Greetings Vermont State University community,
I hope you had a safe and festive Halloween.
As we move into November, we find ourselves honoring our community in many ways. This month, we recognize First-Generation College Celebration Day on November 8, a time to celebrate the success of first-generation college students, faculty, staff, and alumni. We also commemorate Veterans Day on November 11 and Transgender Day of Awareness on November 20. All November long we observe Native American Heritage Month. And, of course, there is the Thanksgiving Holiday on November 24, a time for family and friends.
Each of our campus communities has events planned to mark these important occasions. See below my message for a list of First Generation Day activities being held across our campuses. Watch for emails with information on how you can participate.
I encourage you to engage in these important observances with our community. Share your story or listen to another’s story. Take time to read, watch, or listen to learn more. Join us at an event.
To those who we honor on these days, we see you and we are here for you.
Yours,
President Grewal
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First-Generation College Celebration Day – November 8
Castleton Campus:
Events will be held in the Campus Center Atrium from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. where cider and donuts will be served while sharing in writing and video, “it’s important to me to be FG, because…” Later, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., cider and donuts will be served in the Campus Center 1787 Room where there will be more sharing as well as live music and therapy dogs. All week long leading up to November 8, the Calvin Coolidge Library will display books by famous first-gen authors.
NVU-Johnson Campus:
Students and staff will table in Stearns Student Center where they will have TRIO items to distribute, a poster to fill out, and a button-maker for students to make their own buttons.
NVU-Lyndon Campus:
Faculty and staff will display signs on their office doors that say, “I’m 1st Gen, let’s talk!” Students are invited to write about what being first-gen means to them at a table in the Academic Support Center, where snacks will be served.
Vermont Tech Campus:
Faculty and staff will display signs indicating their first-gen status on their office doors. Student stories will be shared via video. A table of books by first-gen authors will be on display at the library.
Transformation Updates
Transformation updates can be found in the most recent Sway.
This issue includes the following:
- Update on VTSU Staffing
- Happy Diwali!
- IT Shared Services Update: New Appointment Announcements and Answers to FAQs
- Transformation Project Updates
- Student Advisory Council October Meeting Summary
- Vermont State Colleges in the News
Upcoming Vermont State University Events
Meetings* with President Grewal
*see calendar for Zoom details
- STUDENT Meeting: Wednesday, November 16, 7 pm
- STAFF Meeting: Monday, November 21, 12:15 pm
- FACULTY Meeting: Monday, November 28, 12:15 pm
Town Hall Meetings
President Grewal invites all faculty, staff, and students to Town Hall meetings on:
- December: 5, 12
- Time: 12:15-1 pm
- Location: Zoom – https://vsc.zoom.us/j/88441214720
Fall Admissions Open Houses
- Lyndon Campus: November 5
- Castleton Campus: November 11
- Learn more on the VTSU microsite
In the News
NVU-Johnson Basement Medicine Interview with President Grewal
From Our Campuses
Heidi Welch Honored with Music Department’s Distinguished Alumni Award
The Keene State College Music Department has bestowed its Distinguished Alumni Award for 2022-23 to Heidi J. Welch, Class of 1996, who serves as the Director of Music Education at Castleton State University in Castleton, Vermont. Read the entire article.
This is Our Home – Lyndon, Vermont
Professor Dan Daley is featured in this love letter to the greater Lyndon community by NVU-Lyndon alum Ben Frechette, now with WPTZ-TV. Daley was born and raised in Lyndon and was also a student here! Watch the entire feature.
Vermont Tech Engineers Gold for Charity and Their Profession
Vermont Tech engineering students retained their trophy at the annual Vermont Society of Engineers’ (VSE) golf tournament, held in September. Vermont Tech’s team bested other university engineering student teams in a scramble format, keeping the rotating trophy that goes to the winning institution each year and that Vermont Tech had reclaimed in 2021. The tournament is a student-scholarship fundraiser for the VSE, and most of the golfers were working engineers. For many years, the VSE has invited the three engineering academic institutions in Vermont to enter a student team.
Quote/Unquote
“Through my work in the F2F+ pilot, I’ve been able to see the benefits of using technology in a way that brings students together from different locations and allows them to engage in course material in a way that breaks down the barriers of where students are attending from.
I’ve also strengthened my course delivery through Canvas course templates and been able to allow for modality diversity in how students do work within the course which has allowed students to get more creative with how they tackle different tasks within the course.
Sure, it’s been a challenge and not everything has been perfect, but if this is a glimpse of how I might deploy this in other courses, I’m confident I can do so without feeling overwhelmed by it and know that I have the support of OIT, the Teaching and Learning Innovation team, and my peers who are also working through things in this environment as well.”
-Meaghan Meachem, Professor and Chair, Journalism and Communications, Northern Vermont University – Lyndon
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