GPAS Programming

Professionalism Policy

If you register for a program, please make sure you have cleared your schedule to attend. We require an advanced notice of at least 48-hours for cancellation. This gives others the opportunity to take your place. Thank you for your adherence to this policy.

Co-Working Space for Graduate Students and Postdocs

GPAS will be hosting co-working space through the Spring 2025 term.
Graduate students and postdocs are welcome.

If you are looking for a quiet space to work on projects in the company of your colleagues, stop in for awhile on Thursdays from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Located in Alumni Hall 100.

Free coffee, tea, and snacks.

Stacey or Nick will be there to discuss any goal setting or accountability questions you may have.

We start on January 9th.  See you there.

No registration required.

Beyond Time Management - Asynchronous

We have recorded our Beyond Time Management presentation so now you can watch this whenever you have the time and space to do so.  You can access the recording as a course through the Oracle Learning Platform.  Here's what you need to know:

Spring 2025 Programming

Peak Performance Series

Please check back for dates on Spring sessions
Calendar to be published by February 1

Destress and Decompress

Wednesday, April 9th from 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm in Alumni Hall

Join us as we focus on rejuvenation to finish the semester strong.

Activities will include: Chair Massage (Sign-up during check-in), Therapy Animals, Free Specialty Coffee Drink, Student Care Network Resources, Make Your Own Stress Ball, Food, Coloring, Conversation and MORE!

Write On!

APPLICATIONS currently being accepted.

An interdisciplinary writing support program for Vanderbilt Graduate School Students and Postdocs

The cyclical nature of academia often provides us the opportunity to reflect on our past experiences and refocus on our needs and priorities. We know that writing is always a priority, but often one that gets pushed aside for the other demands of the day. That is why we, along with our campus partners in the Writing Studio, University Libraries, and the Center for Student Wellbeing (CSW); have created the Write On! Program. We hope you will consider joining in an effort to make progress and productivity on your writing goals for the new semester and the new year.

Developed in response to feedback and requests for strategies, accountability, and connection with peers during the challenging writing process, Write On! takes advantage of new and existing resources to support and guide writing progress and productivity during your academic training at Vanderbilt.

Do you want to make more progress toward your writing goals every semester? Write On! includes programming to help you set achievable goals, establish routines, and meet deadlines within a framework of support and accountability within the Vanderbilt community. The goal is to help graduate students and postdocs develop a daily writing habit that will benefit them in their academic career at Vanderbilt and beyond.

Each semester, we will invite graduate students and postdocs to apply for participation in the program.

  • What is Write On!?
    • Writing accountability group of fellow Vanderbilt/VUMC graduate students/postdocs - Applicants will be asked to answer questions regarding their participation that will help us match them with a group of colleagues to serve as a writing accountability group - academic discipline, year in program/position, when most available to meet, preference for meeting in person or via Zoom, etc - as well as the applicants goals for participation in the program. Our Pilot program indicated that participants who met on a weekly basis were most successful in reaching their desired outcomes and goals.
    • Guided programming from the National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity (NCFDD) webinars through Vanderbilt’s institutional membership, in addition to opportunities to participate in campus offerings from The Writing Studio, University Libraries and Peak Performance (from GPAS and Student Care Network) provides additional support throughout the semester.
    • Utilizing these resources, you will set weekly and monthly goals for progress.  Lean into your group for feedback and accountability toward these goals.  Some examples of goals achieved by the pilot program participants over the course of the semester:
      • "Progress on the methods section of my current paper."
      • "Finished fellowship applications."
      • “Made progress on data analysis for a paper manuscript.”
      • “I’ve identified relevant literature, read, and created a literature matrix.
      • “Finished a draft of a poster for a conference.”
  • Expectations of Participants
    • Once accepted, before kick off meeting - Claim your free NCFDD account through Vanderbilt's institutional membership - watch two assigned webinars.
    • Attend Kick-off Event on January 16th, 2025 from 9:00 am - 10:30 am
    • Every day - we hope that you will develop a daily writing routine over the course of the semester
    • Every week - Engage with your writing group or participate in one workshop (NCFDD or Vanderbilt)
    • Every month - submit your goals for the month and tell us how you did on your goals for the prior month
    • Celebrate your progress!
  • Application

    For Spring 2025 - Complete Application Form due January 7th

    Contact GPAS@vanderbilt.edu for more information/questions. 

"Write-On was critical for me in writing my research proposal for my qualifying exam! Having a set time, place, and group of fellow graduate students helped immensely with my writing consistency and focus. I also appreciated having regular support and check-ins from the GPAS staff, and I enjoyed getting to know my fellow graduate students in other departments and disciplines."

Request a Program: Departments/Programs/Organizations

We are happy to accept requests submitted by student/postdoc organizations, staff, and faculty for presentations on services offered by GPAS and topics relevant to academic success for our graduate students and postdoc community.  We are happy to present one of our existing presentations or work with you to tailor a presentation to your group's needs.  Past topics have included:

  • Beyond Time Management - managing progress and productivity in Academia  (includes goal setting principles, etc.)
  • Perfectionism and Imposter Syndrome
  • Aligning Expectations in Academia (establishing expectations with your faculty supervisor)
  • Effective Communication and Working through Conflict in Academia
  • Managing Up!
  • Social Persuasion:  Receiving and Responding to Feedback
  • Building Self-Efficacy - Confidence and Independence as a researcher
  • Peak Performance - Perfectionism & Imposter Syndrome (In collaboration with Center for Student Wellbeing)
  • Peak Performance - Motivation, Mindset, & Goal-Setting (In collaboration with Center for Student Wellbeing)
  • Peak Performance - Performing Under Pressure (In collaboration with Center for Student Wellbeing)
  • Peak Performance - Managing Conflict & Relationships (In collaboration with Center for Student Wellbeing)
  • Peak Performance - Creating Work/Life Harmony (In collaboration with Center for Student Wellbeing)
  • CliftonStrengths Assessment and Debriefing - for groups and individuals
  • Know your Resources!  - supportive resources for graduate students or postdocs at Vanderbilt (great for departmental orientations!)

To request services, please complete the form on Anchorlink.  Please note: GPAS staff require a minimum of two weeks' notice to consider requests.  All requests will be screened by a staff member within 2-3 business days of the initial request.  Approval of requests are contingent upon scheduling, availability of staff and type of request submitted.

You can also email gpas@vanderbilt.edu with any questions.

Other Support Programming Resources on Campus