VSI Supervision

Vanderbilt Summer Institutes Supervision Policies

If you have any questions about the policies below, please contact the precollege office at Vanderbilt Programs for Talented Youth (PTY) (615.322.8261).

The Programs for Talented Youth precollege daily schedule is highly structured and the degree of supervision is comprehensive. Students who are accustomed to unsupervised time may find the policies and practices within the precollege program restrictive at times. PTY’s precollege staff follows VU’s policies regarding the presence of minors on campus, and student safety is prioritized above all else. While we understand that students are responsible individuals, PTY’s precollege experience requires all activities (with the exception of S.O.F.T times for 11th and 12th grade students described below) to be fully supervised and every student to be accounted for at all times. To help ensure that all students are safe throughout the duration of PTY precollege experience, students must adhere to the following supervision guidelines. PTY’s staff will review supervision policies with students on the first night of each session. These policies have been established to uphold the safety and well-being of students while on campus, and students must be familiar with and abide by them.

TYPICAL DAY SUPERVISION POLICIES (7th-10th):

7th-10th grade students are always accompanied and supervised by a PTY precollege staff member throughout the academic day and afternoon/evening activities. After evening activities, 7th-10th grade students will remain on their residential hall until traveling to breakfast the next morning.

TYPICAL DAY SUPERVISION POLICIES (11th-12th):

11th-12th grade students will be accompanied by a PTY precollege staff member from the residential halls to breakfast and during all transitions to and from academic classrooms or activities during the academic day.

After the academic day, 11th-12th grade students will typically have two or more hours of S.O.F.T. (Sign Out Free Time) time. During designated S.O.F.T. times, 11th-12th grade students will have extended boundaries that include designated off-campus locations. Students often use this time to visit CVS, check out the Vanderbilt Bookstore and explore Hillsboro Village.

During these S.O.F.T. times, students must observe all rules outlined by PTY’s precollege staff. These include, but are not limited to:

• Following all sign-out procedures as communicated by residential staff
• Always wearing a lanyard
• Always remaining in a group of at least 3 students when outside of residential hall boundaries*
• Having a working cell phone with GroupMe installed (at least one member of the group)
• Remaining within designated boundaries
• Making plans with only other PTY precollege students. As S.O.F.T. is a PTY precollege community experience, we ask students not to make plans to meet non-PTY precollege students during this time.
• Returning to your floor by the designated end time
• Following all additional guidelines and policies as communicated by VSA staff

Failure to abide by these policies will result in loss of privileges for future activities. PTY’s precollege staff will provide students with a digital map they can overlay on their phone’s mapping software before S.O.F.T. times. S.O.F.T. times may be suspended or cancelled due to inclement weather or at the discretion of VSA leadership. Students who choose to remain within residential hall boundaries during S.O.F.T. times (as identified on the shared digital map) will be free to travel alone within the residential hall boundaries, which include applicable lawns, patios, and student center spaces. During S.O.F.T. students may take advantage of beautiful outdoor lawn space or rest in their hall/room. The student center attached to the residential hall is a popular location for grabbing coffee and meeting your classmates to complete afternoon asynchronous work. All areas within the residential hall’s student center are supervised by PTY’s precollege staff. After evening activities that are led and supervised by PTY’s residential precollege staff, 11th-12th grade students are required to remain on their residential hall until traveling to breakfast the next morning.