Peabody Advising - FAQs for Advisors

Q: How can I see a list of my advisees?

A: Navigate to YES (yes.vanderbilt.edu), click the Application drop-down menu, and then select "Advisor Holds."

Q: Do I have meet with my students/lift their advisor holds every semester?

A: If they are undergraduates and you are their first major advisor: yes! For steps on how to release advisor holds, please see the YES Help Guide here.

Q: I've lifted the advisor hold, but my advisee says they still have a hold on their record. What do I do?

A: First, make sure that you've selected the correct term when you went to remove the advisor hold. On the "Advisor Holds" page in YES, in the upper right corner, there is a drop down box titled "Select Term." You will want to select the term in which the student is trying to enroll (that is, the student wants to enroll in courses for Spring 2021, so you will select Spring 2021 from the list). Then, make sure their hold has been removed for that term. If it has, then they may have a different hold on their record keeping them from enrolling. You can check this by clicking on the student's name on the "Advisor Holds" page, which will take you to the "Advising Snapshot" page. There is a section on this page titled "Holds." If they have another hold preventing them from enrolling, it will be listed here, along with the steps they need to take to have the hold resolved.

Q: How do I get assigned to my advisees?

A: That depends on the department, and may even depend on the program/major within that department. Some advisees are assigned based on common interest, some are assigned according to a student's declared track or concentration, and some are randomly assigned. Please speak with your departmental administrator to find out more.

Q: I have too many advisees/not enough advisees — What do I do?

A: A good place to start would be your departmental administrator or director of undergraduate studies/program director in your department.

Q: A student's parent/guardian has contacted me and wants to speak about their student's progress. Can I talk to them?

A: The first thing you'll want to check is whether or not they have granted this person access to their educational records according to FERPA (The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act). You can do this by going to the student's "Advising Snapshot" (YES > Applications > Advisor Holds > click on student's name). Near the top of the page, in the same box that lists their name and Student ID, it will list the parents/guardians to whom the student has granted the right to receive protected academic information. If a person is not listed there, then they cannot receive protected academic information about that student. For much more information about FERPA, including the use of email to communicate sensitive information, how to store FERPA-protected data, and definitions of 'education records' and 'directory information,' see the University Registrar's Office's page on FERPA for Faculty and their FERPA Frequently Asked Questions. If you have questions about a FERPA issue, feel free to email the Peabody Office of Academic Services (peabodyacademicservices@vanderbilt.edu) or the University Registrar's Office (university.registrar@vanderbilt.edu)

Q: My advisee asked if they are on track to graduate. How can I check on my advisee's progress toward their degree?

A: There are a couple important resources you'll want to be familiar with. First, is the YES Degree Audit. This tool will show a real-time look at a student's degree progress, including what they have left to take and which courses can count toward which requirements. You can see a student's degree audit by searching for the student in YES and then selecting the "Degree Audit" link (you may need to expand the box of links that appear with the student's name and photo; you can do this by clicking the blue arrow). Read more about the Degree Audit here.

The next resource that will be important to you is the Peabody Undergraduate Handbook. This document goes in depth into the requirements for each Peabody undergraduate major and minor, as well as Peabody-specific academic policies. You can find that document here.

Finally, the university's official policy document is the Catalog. In it, you will find program information as well as university-wide policies. The Catalog trumps all other academic documents. The Undergraduate Catalog is here, and the Peabody Professional Catalog is here.

If you're still unsure if your advisee is on track to graduate, please contact the Peabody Office of Academic Services.

Q: A student of mine is really struggling personally/is in distress/I haven't seen or heard from them in a while. How can I help them?

A: Faculty, staff, students, and community members can report their concerns pertaining to the personal, physical, or emotional wellbeing of a student using the Student of Concern Form . Please note this form is not designed to be an emergency response notification. If the student of concern needs to speak with a mental health professional immediately, call the University Counseling Center (UCC) at (615) 322-2571 to speak with a clinician.

Depending on the student's situation, the information you provide in the Student of Concern Form may be followed up on by an Associate Dean, a member of the Counseling Center, or someone else from a number of other Vanderbilt community resources.

Q: What are some of the important dates/deadlines to keep in mind for the semester?

A: First, you can find most important dates in the academic calendars (note that the undergraduate calendar is separate from the graduate or professional calendars). A selection of important deadlines can be found on the home page of the Peabody Office of Academic Services' site.