday 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Due to holidays, and occasional classes scheduled to meet in the lab, exceptions to the regular schedule may occur. Notice of such changes will be posted in the lab and published on the VUSN web site.

Support Services Staff

For a list of the various tech support services offered at VUSN, such as classroom support, building support, VUSN computers, Brightspace, IT, and Remote Proctor support, go to the Support Services Directory.
Student Computer Lab

The VUSN student computer lab is equipped with Dell workstations, two multi-function printer/scanner/copier, and two additional stand-alone scanners. Use of VUSN labs is restricted to VUSN students, staff, and faculty. Word processing has the lowest priority in all VUSN computer labs; online testing has the highest priority. Laser printing of school-related materials may be purchased on a Commodore Card. Please go to this link for more information about the cost of printing in black and white, color, and letter or legal size pages. (As a courtesy to fellow students, when the computer labs are busy, please limit printing to no more prints than are immediately necessary. Graphics-intensive files can cause long delays at the shared printers.)
Each Dell computer in the lab has an Intel i7-7700 3.6GHz processor, 16 GB RAM, a 1TB hard drive, a 24” ViewSonic flat panel monitor, USB access for a personal thumb drive, and Windows 11 Enterprise. Each also has the latest version of Microsoft Office (Access, Excel, PowerPoint, and Word) installed. All lab PCs are on the VUSN network and are connected to two multi-function (with duplexing option) devices. The computers can access resources in the Medical Center and university libraries. All computers on the network have direct access to VUnet Services (Vanderbilt University’s central computing services) and full Internet connectivity.
The Frist Hall lab contains an HP color scanner with a multi-page feeder and text-scanning software. Assistance from VUSN IT personnel regarding the use of lab hardware and software is available. Workshops on the use of specific instructional software may become available from time to time. Watch for notices in the labs and in e-mail messages from VUSN IT.
Mind Lab
At VUSN, innovation is celebrated through projects like the MIND Lab, which offers immersive calming technology and meditation scenarios. Nurses, with their holistic approach to care, can benefit from these experiences, promoting wellness for both individuals and their patients. The MIND Lab aims to promote mental wellness using virtual reality, especially given the challenges highlighted by the pandemic. By creating this innovative infrastructure, we equip nursing students to explore prescribing technologies for their clients while emphasizing well-being and resilience through mindfulness and virtual reality experiences. This initiative is relevant for students, faculty, and staff in nursing education and practice.

Remote Proctor

Remote Proctor from Software Secure Inc. is an online exam proctoring technology that enables online and distance learning students to take proctored exams from the comfort and convenience of their own home or office.

The process identifies a student and records video, audio, and screen capture throughout the student’s exam, which is simultaneously communicated to SSI’s restricted-access secure servers. The video, audio, and screen capture are used for the purpose of ensuring academic integrity during the testing process. The purpose of this technology is to better comply with evolving accreditation standards. The remote proctor policy can be accessed on the Knowledge Base page. Each student is responsible for reading and following this policy during examinations and reviews.

Resources for Distance-Access Students

Some students are enrolled in courses that do not require all class content to be delivered in a face-to-face traditional classroom environment. Instead, the content is delivered in a modified learning format via the following: (1) courses offered in concentrated blocks of time on campus (approximately 5 days around a weekend, three times per semester), (2) online conferencing, and (3) digital video and distributed learning methods that allow for continued faculty contact between sessions. In addition, clinical placement may be arranged outside the Middle Tennessee area, provided a suitable agency and preceptor are available.

Distance-access students use the same type of student accounts as mentioned previously. The primary difference is that instead of attending a class session in a traditional classroom environment, these students view class presentations via digital video delivered via the Internet. This viewing can take place as the session is being taught (called synchronous delivery) or via audio or video files that are captured for later use (called asynchronous delivery). These files are typically large and require faster Internet connections for smooth delivery. We require all students to have high-speed Internet access, such as the services offered by cable companies (Comcast, Charter, Time-Warner, etc.). For reference purposes, video is archived and may be available via streaming in the media library only.

Requirements for Student Home Computer and Other Resources

For detailed information about your home computer and other technology resources, go to the Technology Overview page.

VUSN Location of Administrative Offices

	Name	Location
Dean of the School of Nursing	Pamela Jeffries	112 Godchaux
Senior Associate Dean for Academics	Mavis Schorn	278 School of Nursing
Senior Associate Dean for Research, Postdoctoral Fellowship Director	Interim: Ruth Kleinpell (Until Jan. 31, 2024) Mariann Piano (Effective Feb.1, 2024)	407 Godchaux Hall 415 Godchaux Hall
Senior Associate Dean for Informatics	Patricia Sengstack	260 Frist Hall
Senior Associate Dean for Administration and Operations	Becky Keck	105 Godchaux Hall
Associate Dean for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion	Rolanda Johnson	275 School of Nursing
Associate Dean for Clinical and Community Partnerships	April Kapu	214 Godchaux Hall
Assistant Dean for Academics, Advanced Nursing Practice	Brian Widmar	310 Godchaux Hall
Assistant Dean for Academics, Generalist Nursing Practice	Mary Jessee	544 School of Nursing
Assistant Dean for Academics, Doctoral Nursing Practice	Terri Allison	224 Godchaux Hall
Assistant Dean for PhD in Nursing Science	Angela McNelis	524 Godchaux Hall
Associate Dean for Strategic Enrollment	Ernie Rushing	176 School of Nursing
Assistant Dean for Student Affairs	Feylyn Lewis	179 School of Nursing
Assistant Dean of Clinical Placement	Melissa Carro	282 School of Nursing
Assistant University Registrar and Director of Nursing Student Records in the Office of Enrollment Services	Sara Donahoe	173 School of Nursing
Director of Student Financial Services	Kristie Futrell	180 School of Nursing

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