Dear VSCS Community,
Over the last two weeks, we have seen an outpouring of voices concerning Vermont State University’s announcement regarding changes to the Libraries and Athletics. We value passionate public discourse and diverse viewpoints. By its nature this discourse is often loud and messy. As public institutions of higher education, we value the ability of community members, both internal and external, to express their thoughts and opinions without fear of retribution.
Ultimately, decisions–particularly those with a financial impact–must be made by those who bear the responsibility for ensuring that the system is sustainable and continues to meet its mission in serving Vermont.
To be clear – Vermont State University is NOT closing its libraries, nor is it closing any of five residential campuses. Vermont State University Provost, Nolan Atkins, released an op ed this week to address community concerns about the shift to digital academic resources. Please take a moment to read it as it clarifies what is and what is not happening with the libraries. In addition, I encourage all of you to read the FAQs posted on the transformation page, which are updated periodically to respond to questions that have been raised. President Grewal and his team are continuing to review the feedback they have received and will be providing further information.
The state expects the Vermont State Colleges system to bring together the residential institutions into a single, multi-campus, hybrid university that is designed to meet the needs of Vermonters, particularly rural Vermonters, across the state. The state expects that each of the existing campuses will remain open and that the transformation results in the elimination of the $25 million structural deficit within five years. This is a very heavy lift.
In exchange, the state has provided generous financial support over the past three years, including a significant increase in the VSC’s base appropriation from $30.5 million to $45.5 million, plus one-time money. For example, the three institutions that are coming together to form Vermont State University have a combined projected deficit of over $22 million for this current year. That is not sustainable. The state’s willingness to support the VSC financially during its multi-year transformation is contingent upon the system genuinely transforming itself to meet the needs of current and future students. Maintaining the status quo is not an option.
The libraries decision is not simply about cutting costs, although it does seek to reduce the disproportionate cost of maintaining the physical collections given their current usage, but it is also about thinking through what the library of the future will look like. There will be more hard decisions ahead – decisions that require tradeoffs. If savings are not realized in one area, then greater savings will need to be found in another. None of this is easy – not for the students, faculty, staff, alums, and community members who care so deeply about our existing institutions, nor for those charged with making the very hard decisions as to how best to address the structural deficit.
On a final note, one can disagree with a decision without being disagreeable. Recently, there have been some abusive and hateful communications and actions that have crossed the line. For example, analogies to the destruction of books in Nazi Germany in the 1930’s Germany, not only indicates a lack of historical knowledge and context, but it minimizes the horror of the atrocities committed by the Third Reich, including the extermination of six million Jews in the Holocaust and the many other victims of Nazism.
Let us strive to communicate thoughtfully and respectfully with each other as we work together on system transformation and towards the successful launch of Vermont State University.
With best wishes,
Sophie