Dear VSCS Community,
It is the end of another semester and another year. I want to take a moment to thank each of you for your engagement in our institutions and community as we move through this transformation. I also want to share some of the achievements of the Vermont State Colleges system over the past year.
In March of 2022, Vermont’s Congressional delegation was able to secure earmarks in the Federal fiscal year 2022 budget. These included $3.7m for the VSCS, as well as $4.5m for CCV and $250k for NVU-Lyndon to help support vulnerable student populations.
At the April 18, 2022, meeting of the Board of Trustees, Dr. Parwinder Grewal was appointed as the inaugural president of Vermont State University. He began his Presidential role on July 1, 2022, bringing his leadership, experience in higher education and with institutional mergers, to bear on the creation of Vermont State University.
On May 16, 2022, the Board of Trustees adopted a system-wide Diversity Statement that was developed through the combined efforts of students, staff, and faculty. With this statement, we make a commitment “to nurturing a welcoming, diverse, and inclusive learning and working environment.”
Also on May 16, 2022, the Board of Trustees approved a definition for Shared Services and how they will work in the VSCS context. Information Technology (IT), Human Resources, Finance and Operations, and Shared Libraries are all being transformed into this model to serve CCV, VTSU, and the office of the chancellor. IT will be the first area to transition to shared services, effective in early 2023.
Also in May, the Vermont Legislature finalized the state’s fiscal year 2023 budget. In it the state committed historic levels of funding for the VSCS, bringing annual funding up 50%. The VSCS institutions are economic and community anchors across Vermont, and this funding will enable us to continue to expand affordable and accessible educational opportunities state-wide.
Effective June 1, 2022, refugees making their home in Vermont will now be able to access in-state tuition rates at all VSCS institutions. The Board adopted this change, expanding the statutory language in Act 166 of 2022, to provide in-state tuition rates for refugees at all VSCS institutions. The expansion represents our commitment to affordability and creating greater accessibility for all Vermont-based learners.
On June 17, 2022, The New England Commission of Higher Education’s (NECHE) provided a letter that confirmed the substantive change request VSCS submitted was approved, contingent upon VTSU 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 report was due September 1, 2022, which the Commission was impressed by and accepted at their September 23, 2022 meeting.
At the September meeting of the Board of Trustees, VTSU base in-state tuition was set at $9,999 per year in undergraduate programs, which will be effective for incoming students to the new university in fall 2023. This reflects a 15% decrease from the current average in-state tuition at the unifying institutions and is another way the VSCS is increasing affordability and accessibility. Currently enrolled students matriculating into Vermont State University from the unifying colleges will see adjustments to their financial aid to reflect the change in tuition, resulting in a net cost of attendance for tuition and program fees that is equal to, or less than, their tuition for this current academic year.
These are just some highlights of the great work being done throughout the system which also includes academic programs being approved and the roll-out of staffing plans. Looking towards 2023, Vermont State University will launch on July 1, 2023. Transformation will continue up to and then beyond the launch, across the VSCS.
I hope you are all able to take the break to recharge and rest. I’m looking forward to what we will achieve together next!
With much gratitude and many wishes for a happy holidays,
Chancellor Sophie Zdatny