VSC Begins Consolidation Efforts

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Created on Monday, 15 February 2016 18:49

Written by Morgan Vaudrien

LYNDON- Since this fall, when Castleton, one of the Vermont State Colleges, underwent a name change from Castleton State College to Castleton University, there has been much talk of other changes to the VSC, and some of those changes may become a reality.
Due to declining enrollment in the VSC system and high costs of tuition, members of the Long Range Planning Committee have presented a plan in hopes to consolidate amongst the schools-- hoping to leave the campuses and individuality of each school the same, but merging things like repetitive degree programs in hopes of financial savings in overall institutional operations.

Since 2008, state funding has remained leveled-- only accounting for 18% of the budget. This means State Colleges have to make up for 82% in tuition, which is difficult when enrollment keeps declining.

"The gap between the half getting a college education and the lower income folks not getting a college education is getting wider, so that opportunity gap is getting worse, not better," Jeb Spaulding, VSC Chancellor points out, "Where we are is a chance to kind of change that whole thing".
After a meeting Saturday which lead to approved tuition increases throughout the VSC system: 2.5% for Lyndon and Johnson, 3% for Community College of Vermont, 4% for Vermont Tech, and no change to Castleton University -- the Long Range Planning Committee and Chancellor are trying to find ways other ways to save money--other than continuing to increase tuition.
Spaulding remarks that the plan, presented at the meeting held January 7th, is not intended to combine colleges entirely but to utilize the college system as a whole to maximize financial savings.

"Ultimately, it's about trying to make sure that we work together to make sure that we [Johnson and Lyndon] both get stronger and are able to offer our students the maximum experience that we can. So, you know, we don't plan on closing any campuses and we don't actually plan on merging any colleges. But if we could find ways that we could actually work together to supplement what we do"

This means doing things such as expanding on the interactive classrooms--utilized by the nursing program at Vermont Tech and Lyndon. Other ideas include less repetition, meaning not having the same degree programs offered at Lyndon as there are at Johnson and vice versa, for example. Ultimately, the goals agreed upon by the Board of Trustees and Long Range Planning Committee at their January 7th meeting, are to increase access to academics, maintain campuses, financial savings in overall institutional operations, and to avoid the duplication of academic programs.
With Vermont in-state tuition being the second highest on average in the country, The Board of Trustees and Long Range Planning Committee are working to not increase tuition any more.

"They just and to do something. We've gotten no increase in funding in eighth years," said Jerry Diamond, a VSC Board of Trustees member, "Without any promise from the state legislature for an increase in state funding, we were going to be in a position where all of the state colleges would ultimately be facing deficits."
With all this talk, though, nothing within the school system will be changing anytime soon. Proposals on how to begin the consolidation process and what kinds of steps need to be taken, will be expected this summer at the next Board of Trustees meeting.

Spaulding wants to emphasize, though, that this merger does not simply mean job cuts, "I want to emphasize this is not a job reduction kind of exercise here. We gotta make sure we're headed in the right direction and that we are using as little fuel as we possibly can, and that we're providing the best experience for our passengers".

"What I can guarantee is the vast majority of our faculty and staff will continue to work for the Vermont State Colleges. The surest way to make sure that the ship stays afloat and is headed in the right direction is to be somewhat open to looking for better ways and more efficient ways to do the things that are important for the students".