An administrative services manager fired last year by Vanderbilt University administrators after a fraud investigation has pleaded guilty, along with his partner, to stealing more than half a million dollars from the school. Jason Hunt and Cole Wakefield also have pleaded guilty to about 20 other charges, including statutory rape.

Also according to the Davidson County District Attorney’s Office, investigators determined some of the forged checks written by Hunt were cashed by two 17-year-old males, with whom both Hunt and Wakefield had sexual relations.

Hunt and Wakefield are in line to receive prison sentences of 22 years and 10 years, respectively.

Vanderbilt University's Sarratt Student Center and Rand Hall have reopened following major renovation work.

Kara Furlong and myvu.com have the full story here.

The Vanderbilt Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery has signed a partnership agreement with pharmaceutical giant Bristol-Myers Squibb to help in the development of treatment for Parkinson's Disease. The VCNDD, which has received major funding from Michael J. Fox's foundation, will weed out drug candidates that Bristol-Myers will then run with.

Under the terms of the agreement, Vanderbilt University will receive an upfront payment and multi-year research funding to continue to discover additional compounds. Vanderbilt is eligible to receive milestones and royalties based on developmental success and worldwide sales of the drugs emerging from the collaboration.

Vanderbilt University will offer free online courses courtesy of Coursera, a digital learning consortium. Melanie Moran and myvu.com have the story here.

Vanderbilt University is tied with Notre Dame University and Rice University, among national universities, for the No. 17 spot on the U.S. News and World Report "America's Best Colleges" list. Belmont, Lipscomb and Tennesee State universities are also in the rankings in various categories.

The City Paper has details here.

Vanderbilt University officials will tonight — at the football's team season opener against South Carolina — celebrate raising enough money to kick off a $30 million expansion of their student recreation center. The plans, first unveiled in the spring, will fill the space between the existing rec center and 25th Avenue South.

The Princeton Review has named Vanderbilt University one of 21 universities to receive a highest possible score of 99 on its 2013 Green Honor Roll, which assesses the sustainability qualities of 806 institutions nationwide.

Liz Entman and Vanderbilt News have the full story here.