Faculty Benefits

Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) offers a comprehensive benefits package for eligible faculty whom it employs. The below information provides a description of each and a link to resources to learn more about options available, eligibility requirements and steps to use these benefits. The items listed below are in addition to those employment benefits included in the Faculty Manual.

  • VUMC’s term life insurance plan offers a benefit equal to four times the base annual rate of pay, up to a maximum of $500,000 with no medical underwriting. The plan begins for a full-status faculty member immediately on the appointment date. Please access the overview of the coverage available, how to enroll and how to make changes by visiting this site:

    https://hr.vumc.org/benefits/life

  • Each full-status member of the faculty is eligible for disability insurance after one year of employment. The plan covers continuous, total disability, caused by sickness or injury incurred while actively employed. The existence of “continuous, total disability” is determined by the insurer.  Please access the overview of the long-term disability insurance coverage available, how to enroll and how to make changes by visiting this site:

    https://hr.vumc.org/benefits/longterm

  • Accidental death and dismemberment insurance is available to all full-time faculty members for a reasonable premium. Please access the overview with coverage details, how to enroll and how to make changes by visiting this site:

    https://hr.vumc.org/benefits/life

  • VUMC-employed faculty members are covered by the Workers’ Compensation Act of Tennessee. The Workers’ Compensation Act covers accidental injuries and occupational diseases that arise from and in the course of employment at Vanderbilt. Please visit this site for information on the Workers' Compensation plan of Tennessee and what to expect if involved in a work related injury or illness:

    https://www.vumc.org/risk-management/workers-compensation-vumc

  • Please visit this site to review information on Retirement Plans, Eligibility, and guidelines for mandatory and voluntary retirement contributions: 

    https://hr.vumc.org/benefits/retirement

  • VUMC offers two flexible spending accounts (FSAs): a medical account and a dependent care account.  The accounts are funded by contributions made by the faculty member through a salary reduction agreement.  Please access the overview of coverage details, eligibility requirements and resources, how to enroll and how to make changes by visiting this site:

    https://hr.vumc.org/benefits/fsa

  • VUMC has partnered with EdAssist to process tuition assistance for faculty and their spouses.  Please access the overview of the education programs VUMC offers, eligibility requirements, and policy guidelines for each by visiting this site:

    https://hr.vumc.org/benefits/tuition

  • Children of full-status faculty who would qualify as dependents for tax purposes are eligible to receive the tuition benefit commencing with the first semester after the date that the faculty member has completed five continuous years of service at Vanderbilt or another accredited college or University, with no breaks in service greater than three months duration (other than an authorized leave of absence).  If there occurs such a break in service, all previous years of service will be disregarded.  This benefit is offered through Vanderbilt University, not VUMC.  Coverage and eligibility details can be found on the Vanderbilt University website below:

    https://hr.vanderbilt.edu/benefits/tuition-benefit.php

  • A VUMC-employed full-status faculty member who becomes the parent of a child, or whose spouse becomes the parent of a child, either by childbirth or through adoption of a minor child, shall be entitled to a leave of up to twelve weeks.  A VUMC-employed faculty member who takes parental leave under this policy shall receive salary and benefits for up to six (6) weeks. For faculty on variable or performance salaries, the salary to be paid will be the average of the salary paid during the four months prior to the effective date of the leave. If additional weeks of leave are requested, full benefits but not salary will be maintained for up to a maximum of an additional ten (10) weeks. Review the Faculty Manual for more details.

  • Eligible faculty receive job protected leave in accordance with federal and state laws, including the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the Tennessee Maternity Leave Act (TMLA).  In certain cases, FMLA may be taken on an intermittent basis rather than all at once, or the faculty member may be entitled to work a part-time schedule.  Except to the extent that a faculty member is entitled to pay on account of the faculty member’s employer’s parental leave policy or under short-term medical leave policy, FMLA and/or TMLA leave is unpaid. Please access the overview of both programs by visiting this site:

    https://hr.vumc.org/fmla