Transformation Update
The current steps of our transformation process are just that: process-oriented. There is a job posting for a Director of Transformation and an RFP for project management on the System website. The intention is that these are mutually exclusive options, hiring one or the other depending on what responses are received.
In addition to this external-facing hiring process, the Council of Presidents has begun working on an organizational chart, vision, and defining “guardrails” for assisting in the planning that has started. These items are important foundational work to the collaborative, project-management-led process to come.
In Vermont Tech’s transformational space, we continue to update the website with documentation as it is developed and keep meeting minutes stored on the R drive for reference. Most of the charter teams have met at least twice and are filing progress reports for review at the April 26 Senior Leadership Team meeting.
Vaccines Help Protect our Communities
I want to encourage folks to get the COVID vaccine when they are eligible. Our own Dr. Cheyanne Warren, a dentist and Program Director for the Dental Therapy program, contributed this video about the strategy of the vaccine, informed by her doctorate studies in microbiology while in dental school. Together, our collective immunity protects us from viral spread and suppresses the pandemic to help us regain normalcy and togetherness that we have all missed this past year.
Governor Scott recently released a statement about eligibility for college students, noting that out-of-state students who plan to remain in the state for the summer will be eligible to receive their vaccine in Vermont when their age band is eligible. For those ages 16-29, eligibility begins April 19. The Governor anticipates that, based on current vaccine distribution, out of state students who do not meet the residency requirement may become eligible by April 30, 2021. You can read our full statement on the COVID-19 preparedness website.
Graduates’ Voices
In an effort to more personalize this year’s virtual Commencement, the college is creating and special website to feature all of the 2021 graduates! This is not the first request for information to populate the site, but uptake of the graduate survey has been slow to date. If you are a 2021 graduate, please take a moment to share your photos and personal messages that will be featured on this new website in conjunction with the Commencement premier event.
Planning to graduate? Make sure you have applied for graduation through the portal. It can be found in Self Service under the “Graduation Overview” link.
Still Seeking Student Stories
The Marketing department is still far from their goal of having stories of students from every major at the college. I would like to put in another pitch for students to participate in this important effort. Future Knights want to hear your advice!
- Current students – please complete this short form (have a photo ready).
- Employees – nominate a student we should meet to marketing@vtc.edu or send students directly to the form.
If you have submitted your story and photo, many thanks! The Marketing team reports they do have more than a dozen profiles in the works to go on the website and social media channels soon.
New Digs for IT
The Information Technology department’s move to Judd is recently completed, replete with the new server infrastructure and upgrades the additive manufacturing project has afforded us! One of our in-house photographers, Carrie Clement, recently stopped by to capture the new space. My sincere thanks to everyone involved in this transformation and (repeated) moves! We are capturing the on-going renovations to the vacated IT space in Morrill Hall, hoping to document its technological transformation as well.
