All University Update September 26, 2022

28 Sep 2022

Greetings Vermont State University community,

It is now officially fall, and while we mark a change of seasons, I want to also recognize that it’s been a year of changes for all of us, individually and collectively. For some of us, September marked the first year of the college experience, while for others turning the calendar over meant marking decades of teaching and supporting students. We are each on our own journey.

Yet, your personal journey is also intrinsic to our shared history, and more so, our shared future. The next few months will continue to be stressful and challenging. They will also bring moments of joy, success, unity, and friendship. I call upon you all to join me in building Vermont State University as the most innovative and forward-looking university in the world!

Over the past few months, I have had the opportunity to travel to all of our campuses and meet students, faculty, staff, and community members at listening sessions, campus community forums, convocations, and homecoming events. It’s great to be back together again after the long years of the pandemic. What is abundantly clear to me is how much you all care for your students, colleagues, institutions, and communities. It’s that passion and dedication that will help us through this next phase together.

If I haven’t met you yet, I invite you to join me at my upcoming Meet the President event on October 6. Or, you can email me with your questions and ideas. I want to hear what’s on your mind.

Yours,
President Grewal

Vermont State University Tuition Announced

The Vermont State Colleges Board of Trustees approved lowering tuition for new students at Vermont State University starting Fall 2023. We are also pleased to inform our current students that we will again freeze their tuition for the third year in a row. Additionally, current students can expect adjustments to their aid so their total net tuition will either stay the same or be lowered, depending on their current scholarship.

Read the full Press Release.

Transformation Updates

NECHE has formally approved Vermont State University accreditation contingent upon us providing the required progress reports, a normal part of the process. Thank you to the faculty, staff, and students for their extraordinary work on transformation projects over the past two years. NECHE has also recently concluded accreditation reviews of Castleton University and Vermont Technical College and determined the two institutions to be in good standing. NECHE has canceled the previously slated review of Northern Vermont University due to its planned consolidation into Vermont State University.

What’s next?

We now need to finalize our Gen Ed curriculum so that we can seek specific disciplinary accreditations for the successful launch of Vermont State University in Fall 2023.
We also need to continue to work collaboratively across campuses on various other critical projects including program arrays and faculty, staff, and student governance for Vermont State University.
Following the legislative and transformation expectations, we will be building Vermont State as a first statewide hybrid (In-Person Plus), community-engaged, and career ready university. You will be hearing more about these top priorities over the coming weeks and months.
We are making good progress on building the leadership team. Several leaders are already in place and they have begun their work and are already filling staff positions in their areas.

Click here to view the most recent full transformation update.

Listening Tour Report

A number of key themes emerged from President Grewal’s listening tour. In response to one of those key themes – a desire for clear and transparent communication – we share the President’s report on his tour.

Click here to read the listening tour key themes report.

Upcoming Vermont State University Events

President Grewal invites all faculty, staff, and students to Town Hall meetings on:

September: 26
October: 10, 17, 24
November: 7, 14
December: 5, 12
Time: 12:15-1 pm

Location: Zoom – https://vsc.zoom.us/j/88441214720

In the News

Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus/Rutland Herald: New student trustee loves Vermont, wants to remain.Perry Ragouzis, a junior at Castleton University, was appointed student trustee to the Vermont State College System Board of Trustees this summer. The Colorado native says he’s fallen in love with Vermont, and says he hopes to make it easier for people like him to stay and work in the Green Mountain State.

WCAX-TV: $4.5M in grants awarded to Northern Vermont University first-generation students. Hundreds of kids in Vermont have access to a higher education program that helps them prep for college and helps them financially.

WCAX-TV: Vermont State University hires new diversity officer. Anchor Darren Perron spoke with Jae Basiliere, PhD, about their new role at chief diversity officer at Vermont State University.

From Our Campuses

CASTLETON UNIVERSITY RECEIVES MCNAIR GRANT

The grant helps universities and colleges develop programs to prepare undergraduate students from a variety of historically underrepresented groups for doctoral study and also provides students opportunities to engage in paid summer research under faculty mentorship and other scholarly activities

NVU ALUMNI TAKE HOME 10 NEW ENGLAND NATAS EMMY AWARDS

Seven Northern Vermont University-Lyndon communications alums took home ten Emmy awards at the New England National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) 45th Boston/New England Emmy Awards ceremony on June 4, 2022.

VERMONT TECH AWARDED $1.2 MILLION BY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

A $1.2 million grant to Vermont Technical College will help to expand the college’s agricultural workforce development and entrepreneurship training programs.

Quote/Unquote

“Hello from admissions! Working alongside colleagues through our transformation has been such a pleasure. Together, we are so excited about the year to come as we represent Vermont State University with the highest integrity and transparency in order that our prospective students understand who we are, the strengths we’re carrying forward, new opportunities we are creating, and the strong academic and co-curricular foundation we will provide for them and their very bright futures. Admissions representatives are actively attending over 750 events this fall season, as well as hosting a full array of campus visits, and we are all looking forward to welcoming applications to Vermont State’s inaugural class!”