Steps for Submitting a Story

Contribute to the Vanderbilt [IM]Perfection Project by sharing your story with the Vanderbilt community. Your story can be in the form of a video, a photo, a written essay, a piece of artwork, a poem, or more! Feel free to be creative.

For your protection, stories are restricted to limit viewing to individuals with VUnetIDs. Members of the Vanderbilt community wishing to view [IM]Perfection Project content from off campus must invoke the University’s virtual private network (VPN) before logging in to the site. See our What You Need to Know Before Submitting page for more information about our privacy standards.

Submit a Video

You must be 18 years of age or older in order to submit a story to the Vanderbilt [IM]Perfection Project.

Step 1: Read our Ideas for Topics page for ideas about what to say in your video.

Step 2: Before recording your video, read the What You Need to Know Before Submitting page to understand our privacy standards.

Step 3: Film your story. You can either send a message to imperfectionproject@vanderbilt.edu to set up a filming time with a [IM]Perfection Project Student Committee member, or record it yourself.

Step 4: Suggest some tags for your video. You can choose from our list or submit your own tags.

Step 5: If you have filmed your own video, submit it to imperfectionproject@vanderbilt.edu. Please keep in mind that we would like for videos to be no longer than 5 minutes.

Step 6: Wait for our student committee to review the video. We have a weekly review process because we want to make sure that this website remains a safe and brave place for the Vanderbilt community.

In the interest of campus safety, we want to be as clear and transparent as possible about our responsibilities. In that spirit, please read the following notes on our review process:

All submissions will be reviewed by the [IM]Perfection Project student committee members and staff advisers, who reserve the option of accepting, rejecting, editing, or removing submitted content on the basis of the goals and mission of the project, on Vanderbilt University’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, or other issues that may arise with a particular post.

For your safety and the safety of the University community, appropriate Vanderbilt staff will be notified if you describe situations that raise concerns about a current danger to yourself or others.  In addition, University faculty and staff have an obligation to report information about sexual misconduct, dating violence, domestic violence, stalking, and other crimes to appropriate University officials. It is also possible that administrators may reach out to offer support or interim measures. If a submission discloses information about a violation of University policy, that information may be referred to the Office of Student Accountability, Community Standards, and Academic Integrity, or to other appropriate University officials for further review.  

If a submission discloses current or past neglect of abuse of a minor, that information may be referred to appropriate University officials for review and to state and/or local child protective services, when required by law. 

Students impacted by sexual harassment, sexual assault, intimate partner violence, stalking, or other forms of sexual misconduct involving sex- or gender-based discrimination may want to share their story through the Vanderbilt [IM]Perfection Project website. Please note: such submissions cannot be considered confidential and must be reported to the Title IX and Student Discrimination Office.  Students who desire information about their options may call The Project Safe Center.  The Project Safe Center is a confidential resource available to support those affected by any form of sexual misconduct by listening, providing information, answering questions, connecting students with on and off-campus resources, accompanying students to the Student Health Center or the Emergency Department to obtain a forensic examination by a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, assisting with interim measures, and more. Students may call the Project Safe Hotline, 615-322-SAFE (7233), which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to speak with a Victim Resource Specialist.

We will contact you prior to posting your video to the website. Thank you for sharing your story!

Submit a Written Story, Photo, Poem, Piece of Artwork, etc.

You must be 18 years of age or older in order to submit a story to the Vanderbilt [IM]Perfection Project.

Step 1: Read our Ideas for Topics page to get ideas for what you might want to share.

Step 2: Read the What You Need to Know Before Submitting page to understand our privacy standards.

Step 3: Suggest some tags for your piece — you can choose from our list or submit your own tags.

Step 4: Submit your story to imperfectionproject@vanderbilt.edu. If you would like to remain anonymous on the website, please include that request in your email. Keep in mind that, although written and creative submissions may be anonymous to the Vanderbilt community, they will not be anonymous to the student committee, the staff advisers, or appropriate other Vanderbilt staff if need be.

Step 5: Wait for our Student Committee to review your submission. We have a review process because we want to make sure that this website remains a safe and brave place for the Vanderbilt community.

In the interest of campus safety, we want to be as clear and transparent as possible about our responsibilities. In that spirit, please read the following notes on our review process:

All submissions will be reviewed by the [IM]Perfection Project student committee members and staff advisers, who reserve the option of accepting, rejecting, editing, or removing submitted content on the basis of the goals and mission of the project, on Vanderbilt University’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, or other issues that may arise with a particular post.

For your safety and the safety of the University community, appropriate Vanderbilt staff will be notified if you describe situations that raise concerns about a current danger to yourself or others.  In addition, University faculty and staff have an obligation to report information about sexual misconduct, dating violence, domestic violence, stalking, and other crimes to appropriate University officials. It is also possible that administrators may reach out to offer support or interim measures. If a submission discloses information about a violation of University policy, that information may be referred to the Office of Student Accountability, Community Standards, and Academic Integrity, or to other appropriate University officials for further review.  

If a submission discloses current or past neglect of abuse of a minor, that information may be referred to appropriate University officials for review and to state and/or local child protective services, when required by law. 

Students impacted by sexual harassment, sexual assault, intimate partner violence, stalking, or other forms of sexual misconduct involving sex- or gender-based discrimination may want to share their story through the Vanderbilt [IM]Perfection Project website. Please note: such submissions cannot be considered confidential and must be reported to the Title IX and Student Discrimination Office.  Students who desire information about their options may call The Project Safe Center.  The Project Safe Center is a confidential resource available to support those affected by any form of sexual misconduct by listening, providing information, answering questions, connecting students with on and off-campus resources, accompanying students to the Student Health Center or the Emergency Department to obtain a forensic examination by a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, assisting with interim measures, and more. Students may call the Project Safe Hotline, 615-322-SAFE (7233), which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to speak with a Victim Resource Specialist.

We will contact you prior to posting your submission to the website. Thank you for sharing your story!