With the creation of Vermont State University, we have the opportunity to build on the strong legacy of Castleton University, Vermont Technical College, and Northern Vermont University to envision a university designed to meet the rapidly evolving needs of Vermont, Vermonters, and the communities our institutions serve. The mission and vision of this new institution are unique in the way they describe our commitments, but they are designed to align with both the Vermont Sate Colleges System mission and that of its sister institution, the Community College of Vermont.
Mission Statement
Vermont State University prepares all students for meaningful work and responsible citizenship by fostering their intellectual, personal, and creative growth in an accessible, caring, and inclusive community. As Vermont’s regional public university, our technological, professional, and liberal arts programs engage with partners throughout Vermont and beyond to provide students with rich real-world learning while meeting the needs of our communities and the state.
Vision Statement
Vermont State University’s commitment is to the success of every student. We will stand as Vermont’s regional public university with interconnected campuses and sites dispersed throughout the state, a community dedicated to providing accessible and affordable higher learning. Our innovative, relevant programs will focus on student success and career readiness, and will meet students where they are on their educational journey. We will support students’ academic, social, and personal growth, as well as their futures as skilled leaders and lifelong learners through an integrated academic and extracurricular experience. A culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion will be fostered and endure. Our students’ transformational experience will be nurtured through intentional interactions and relationships. The University will provide globally relevant programs spanning the technological, professional, and liberal arts and designed to address the needs and challenges facing Vermont and our world. Students will be drawn to an academic experience that reaches beyond the classroom into our communities with our Green Mountain State as a living laboratory. We will embrace public engagement and partnerships as our civic responsibility, actively contributing to the vibrancy of our communities and their relevance in the global economy. In doing so, our students will gain understanding of community and self and their impact in the world. Our purpose will live on for generations in the positive contributions of our alumni.
President
On April 18th, 2022, the Board of Trustees appointed Dr. Parwinder Grewal to be the inaugural president of Vermont State University. Dr. Grewal will begin this role effective July 1st, 2022.
An introduction for Dr. Grewal can be found here.
Accreditation Through NECHE
The New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) is the regional accreditation body recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education to review and accredit institutions, ensuring they are providing quality higher education. Accreditation is critically important because it allows institutions to award and distribute federal financial aid. On Friday April 22nd, NECHE’s President confirmed that the substantive change request VSCS submitted was approved. This request was seeking approval for the launch of Vermont State University as an accredited institution on July 1, 2023, and for Dr. Grewal to serve as the President of the three current, separately accredited institutions for the 2022-2023 academic year. Also approved was Castleton’s ten-year accreditation review. There will be required reports for VSCS to submit during AY 2022-2023 to ensure that we are meeting the transformation milestones set forth in the proposal and NECHE will send a visiting team in Fall 2023 to see how things are going.
The Vermont State University Substantive Change Submission can be reviewed here. On June 17, 2022, NECHE provided a letter accepting the proposal contingent upon Vermont State University meeting the Commission’s Standards for Accreditation and setting forth a timeline for the submission of two progress reports and a focused evaluation. The first progress report, sent to NECHE for a September 1, 2022 deadline, is now available to be read.
On September 15, 2022, NECHE sent a letter to certify that at its April 22, 2022 meeting they “voted that, contingent upon its determination that the plans outlined in the substantive change proposal submitted by the Vermont State Colleges System to establish Vermont State University have been successful implemented, Vermont State University be granted initial accreditation, effective July 1, 2023.”
On October 24, 2022, NECHE sent a letter to inform the VSCS that at its meeting on September 23, 2022 NECHE considered the September progress report submitted by VSCS and accepted it. They also confirmed they are requesting a second report to be submitted by March 24, 2023 to be reviewed at their April 2023 meeting.
Branding and Website
On May 17th, 2022, the branding and microsite for the new university was launched.
How We Will Get There
Unifying Castleton University, Northern Vermont University, and Vermont Technical College to create Vermont State University is the top priority of Transformation. As we make plans to open the doors of this new university to students in the Fall Semester of 2023, we are paying special attention to the student experience, student success, as well as the academic programs and operations of the new institution to ensure that this new university is truly student centered. For details about the work our New Student Experience, Student Success, and Academic Operations teams are doing, check out their team pages: