2012-05-31_Board_of_Trustees_Meeting_materials

 May 25, 2012 MEMORANDUM TO: Board of Trustees Vermont State Colleges FROM: Gary W. Moore, Chair, VSC Board of Trustees Timothy J. Donovan, Chancellor Attached are the Board materials for the Board of Trustees meeting next Thursday, May 31, 2012 at the Vermont Technical College Williston campus, 401 Lawrence Place, Room 401, Williston, Vermont. Schedule of events: 2:30 p.m. ‐ Tour of the Williston Campus 3:00 p.m. ‐ Allied Health Presentation immediately followed by the Board of Trustees Meeting A map and driving directions to the VTC Williston Campus are attached. We look forward to seeing everyone next Thursday. cc: Council of Presidents Driving Directions
Route 2a from Interstate 89 (Exit 12)
Head north on Route 2A until you reach the junction of Route 2 and Route 2A.
Continue through junction for about 100 yards and turn left on Helena Drive
Turn right onto campus
Route 2a from Essex Junction
Head south on Route 2a towards I89
Turn right onto Helena Drive just before the intersection with Route 2. Taft Corners shopping Center
will be on your right.
Take first right onto campus.
Route 2 from Williston Village
Head west on Route 2 until just past the junction with Route 2a
Turn right onto Helena Drive just after junction
Take first left onto campus
Route 2 from Burlington
Head east on Route 2 until just before the intersection with Route 2a
Turn left onto Helena Drive
Take first left onto campus
Destination for GPS/Mapping Software
Lawrence Place, Williston, VT
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Essex Jct.
Board of Trustees Meeting Thursday May 31, 2012 Vermont Technical College – Williston Campus Williston, Vermont BOARD OF TRUSTEES Gary Moore, Chair (2/28/15) Rep. Eileen “Lynn” Dickinson Rep. Jim Masland (2/28/16) (2/28/14) Michelle Fairbrother Linda Milne (2/28/15) (2/28/15) Kraig Hannum Martha O’Connor (2/28/17) (2/28/17) Rep. Tim Jerman Heidi Pelletier, Treasurer (2/28/14) (2/28/13) John Kleinhans Governor Peter Shumlin (6/30/12) (Ex‐Officio) Rep. Bill Lippert Gordon Winters, Vice‐Chair (2/28/16) (2/28/13) Karen Luneau Peter Wright (2/28/17) (2/28/13) Board Committees Finance & Facilities Education, Personnel & Student Life Martha O’Connor, Chair Peter Wright, Vice‐Chair Michelle Fairbrother Tim Jerman Linda Milne Gordon Winters Heidi Pelletier, Chair Karen Luneau, Vice‐Chair Lynn Dickinson Kraig Hannum John Kleinhans Bill Lippert Jim Masland Priorities Gary Moore, Chair Gordon Winters, Vice‐Chair Linda Milne Martha O’Connor Heidi Pelletier Peter Wright Audit Linda Milne, Chair Michelle Fairbrother Tim Jerman Karen Luneau Martha O’Connor Board Meeting Dates September 20 & 21, 2011 October 27, 2011 December 8, 2011 February 2, 2012 April 19, 2012 May 31, 2012 September 18 & 19, 2012 Town & Country Resort, Stowe Castleton State College Lyndon State College Community College of Vermont ‐ Rutland Johnson State College Vermont Technical College ‐ Williston TBD VSC Chancellor’s Office Timothy J. Donovan, Chancellor Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Vice President and General Counsel Executive Assistant to the Chancellor Director – Community Relations and Public Policy Chief Academic Officer (Interim) Chief Information Officer Director – Administrative Information Systems Director – Facilities Director – Human Resources Director – Institutional Research Director – Payroll/ Benefits Director – System Information Technology Controller Thomas Robbins William Reedy Julie Massucco Daniel Smith Joe Mark Linda Hilton Dianne Pollak Richard Ethier Nancy Shaw Hope Swanson Tracy Sweet Richard Blood Deborah Robinson VERMONT STATE COLLEGES BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING May 31, 2012 3:00 p.m. Room 401, 401 Lawrence Place, Vermont Technical College – Williston Campus, Williston, Vermont ORDER OF BUSINESS AND TABLE OF CONTENTS A. PRESENTATION VTC – Allied Health Presentation
B. ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION AND ACTION 1. Adoption of the Minutes of the April 19, 2012 Board of Trustees Meeting 2. Election of Officers of the Board of Trustees and Audit Committee 3. Personnel Action: Reappointment of the Chancellor 4. Personnel Actions: Reappointment of the College Presidents 5. FY2013 Budget 5.a. VSC Budget 5.b. Nursing & Allied Health Program Budget 5.c. VIT Budget 5.d. Workforce Development Budget 6. Review and Recommend Approval of Annual Banking and Investment Resolution 7. Naming of Hoff Hall at Castleton State College 8. CSC Purchase of the Reinfurt Properties in Castleton 9. VTC Bennington Lease 10. Endorsement of Grant Proposals: Consent Agenda a. LSC ‐ TRiO Upward Bound (84.047) ED‐GRANTS‐121911‐011 11. Establishment of Endowment: Consent Agenda a. LSC ‐ Santagate Family Pre‐Nursing Scholarship Endowment 12. CSC Final New Program Proposal: B.A. in Ecological Studies 13. JSC Final New Program Proposal: B.F.A. in Media Arts 14. 2012‐2013 VSC Faculty Fellows C. ITEMS FOR INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION 1. Report of the April 30, 2012 Meeting of the Priorities Committee 2. Report of the May 23, 2012 Meeting of the Audit Committee 3. Report of the May 23, 2012 Meeting of the Finance and Facilities Committee 4. Report of the May 23, 2012 Meeting of the Education, Personnel and Student Life Committee 5. Report of the Vermont State Colleges Student Association 6. Report of the Chancellor 7. Reports of the College Presidents 8. Other Business 9. Comments from the Public 10. Date and Place of Next Meeting September 18 & 19, 2012 Location to be determined Board of Trustees Meeting
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The following items have been placed on the Agenda for the May 31, 2012 meeting of the Board of Trustees for consideration and action at the direction of the Chair. A. PRESENTATION VTC – Allied Health Presentation B. ITEMS FOR ACTION 1. Adoption of the Minutes of the April 19, 2012 Board of Trustees Meeting A meeting of the Vermont State Colleges Board of Trustees was held on Thursday, April 19, 2012 at Johnson State College, Johnson, Vermont. The following were present: Trustees: Lynn Dickinson, Michelle Fairbrother, Kraig Hannum, Tim Jerman, John Kleinhans, Karen Luneau, Linda Milne, Gary Moore, Martha O’Connor, Heidi Pelletier, Gordon Winters, Peter Wright. Trustees Bill Lippert and Jim Masland were absent. Presidents: Phil Conroy; Steve Gold; Joyce Judy; Barbara Murphy; and Scott Dikeman, Castleton Dean of Administration, for Dave Wolk Office of the Chancellor: Tim Donovan, Chancellor; Tom Robbins, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer; Bill Reedy, Vice President and General Counsel; Dan Smith, Director, Community Relations and Public Policy; Elaine Sopchak, Communications/Administrative Associate A. PRESENTATION Ribbon‐Cutting Ceremony for Visual Arts Center Board President Gary Moore called the meeting to order at 3:34 p.m. Board members and presidents introduced themselves to the audience. B. ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION AND ACTION 1. Adoption of the Minutes of the February 2, 2012 Board of Trustees Meeting The adoption of the Minutes of the February 2, 2012 Board of Trustees Meeting was moved by Trustee Milne and seconded by Trustee Pelletier. The minutes were approved unanimously. A copy of the minutes is attached and made a part of the official minutes of the meeting. 2. Adoption of the Minutes of the February 15, 2012 Special Board of Trustees Meeting Board of Trustees Meeting
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The adoption of the Minutes of the February 15, 2012 Special Board of Trustees Meeting was moved by Trustee Pelletier and seconded by Trustee Jerman. The minutes were approved unanimously. A copy of the minutes is attached and made a part of the official minutes of the meeting. 3. Adoption of the Minutes of the March 26, 2012 Special Board of Trustees Meeting The adoption of the Minutes of the March 26, 2012 Board of Trustees Meeting was moved by Trustee O’Connor and seconded by Trustee Milne. Trustee Wright abstained from the vote. The minutes were approved unanimously. A copy of the minutes is attached and made a part of the official minutes of the meeting. 4. CSC New Program: B.A. in Political Science The resolution Castleton State College: Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science was moved by Trustee Pelletier and seconded by Trustee Wright. Trustee Pelletier stated that EPSL fully endorsed the program. The resolution was approved unanimously. A copy of the resolution is attached and made a part of the official minutes of the meeting. 5. EPSL Committee: Consent Agenda: Emeritus Status for Faculty The resolution EPSL Committee: Consent Agenda: Emeritus Status for Faculty was moved by Trustee Pelletier and seconded by Trustee Fairbrother. Trustee Pelletier informed the Board that though they will vote on a consent agenda, each nominee will be acknowledged individually and each will have their own written resolution. No items were removed from the consent agenda. The resolution was approved unanimously. A copy of the resolution is attached and made a part of the official minutes of the meeting. 6. Honorary Degree Chair Moore moved this agenda item to the end of the meeting to be taken up in executive session. Chair Moore congratulated VSC Director of Human Resources Nancy Shaw and all those involved in the recently concluded 2012 Leadership Series. Chancellor Donovan noted that this is the sixth year for the Series. Presidents nominate people they believe have the potential to be future leadership of the institution. Participants work across colleges and Board of Trustees Meeting
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within colleges on projects that develop leadership potential. The Series is a successful investment of time and energy on the part of the whole system. Chair Moore stated it is a good opportunity to connect with colleagues at the other colleges. 7. Revised VSC Policy 404: Cash Management Policy The resolution Revision of VSC Policy 404 – Cash Management Policy was moved by Trustee O’Connor and seconded by Trustee Milne. Trustee Milne explained that the need for the policy came about because a CD the VSC held at a good rate terminated and now we need to look for other methods of investing our cash and to have appropriate guidance for this. Chancellor Donovan explained that monthly balances can be seen in the cash management report; there are a couple of aspects of our cash position that must be liquid as differentiated from endowments, which are invested in places where we can only use the proceeds. First, students come at the beginning of a semester and they pay at that time, but our expenses occur all year. We try to maximize earnings on this as a source of revenue. We also have a number of reserves, some required by law or regulation and some that are more discretionary. Over the last five years, as Trustee O’Connor indicated, we haven’t had to worry about it since we had a 5‐year jumbo CD earning 5.5% interest. We were able to put money in or take money out of that CD on a monthly basis, but that CD expired on time in February. The bank did not want to renew it. It is important to have the same guidance for administration that we have with regard to other kinds of endowment investments. This policy has been revised so the Board understands that there are short term investments that we need to make for cash flow, medium term investments, and long term investments. Chancellor Donovan called attention to the long term pool on page 70 of the meeting materials wanting the board to pay particular notice of two activities allowed under the policy. The policy allows for the long term pool of funds to be used as a source of loans for specific projects within the system. Loans would be made to a college at terms lower than a commercial loan or bond but higher than the VSC would otherwise earn on investment. In particular is the creation of a green revolving fund where an investment in energy efficiency would have a payback possibly in as little as two or three years but the cash for the initial investment is hard to plan for. We are proposing in this policy to set up a maximum $2M revolving green fund for colleges to propose projects that will be vetted by Efficiency VT for an energy efficiency improvement at a college that that has a return on that investment of five years or less, i.e., the energy savings fully pay for the cost of the project in five years or less. Dan Smith worked very closely with Efficiency VT on this. If approved, the VSC will be the first state system of public higher education to adopt a fund like this, and there may be some media attention as a result. Trustee Winters asked if the loan maximum would be five years; Chancellor Donovan confirmed this. Board of Trustees Meeting
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Trustee Wright inquired whether these funds would be used inside or outside the budgetary process. Chancellor Donovan responded that they would be used outside the budgetary process much like the capital budget. CFO Robbins explained that proposals would be reviewed to ensure that their expense savings would be greater than interest costs. Trustee Wright emphasized then that the projects would have a net gain. Trustee Pelletier inquired about the approval process for these loans. Chancellor Donovan responded that it would be the same as the investment policy; the Administration would work within guidelines established by the Board. He assured the Board that they would be informed along the way and that there may be adjustments as we go. Trustee Milne asked that since we are setting up the ability to invest cash would we also put forward procedures for institutions to take advantage of it. Chancellor Donovan answered that if the Board approves this policy then CFO Robbins will meet with the Deans of Administration to start putting that framework in place. The resolution was approved unanimously. A copy of the resolution is attached and made a part of the official minutes of the meeting. 8. Endorsement of Grant Proposals: Consent Agenda The resolution Endorsement of Grant Proposals: Consent Agenda was moved by Trustee O’Connor and seconded by Trustee Jerman. No items were removed from the consent agenda. The resolution was approved unanimously. A copy of the resolution is attached and made a part of the official minutes of the meeting. 9. Establishment of Endowments: Consent Agenda The resolution Establishment of Endowments: Consent Agenda was moved by Trustee O’Connor and seconded by Trustee Fairbrother. No items were removed from the consent agenda. The resolution was approved unanimously. A copy of the resolution is attached and made a part of the official minutes of the meeting. 10. Naming of a College Building Chair Moore moved this agenda item to the end of the meeting to be taken up in executive session. Board of Trustees Meeting
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C. ITEMS FOR INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION May 31, 2012
1. Report of the April 11, 2012 Meeting of the Education, Personnel and Student Life Committee Trustee Pelletier reported that there were two presentations at the April 11th EPSL Committee meeting: one on CCV certificate programs, spotlighting the substance and alcohol abuse programs. The other presentation was by Interim Chief Academic Officer Joe Mark on performance indicators. There was also discussion of a preliminary program proposal by Castleton for a B.A. in Ecological Studies. 2. Report of the April 11, 2012 Meeting of the Finance and Facilities Committee Trustee O’Connor reported that at the April 11th meeting the Facilities and Finance Committee heard a very informative presentation on financial aid from Cathy O’Meara of Castleton and Scott Giles of VSAC. They have now changed food contract—Trustee O’Connor offered thanks to Aramark and good luck to Sodexo. In May, the Committee will be discussing the budget that CFO Robbins will bring forward soon. Trustee Jerman stated that the financial aid presentation was excellent and particularly important since a lot of VSC students came to legislature this year for good discussion about increasing student aid at the state level. U.S. Representative Welch is trying to forestall a July 1st increase in Stafford Loan rates. But the good news is that in the past few years income‐contingent repayment has been enacted so that people with lower‐paying professions will have lower monthly loan payments. It’s a mixed bag but good to have a complete picture presented to the Board. 3. Report of the Vermont State Colleges Student Association Trustee Kleinhans announced that the VSCSA has elected Lyndon State student Nick Russo to be the next Student Trustee on the Board. This is the third year that the Student Trustee has come from LSC. He also introduced Laura Martin, a first year representative at LSC SGA; Samantha VanSchoick, next editor of The Critic; and Sean Siciliano, next LSC SGA president. Students from the JSC, CSC and VTC SGAs attended as well but had to leave early. 4. Report of the Chancellor Chancellor Donovan reported that since the Board last met, he was invited along with 26 other representatives from throughout the country to a morning meeting at the White House about college affordability. The President has issued a challenge for keeping tuition low, which is directly affected by levels of state support. The good news for Vermont is that our state support is relatively level, constant and predictable, though low. The states and systems most panicked are those where this is no longer true and where they’ve gotten historically high levels of state support. We’ve gotten to our current funding level very slowly and without major disruptions like other states that are experiencing 12‐20% drops in funding. We have also not experienced the shifting of costs to colleges and universities. For example, the president of Illinois State University shared that the equivalent of their GASB obligation, which had been a state obligation, had just been shifted to the university. Half a Board of Trustees Meeting
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dozen White House staffers joined the meeting, and they spent time discussing areas where federal regulations are adding to the cost of delivery. It was a great opportunity on a topic important to all of us. Chancellor Donovan announced that the lease at Stone Cutters Way has been signed and that interior construction is underway with an expected end of July occupancy. 5. Reports of the College Presidents President Judy announced that at the beginning of April CCV had a successful NEASC visit for their 10‐year accreditation. President Judy thanked Chair Moore, Trustee Pelletier and Trustee Winters for spending time with the committee while they were there. They look forward to reporting to the commission next fall to finish the accreditation process. Chancellor Donovan noted that the CCV self‐study is included in the Board’s reference materials on their iPads. VTC’s NEASC visit was in 2011; Castleton’s was completed this year; LSC had theirs last year, and JSC will have theirs in fall 2015. Chair Moore stated that the NEASC committee was impressed with the dedication of faculty, staff and students. Chancellor Donovan stated that NEASC normally deals with states where governance is different; there seemed to be a little disbelief that one board could adequately serve and support such a mixture of five colleges. The committee was impressed that the Trustees knew a lot about CCV; that the Trustees were supportive of and active with CCV; and especially that the Board paid equal attention to four‐year and two‐year schools. Chair Moore said the committee expected CCV to be overlooked. Trustee Milne asked whether articulation agreements and students’ transferring don’t happen in other states. President Judy answered that sometimes transferring is difficult in other states, and that the VSC has been a leader in that a common database in a system is highly unusual. The NEASC committee seemed amazed that the community college wasn’t being treated as a second class citizen by the Board. President Judy said she always told the committee that she felt very supported by the Board. Castleton Dean of Administration Scott Dikeman had nothing to add to President Wolk’s report. He reported that President Wolk is recovering well from his surgery. President Gold announced that incoming President Joe Bertolino just returned to NY after three days at LSC, engaging with all elements of the campus community. His visit was very productive and positive for the whole campus. He will be coming back in May and June, and he is working hard to hit the ground running on July 1st. The transition process is going well. President Gold called attention to two items from his report: Associate Professor of Psychology Margaret Sherrer has become a Fulbright Scholar. A team from LSC was asked to present at the 2nd National Summit on the Role of Education and Economic Development in Rural America in Washington DC. Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsac and other federal officials were in attendance. LSC was among four programs selected nationwide. President Gold distributed copies of the slideshow they Board of Trustees Meeting
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presented there. It is predominantly about the work of the Center for Rural Entrepreneurship and the Leahy Center for Rural Students. President Conroy shared that the Allen House opened this week—it is the home of the Center for Sustainable Practices. The combination of renovating, preserving and making sustainable an historic 1826 building is remarkable. The Knights of the Workbench are off to Florida in May; this week there was a round of media interest, including the New England Cable Network and Channel Five. They are one of twenty teams from leading engineering schools in country: a new group of competitors for VTC students and they are doing well. President Conroy provided an update on the biodigester project. The innovation of this project is so cutting edge that the permitting process is an interesting one, with some snags. In the last few weeks the Department of Agriculture and the Agency of Natural Resources have been negotiating about whose responsibility it is. It is the largest digester project in state right now. It is a little ahead of current and pending legislation. VTC hopes to start installation in June. President Murphy introduced JSC staff members in the audience: Sandy Noyes, Staff Assistant in the Writing, Literature and Humanities Department and Chapter Chair of the Staff Federation; Controller Toby Stewart; Professor Tyrone Shaw, a JSC Fulbright Scholar, who just returned from a weeklong arts and writing trip to Cuba with students; Academic Dean Dan Regan; Dean of Students Dave Bergh, who also advises the VSCSA and will be part of the national AASCU leadership program; Professor Julie Theoret, Chapter Chair for the Faculty Federation; Jamie Ventura, Director of Athletics; Mike Osborne, Assistant Director of Athletics and basketball coach; JSC recently received a grant to enhance staffing for athletics efforts in development, fundraising and sports information; Dave Cavanaugh, Co‐Director of the External Degree Program; Paul Bloomhardt, Instructional Technology Specialist; Dotty Spoerl, Academic Network Administrator; Heloisa Dantas‐Herder, Executive Assistant to the President; Jo Ann Edwards, JSC Librarian and Vice President of United Professionals. Trustee Jerman inquired whether Johnson had recently hired a political science professor from LSC. President Murphy confirmed that David Plazek will be an Associate Professor of Political Science and will bring a Canadian studies focus too. President Gold added that U.S. Representative Peter Welch held a statewide meeting at CCV at which all the VSC schools were represented that Dan Smith organized to gather information on ways that federal red tape was costing the colleges money and time that could be eliminated. Dan organized everyone’s thoughts into a four‐page memo along with input from other Vermont colleges and provided that information to Representative Welch, who was interested in specific examples. Chair Moore then introduced Dan Smith, VSC Director of Public Policy and Community Relations, Vice President and General Counsel Bill Reedy, and Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Tom Robbins. Board of Trustees Meeting
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6. Other Business LSC Student Representative Laura Martin thanked the Board for their hard work. Newly elected Student Trustee Nick Russo said he is really excited to be a new member of the Board. JSC Dean of Students Dave Bergh thanked outgoing Student Trustee John Kleinhans for his work, and especially his efforts to bring students to the Statehouse earlier this year. Chair Moore announced that the next Board meeting will be on May 31st at VTC in Williston, the most rapidly growing part of the VSC. Chair Moore then announced that there were two remaining items to be discussed in executive session: the naming of a college building and the conferral of an honorary degree. Trustee Pelletier moved that the Board enter executive session pursuant to 1 V.S.A. §313(a)(3) to discuss appointment of a public official to receive an honorary degree from a Vermont State College. In addition to the Board, the Chancellor, President Murphy and General Counsel Reedy were asked to attend the executive session. The Board approved the motion unanimously and entered executive session at 4:20 p.m. and exited executive session at 4:26 p.m. Trustee O’Connor moved that the Board enter executive session pursuant to 1 V.S.A. §313(a)(6) to discuss documents excepted from the access to public records provisions of 1 V.S.A. §317(c)(1) [“records which by law are designated confidential” see VSC Policy 413(7)] related to the naming of a VSC college building. In addition to the Board, the Chancellor, Dean Dikeman and General Counsel Reedy were asked to attend the executive session. The Board approved the motion unanimously and the Board entered executive session at 4:29 p.m. and exited executive session at 4:38 p.m. Trustee Wright moved that the Board enter executive session pursuant to 1 V.S.A. §313(a)(3) to discuss appointment of a public official to receive an honorary degree from a Vermont State College. In addition to the Board, the Chancellor and General Counsel Reedy were asked to attend the executive session. The Board approved the motion unanimously and the Board entered executive session at 4:40 p.m. and exited executive session at 4:53 p.m. The resolution Johnson State College Conferral of Honorary Degree to the Honorable Beth Robinson was moved by Trustee Pelletier and seconded by Trustee Jerman. The resolution was approved unanimously. A copy of the resolution is attached and made a part of the official minutes of the meeting. The resolution Naming of a College Building after a person recommended by President Wolk was moved by Trustee O’Connor and seconded by Trustee Winters. Board of Trustees Meeting
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The resolution was approved unanimously. A copy of the resolution is attached and made a part of the official minutes of the meeting. The motion to adjourn the meeting was made by Trustee O’Connor and seconded by Trustee Wright. The meeting adjourned at 5:07 p.m. 7. Comments from the Public There were no comments from the public. 8. Date and Place of Next Meeting May 31, 2012, 3:00 p.m. Vermont Technical College – Williston Campus Respectfully submitted, Elaine Sopchak, Recording Secretary Board of Trustees Meeting
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2. Election of Officers of the Board of Trustees and Audit Committee The By‐laws of the Board of Trustees provide the following: Article II, Section 1 “…the annual meeting of the Board shall be the June meeting…” Article III, Section 1., “The officers of the Board shall be a Chair, a Vice‐Chair, a Secretary and a Treasurer. The same person may serve as Secretary and Treasurer.” The VSC Audit Committee Charter provides the following: Section II., “Committee members shall be elected by the Board of Trustees at the annual organizational meeting on the recommendation of the Nominating Committee.” “The Chair of the Committee shall be appointed by the Chair of the Board from the elected members of the Committee.” The Nominating Committee will present a slate of nominations to the Board for its consideration. Board of Trustees Meeting
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3. Personnel Action: Reappointment of the Chancellor The Chair of the Board, with assistance from the Priorities Committee conducted an end‐of‐year evaluation of the Chancellor. The Priorities Committee recommends to the full Board reappointment of the Chancellor for a two‐year period.
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VERMONT STATE COLLEGES BOARD OF TRUSTEES RESOLUTION Personnel Action: Reappointment of the Chancellor BE IT RESOLVED, That upon recommendation of the VSC Board Priorities Committee, the following personnel action is approved, subject to and in accordance with the terms of the letter of reappointment, to be signed by the Chair of the Board of Trustees. Name Position Tim Donovan Chancellor May 31, 2012 Term 7/1/2012 – 6/30/2014 Board of Trustees Meeting
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4. Personnel Actions: Reappointment of the College Presidents The Chancellor completed end‐of‐year evaluations of the presidents. He recommended to the Priorities Committee and, with their endorsement, recommends to the full Board reappointment of the presidents for a two‐year period. Board of Trustees Meeting
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VERMONT STATE COLLEGES BOARD OF TRUSTEES RESOLUTION Personnel Actions: Reappointment of the College Presidents BE IT RESOLVED, That upon recommendation of the Chancellor, the following personnel actions are approved, subject to and in accordance with the terms of the letters of reappointment, to be signed by the Chancellor. Name May 31, 2012 Position Term Barbara Murphy President 7/1/2012 – 6/30/2014 David Wolk President 7/1/2012 – 6/30/2014 Joyce Judy President 7/1/2012 – 6/30/2014 Philip Conroy President 7/1/2012 – 6/30/2014 Board of Trustees Meeting
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5. FY2013 Budget 5.a. VSC Budget Adopting the upcoming fiscal year’s operating budget is among the most important annual activities of the VSC’s Board of Trustees. The FY2013 budget proposed incorporates the FY2013 and FY2014 student charges set at its January meeting. Immediately after the resolution are the FY2013 operating budget spreadsheets for the VSC aggregated, and the each college plus the system office, along with corresponding narratives. Each college/entity used the approved assumptions while creating their budgets. Any additional assumptions were added in the “College Adjustment” column. These additional assumptions are detailed in the narrative accompanying the budgets. The balanced budget proposals are characterized by the following key elements: • Full Paying Equivalent (FPE) Student Enrollments Tuitions and fees from FPE students constitute revenue to the college’s operating budgets, and for FY2013 FPEs (whether new or from improved retention) are projected to be slightly up from FY2012 budget levels at CSC and LSC, and relatively flat at CCV, JSC, VTC and AHP. Within these projections, the mix of in‐state vs. out‐of‐state students is continually shifting. • Revenue Net of the GASB 45 allocation of 1%, the approved tuition increase is 3.0% for in‐
state and NEBHE students at all five colleges. Net of the GASB 45 allocation of 1%, out of state tuition will increase 3% at CCV, LSC and VTC, 4% at JSC and 6% at CSC. Fees and Board rates increased 4%. • State Operating Appropriation The state operating appropriation for FY2013 was at the governor’s recommended amount: $23,107,247. This is comparable to the FY2007 state funding level. • Salaries/Benefits Unless otherwise stipulated by union contract VSC employees received a 2% pay increase. Health insurance will increase 5.7%. Our experience and trend line for FY2012 lead us to believe this is the appropriate increase to maintain a balance of covering predicted costs and maintaining a sufficient cushion for unanticipated increases. Wages and attendant costs continue to dominate our expense structure accounting for 69% of our unrestricted operating expenses. A large majority of the VSC full time employees belong to one of the five unions. The union contracts contain agreed upon pay increases over the life of the contracts. Board of Trustees Meeting
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The GASB 45 net annual accrual (Other Post Employment Benefits) impact on the FY2013 is approximately $8,079,000. For the first time since FY2006 we will actually begin to put cash aside to fund this liability. This amount will be ~ $1,000,000 for FY2013. The total VSC liability for the GASB 45 liability, which includes both past and future obligations, is $172,333,000. This amount includes medical and life insurance for all employees. This is being allocated according to employee headcount. As we have discussed in the past the portion of this liability not funded with cash will end up being a reduction to our fund balance. Other Operating Throughout the budget, colleges have undertaken substantial adjustments and realignments in order to mitigate the impact of inflation on expenses, enrollment and other priorities. The State of Vermont’s FY2013 budget included the following appropriations: VSC FY2011 Appropriations Base $23,107,247 One Time $1,722,837 Total $24,830,084 VSC FY2011 Appropriations Allied Health General Fund $711,096 Allied Health Global $405,407 Commitment Allied Health $1,116,503 Total Targeted Appropriations FY2011 VSC‐Capital $2,000,000 FY2012 $711,096 $405,407 FY2013 $23,107,247 0 $23,107,247 FY2013 $711,096 $405,407 $1,116,503 $1,116,503 FY2012 $1,800,000 FY2013 $1,800,000 $427,877 $785,679 VMEC $459,801 $427,877 VIT‐Operating $785,679 $785,679 $23,107,247 0 $23,107,247 FY2012 Board of Trustees Meeting
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$290,085 $299,242 Next $500,000 Generation Scholarships Dual Enrollment $400,000 $500,000 $299,242 $500,000 $400,000 $400,000 Higher education appropriations in Vermont per FTE continue to rank last in the country by a substantial margin. In FY2011, the state of Vermont provided $2,599 per FTE (FY2010 was $2,696), as compared to New Hampshire’s appropriation of $2,646. In FY2011, New York provides $8,082 per FTE and Massachusetts provided $5,599 per FTE. The top five states, per FTE in FY2011: Wyoming ‐ $15,943; Alaska ‐ $11,866; North Carolina – $9,463; Connecticut ‐ $8,176; New York ‐ $8,082. (Source: SHEEO, State Higher Education Finance Report, FY 2011). The graph below tracks VSC revenue streams over thirty‐years. Board of Trustees Meeting
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It is worth noting that in 1980, the state operating appropriation contributed more than tuition and fees. The current mix is more than $4 of tuition and fees to $1 of state appropriation. The lack of state funding puts a significant amount of pressure on the VSC mission of maintaining affordability through low levels of tuitions and fees. These five colleges are the access institutions for many Vermonters. Eighty three (83%) of all VSC students are Vermonters and Fifty‐seven (57%) of the Vermont students enrolled in the VSC are the first in their families to attend college. Operating and capital funding levels continue to put our colleges at a competitive disadvantage with regards to facilities, building maintenance and academic equipment purchases. Despite these challenges, the colleges continue to have an impact in every region of our state. During 2011, the VSC served 9,868 full time equivalent students. In spite of the financial challenges faced by the VSC we remain highly cognizant and sensitive to the burden of tuition and fees on our students. We strive to keep our increases to a minimum. The Vermont State Colleges continue to be the most affordable colleges in Vermont. We are entering the fourth year of a significant reduction in the number of high school graduates in Vermont. Our extensive work with high schools, dual enrollment, the PreK‐
16 continuum should contribute to an increase in college continuation rates in Vermont and increased affiliation with the state colleges. For the past few years approximately 700 high school students participated in our dual enrollment program. The guidance counselor perception of quality at the VSC is high. A recent VSAC study indicated a 50% increase in the portion of high school seniors planning to attend one of the state colleges. Board of Trustees Meeting
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During the Committee meeting last week, clarification was requested regarding the reserves that are held at the colleges as well as the carryover process. CFO Robbins stated that there is a 2.5% board mandated reserve at every college and that this reserve is maintained at 2.5% of the college’s annual operating budget. The colleges may also have a discretionary reserve that can be up to 5% of their annual operating budget. These reserves are authorized in VSC Policy 403 – Annual Operating Budget. Chancellor Donovan stated that the theory behind the carryover is that rather than force each college to spend every budgeted penny within the budget period the carryover allows them to roll forward unspent money into a future period. He noted that nobody budgets for carryover – these budgets are appropriately balanced. The attached resolution passed and is being forwarded to the Board for its consideration.
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VERMONT STATE COLLEGES BOARD OF TRUSTEES RESOLUTION FY2013 VSC Budget WHEREAS, The Finance & Facilities Committee of the Board of Trustees has reviewed the FY2013 budget information presented for the Vermont State Colleges, has discussed individual aspects of the proposals with institutional representatives, and endorses approval by the full Board; therefore, be it RESOLVED, May 31, 2012 That the Board of Trustees of the Vermont State Colleges hereby approves the pre GASB 45 FY2013 balanced Operating Budget of $167,053,035 and the post GASB 45 Operating Budget Deficit of $6,636,407. These budgets are consistent with the attached material and subject to final determination of fund balances available at June 30, 2012, and with the use of available carry‐over funds to be approved at a later date. Board of Trustees Meeting
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5.b. Nursing & Allied Health Program The Nursing & Allied Health Program comprises the nursing program, dental hygiene, pharmacy technology, and respiratory therapy. Nursing continues to be a dynamic and much sought after program. The Nursing & Allied Health Program shares the same assumptions as the VSC budget. REVENUES: Net Tuition and Fees The FY’12 budget was based upon 398 FPE which is the projected to be the actual FPE for FY’12. The FY’13 budget is based upon 397 FPE, essentially keeping it at the same level, with the student mix changing slightly with an increase in Vermonter and decrease in NEBHE. The increase in revenue is attributed to the 4% tuition increase. Other Operating Revenue The rental of space to outside agencies in Brattleboro site has decreased significantly. EXPENSES: Salaries and Wages One new faculty position was added for the Rutland site and one partially shared position was shifted to the VTC operating budget. All other increase in salaries results from annual salary adjustments per bargaining units existing agreements. •
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Employee Benefits – Group Insurance Employee Group Insurance benefits increased by 5.7% rather than the initial assumption of 9% and were offset with the new faculty position and new retiree. Employee Benefits‐ GASB‐45 Reduction based on current year actual. Employee Benefits – All Other Nothing significant to report; FICA and Retirement went up slightly following the increase in salaries. Scholarships and Fellowships Increased to bring budget closer to actual experience. Supplies and other Services The reduction results from the shift of budgeting for Williston campus support from operations to inter‐entity transfers. Travel Increase in travel costs due to higher gas costs. Equipment Furnishings and instructional equipment have been budgeted for the new leased facility in Bennington. Board of Trustees Meeting
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Utilities No significant variance to report. • Transfers – Inter‐Entity The Williston campus support is now budgeted as a transfer rather than in operations. The college has also elected to not budget for lab equipment replacement which was previously budgeted as a transfer to VTC. • Investment Income The decrease eliminates budgeting for the quasi‐endowment investment income which is difficult to project for both realized and unrealized gains/losses. The Nursing and Allied Health Program budget is separate from the regular VTC budget due to NAHP having its separate operating appropriation. The attached resolution passed and is being forwarded to the Board for its consideration. Board of Trustees Meeting
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VERMONT STATE COLLEGES BOARD OF TRUSTEES RESOLUTION FY2013 Nursing & Allied Health Program WHEREAS, RESOLVED, May 31, 2012 The Finance & Facilities Committee of the Board of Trustees has reviewed the FY2013 budget information presented for the Vermont State Colleges, has discussed individual aspects of the proposals with institutional representatives, and endorses approval by the full Board, therefore, be it That the Board of Trustees of the Vermont State Colleges hereby approves the pre GASB 45 FY2013 balanced Operating Budget of $6,050,703 and the post GASB 45 Operating Budget Deficit of $101,100. These budgets are consistent with the attached material and subject to final determination of fund balances available at June 30, 2012, and with the use of available carry‐over funds to be approved at a later date. Board of Trustees Meeting
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5.c. VIT Budget REVENUES: Sales and Services: The FY’13 sales and service income goal is set at $330,000. VIT’s recent name change and marketing campaign have heightened awareness of VIT’s many, new services. In addition, as a result of an impending retirement, VIT restructured staff responsibilities in order to create a full‐time Business Development & Outreach Coordinator position, without increasing the total number of full‐time staff members. The campaign and the new position should help VIT reach the FY ’13 sales goal. State Appropriation: VIT received a level funded state appropriation of $785,679 for the fourth year in a row. We are very appreciative of level funding in this economy, but it does put pressure on VIT’s operation. EXPENSES: Salary & Wages –The slight reduction in salaries and wages is the result of two items: 1. The impending retirement of a long‐time employee and the hiring of a new employee at a lesser salary. 2. For the second year in a row, VIT team members will not receive a cost of living increase. VIT is reducing expenses wherever possible. Group Insurance‐ VIT’s group insurance will increase more than the budgeted 5.7% because of the added expense of a new retiree. In general, all other expenses will be held to a minimum in FY ’13. The attached resolution passed and is being forwarded to the Board for its consideration. Board of Trustees Meeting
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VERMONT STATE COLLEGES BOARD OF TRUSTEES RESOLUTION FY2013 VIT Budget WHEREAS, RESOLVED, May 31, 2012 The Finance & Facilities Committee of the Board of Trustees has reviewed the FY2013 budget information presented for the Vermont State Colleges, has discussed individual aspects of the proposals with institutional representatives, and endorses approval by the full Board, therefore, be it That the Board of Trustees of the Vermont State Colleges hereby approves the pre GASB 45 FY2013 balanced Operating Budget of $1,143,979 and the post GASB 45 Operating Budget Deficit of $28,300. These budgets are consistent with the attached material and subject to final determination of fund balances available at June 30, 2012, and with the use of available carry‐over funds to be approved at a later date. Board of Trustees Meeting
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5.d. Workforce Development Budget Workforce Development includes activities of the Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center (VMEC), Technology Extension Division (TED), Small Business Development Center (SBDC), and Vermont Corporate College (VCC). OPERATING REVENUE: Sales & Services: The SBDC Ag Tech Assistance contract is not budgeted to continue in FY13. The Lamp Recycling contract is anticipated to receive a date extension into FY13 and is budgeted with a slightly lower budget compared to FY12. The Champlain Bridge contract budgeted for FY12 did not continue and has been removed for FY13. The VMEC MEP contract is not scheduled to continue in FY13 however unrestricted projects conducted by VMEC are anticipated to increase which essentially offsets the contract revenue reduction. The Central Vermont Medical Center contract with Tech Extension concluded during FY12 and is not budgeted in FY13. The Career Tech contract revenue is slightly higher than last year. OPERATING EXPENSES: Salary/Wage Line thru Transfer Line: The net decrease in the operating expenditures reflects contract & program changes mention above for TED, VMEC, and SBDC combined. NON‐OPERATING REVENUES: VMEC receives state appropriation funding. The attached resolution passed and is being forwarded to the Board for its consideration. Board of Trustees Meeting
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WHEREAS, RESOLVED, May 31, 2012 VERMONT STATE COLLEGES BOARD OF TRUSTEES RESOLUTION FY2013 Workforce Development Budget The Finance & Facilities Committee of the Board of Trustees has reviewed the FY2013 budget information presented for the Vermont State Colleges, has discussed individual aspects of the proposals with institutional representatives, and endorses approval by the full Board, therefore, be it That the Board of Trustees of the Vermont State Colleges hereby approves the pre GASB 45 FY2013 balanced Operating Budget of $1,599,220 and the post GASB 45 Operating Budget Surplus of $167,342. These budgets are consistent with the attached material and subject to final determination of fund balances available at June 30, 2012, and with the use of available carry‐over funds to be approved at a later date. Board of Trustees Meeting
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6. Review and Recommend Approval of Annual Banking and Investment Resolution The VSC’s Banking & Investment Resolution prescribes what financial activities are empowered to the Chancellor and/or Chief Financial Officer on behalf of the System, and what are empowered to the Presidents and/or Deans of Administration on behalf of the individual colleges. Financial institutions with which we deal desire to see such a document endorsed periodically by the Trustees, to assure the Board is currently comfortable with its implications. To accommodate this desire, now presented for review and approval, is the ensuing resolution which is unchanged from the one passed by the Board last year. While resolution wording is in necessary legal language, essentially it: (a) empowers the Chancellor and/or Vice President, Chief Financial Officer to establish bank or other accounts for VSC operations as well as System cash management and investment activities, to secure financing consistent with applicable Board or legislative authority, to pledge collateral as may be necessary for certain financing, and to handle virtually all other aspects relevant to financial matters of the VSC; and (b) empowers college Presidents and/or Deans of Administration to establish bank or other accounts for respective college operations as well as college cash management activities. The resolution passed and is being forwarded to the Board for its consideration. Board of Trustees Meeting
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VERMONT STATE COLLEGES BOARD OF TRUSTEES RESOLUTION Banking and Investment WHEREAS, WHEREAS, RESOLVED, The conduct of the business affairs of the Vermont State Colleges and each of its constituent members requires the establishment of banking relations and investment of funds; and The selected officials of the Vermont State Colleges should be empowered to conduct banking and investment affairs in keeping with the organization of Vermont State Colleges; therefore, be it That the Chancellor and/or Chief Financial Officer are authorized to do the following: 1. Establish accounts with banks and authorized brokers/dealers (safekeeping, trust, checking, savings, money market, time or demand deposit) through which to transact the cash management and investment business of the Vermont State Colleges, and delegate authority for initiation of related wire transfers; 2. Borrow money and obtain credit from banks, authorized brokers/dealers, or other lending agencies in conformity with Board of Trustees approved budgets: and execute and deliver notes, draft acceptances, instruments of guaranty, and any other legal obligations of Vermont State Colleges, therefore, in form satisfactory to the lending agency; 3. Pledge or assign and deliver, as security for money borrowed or credit obtained, stocks, bonds, bills receivable, accounts, mortgages, merchandise, bills of lading or other shipping documents, warehouse receipts, insurance policies, certificates and any other property held by, or belonging to, this corporation, with full authority to endorse, assign, transfer or guarantee the same in the name of this corporation, except as restricted by Vermont Statute; Board of Trustees Meeting
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4. Discount any bills receivable or any paper held by this corporation, with full authority to endorse the same in the name of this corporation; 5. Withdraw from the bank or authorized brokers/dealers and give receipt for, or authorize the bank or authorized brokers/dealers to deliver to bearer or to one or more designated persons, all or any documents and securities or other property held by it, whether held as collateral security or for safekeeping or for any other purpose; 6. Invest funds of Vermont State Colleges in legal investments as established by Board of Trustees policy; 7. Sell or authorize and request the bank or authorized brokers/dealers to purchase or sell, for the account of this corporation, foreign exchange, stocks, bonds, and other securities; 8. Apply for and receive letters of credit, and execute and deliver all necessary or proper documents for that purpose; 9. Execute and deliver all instruments and documents required in connection with any of the foregoing matters, and to affix the seal of this corporation; and, be it further RESOLVED, That the President and/or Dean of Administration of each college of the Vermont State Colleges (Community College of Vermont, Castleton State College, Johnson State College, Lyndon State College, and Vermont Technical College) are authorized to do the following: 1. Establish bank accounts (safekeeping, trust, checking, savings, money market, time or demand deposit) through which to transact the banking business of the college in which they are officers. May 31, 2012 Board of Trustees Meeting
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7. Naming of Hoff Hall at CSC Castleton has requested Board ratification of the naming of Hoff Hall. We have come to learn a lot more about Governor Hoff during the preparation for and publication of the recent book, How Red Turned to Blue in the Green Mountain State, authored by Tony Marro, Steve Terry and Sam Hand, and published by Castleton State College and the University Press of New England in 2011. Governor Hoff was instrumental in the establishment and nourishment of the modern day VSC. It is also interesting that not one building or site of any kind in Vermont has ever been named for him. President Wolk stated that he was thrilled that Castleton is able to honor Governor Hoff in such a way and that Governor Hoff was very touched by this gesture. The resolution passed and is being forwarded to the Board for its consideration. Board of Trustees Meeting
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VERMONT STATE COLLEGES BOARD OF TRUSTEES RESOLUTION Naming of Hoff Hall at Castleton State College WHEREAS, WHEREAS, WHEREAS, WHEREAS, WHEREAS, WHEREAS, WHEREAS, Castleton’s President, David S. Wolk, has recommended that the Board name the new dormitory building for Governor Philip H. Hoff, who has made significant contributions to the Vermont State Colleges (VSC), higher education, and public service, and Candidate Hoff, during his successful 1962 campaign for Governor, argued that the state colleges needed to be strengthened not only to provide education for Vermont students but also to become economic and cultural centers in the areas where they were based; and Governor Hoff strongly supported the Vermont State Colleges Board of Trustees in its early plans to expand the size and scope of the institutions, as well as the plans of Provost Robert Babcock to raise academic standards. As a result, the colleges improved and grew, transforming from small colleges focused entirely on teacher training into larger, robust, comprehensive institutions of higher education; and reflecting on his tenure forty years later, Governor Hoff considered the improvement of the Vermont State Colleges system one of the accomplishments of which he remained proudest; and Castleton is completing the construction of a modern residence hall that is also a Conference and Events center adjacent to a new Green Pavilion gateway to Spartan Stadium, with a sea of rooftop solar panels providing power for the new structures; and the Chancellor of the VSC, Timothy J. Donovan, has approved the proposed naming of the building for Governor Hoff as meeting the criteria set forth above, and the VSC General Counsel, William J. Reedy, has reviewed this proposed naming to help assure legal and technical priority, and Board of Trustees Meeting
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the proposal for naming the building has been presented to the VSC Board of Trustees’ Finance and Facilities Committee for its review and approval and the Committee indeed approved the proposal by unanimous vote at its April 11, 2012 meeting; therefore be it that the new solar powered dormitory and multipurpose building at Castleton be named Hoff Hall in honor of Governor Philip H. Hoff. Board of Trustees Meeting
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8. Approval of Castleton Purchase of the Reinfurt Properties in Castleton Castleton State College (Castleton) is interested in purchasing the Reinfurt properties located on Seminary Lane in Castleton and contiguous to the college campus. The properties (two separate yet abutting parcels) are presently held in an estate and we have met with the executors and toured the properties. The property at 30 Seminary Lane is comprised of .75 acres and is improved with a 3,316 square foot, two‐story residential structure consisting of three bedrooms and two bathrooms. The house was constructed circa1800 in the Federal style with a historic spiral staircase, period trim, molding and architectural details. The building was updated in 1990 and again in 2011. It has new heating, electrical and plumbing systems and is considered to be in good to average condition. There is an additional 612 square foot attached apartment unit with a loft. The site has frontage on both South Street and Seminary Lane and is serviced by a private street that is already maintained by the college in exchange for a right of way (it is used by the college to access Moriarty House aka Coffee Cottage). The property at 36 Seminary Lane is comprised of .56 acres and is improved with a 1,468 square foot, two story residential structure consisting of one bedroom and two bathrooms. The house was constructed circa 1835 and was completely renovated between 2002 and 2004. It has frontage on Seminary Lane and is immediately adjacent to our Moriarty House. This property was once owned by the college, which sold it to the present owner in 2002. According to the Deed, the college retained a right of first refusal on the subject. Castleton retained the services of Sargeant Appraisal Service, a known and respected appraisal firm in Rutland. The market values of the two properties were determined to be $275,000 and $190,000, respectively, or a combined value of $465,000. The Town of Castleton currently has the properties assessed to have individual values of $343,800 and $178,000 for a combined value of $521,800. Applying the Town of Castleton’s current Common Level of Assessment of 82.38% increases the combined value to $633,406. Based on the town’s assessment and the recent appraisals, Castleton hopes to negotiate the purchase of these two properties. The purchase of these properties would facilitate the relocation of the Admissions Department from their existing home in Wright House into the subject properties. Admissions has outgrown its existing location and is not considered an ideal “first impression” for prospective students and their families visiting the college. These properties would provide us with the space needed and will serve as a more centralized and aesthetically pleasing location for visitors. The large house would accommodate all of our counselors and staff, along with providing meeting and conference space. The smaller house would serve as gathering and presentation space for not only Admissions, but also Development and Alumni Relations. Board of Trustees Meeting
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The relocation of Admissions would open up Wright House and facilitate a variety of moves enabling us to take advantage and maximize usage of other space on campus. We are currently seeking to expand our Nursing program, which has experienced solid growth and retention over the past several years. They are at full capacity within the Stafford Academic Center and need room to grow. The potential relocation of either our Math Department or our Education Department, both within Stafford, into Wright House would afford us the additional space needed by Nursing in immediate proximity to its existing area. These two properties are immediately adjacent and are highly visible from our campus. In addition to our need for the space, our purchase of them would afford us protection and would prevent their future usage from conflicting with the college’s mission or appearance. The resolution passed and is being forwarded to the Board for its consideration. Board of Trustees Meeting
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VERMONT STATE COLLEGES BOARD OF TRUSTEES WHEREAS, WHEREAS, WHEREAS, RESOLVED, May 31, 2012 RESOLUTION Castleton Purchase of the Reinfurt Properties in Castleton Castleton requires additional office/classroom space in order to accommodate its growth; and Castleton has identified the Reinfurt properties, which are contiguous to the campus, as good properties to add with regard to its expansion strategy; and Castleton has obtained appraisals for these properties; therefore be it That the Vermont State Colleges Board of Trustees hereby authorizes Castleton to negotiate the purchase of the Reinfurt Properties in Castleton. Board of Trustees Meeting
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9. Approval of VTC Bennington Lease The Bennington Nursing program has been located at the Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in the former nursing residence building since before the nursing programs became a part of Vermont Tech and the VSC 15 or so years ago. The program has in recent years enrolled thirty practical nursing students and eighteen associate degree nursing students. While the hospital location served the program well for many years, it has since become inadequate for our needs. The first floor is not handicapped accessible; the classrooms are overcrowded, and there is no separate nursing lab area. This coming fall (2012) we will enroll another nine ADN students, bringing the total for that program to 27. The classroom used for those students barely holds the current number of students and could never accommodate an added nine. For these reasons and because the college will add programs in Bennington in the coming years we need larger, more adequate space in which to grow and co‐locate VIT and other college divisions. Leasing this site will allow VTC to expand its enrollment and programs and is important to VTC’s future. An ideal space was identified at 210 South Street in downtown Bennington for our campus. The building is owned by Applejack Real Estate (landlord) and comprises the 3rd floor and part of the 2nd floor, or approximately 7,900 square feet. Architectural drawings show VTC utilizing only 5,300 sf (3rd floor) initially and growing into the remaining 2,600 sf (partial 2nd floor) within 2 years. Final lease negotiations are incomplete, though we are able to judge the final lease price based on ongoing discussions. We anticipate the final lease rate to be between $8.50 and $9.00/sf, triple net, and the fit‐up costs to be up to $150,000 – which VTC will pay for. The initial lease will be between $45,000 and $47,700 annually. We anticipate paying $8.50/sf for the first five years, $9.00/sf for the next five years. The initial lease term will be 10 years with two 5‐year options. There is parking lot for up to 50 vehicles with more on‐street parking available. CAM is estimated at $2.00/sf. The resolution passed and is being forwarded to the Board for its consideration. Board of Trustees Meeting
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VERMONT STATE COLLEGES BOARD OF TRUSTEES RESOLUTION VTC Bennington Lease WHEREAS, The Bennington nursing program has been in the same leased location for the last 15 years; and WHEREAS, WHEREAS, WHEREAS WHEREAS, Due to overcrowded classrooms, current and projected growth, anticipated program additions, and ADA issues VTC decided to explore other lease opportunities in Bennington; and VTC has identified a building in Bennington that will accommodate their growth and also allow for the eventual co‐location of VIT and other college divisions; and The initial lease term will be for ten years with two 5 year extensions; and Although final lease negotiations are ongoing the initial lease space is expected to be 5,300 square feet, with another 2,600 square feet available, using a the triple net lease rate coming in between $8.50 to $9.00 a square foot; therefore be it RESOLVED, May 31, 2012 That the Vermont State Colleges Board of Trustees hereby authorizes VTC to finalize negotiations and to enter into a ten year lease agreement with two 5 year extension options at 210 South street in Bennington. Board of Trustees Meeting
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10. Grant Proposal: Consent Agenda The following grant proposal was submitted for review by the Finance and Facilities Committee. 1. Lyndon State College would like endorsement of a grant proposal titled “TRiO Upward Bound (84.047) ED‐GRANTS‐121911‐011” in the amount of $1,623,825. The grant will provide funding for the Upward Bound project at Lyndon State College, now in its 32nd year of operation. The program would serve nine target high schools in a three‐county area and purposes to help students navigate the path towards success in postsecondary education. The attached resolution passed and is being forwarded to the Board for its consideration. Board of Trustees Meeting
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VERMONT STATE COLLEGES BOARD OF TRUSTEES RESOLUTION Endorsement of Grant Proposal: Consent Item WHEREAS, WHEREAS, RESOLVED, Revised VSC Policy #408 provides for a single consent item to jointly endorse any and all new grant proposals for $150,000 or more which come before the Trustees at a given meeting; and The VSC Finance & Facilities Committee has appropriately reviewed the current grant proposal for $150,000 or more and recommends it to the full Board; therefore, be it That the Vermont State Colleges Board of Trustees hereby endorses the following grant proposal titled, in the amount, and from the specific granting entity as indicated: 1. May 31, 2012 LSC – “RiO Upward Bound (84.047) ED‐GRANTS‐121911‐011” in the amount of $1,623,825 for five years, being sought from the U. S. Department of Education. Board of Trustees Meeting
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11. Establishment of Endowment: Consent Agenda Lyndon State College would like to establish the following endowment: 1. The “Santagate Family Pre‐Nursing Scholarship Endowment” in the amount of $20,000. The endowment is funded with a $10,000 contribution made in memory of Joyce A. Santagate which will be matched with monies from the Lyndon State College Endowment Fund. A portion of the earnings will be used for scholarships for new or returning, full‐time students at Lyndon State College enrolled in Pre‐Nursing course work. The attached resolution passed and is being forwarded to the Board for its consideration. Board of Trustees Meeting
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VERMONT STATE COLLEGES BOARD OF TRUSTEES RESOLUTION Establishment of Endowment: Consent Agenda WHEREAS, WHEREAS, RESOLVED, Revised VSC Policy #412 provides for a single consent item to jointly establish any and all new endowments which come before the Trustees at a given meeting; and The VSC Finance & Facilities Committee has appropriately reviewed the following proposal to establish one new endowment and recommends it to the full Board; therefore, be it That the Vermont State Colleges Board of Trustees hereby establishes the following new endowment titled, in the amount, and for the specific purpose as indicated: 1. LSC – “Santagate Family Pre‐Nursing Scholarship Endowment” in the amount of $20,000 from which a portion of the earnings will be used scholarships for new or returning, full‐time students at Lyndon State College enrolled in Pre‐Nursing course work. May 31, 2012 Board of Trustees Meeting
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12. CSC Final New Program Proposal: B.A. in Ecological Studies Castleton proposes to add a Bachelor of Arts degree in Ecological Studies. The 47‐
credit major would permit students to study the science of ecology and the environment in the context of the liberal arts tradition. The multidisciplinary curriculum requires course work in biology, chemistry, geology, calculus, geographic information systems, and ecological science. Graduates will be prepared for careers as naturalists, research/field technicians, wildlife specialists, and staff of natural resources management initiatives. The B.A. in Ecological Studies would complement Castleton’s existing B.S. programs in Biology and in Environmental Science. These latter two programs require substantially more science course work and are designed principally to prepare students for graduate study and research positions. By contrast, the B.A. in Ecological Studies will permit students to pursue minors in disciplines such as business, criminal justice, political science, and writing. The EPSL Committee endorses the proposal and the attached resolution, and recommends the approval of the program to the full Board of Trustees. Board of Trustees Meeting
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VERMONT STATE COLLEGES BOARD OF TRUSTEES RESOLUTION Castleton State College Bachelor of Arts Degree in Ecological Studies WHEREAS, WHEREAS, WHEREAS, WHEREAS, WHEREAS, WHEREAS, RESOLVED, May 31, 2012 Castleton State College proposed a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Ecological Studies; and Castleton State College’s B.A. in Ecological Studies would permit students to study the science of ecology and the environment in the context of the liberal arts tradition; and The B.A. in Ecological Studies would complement Castleton’s existing B.S. programs in Biology and in Environmental Science; and The program will provide students with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to obtain employment as naturalists, research/field technicians, wildlife specialists, and staff of natural resources management initiatives; and Castleton State College has developed a budget to deliver the program based on conservative enrollment projections; and The Board Education, Personnel, Student Life Committee reviewed this proposal in accordance with Policy 102 and recommends it to the full Board for approval; therefore, be it That the VSC Board of Trustees authorizes Castleton State College to offer a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Ecological Studies as of this date, May 31, 2012. Board of Trustees Meeting
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13. JSC Final New Program Proposal: B.F.A. in Media Arts Chancellor Donovan has approved an expedited review process for JSC’s proposal to add a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Media Arts. The BFA in Media Arts degree would offer students opportunities to explore the rapidly expanding world of media and expression and would emphasize creative inquiry, collaboration, and emerging technologies. The proposed program requires 60 credit hours in visual design, performing arts, and interdisciplinary coursework and will include courses on image processing, animation, video, and new media. Students would begin with introductory courses intended to increase their familiarity with important artistic and theoretical concepts related to media and art. They would take more specialized courses as they progress through the program. Seniors would be required to create a BFA thesis exhibition for public display. Consistent with values set forth in the JSC mission, students would engage with faculty in a collegial atmosphere to combine classroom and cross‐disciplinary experiences. For 30 years, Johnson State has had a BFA in Studio Arts. While this program has evolved over the years, it remains rooted in traditional studio techniques. The proposed BFA in Media Arts allows students to concentrate on new media applications. Students will still focus on creative expression without abandoning a strong foundation in traditional art techniques and art history. Currently, there is no similar degree program at JSC. Thus, the program would fill a gap in the current educational offers of the college. The EPSL Committee endorses the proposal and the attached resolution, and recommends the approval of the program to the full Board of Trustees. Board of Trustees Meeting
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VERMONT STATE COLLEGES BOARD OF TRUSTEES RESOLUTION Johnson State College Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Media Arts WHEREAS, WHEREAS, WHEREAS, WHEREAS, WHEREAS, RESOLVED, May 31, 2012 Johnson State College proposed a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Media Arts; and Johnson State College’s B.F.A. in Media Arts would offer students opportunities to explore the rapidly expanding world of media and expression and would emphasize creative inquiry, collaboration, and emerging technologies; and The program will allow students to concentrate on new media applications without abandoning a strong foundation in traditional art techniques and art history; and Johnson State College has developed a budget to deliver the program based on conservative enrollment projections; and The Board Education, Personnel, Student Life Committee reviewed this proposal in accordance with Policy 102 and recommends it to the full Board for approval; therefore, be it That the VSC Board of Trustees authorizes Johnson State College to offer a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Media Arts as of this date, May 31, 2012. Board of Trustees Meeting
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14. VSC Faculty Fellowship Awards As described in the full‐time faculty Agreement’s Article 42, VSC Faculty Fellows, each year the Board may appoint two tenured faculty members to Faculty Fellowships. Faculty fellows receive three credit hours reduction in teaching load during one semester. In exchange, they present a public lecture, exhibition, performance, or recital at their college. Faculty fellows may receive up to $500 for expenses associated with their presentation or its preparation. As called for under Article 42, a three‐person committee was established, consisting of Trustee Pelletier, Chairperson Moore’s designee; Interim CAO Mark, Chancellor Donovan’s designee; and Professor Linda Olson, President of the VSC Faculty Federation. The committee met by telephone conference call on April 24, 2012, considered the four nominations, and agreed to recommend the following two candidates to the full Board of Trustees. • JSC Professor of Art Ken Leslie • LSC Professor of Mathematics Jim Bozeman The EPSL Committee recommends he attached resolution for endorsement to the full Board. Board of Trustees Meeting
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VERMONT STATE COLLEGES BOARD OF TRUSTEES RESOLUTION Vermont State Colleges Faculty Fellows WHEREAS, WHEREAS, RESOLVED, May 31, 2012 Article 42 of the current Agreement with the Vermont State Colleges Faculty Federation calls for the Board of Trustees to recognize up to two VSC tenured faculty for “…outstanding accomplishments in teaching and learning” by establishing Vermont State Colleges Faculty Fellowships; and The VSC Faculty Fellows Committee reviewed the nominations received for faculty fellowship and recommended to the EPSL Committee that Ken Leslie, Professor of Art at Johnson State College, and Jim Bozeman, Professor of Mathematics at Lyndon State College, be awarded VSC Faculty Fellowships for academic year 2012‐2013; therefore, be it That Ken Leslie, Professor of Art at Johnson State College, and Jim Bozeman, Professor of Mathematics at Lyndon State College, be awarded VSC Faculty Fellowships for the academic year 2012‐2013 with all the associated rights and privileges. Board of Trustees Meeting
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C. ITEMS FOR INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION 1. Report of the April 30, 2012 Meeting of the Priorities Committee Note: These minutes are unapproved minutes, subject to amendment and/or approval at the subsequent committee meeting. The Meeting of the Priorities Committee of the Vermont State Colleges Board of Trustees was called to order at 4:05 p.m. on April 30, 2012 at the Community College of Vermont, 32 College Street, Montpelier, VT. Present were Gary Moore, Gordon Winters, Martha O'Connor, and Linda Milne. Peter Wright attended by telephone. Trustee O’Connor moved that the Committee go into Executive Session to discuss contract negotiations where premature general public knowledge would clearly place the Board at a substantial disadvantage. The motion was seconded by Trustee Pelletier. The motion included the Priorities Committee members and the Chancellor as authorized to attend the Executive Session. The motion carried unanimously. The Committee entered the Executive Session at 4:10 p.m. and came out at 4:15 p.m. No formal action was taken Trustee O’Connor then moved that the Committee go into Executive Session to discuss labor contract negotiations where premature general public knowledge would clearly place the Board at a substantial disadvantage. The motion was seconded by Trustee Pelletier. The motion included the Priorities Committee members and the Chancellor as authorized to attend the Executive Session. The motion carried unanimously. The Committee entered the Executive Session at 4:15 p.m. and came out at 4:50 p.m. No formal action was taken. Trustee O’Connor then moved that the Committee go into Executive Session to discuss personnel matters and specifically the performance of the VSC college presidents. The motion was seconded by Trustee Pelletier. The motion included the Priorities Committee members and the Chancellor as authorized to attend the Executive Session. The motion carried unanimously. The Committee entered the Executive Session at 4:55 p.m. and came out at 5:50 p.m. Trustee O’Connor then moved, and Trustee Pelletier seconded the motion, that the resolution discussed in Executive Session regarding appointment of VSC Presidents be advanced to the Full Board. The motion carried unanimously (5‐0). Trustee O’Connor then moved that the Committee go into Executive Session to discuss personnel matters and specifically the performance of the VSC Chancellor. The motion was seconded by Trustee Pelletier. The motion included the Priorities Committee members and the Chancellor as authorized to attend the Executive Session. The motion carried unanimously. The Committee entered the Executive Session at 5:55 p.m. and came out at 6:45 p.m. The Chancellor was asked to leave the Executive Session at 6:20 p.m. Trustee O’Connor then moved, and Trustee Pelletier seconded the motion, that the resolution Board of Trustees Meeting
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discussed in Executive Session regarding appointment of VSC Chancellor be advanced to the Full Board. The motion carried unanimously (4‐0). The meeting of the Priorities Committee adjourned at 6:46 p.m. 2. Report of the May 23, 2012 Meeting of the Audit Committee Note: These minutes are unapproved minutes, subject to amendment and/or approval at the subsequent committee meeting. The Audit Committee met on May 23, 2012 at the VTEC building in Randolph. Committee members present: Michelle Fairbrother, Tim Jerman, Linda Milne (Chair), Martha O’Connor, Gary Moore From the Chancellors office: Rick Bourassa, Tim Donovan, Bill Reedy, Tom Robbins, Deb Robinson, Dan Smith From the colleges: Phil Conroy, Scott Dikeman, Steve Gold, Wayne Hamilton, Joyce Judy, Geoff Lindemer, Barbara Martin, Barbara Murphy, Sharron Scott, Dave Wolk Guests: Dave Dilulis – O’Connor & Drew, Keith Goldie – O’Connor & Drew, Chris Stenmon – O’Connor & Drew, Steve Vantine – Audit Manager with the State of Vermont Auditors department Chair Milne called the meeting to order at 1:07 p.m. A. ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION AND ACTION 1. Minutes of the January 25, 2012 Meeting of the Audit Committee The minutes of the January 25, 2012 meeting were approved. B. ITEMS FOR INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION 1. Review FY2012 Audit Plan with O’Connor & Drew Chris Stenmon from O’Connor & Drew (O&D) began with an overview of the FY2011 VSC audit. It was an efficient audit due to the VSC being prepared and organized before O&D arrived. Mr. Stenmon then reviewed the 2012 audit process as well as the audit timeline. He noted that there are no significant GASB pronouncements for FY2012 that will effect financial reporting. Keith Goldie from O&D discussed some of the areas that will receive attention from them this year – construction invoicing, ImageNow processing and the fixed asset software to name a few. There have been no significant transactions during FY2012. Chair Milne asked what particular types of risks are there with higher education. Mr. Goldie replied that proper revenue and expense cut‐offs are important as well as proper revenue and expense recognition. Dave Dilulis from O&D Board of Trustees Meeting
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noted that these audits are not specifically set up to catch fraud. They may cross it during their work, in which case they would delve much deeper into it, but their primary function is to express an opinion on the financial statements produced by management. Chair Milne noted that fraud has become a high profile issue in Vermont. Mr. Stenmon noted that they went through the fraud questionnaire at the chancellor’s office and the colleges and there were no items of note. 2. Discuss FY2011 Audit Advisory Comments CFO Robbins advised the committee that the various finance teams have been working on the FY2011 advisory comments and have put in appropriate procedures. CFO Robbins and the college’s deans of administration then reviewed the progress of each comment. Most of the findings and comments were pretty straight forward. CFO Robbins noted that there has been particular emphasis of fraud risk assessment during FY2012. He stated that during the year the VSC business affairs council brainstormed where fraud could take place. This list was very comprehensive ranging from misappropriating cash to tools. Compensating controls were discussed and how to strengthen them where needed. Particular attention was given to payroll and how to provide more oversight in this area. In addition to fraud interviews being conducted with payroll staff, an exception report is being developed with IT that will show variances from the previous payroll. These variances will include new staff added to payroll, increases in salary or hourly wage, as well as significant increases in hours from the previous payroll. A non payroll person (controller or dean) will be required to review and sign the report. Mr. Vantine from the state auditor’s office mentioned that the state auditors department has partnered with the state colleges to conduct a fraud road show that consists of Tom Salmon, a convicted embezzler and himself. This has been well received at the colleges with attendance averaging 50 participants. Chair Milne noted that there have been a lot of fraud and embezzlement cases emerging in the last few years. She also noted that fraud can happen regardless of the size of the company, and that it doesn’t have to be just cash. 3. Discuss FY2012 Internal Audit CFO Robbins began the discussion by saying that the internal audit function is used to both help the colleges ensure they are making progress with audit comments as well as help map out new business processes when needed. This year there was a combination of both with grants, Perkins and construction invoices being checked for the audit and ImageNow being checked for the business process. Robbins thanked Rick Bourassa from the chancellor’s office for doing a great job with the annual internal audit. Although each college had some of their ImageNow reviewed Robbins asked to discuss the process as a whole since it was relatively new. The ImageNow review had two goals; to record the business process each college uses with regard to ImageNow and then review on a transactional level how each college has implemented that process. He then stated that it was important to review the business processes and determine the best practice to be implemented across the VSC sooner rather than later. The processes will be reviewed at the team level to ensure that the processes are correct and are being Board of Trustees Meeting
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followed. The transition part of the review revealed that we need to use the redaction function for sensitive information as well as the importance of having clean readable documents. Chair Milne noted that efficiencies can be gained by having digital documentation. Robbins then discussed the grants, Perkins and construction invoice portion of the internal audit. Some grants were noted as not having progress reports filed and a few construction projects were handled at the college level instead of the OC level. Chair Milne asked if there was any department of education (DOE) follow up to the annual A‐133 comments. Mr. Goldie stated that the DOE does follow up with them about the A‐133 findings. Chancellor Donovan stated that the DOE does send post audit follow ups to the colleges. The meeting adjourned at 2:12 p.m. 3. Report of the May 23, 2012 Meeting of the Finance and Facilities Committee Note: These minutes are unapproved minutes, subject to amendment and/or approval at the subsequent committee meeting. The Finance and Facilities Committee met on May 23, 2012 at the VTEC building in Randolph. Committee members present: Michelle Fairbrother, Tim Jerman, Linda Milne, Martha O’Connor (Chair), Gordon Winters, Peter Wright, Gary Moore From the Chancellors office: Tim Donovan, Bill Reedy, Tom Robbins, Deb Robinson, Dan Smith From the colleges: Phil Conroy, Scott Dikeman, JoAnne Edwards, Steve Gold, Wayne Hamilton, Joyce Judy, Geoff Lindemer, Barbara Martin, Barbara Murphy, Sharron Scott, Dave Wolk Guests: John Myhre – Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, Brian Pelke – Morgan Stanley Smith Barney Chair O’Connor called the meeting to order at 3:00 p.m. A. ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION, ACTION or APPROVAL OF RESOLUTION FOR BOARD ACTION 1. Minutes of the April 11, 2012 Finance & Facilities Committee The minutes of the April 11, 2012 meeting were approved. 2. Review and Recommend Approval of FY2013 Budget a. VSC Budget Trustee Fairbrother wanted clarification on the reserves that are held at the colleges as well as the carryover process. CFO Robbins stated that there is a 2.5% board Board of Trustees Meeting
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mandated reserve at every college and that this reserve is maintained at 2.5% of the college’s annual operating budget. The colleges may also have a discretionary reserve that can be up to 5% of their annual operating budget. These reserves are authorized in VSC Policy 403 – Annual Operating Budget. Chancellor Donovan stated that these would generally be used for one time emergencies or opportunities. CFO Robbins stated that it is prudent financial management to have reserves, especially in an environment such as higher education where your revenue/cash inflow is fixed each semester. Trustee Fairbrother asked where these reserves reside. CFO Robbins stated that they are on the balance sheet as part of the unrestricted fund balance. Trustee Wright said that when these funds are spent they show up as a variance to the budget. Trustee O’Connor asked where the colleges are with regard to the reserves. All colleges have the 2.5% mandatory reserve. The colleges range from 2.5% to 5% with regard to the discretionary reserve. Trustee Winters asked how the carryover plays into the reserves. Chancellor Donovan stated that the theory behind the carryover is that rather than force each college to spend every budgeted penny within the budget period the carryover allows them to roll forward unspent money into a future period. President Judy said a source of these carryover funds might be a delayed purchase or an unfilled position that may be vacant due to timing. She further said that the budgets are indeed tight and to have a carryover of $100k is uncomfortably close on $25M or $40M budget. Chancellor Donovan noted that nobody budgets for carryover – these budgets are appropriately balanced. Trustee Winters asked if the carry forward can be used for healthcare costs or OPEB. Chancellor Donovan stated that a more predictable way is to budget for those types of expenses. President Wolk said that there is no money in the CSC operating budget for entrepreneurial opportunities since they are so tight. Trustee Wright asked that as perhaps part of the October meeting when the carry forward is discussed that we begin providing a carry forward and reserve analysis. Trustee Fairbrother asked how much the VSC expects to reserve for the OPEB liability due to the 1% increase. CFO Robbins stated somewhere around $950k. The resolution passed and will be forwarded to the board for its consideration. b. Nursing & Allied Health Program Chancellor Donovan noted that this budget is separate from the regular VTC budget due to NAHP having its separate operating appropriation. The resolution passed and will be forwarded to the board for its consideration. c. VIT Budget Chancellor Donovan noted that VIT now stands for Vermont Interactive Technology due to the technology expanding to Ipads, laptops, etc. Trustee Moore asked if VIT has a separate oversight board. Chancellor Donovan stated that the VIT board sets the budget but the appropriation comes through the VSC. Board of Trustees Meeting
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The resolution passed and will be forwarded to the board for its consideration. d. Workforce Development Budget There were no questions on this budget. The resolution passed and will be forwarded to the board for its consideration. 3. Review and Recommend Approval of Annual Banking and Investment Resolution Chair O’Connor asked if there were any changes on this resolution from last year. CFO Robbins said that there were no changes on the resolution. The resolution passed and will be forwarded to the Board for its consideration. 4. Naming of Hoff Hall at CSC President Wolk said that he was thrilled that CSC is able to honor Governor Hoff in such a way and that Governor Hoff was very touched by this gesture. The resolution passed and will be forwarded to the Board for its consideration. 5. Review and Recommend Approval of CSC Real Estate Purchase President Wolk reminded the committee that this plan was thoroughly reviewed during the last committee cycle and that here have been no changes to the plan. Chair O’Connor asked if there were any questions. There were none. The resolution passed and will be forwarded to the Board for its consideration. 6. Review and Recommend Approval of VTC Bennington Lease President Conroy said that this site will allow VTC to expand its enrollment and programs and is important to VTC’s future. The resolution passed and will be forwarded to the Board for its consideration. 7. Grant Proposal: Consent Agenda There was no discussion on this topic. The resolution passed and will be forwarded to the Board for its consideration. 8. Endowment: Consent Agenda There was no discussion on this topic. The resolution passed and will be forwarded to the Board for its consideration. Board of Trustees Meeting
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B. ITEMS FOR INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION 1. VSC Endowment Review with MSSB John Myhre from Morgan Stanley Smith Barney laid out their agenda as being a review of the capital markets, a review of VSC performance, and how the VSC endowments are performing relative to other higher education endowments. Mr. Myhre said that housing, unemployment, corporate earnings are big domestic factors effecting current stock market performance. Europe, Greece and China are certainly effecting stock and bond performance as well. We are tactically over allocating in domestic large cap stocks and under allocating in international stocks due to the uncertainty of the international market. To date, since 12/02, the endowments have yielded a total net return of $5.9M. Mr. Myhre then gave an overview of the VSC endowment compared similarly sized higher education endowments referencing the 2011 NACUBO‐ Commonfund Study of Endowments. The VSC measured better in net return for the FY2011, 3 year and 5 year periods compared to the NACUBO study for total institutions. Mr. Myhre said that the VSC portfolio is ranked in the smallest category at under $25M so a lot of the larger investment options are not available to us. Even with this constraint the VSC has done well. 2. Review Q3 Financials CFO Robbins noted that on the income statements the approved carry forward amounts are found in the Approved Additional Budget column. He also noted that the OC is projecting to do worse than budget for FY2012 due to the redundant data center and OC office transition expense due to Tropical Storm Irene. 3. Review FY2012‐FY2013 Legislative Activity Director Smith noted that appropriations will be flat relative to FY2012. He noted that the governor had some FY2013 higher education investments that were to be funded from the higher education trust fund, however, he said there was not much enthusiasm from the legislature to take money from the trust fund. Director Smith further said that the governor is interested in helping fund a CCV/VTC building project in Brattleboro. Trustee Wright asked what percentage of the VSC operating budget comes from the state. Chancellor Donovan said around 18%. He further stated that the lack of capital investment forces us to make facility improvements on the backs of students since we must finance these improvements ourselves. 4. Update on Ongoing VSC Construction President Judy said they are looking forward to the CCV Montpelier site finishing up construction. 5. Review Capital Projects Report There was no discussion on this topic. Board of Trustees Meeting
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6. Monthly Grant Activity Report There was no discussion on this topic. 7. Monthly Cash Report There was no discussion on this topic. The meeting adjourned at 4:55 4. Report of the May 23, 2012 Meeting of the Education, Personnel and Student Life Committee Note: These minutes are unapproved minutes, subject to amendment and/or approval at the subsequent committee meeting. The EPSL Committee met on Wednesday, May 23, 2012, in Randolph, Vermont. EPSL Committee members present: Lynn Dickinson, Kraig Hannum, Jim Masland (by phone), Heidi Pelletier (Chair) Other trustees present: Gary Moore, Linda Milne, Peter Wright From the Chancellor’s Office: Tim Donovan, Chancellor; Joe Mark, Interim CAO; Bill Reedy, Vice President & General Counsel; Tom Robbins, Vice President & CFO; Julie Massucco, Executive Assistant to the Chancellor From the colleges: Phil Conroy, Steve Gold, Joyce Judy, Ken Leslie, Geoff Lindemer, Barbara Murphy, Dave Wolk Guest: Jo Anne Edwards Chair Pelletier called the meeting to order at 5:33 p.m. ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION AND ACTION 1. Approve Minutes from January 25, 2012 Trustee Dickinson moved and Trustee Hannum seconded a motion to adopt the minutes of the April 11, 2012, EPSL Committee meeting. The minutes were approved. 2. CSC Final New Program Proposal: B.A. in Ecological Studies Chair Pelletier stated the only change made to the proposal was the implementation date, which has been changed from the fall semester in 2012 to the spring semester in 2013. Trustee Masland moved and Trustee Hannum seconded a motion to endorse the CSC’s B.A. in Ecological Studies, and to recommend the approval of the program to the full Board of Trustees. Board of Trustees Meeting
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The EPSL Committee needs to consider the proposal and the attached resolution for endorsement to the full Board. The motion passed. 3. JSC Final New Program Proposal: B.F.A. in Media Arts Chair Pelletier introduced this topic and indicated that the Committee had not seen a preliminary proposal for this program but that the appropriate process has been followed to bring this final proposal to the Committee for review. She asked President Murphy and Professor Ken Leslie to provide the group with background information of this degree program. President Murphy began by introducing Professor Leslie to the group. Professor Leslie is a member of the Johnson State College Art Department. She stated that the planning for this program had been deliberate and taken place over the course of a few years. One key factor was searching for the right professor. President Murphy stated that they felt it was important to have that person on board during the development phase of the program. Johnson was fortunate to find Assistant Professor Sean Clute, a practicing professional and creative person who, in conjunction with other departmental colleagues, designed this degree program. President Murphy reported that the program is as much about art and the creative process as it is a very self reflective program about social criticism where the new media are being worked with as materials but also providing the media to ask really important questions about the new media; e.g. how were they serving us and how were they redefining us? While looking at projects that first‐year students were working on in Professor Clute’s First‐Year Seminar class that was very popular, she observed that students took on amazing projects. Student project topics included reflecting upon the question as to whether someone was still an artist if they use computer generated design programs and discussions as to how the landscape of art and art commerce is changing. President Murphy noted that it was important to the designers that the program have as much of a non‐western perspective as a traditional western perspective. Professor Leslie stated that Professor Clute would have been at this meeting but was performing at Dartmouth. He stated that the program has been growing over the past several years. It was deemed necessary to address the whole virtual world due to an increased student interest in virtual media. The degree program was designed so students wouldn’t need to immediately make the decision as to which BFA degree they would like to obtain because each major begins with the same course work in the first year. The program provides a good grounding and awareness of world art and world traditions which can be seen in the foundation courses as well as the upper level art history courses. It was also important that students have a good grounding in the Board of Trustees Meeting
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traditional studio arts but not so much that they wouldn’t have enough time to attend to the many forms of digital media which includes imaging programs such as Photoshop and Illustrator but also video, sound and animation programs. He noted that they are also trying to include multi‐disciplinary possibilities, reaching out to other programs on campus from music to math to create some real‐world experiences for the students in their last year. Chair Pelletier asked for a motion to move the resolution. Trustee Hannum moved the resolution and Trustee Dickinson seconded the motion. Counsel Reedy asked Professor Leslie whether media arts is a Johnson creation of the name or is it a common name used around the country. Professor Leslie stated that Johnson did not invent the term and that the term “media arts” is viewed in slightly larger terms than “digital media,” which is very similar. Media is much related to computer generated possibilities. Counsel Reedy inquired whether the program was modeled after other programs or a Johnson creation. Professor Leslie stated that many other programs were reviewed. Trustee Dickinson noted that this program seemed to be more of a fine arts program rather than a gaming software program as is offered at another local college. Professor Leslie stated that some of those programs are specifically training students in very particular programs. The emphasis of the Johnson program is not at all on any one program or on the particular job training but rather in a really creative and explorative full experience that students can take and apply to all kinds of possibilities. In many ways this degree program is a computer or media version of our BFA in Studio Arts which provides the same education using sculpting and painting and so forth providing students with the full breadth of creative possibilities to be assembled into a capstone experience that can go anywhere. President Wolk noted that the interdisciplinary approach was a smart move. He believed that the program would be a magnet to new students. Trustee Pelletier inquired what the benefit was to having distinct BFA’s as opposed to having a more general BFA concentration in media arts and studio arts. Professor Leslie stated that the college had researched this issue. The BFA students can concentrate in sculpting or painting or print making or they can spread their studies around. It was felt that the program couldn’t be made with any integrity if it didn’t at least require a certain number of digital/media courses and this began complicating what Johnson was doing within their studio arts degree. The College also believes that this degree program is a good marketing tool and noted that they have already received a number of student inquiries about the program. Chancellor Donovan stated that his observation was that the focus of the program seems to be on the creative rather than on the business aspects. Professor Leslie stated Board of Trustees Meeting
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that his assumption was correct however they didn’t want the students to completely ignore the career possibilities. Some students are participating in internships. Profess Leslie stated that one student was just signed up for an internship with Seven Days. Dean Mark stated that since the change, an earlier version of Policy 102 required that two concentrations within the same major have a 60% overlap. In this case, it would seem that there is enough difference between the two programs to allow for two separate degree programs. President Murphy stated that one of the strengths of the arts programs is that students graduate often through their ongoing experiences and their capstone experience and really develop the ability to give and to receive criticism. Trustee Pelletier requested that the Committee vote on the motion to approve the resolution on page 28. The motion was approved. The Committee recommends the approval of the program and will forward this final proposal and resolution to the full Board of Trustees. 4. Nominations of Two Faculty for VSC Faculty Fellowship Awards Chair Pelletier stated that the Faculty Fellowship Review Committee which included herself, Dean Mark and Professor Linda Olson met via phone conference a few weeks ago to review the four nominations submitted from the colleges. The Committee agreed to recommend two candidates to the full Board of Trustees. They are Professor Ken Leslie from Johnson State College and Professor Jim Bozeman from Lyndon State College. Dean Mark stated that he had had the privilege of knowing both professors over the years. He noted that Professor Leslie had been a diligent outside reviewer of their art program during the Policy 101 review process a few years ago. Dean Mark stated that he had come to know Professor Bozeman through their work on the Quantitative Reasoning graduation standard group and other system‐wide working groups. He stated that both are extremely worthy candidates. Chair Pelletier noted that though the Faculty Fellowships would not be official until the Board of Trustees has approved them, she looked forward to the presentations that would be provided by the recipients. Board Chair Moore reminded the members that the Board members had received a round‐pictorial book produced by Professor Leslie. President Murphy stated that she liked the fact that both of the projects to be completed by the award recipients were Vermont based. President Judy wanted to commend Professor Leslie for the wonderful article about the JSC art program recently published in the Burlington Free Press. Board of Trustees Meeting
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Chair Pelletier requested that a motion be made on the resolution for VSC Faculty Fellowship Awards. Trustee Masland moved the resolution and Trustee Dickinson seconded the motion. The motion was approved. ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION Chair Pelletier asked Dean Mark to speak about the upcoming Academic Retreat and the mini‐retreats, one of which took place today. Dean Mark stated that the PReCIP mini‐retreat had 33 faculty members in attendance from programs that will be reviewed during the upcoming PReCIP process next year along with six of the deans. PReCIP is what we have come to call Policy 101 which is the system’s policy on academic program review and stands for program review and continuous improvement process. The policy was modified as a result of a Davis Educational Foundation grant that has had 16 individuals working together for a two‐
year period to develop a better way to complete program reviews. The process took the group into some areas that weren’t anticipated. As they delved into the process, they discovered that there were some key aspects of the policy that were standing in the way of getting faculty invested in the processes of program review and continuous improvement. This PReCIP event was the kick‐off of the next cycle of program reviews. Dean Mark was impressed that most of the presentations, conversations and panel presentations of the PReCIP mini‐retreat were led by faculty members. It is hoped that this will become an annual event. Today’s retreat was supported by the remaining Davis Grant funds but he considers it to be a worthwhile investment for the future. The first viewing of the table of contents and the outline for something called an assessment guide took place at the retreat. Five faculty members led by Scott Sabol from VTC had done a wonderful job of writing an assessment guide for other faculty members’ use. The document will be a digital document with lots of resources associated with it and contains best practices, clarification of terminology and a discussion of the importance and purpose of assessment. The outline Scott presented today was considered by many to be impressive and ambitious. Chair Pelletier inquired as to the expectation for participation. Dean Mark stated that they had invited all faculty in programs that will be reviewed. Everyone knew going into the process that there would be no compensation for this. He was impressed with the results, especially the number of faculty participants at the retreat. Dean Mark stated that the Davis project created a core of committed faculty that has become spokespeople for the process. Board of Trustees Meeting
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Trustee Dickinson wondered if the 33 faculty members represented an even distribution from the colleges. Dean Mark stated that they did and that he would be happy to send the list to the members from each college, which ranged from four to seven from each campus. Dean Mark stated that day two of this “season of retreats” will be the VSC Academic Retreat that takes place tomorrow on the VTC Randolph campus. He stated that the keynote speaker, George Mehaffy, has spoken twice at Lyndon State College and that his selection received strong support from the retreat planning group. Mr. Mehaffy is the Vice President for Academic Leadership and Change at AASCU. Board Chair Moore stated that he was present for Mr. Mehaffey’s “Red Balloon” presentation at Lyndon and found it to be exceptional. President Gold has a digital copy of that presentation and can forward it to anyone interested in viewing it. Dean Mark stated that David and Meredith Liben will provide a second keynote presentation in the afternoon. They are both important spokespersons for the Common Core State Standards. There will also be a follow‐up session provided by David and Meredith after their keynote address. In addition to the follow‐up discussion on the two keynote presentations, there will be ten other break‐out sessions that were selected by the retreat committee out of a total of twenty four proposals. After Thursday’s retreat, beginning at 5:30 p.m., there will be a Quantitative Reasoning mini‐retreat. About four years ago, the academic deans decided that it would be useful to periodically revisit all of the graduation standards in order to share practices and consider if the standards should be adjusted. Each year, one of the standards is reviewed. Two years ago, the cycle started with a review of the writing standard. Last year deans and faculty reviewed Information Literacy. This year, Julie Theoret of Johnson has been a wonderful leader of the effort to review the Quantitative Reasoning standard. This min‐retreat will continue on Friday and go until 3:00 in the afternoon. Although there is an expectation that people will participant, there is no compensation provided. Dean Mark believes that faculty members, in general, have learned that the colleagueship that takes place at these events is in itself worthy of their participation. Chair Pelletier thanked both Dean Mark and President Gold for their work on this Committee and wished them well for the future. Chair Pelletier requested a motion to be made to adjourn. Trustee Dickinson made the motion, which was seconded by Trustee Hannum. The meeting was adjourned at 6:07 p.m. 5. Report of the Vermont State Colleges Student Association 6. Report of the Chancellor Board of Trustees Meeting
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Castleton
A
V E R M O N T
S T A T E
C O L L E G E
Summary
More than 400 students graduated May 19 in a ceremony that was attended
by as many as 2500 guests. Mary Powell, president and chief executive
officer of Green Mountain Power, gave the Commencement Address, reminding students that “how we build a joyous and meaningful existence
is thinking about and serving others.” Prestigious awards were given to an
outstanding faculty member, distinguished senior, and outstanding parttime faculty member.
We honored former Governor Phil Hoff by naming our nearly complete
162-bed residence hall after him. The surprise announcement was made at
a luncheon celebrating the book Philip Hoff: How Red Turned Blue in the
Green Mountain State by Samuel B. Hand, Anthony Marro, and Stephen
C. Terry, published by Castleton in association with the University Press of
New England.
The semester ends with many significant changes in personnel. Castleton
has a new academic dean, associate academic dean, director of human resources, director of nursing education, and director of education.
Students set a Guinness World Record by playing dodgeball for 41 hours,
3 minutes, 17 seconds, raising more than $8000 for Right to Play, an international organization that provides sporting equipment to disadvantaged
children. The event was entirely student organized – and we are very proud
of them.
We provide links to some interesting articles. Retiring director of Career
Development Judith Carruthers had the lead thoughts in the most recent
Vermont Life. Her piece is a powerful and inspiring reflection on Vermont.
Seven Days featured the Christine Price Gallery and curator Bill Ramage.
May 31, 2012 | Castleton’s Reportwww.castleton.edu
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Commencement
More than four hundred students graduated May 19 in Castleton’s 225th
commencement, held in a tent on the Old Chapel Green. As many as 2500
guests were in attendance. It was a sunny afternoon and the Casella Theater
where the event was projected on a large screen was filled with guests escaping
the heat. The ceremony was also webcast by Northeast Sports Network.
Mary Powell, president and chief executive officer of Green Mountain Power,
gave the 2012 commencement address. She is one of only five female CEOs
of investor-owned industrial utilities in the entire country.
In introducing her, President Wolk said, “Mary is a true leader. A recent
article in Vermont Woman newspaper had the headline ‘Mary Powell lights
up Vermont.’ We are fortunate today to have Mary Powell light up our
commencement.”
Powell discussed how her career path took her from the arts to being the head
of an important Vermont corporation.
Commencement
speaker Mary Powell
Commencement slideshow
She told graduates, “How we build a joyous and meaningful existence is
thinking about and serving others.”
“What matters in life isn’t what you do. What you do is how you make a living.
Who you are is how you make a life.” She told graduates to follow their hearts
and their intuition, and to have the courage to face their fears. “Follow your
passion and stay true to your North Star!”
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Special Awards
The Alumni Association gives two prestigious awards at commencement: the
Outstanding Faculty Member and the Distinguished Senior.
Outstanding Faculty Award
Professor David Blow graduated from Castleton in 1989 after studying
journalism and working for the student newspaper, The Spartan. He went on
to a career as a reporter and editor at the Glen Falls Post Star and then began
teaching here part-time. We were excited when he applied for a full-time
position in 2005. He has reinvigorated the journalism program and instilled
a high-level of professionalism in the student reporters, photographers, and
editors at the Castleton Spartan. Regularly we see their fine work as interns at
the Rutland Herald and other newspapers.
Outstanding Faculty
Award – David Blow
A nominator and former student wrote, “He taught us to put ourselves into
the shoes of others, who might be in a very difficult position – emotionally,
physically, and mentally – and think long and hard about our actions as
journalists.”
Distinguished Senior Award
Lindsey Gullett of Wawanesa, Manitoba, has been an all-star since he arrived
at Castleton four years ago. He led the way on the ice hockey team, in the
classroom, and in our community. He has maintained an A average and
President’s List standing throughout his career. He has taught youngsters
to skate, served as a mentor, and organized the most successful college
and community event we have seen in a very long time: the Right To Play
Foundation fundraiser that set a record for any student led college fundraiser in
the country for that worthy cause, while also setting the new Guinness Book of
World Records certified longest dodgeball marathon ever, 41 hours, 3 minutes
and 17 seconds.
Distinguished Senior –
Lindsey Gullett
At commencement President Wolk charmed the audience with the story of
how a day earlier Lindsey had proposed to his girlfriend, Lee Ann Ketchen, a
Castleton graduate and now athletic trainer, at the spot where they met: first
base on the baseball field. As a freshman he had injured his hand playing
baseball, and she was the student athletic trainer who attended him. They are
now engaged! The love story was featured in the Rutland Herald’s coverage
of commencement.
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Endowed Part-Time Faculty Award
Pam Varnum, an accomplished teacher and reader, has helped countless Castleton
undergraduates to develop their reading, writing and speaking skills – and to
appreciate how crucial those skills are to their lives. She is a well-respected and
highly dedicated member of the English Department.
Part-time Faculty Award –
Pam Varnum
Department chair Denny Shramek said of her, “She rises magnificently to
the occasion semester after semester, working her transformative magic on
any students who give her the chance.” He added, “In her quiet, understated,
professional manner, she provides her students with a potent combination of
enlightenment and enjoyment. Overwhelmingly, her students know how lucky
they are.”
Annual Awards
The annual award ceremony was held in the Fine Arts Center, May 9. You can
see all the awards on the Castleton web site.
To mention a few prominent awards:
Caroline Woodruff Award: Jessica Lawrenson ’13
Leavenworth Leadership Award: Brittany Lafirira ’12 and Stephanie Terry ’12
Outstanding Faculty Award: Linda Olson, Sociology
Outstanding New Faculty: Andy Vermilyea, Environmental Chemistry
Coach of the Year: Bill Bowes, Women’s Ice Hockey and Men’s Golf
Male Athlete of the Year: Lindsey Gullett ’12
Female Athlete of the Year: Courtney Chadburn ’12
Actor of the Year: Austyn Bevin ’13
Club of the Year: Peer Advocates for CHANGE
Complete list of awards
Personnel
Castleton is seeing many significant changes in personnel as the semester ends
and we prepare for the 2012-2013 academic year.
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Academic Dean Joe Mark
In our last report, we featured the retirement
of Academic Dean Joe Mark after 32 years at
Castleton. On Saturday, April 28, the college
community gathered to offer Joe and Nancy
their best wishes. He was also featured in the
spring issue of Castleton. In each case, there
were tributes both serious and whimsical.
Recently, we named the sunlit conference
room in Woodruff Hall “The Joseph T. Mark
Conference Room.” Through Dean Mark’s
efforts, this room has become an academic
hall of fame with photos and short biographies
of some 25 alumni, many of whom earned
Ph.D.’s. At Commencement, Dean Mark carried the mace, a position of high
honor.
Let us give him the final word:
When he was interviewed by The Castleton Spartan, he reminded
students of the values that make the college special. “So what am I
most proud of? One is that we’ve preserved the culture on campus
where we treat each other with respect.”
In the alumni magazine, he said, “I’m proud of the emergent civic
engagement mission, but I’d like to see civic engagement so ubiquitous
that it’s virtually impossible for a student not to encounter it.”
He is especially proud to have contributed to Castleton’s recognition of
its mission. “Castleton is diverse, but the college is securely committed
to serving a certain type of student. There is pride in serving students
who haven’t blossomed yet.”
Another
Judith Carruther’s letter
final word
–
from
Judith Carruthers
A powerful letter to the editor from retiring Director of Career Development
Judith Carruthers was featured in the spring issue of Vermont Life. In introducing
the letter, editor Mary Hegarty Nowlan wrote that when she received it, she
pulled her own editorial to make room. “Judith Carruthers’ graceful, poignant
rendering of the spirit of Vermonters is like none I’ve read.” In her letter, Judith
reflects on the nature of Vermont at a time of war and natural disaster.
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Associate Academic Dean Jonathan Spiro
History professor Jonathan Spiro has accepted a two-year appointment as an
Associate Academic Dean, beginning July 1. In his new role, Professor Spiro
will devote half of his workload to administrative duties and half to teaching. Utilizing a respected faculty member in one associate dean’s position is a
return to a model that was successful in the past when several senior faculty
members served as an associate dean for a period. The arrangement strengthens
understanding between faculty and administration. Since Professor Spiro will
continue in the classroom, we do not lose the talents of one of our best teachers.
Among many new duties, he will be serving as a mentoring resource for junior
faculty, leading an effort to enhance our honors program, and facilitating
campus-wide conversations aimed at strengthening student learning. In making the announcement to the college community, Dean of Undergraduate
Studies (and soon-to-be Academic Dean) Tony Peffer wrote, “All of us in
Academic Affairs are truly looking forward to working more closely with
Jonathan, and we deeply appreciate his departmental colleagues for sharing
his time and energies with us. Please join me in congratulating Professor Spiro
as he prepares to assume this richly deserved position.”
Director
of
Human Resources Janet Hazelton
Janet Hazelton has been appointed our new Director of Human Resources.
She begins her new role on June 4, and has benefited from a smooth transition
under the able guidance of Lyn Sawyer.
Janet came to Castleton as assistant to the Dean of Administration. President
Wolk wrote the college community, “She has proven leadership ability and I
have no doubt that she will form effective relationships, offering steady and
sound guidance to our employees. Janet has strong communication skills and
interacts with others with respect and professionalism.”
Before joining the Castleton family, she spent 27 successful years in the banking
industry. During that time, she had such diverse responsibilities as leading a
large mortgage origination team, performing in depth financial analysis on
commercial loan requests, providing business development and ultimately
soliciting and managing commercial, mortgage and consumer loan customers.
Janet has been a highly respected and well regarded member of the banking
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and professional communities. In addition, she has served on committees for
both Neighborworks of Western Vermont and Rutland Economic Development
Corp. Director
of
Education Richard Reardon
This summer former Assistant Professor of Education Richard Reardon will be
returning full-time to the Castleton community as Director of Education. Over
the past two years, he has served as Director of Student Services for the
Rutland Central Supervisory Union, while continuing to train undergraduates
in Special Education as a member of the college’s part-time faculty. A Castleton alumnus (B.A., 1980), he earned his M.Ed. at Westfield State
College and his doctorate at the University of Central Florida. Before
coming back to Vermont in 2007, he worked as a Program Specialist in the
Administrative Offices of Exceptional Student Services for a K-12 school
district in Vero Beach, Florida. While in Florida he also served as an adjunct
faculty member at Florida Atlantic University in the Department of Exceptional
Student Education and has more than 10 years of experience as a K-12 teacher.
Professor Reardon will be leading an ambitious strengthening and expansion
of the department’s programs, aimed at building upon Castleton’s rich history
as a preparer of K-12 educators.
Director
of
Nursing Ellen Ceppetelli
Ellen Ceppetelli joined the Castleton community as Director of Nursing on
April 16. A national leader in Nursing Education, Professor Ceppetelli has
served for the past decade as Director of Nursing Education at DartmouthHitchcock Medical Center. Prior to her tenure at Dartmouth, she chaired the Department of Nursing at
Colby-Sawyer College and Norwich University. A Visiting Scholar at the
Harvard School of Public Health in Occupational and Environmental Health
from 1989 to 2007, she is the Chair of its ERC Advisory Council. She earned
her B.S.N. from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and her master’s
degree in Community Health Nursing from Boston College.
Awarded the Nurse Luminary Award by Health Care without Harm for
her pioneering work in environmental health education, she received the
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Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Massachusetts School
of Nursing in 2007. Professor Ceppetelli will be leading Castleton’s Nursing
Department, as it celebrates 50 years of service to Vermont and the region,
through the accreditation process for its recently launched B.S.N. program and
its growth toward the development of a master’s degree. Campus Life
Hoff Hall
The Vermont State Colleges Board of Trustees has named our new residence
hall/conference and events center Hoff Hall in honor of Governor Philip Hoff,
who served from 1963 to 1969.
The surprise announcement was made at a luncheon held in the 1787 Room,
April 29, to celebrate the book Philip Hoff: How Red Turned Blue in the
Green Mountain State by Samuel B. Hand, Anthony Marro, and Stephen C.
Terry, published by Castleton in association with the University Press of New
England.
In attendance were Governor Hoff and wife Joan; former Governor Thomas
Salmon (1973 to 1977); authors Marro and Terry; Chancellor Donovan and
trustees Gary Moore, Martha O’Connor, Karen Luneau, and Tim Jerman,
among family members, friends, colleagues, and supporters.
Hoff was the first Democratic governor in Vermont since before the Civil War.
During his years, Vermont changed in major ways, but until Hoff Hall, no
building in the state had been named in his honor.
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Hoff Hall, 162-bed residence, opens in the early summer. Designed to achieve
LEED Gold status, Hoff Hall will have solar panels on the roof.
After the luncheon, President Wolk drove the Governor to the building that
will bear his name.
Seven DayS
featureS
price gallery
The May 2 issue of Seven Days, features the Christine Gallery and the work of
gallery curator Bill Ramage.
Seven Days
Article
The article by Megan James begins, “Bill Ramage knows big art. The artist
has spent the last 30 years creating sculptural drawings and photographic
works so enormous that precious few Vermont venues can accommodate them.
Castleton College’s Christine Price Gallery is one of them.”
new
book by
profeSSor harry chaucer
A Creative Approach to the Common Core Standards:
The Da Vinci Curriculum by Professor of Education
Harry Chaucer has been published by Rowman &
Littlefield. The book encourages educators to draw
from the genius of great men and women such as
Leonardo while embracing the common core.
Chaucer argues that high schools can be more
demanding, imaginative, and joyous than most are today.
He believes that by adapting the Da Vinci Curriculum,
educators can participate in an educational renaissance.
During the fall of 2010, Chaucer traveled in Europe
seeing firsthand places associated with the life and work of Leonardo.
buSineSS etiquette dinner
A Business Etiquette Dinner was held recently in the Alumni Room in Huden
Dining Hall with Daniel Post Senning of the Post Institute in Burlington as
the guest speaker. While students and faculty dined, Senning discussed dining
etiquette for various occasions, especially business.
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Senning is the great grandson of Emily Post, the authoritative writer on
etiquette and good manners. Her Etiquette in Society, in Business, in Politics,
and at Home was published in 1922. Through generations, Etiquette, now in
its 18th edition, continues to be popular and influential. Student Catherine Burke planned the dinner on behalf of Director of Career
Development Judith Carruthers.
Library
Slideshow
goes to the dogs!
During final exam week, therapy dogs were
special guests in the library where they amused
and calmed students and staff. The popular event
caught the fancy of the Rutland Herald, which
featured it on the front page.
Athletics
Once again the Spartans had successful seasons:
The women’s lacrosse team won the NAC East Championship, the NAC title,
and the opportunity to play in the NCAA’s. The team finished the year with a
record of 12-7.
The baseball team finished the year with a 34-15 record. They won the NEAC
East and the NEAC Tournament and played in the New York Regional NCAA
Tournament where in the opener they were matched up against Cortland,
ranked second in the nation, losing by a score of 7-6.
The men’s lacrosse team made it to the NAC Championship game before
falling to New England College. Still, the team gained an invitation to play in
the ECAC Tournament.
The softball team won 11-straight games on the way to the NAC Torunament.
They ended the season at 22-16.
The men’s tennis team finished the year at 6-9.
Women’s tennis, which plays its regular season in the fall, returned to action in
May, winning the NEAC Final and playing Amherst in the NCAA’s.
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World Record Dodgeball Game
Students set a Guinness World Record by playing dodgeball for 41 straight
hours. The game began on Friday afternoon, April 27, at 3 p.m. and ended at
8 a.m. Sunday morning.
Twenty student-athletes, 10 men and 10 women, from the college’s athletic
teams played to support Right to Play, an international organization that
provides sporting equipment to disadvantaged children around the world.
Lindsey Gullett, featured earlier in this report as the Outstanding Senior and
the Male Athlete of the Year, organized the effort. The goal had been 40 hours.
However, at the last moment, he discovered that teams of U.S. Marines in
Colorado had played for 40 hours a few weeks earlier. The Castleton effort
was extended an hour.
Dodgeball Slideshow
The athletes started off competing as if it were an hour-and-a-half championship
game, and then gradually exhaustion caught up with them. At times in the wee
hours of the two mornings, witnesses had to spur them on. For the attempt to
be official, two witnesses must be there at all times. The game must be videoed
and details precisely recorded.
For the record: the game lasted 41 hours, 3 minutes, 17 seconds, and raised
more than $5,000.
We are awaiting recognition from Guinness.
Coverage on WCAX-TV
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Report to the
VSC Board of Trustees
May 31, 2012
WWW.CCV.EDU
CCV Celebrates Class of 2012 on June 2
Lyndsay Deery
CCV’s 2012 Commencement Ceremony will be held on Saturday, June 2,
at 2 p.m. in the Shapiro Field House at Norwich University. Each year nearly
three thousand faculty, staff, and friends and relatives of students gather to
celebrate the graduating class.
2012 Student Speaker
Patrick Magnus
This year 527 students will receive Associate of Arts, Associate of Science,
or Associate of Applied Science degrees. The graduates range in age from
19 to 71, and 63 percent are first-generation college attenders. Students
from all fourteen Vermont counties, eight other U.S. states, and from
Bosnia-Herzegovina, Canada, Costa Rica, Hungary, Lithuania, Moldova,
Nepal, Senegal, and the United Kingdom will receive degrees.
The Honorable Denise R. Johnson, the first woman to be appointed a justice of the Vermont Supreme
Court, will deliver the keynote address. Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin will join President Joyce
Judy in leading the processional of graduates and dignitaries. Marshalls are retiring staff members
David Buchdahl, director of institutional research and planning, and Janice E. Couture, coordinator of
academic services.
Patrick Magnus, the 2012 student speaker, graduates with an Associate in Liberal Studies, and is
currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree through the External Degree Program at Johnson State
College. A recognized leader and a mentor to his fellow students, he continues to support new
students in his role as an administrative assistant in the financial aid and admissions office at
CCV-Winooski.
The 2012 CCV Community Service Award will be presented to Bari and Peter Dreissigacker,
co-founders of Concept2 Rowing of Morrisville, who have made exemplary contributions to Vermont
and its communities in their work as inventors, entrepreneurs, employers, and philanthropists.
The Faculty Community Service Award will be presented to Michael Ohler, who has successfully
incorporated service-learning into the classes he has taught at CCV since 1998; the Student
Community Service Award will be presented to Stacey Andreola, who graduates with an Associate
in Liberal Studies and has served as a mentor for the Boys & Girls Club and volunteered at Porters
Point Elementary School.
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A library patron came to every weekly
tutoring session student Amanda
Schlott held at Castleton Free Library
last year. His first question was how to
set up his computer, and by spring he
was emailing family and friends and
printing out his grandson’s basketball
schedules. In weekly sessions in libraries
in Jeffersonville, Bristol, and Morristown,
student intern Angela Talbert found
she mainly answered one-time walk-in
questions: how to send an email, search
the web, use eBay or Facebook, or
download photos from a camera or USB
drive.
Lyndsay Deery
Bringing Online Skills to Rural Vermonters
Student Amanda Schlott shows Sally Grace of the Castleton
Free Library some Internet research tips.
Both these students worked last year
as Internet Interns for the e-Vermont
Community Broadband project, a statewide effort to help bridge the digital literacy gap for rural
Vermonters. CCV manages training efforts on behalf of the VSC. Eric Sakai, CCV’s dean of academic
technology and a member of e-Vermont, oversees these training efforts. Hartness Public Service
Librarian Larraby Fellows coordinates and offers community workshops and helps develop the
training webinars and videos, and Karen Case, coordinator of academic services at CCV-Montpelier,
coordinates the training and placement of student interns in local libraries.
CCV’s Internet training work with the broadband project includes offering community workshops,
webinars, and short how-to videos; developing and offering a series of “Train the Trainer” classes for
employees who work with Vermonters needing digital skills (filing unemployment claims and taxes,
submitting online job applications); and working with local libraries to coordinate and place student
Internet Interns.
There are 183 public libraries in Vermont. All provide computers and most have high-speed Internet
connections for local residents, which made them the logical centers for a fall 2011 training pilot
sponsored by VSC and the Vermont Department of Libraries (both partners with the e-Vermont
Community Broadband Project). Six trained college student interns were placed in eight libraries
across the state to answer questions from patrons or staff. This spring nine interns were placed in
thirteen libraries.
Vermont State librarian Martha Reid told a group attending the day-long Vermont’s Digital Future
conference at Champlain College on May 8, 2012, that e-Vermont project coordinators found early
on that group training sessions weren’t reaching targeted audiences: seniors and Vermonters lacking
digital skills respond best to hands on, one-on-one training sessions about specific problems. CCV’s
weekly interns’ tutoring hours, and the “Train the Trainer” programs, which provide hands-on Internet
training skills to public employees, have been very successful in reaching these audiences. President
Joyce Judy and student intern Angela Talbert presented on CCV’s individualized training efforts for
the panel “Digital Leadership: Building Digital Literacy,” at the Digital Future conference.
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CCV Launches Three New Degree Programs
Last fall CCV received a $2.5 million grant from the U.S. Department
of Labor that helped the College accelerate the development of three
degree programs that will prepare students for careers in fields Vermont
employers have identified as being high demand: medical assisting,
applied business practices, and digital marketing.
Lyndsay Deery
These three programs, which start this fall, have been designed to
include embedded skills development, enhanced career advising,
hands on training, and credit for college-level learning gained through
professional experience, community activities, independent study, the
military, or training programs. Each program requires two internships
that will help students translate their classroom learning into on-the-job
experience and provide direct contact with local employers.
Francoise Kahindo
“I completed my medical
assisting certificate at CCV,
planning to transfer into
VTC’s nursing program.
But I found that medical
assisting work is a dead
right fit for me. I am
continuing for my associate
in this new program.”
Medical Assisting (A.A.S): The medical assistant has become
a vital liaison between doctor and patient, performing routine
administrative and clinical duties as part of an integrated health
care team. The Department of Labor (DOL) projects a ten
year growth of 11 to 36 percent for jobs in this field. The new
degree program prepares students for immediate employment
in hospitals, community healthcare centers, outpatient facilities,
and ambulatory healthcare services. All of the classes in CCV’s
Medical Assisting certificate program (first offered in fall 2008)
are included in the associate degree program, and many
current certificate students are choosing to continue to study
for the associate degree. Mary McClements, coordinator of
Career Training Programs, is currently working with healthcare
organizations around the state to line up internship opportunities
for the fall semester.
Lyndsay Deery
Digital Marketing (A.A.S): This rapidly growing field helps
businesses leverage online marketing channels to increase
return on investment. Students develop skills in search
engine optimization, banner ads, email marketing, and mobile
advertising, and graduate able to create and manage website
analytics programs and analyze the data they generate. The DOL
projects a 10-year growth of 10 percent for these positions.
Nicole Delibac
“I studied psychology at
UVM for three years but
it wasn’t right for me, and
nursing was too intense
and too expensive. As the
mother of a toddler, medical
assisting is a good choice
for me.”
Applied Business Practices (A.A.S): This program was
created to provide the skills 21st century business leaders say
are lacking in the workforce – financial literacy, knowledge of
change management practices, systems thinking, and project
management. Graduates will be prepared for entry-level positions
in the fields of manufacturing, transportation, and broader
business settings. The DOL projects a ten year growth of 11 to 15
percent for these jobs.
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New Seminar Helps Transitioning Veterans
In February CCV piloted a new 1-credit seminar designed to help veterans transition from military
to college life. Eleven veterans signed up for the first “Combat to Classroom” seminar held at
CCV-St. Albans last February. Next fall, two seminars will be offered, one in St. Albans, and one at
CCV-Rutland.
The class combines online discussion groups with three
evening sessions, and covers skills useful to many
returning to college: critical thinking, decision-making, time
management skills, and effective study habits. But veterans
face challenges unique to their military experience, and
these can impact their success in the classroom.
“Something that stuck with
me from this class was when
Chara told us a military
mind is trained to believe
“think and die.” A student
mind is trained to believe
“don’t think and fail.”
CCV Veterans Resource and Outreach Advisor Chara
Vincelette says that veterans can feel alienated as they
transition from solider to citizen. It can take time to find
importance and meaning in things that are not life or death, and they may not be used to working
in groups, or have rusty debating skills. After completing the February seminar one student wrote:
“Something that stuck with me from this class was when Chara told us a military mind is trained to
believe “think and die.” A student mind is trained to believe “don’t think and fail.”
The number of military-connected students registered at CCV has increased from 128 in the fall of
2009 to 370 for the spring 2012 semester. The college now serves more military-connected students
than any other college in Vermont.
According to Vincelette, studies show that student veterans are less likely to complete a degree than
their non-military counterparts, but success rates are much higher at colleges that offer transition
classes or assistance services specifically for student veterans. This small seminar (classes are
limited to 15) offers a safe environment for returning veterans to identify potential roadblocks to their
success, and develop strategies to address them.
CCV receives support for providing enhanced advising and academic services to military veterans from the J.
Warren and Lois McClure Foundation, Bari and Peter Dreissigacker, and the Vermont Community Foundation.
Elm Street update
Lyndsay Deery
Workers are putting the finishing touches on the new two-story,
12,000 square foot addition that will house the academic center
currently leased in downtown Montpelier. The new space is
filled with natural light and has modern science and computer
labs, improved art space, and comfortable gathering spots for
CCV-Montpelier’s 700 students. The move will begin during the
first week in August, and the building will open for fall semester
classes.
Windows fill the new addition with
natural light.
CCV-Montpelier’s summer classes are on a special ten week
schedule this summer to accommodate the move to the new
building at 660 Elm Street in August.
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CCV-Montpelier: On April 27 art students shared their
creative accomplishments with family and community
friends at Art Night! and on May 3, 2012 Intro to Studio
Art students presented “ROT WASH! Contemporary 2
and 3-D Art” at the old Capitol Stationer’s store front in
downtown Montpelier.
Lyndsay Deery
CCV-Winooski: On May 4, 2012,
students in the drawing, painting, printmaking, digital
photography, and graphic design classes displayed their work at the
Spring Art Show, which also featured guitar and choir performances.
CCV-Winooski student art
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y Photo
CCV-Bennington’s Portfolio Development Class:
Pat Hall, Ashley Bump, Zach Herring, Hollye
Johnson, Jolene Dooley, Nathan Jeandell, and
Chris Dayton.
CCV-Bennington: Students from CCV-Bennington’s
Portfolio Development class displayed their work at
the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Bennington
on May 1, 2012. The students, under the instruction
of teacher and artist Valerie Carrigan, spent the
semester engaged with the many aspects of an
art career (scholarship and art school applications,
website development, art career research, resume
building, artist statement, and studio time).
Courtes
Courtesy Photo
Café CCV-Rutland: These annual community arts events have been part
of CCV’s spring celebration for years, but this year’s show on April 27,
2012, was the largest ever. Five classrooms were filled with the work of
136 students from drawing, jewelry, oil painting, ceramics, print making,
digital photography, dance, and environmental biology
classes, offering the community a chance to see the larger
art studios and the new building. There was also a faculty
exhibit in The Learning Center, and performances by Barry
Hyman and the Guitar I class, the Middle Eastern Dance
Class, and guest a cappella group, “The Curbside Chorus.”
Courtesy
Photo
Bringing Art to the Community:
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Dave Jablonski
CCV in the Community
First Annual CCV Day of Service
On April 28, 2012, CCV’s Civic Engagement
Committee launched an annual “CCV Day of
Service” when students, faculty, and staff joined
the White River Partnership to plant trees along
the banks of the White River in Hartford. 150
volunteers gathered at Clifford Park in West
Hartford on a cold and raw Saturday and planted
800 trees and shrubs in less than two hours.
Courtesy Photo
Green Up Day
On May 5, 2012, many CCV students and staff participated in
Vermont’s Green Up Day. CCV-Morrisville’s staff and Student
Advisory Board members helped to clean up Hyde Park. Shown
here are administrative assistant Deb Sandoval and student
advisory board member Matthew Lacefield.
Courtesy Photo
Walk a Day without Shoes
CCV-Winooski student Sarah Forrest helped to organize a public service
outreach project for Marty Leech’s Dimensions of Freedom courses on
May 3, 2012. The class made and distributed posters and set up a table in
the lobby to promote the TOMS shoe challenge: go one day without shoes
to experience the discomfort felt by more than 40 percent of the world’s
population. TOMS matches every pair of shoes purchased with a donated
pair for a needy person somewhere in the world. Inspired by the company
message, Forrest brought the project idea to her class. "This has always
been something important to me,” she told a WCAX reporter who came to
the center to cover the event. “Anybody who's making a difference inspires
me to want to empower change too."
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May 31, 2012
Courtesy Photo
Board of Trustees Meeting
Courtesy Photo
Senator Sanders Visits CCV-Winooski
On May 1, 2012, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders held an open discussion with the CCV community
in the Sadie White Room. President Joyce Judy opened the event, and among the students present
were those from Intro to Human Services, The Constitution, Vietnam War in Literature and Film,
Dimensions of Freedom, American Politics and Government, and World History I classes.
12th Annual International Food Festival: “Share a dish, share a culture.”
For 12 years CCV-Winooski faculty, staff, students, and their families have
been coming together to share a free meal and enjoy culturally influenced
tastes and sounds.
On April 18, 2012, diners sampled ethnic food from more than 20 different
countries at one of the center’s most popular annual events. The Queen City
Larks performed, a henna artist decorated hands, and the blended
aroma of foods prepared by the CCV community created a festive
Executive Director of Academic
evening for all.
Centers Dee Stefan serving at
CCV-Winooski’s IFF.
Courtesy Photo
CCV People in the News
Gabrielle Dietzel, coordinator of assessment services for the Office of
External Programs, was recently invited to present two workshops at
the “Achieving the Dream” faculty conference in Honolulu, sponsored by
the University of Hawaii. Dietzel’s presentations focused on methods to
evaluate prior, college-level learning gained by adult students through
professional experience, community activities, independent study,
the military, or training programs. Dietzel also met with UH’s Steering
Committee, which is exploring how to integrate Prior Learning Assessment
(PLA) into their seven community colleges, and visited
Gabrielle Dietzel, Coordinator of Assessment
with a group of students in the pilot PLA class held at
Services, and Suzette Robinson, Director of
Leland Community College in Pearl City.
Academic Programs, University of Hawaii
Community Colleges.
Karri Benoir (CCV-Montpelier), Randi-Lynn Crowther (CCV-Winooski ), Lucas Griggs (CCVMorrisville ), and Sam Olds (CCV-Upper Valley) have been awarded Vermont State Colleges Student
Association (VSCSA) Leadership Scholarships.
The VSCSA advocates for the interests of the students from the five VSC colleges and provides
information about student education issues. Three representatives from each of the five Vermont
State Colleges serve on the VSCSA board of directors.
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May 31, 2012
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Board of Trustees Meeting
Four CCV alums received Bachelor of Science in Business degrees from Vermont Technical College on May 5,
2012: left to right: Joshua Mead, Flo (Florence) Bessette, Brett Mashteare, Michael Delage
Assessment of Prior Learning student Jim Lipinski is one of two students featured in the article
“When Learning Outcomes Are What Counts,” which appeared in CAEL Forum and News 2011/2012,
the national Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) publication focusing on Prior
Learning Assessment. An interview with Jim is published in a section focusing on mature learners.
Jim was in charge of managing Vermont’s 911 program when he entered the APL process and
prepared a 150 page portfolio. Using his subsequently awarded credits, Jim states that he earned his
bachelor’s degree two years sooner with a huge cost saving. He has now also completed an M.B.A.
Mediha Jusufagic, a 2004 CCV graduate who returned to CCV with a Master’s degree to teach
computer classes, was awarded the Governor’s Heritage Award for 2012 by the Vermont Folklife
Center on May 16, 2012. The award recognizes exemplary Vermonters whose work as artists or
educators perpetuates Vermont’s cultural heritage.
Shawn Kerivan’s (CCV-Morrisville) new book, Creative Writing in the Real World: A Reader for
Writers has been published by New Plains Press.
CCV in the Media
CCV was cited as having pioneered the use of distance learning in Vermont in a commentary,
“Technology In Education,” which aired on Vermont Public Radio on May 14, 2012. http://www.vpr.net/
episode/53602/smith-technology-in-education/
CCV-Bennington Arts Students were featured in “CCV Class Art Exhibit at UUF,” an article in the
Bennington Banner on May 10, 2012.
“Bratt gets $2M for downtown campus” appeared in the May 10, 2012 Brattleboro Reformer.
CCV was profiled in an article in the April 29, 2012 Burlington Free Press article, “Vermont graduation
rates are high, but students may be lacking in basic academic skills”.
Hartness Public Service Librarian Larraby Fellows appeared in the segment, “Finding Reliable
Information in the Digital Age” on the April 4, 2012 episode of WCAX’s Across the Fence.
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May 31, 2012
Johnson State College
President’s Report
to the Vermont State Colleges Board of Trustees
MAY 31, 2012
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
We had an exceptional Commencement
ceremony on Saturday, May 12, under bright
blue skies — the first time in years we’ve had sun
on our special day. We awarded more than 350
B.A./B.S. degrees, 55 graduate degrees, and 10
A.A./A.S. degrees. Our keynote speaker, Vermont
Supreme Court Justice Beth Robinson, shared her
experiences as Vermont’s leading advocate for
marriage equality, calling on students to stand up
for their beliefs and never be afraid to “take on
the impossible.” Joining her on the podium were
our three student speakers: Jessica Pafumi (B.A.,
Justice Beth Robinson
outdoor education), Byron Fletcher (B.A., history
— External Degree Program) and José Chepe Cuadra (M.F.A.). We were pleased to
have VSC Chancellor Donovan, Trustee Chair Gary Moore and Trustees Heidi Pelletier
and Peter Wright with us as well.
We’ve received several pieces of good news since our last report to the board. As you’ll
read in this report:
• Our Athletics Department has received two three-year grants, one of which will
be used to support leadership opportunities for our student-athletes and alcohol
awareness among our student body as a whole.
• The Vermont Genetics Network has renewed grants supporting three major
research projects at JSC in which are undergraduates are involved: the asthma and
exercise study conducted under Hans Haverkamp; the investigation into microbial
communities living in a pond at an abandoned asbestos mine led by Liz Dolci;
and research on humor development in infants led by Gina Mireault. The renewed
funding underscores the quality of research being conducted at JSC under the aegis
of these talented professors, as these grants have become extremely competitive. As
well, Gina’s “laughing babies” research will gain more national exposure in October
when the PBS science program NOVA airs a segment on laughter, for which Gina
was interviewed in early April.
• We just received word that the Upward Bound program at JSC — the longestrunning program of its type in Vermont — has received a five-year federal grant at
a time when only 780 of 1,500 applications submitted nationwide were funded. As
director Tony Blueter put it, “The grant reflects not only the commitment Johnson
Board of Trustees Meeting
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May 31, 2012
State College has made to Upward Bound students, it speaks to the success of the program itself — and of the local
students who have worked so hard to achieve their post-secondary goals.”
• We showcased our newly renovated Visual Arts Center (VAC) the day of the April 19 Board of Trustees meeting at
JSC, and our arts program as well as our new facility have been getting a great deal of attention since. Most notably,
the weekly “ARTSbvt” section of the Sunday Burlington Free Press featured the VAC, the JSC fine and performing arts
programs, and the Vermont Studio Center in its May 13 issue. The three-page spread (click here for online version)
included an essay by our own Ken Leslie, who noted in part, “Something magical indeed has been going on here —
all the programs, artworks, performance and venues adding up to far more than their sum, and ready for even more.”
ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
FACULTY & STAFF ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Ken Leslie (Fine & Performing Arts) has been invited
to work in residence at the Upernavik Museum in
Upernavik, Greenland, in January and February 2013.
Ken calls this a “dream-come-true way to kick off my
sabbatical!” Upernavik is a town of fewer than 1,200
inhabitants, and the museum — the oldest museum in
Greenland — maintains a residence for an artist and
writer working on projects relevant to Greenland.
Tania Bacchus (Environmental & Health Sciences)
participated in a two-day workshop sponsored by
the National Science Foundation March 29-30 titled
“Science: Becoming the Messenger.” The workshop
focused on developing clear, compelling messages
that “convey accurately to, and resonate with, nonscientific audiences.” It also provided practical advice
for incorporating presentations, new media (e.g., Twitter,
blogs, Facebook) and videos. Participation on the second
day of the workshop was by special invitation only. Also
in March Tania was asked by UVM’s College of Agriculture
& Life Sciences to serve as an external reviewer for a
proposal on “Climate Adaptation and Mitigation in the
Lake Champlain Basin of Vermont,” which was submitted
to the UVM Food Systems Spire program. Finally, in early
April Professor Bacchus was notified by Vermont EPSCoR
that two undergraduate students (one from JSC and one
from Lyndon State) had been funded to work with her
this summer on her ongoing climate-research project.
Three JSC faculty members have received grants from
the Vermont Genetics Network for 2012-13: Hans
Haverkamp (Environmental & Health Sciences), who
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Board of Trustees Meeting
will use the grant to continue his research on exercise in
asthmatics; Gina Mireault (Behavioral Sciences), who
will continue her research on humor in infants; and
Elizabeth Dolci (Environmental & Health Sciences),
who will continue her research investigating microbial
communities at the Vermont Asbestos Group mine.
Hans Haverkamp (Environmental & Health Sciences)
attended the annual spring meeting of the Northeast
American College of Sports Medicine in Boston in March,
and he will chair an oral-communications session on
“the respiratory system during exercise” and present a
poster at the national meeting of the American College
of Sports Medicine May 30 to June 2. The abstract for his
presentation will be published in Medicine and Science in
Sports and Exercise. As well, he will become the Vermont
representative for the American College of Sports
Medicine in November.
Leslie Kanat (Environmental & Health Sciences) is a
new member of the Board of Directors for Fairewinds
Energy Education Corp. in Burlington. The mission of
Fairewinds, a nonprofit organization founded in 2008,
is to educate the public about nuclear power and other
energy issues. Les also served as an external reviewer for
Norwich University’s Department of Geology self-study
that included a two-day visit in April to the campus to
interview administrators, faculty, staff and students.
In another capacity, he participated in a mid-April
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May 31, 2012
conference on
Fragile X syndrome
in Worcester,
MA, that focused
on hyper-arousal
and sensory
integration.
Back in January,
Brad Moskowitz
(Environmental
& Health
Sciences) gained
recertification for
his Wilderness
First Responder
credential, spending
three days with JSC students enrolled in Sawyer Alberi’s
Wilderness First Responder class. More recently Brad
attended the Association for Experiential Education’s
northeast regional conference, where he participated in
several workshops, including “Exploring Social Justice
through Experiential Activities,” “Moral Dilemmas
for Experiential Educators” and “Challenge Course
Management.” Professor Moskowitz also arranged for
students enrolled in the Ropes Course leadership class to
be evaluated by professionals from High Five Adventure
Center so they could test for “Level 1 Challenge Course
Practitioner Certification,” a national professional
qualification. Nine of the 12 students
enrolled received the credential.
Bill Doyle (Humanities) attended
and presented information about
Vermont at a leadership forum at
Brown University May 10-12. The
conference, presented by the State
Legislative Leaders Foundation
and Brown University, focused
on “restoring the people’s trust in
government.” Participants discussed
legislative leadership and the vital
role it plays in defining who we
are as a people. Bill was one of 40
legislative leaders invited from
the U.S.
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Board of Trustees Meeting
123
A “Vermont Arbor Day” commentary by Russ Weis
(Education) aired on Vermont Public Radio April 30.
Russ stressed the fact that Vermont’s Arbor Day falls
midway between the birthdays of two inspiring women
— Wangari Maathai and Rachel Carson — who both
in their own way tremendously advanced the cause of
environmentalism.
Alice Godin (Library) attended a library-leadership
workshop at the Howe Public Library in Hanover, NH,
May 13. Sponsored jointly by the Vermont and New
Hampshire Library associations, the event brought
together 80 academic and public librarians interested in
improving their management and planning skills. JSC
Faculty Librarian Joe Farara provided the welcome and
introductions.
Ray Brior (Library) was nominated to chair the Vermont
Library Association’s Intellectual Freedom Committee,
a group that has strongly advocated First Amendment
protections in libraries and in education. Ray assumed
leadership of the committee at the Vermont Library
Association Annual Conference, which took place at
St. Michael’s College May 22.
Ellen Hill (Experiential Learning) and Scott Johnson,
executive director of the Lamoille Family Center, cofacilitated a March 22 training for the Snelling Center’s
Vermont School Leadership Project. Their session on
“Inspiring Transformative Partnerships” examined how
leaders and partners can collaborate to create meaningful
results that “turn the
curve.”
Ellen was the lead
organizer for the sixth
annual JSC Extended
Classroom Experience
Showcase, which
was held April 13 in
conjunction with
Admissions’ annual
JSC 101 Open House.
The event celebrates
learning beyond the
classroom, including
May 31, 2012
internships, student field work and lab-based research,
study travel, field trips, student teaching, service-learning,
civic engagement and independent studies. In addition
to the many students, faculty and staff from JSC who
attended, we hosted 216 visitors from seven states. Thirtythree presenters or groups of presenters representing
programs across campus
displayed and discussed
their work. One visitor’s
evaluation summarizes
JSC hopes for this
annual event: “I love the
combination of current
students showcasing their
work and prospective
students. I love learning
about what our students
are doing in their classes
[and beyond]. I think this
event continues to be a
huge selling point for JSC!”
Martha Lance, Rose Modry, Sue Ordinetz, Clyde Stats,
Carolyn D’Luz, and Karen Madden (all Academic
Support Services) attended the New England Educational
Opportunity Association’s annual conference in Stowe
April 5-6. Karen organized the event along with Jennfer
Jones, director of Upward Bound at Castleton State. Karen
introduced Senator Bernie Sanders, who delivered the
keynote address and received the NEOA’s Claiborne Pell
award. The conference included a panel comprised of
college presidents and VSC Chancellor Tim Donovan, who
discussed the need to reframe the value of education.
STUDENT & ALUMNI ACCOMPLISHMENTS
JSC’s student newspaper, Basement Medicine, received a
2011-2012 first place scholastic newspaper award from
the American Scholastic Press Association.
Beginning the last week of May and continuing for 10
weeks over the summer, five student interns began
working with Robert Genter (Environmental & Health
Sciences) to monitor water quality in streams of the
Lamoille, Missisquoi and Winooski watersheds: Allison
Compagna, John Dawkins, and Abigail Murphy from JSC,
Dedeo Corynne from St. Michael’s and Rebecca Rickert
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Board of Trustees Meeting
from Lyndon State. Their summer internships, for which
each has been awarded $4,000, are supported by a $20
million grant from the National Science Foundation to
VT-EPSCoR entitled “Research on Adaptation to Climate
Change.” As a result of this grant, JSC received funding to
establish a water-analysis laboratory to process samples
gathered during the research.
Three undergraduate students will work this summer in
the lab with Hans Haverkamp (Environmental & Health
Sciences): Andrew Klansky, Adriane Morrison-Taylor,
and Jeni Demar.
JSC students Erika English and Jaclyn Baker presented
their research on “A Distinct Microbial Community
at the Vermont Asbestos Group Mine” at the National
Conference of Undergraduate Research at Weber State
University in Ogden, Utah, March 31. Their research
was funded by the Vermont Genetics Network and the
Oakland Foundation.
JSC also was well-represented at the annual
Undergraduate Student Career Day sponsored by the
Vermont Genetics Network April 18. Kristen Malzac
presented on “Parental humor style as a predictor of
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May 31, 2012
infant attachment security”; Andrew Klansky presented
“Effects of variable pre-exercise lung function on
ventilation during exercise in asthmatic vs. nonasthmatic adults”; and Erika English and Jaclyn Baker
presented their findings to date on “A distinct microbial
community at the Vermont Asbestos Group Mine.”
In April Autumn Santor (Biology, 2011), who assisted Liz
Dolci with her research while a student at JSC, assumed
a new position as microbiology lab technician for the
Vermont Department of Health.
Graduating students from the Associates of Arts in
Technical Theater program are heading off to a variety of
jobs. Madeline Gibbons will be front-of-house manager
at a theater in Colorado, while Taryn Glasser is working
as production manager for a local dance company before
heading off to Concord, NH, to work at the Verizon Center
and the Capital Theater.
Having just returned from Rwanda, JSC student Ally
Bataille (Health Sciences and Education/PE) and her
friend Elena Bilodeau from St. Michael’s College shared
their experiences as volunteers with Les Enfants de Dieu, a
program for street children in Kigali, with members of the
JsC faculty and staff turned out in force for the annual Corporate Cup 5K in Montpelier, snagging this photo op with Governor
shumlin shortly before the race. Missing from the photo are a dozen or more people from JsC who participated as well.
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May 31, 2012
JSC community on April 24. A silent auction
of fabrics and Rwandan crafts raised money
for their ongoing work.
On May 3, students in the spring Food &
Beverage Management class (HTM 3010)
hosted “Cultivate,” a pop-up restaurant in
Stearns Dining Hall. Under the direction
of executive chef Leonard Cheung and
marketing manager Lucy Aylward, the
sous-chef Joe Flynn served a pair of dishes
comprised of seasonal ingredients to an
enthusiastic full house of patrons.
Ryan Joy (Biology, 2012), JSC male athlete
of the year, capped his stellar JSC career
by being voted NAC East Men’s Tennis
Player of the Year as well as being named
to the NAC East First Teams in both
singles and doubles. All league coaches
vote on the honors. Ryan’s classroom
record is even more distinguished than
his accomplishments on the tennis court
and soccer field. After working this summer
at a UVM laboratory, the summa cum laude
graduate will begin a Ph.D. program there.
Leonard Chung and Joe Flynn put the finishing touches on one of the special
dishes prepared at “Cultivate,” the May 3 pop-up restaurant in stearns Hall.
Hillary Alexander Emick (2005, Integrated Environmental
Science and Political Science) will enter the
Environmental Life Sciences Ph.D. program at Arizona
State University in Tempe this fall. The interdisciplinary
doctoral program offered by the School of Life Sciences
provides training in several complementary fields
focusing on interactions between organisms (plant,
animal or microbe) and their environments. Hillary will
study geological structures currently formed by microbes.
Her research, focusing on methodologies for identifying
chemical evidence of biological activity in the geological
record, is being conducted under ASU’s “Follow the
Elements” NASA Astrobiology Initiative.
Instructed by Brad Moskowitz and Mark Puleio (both
Environmental & Health Sciences), students in JSC’s
Winter Expedition course traveled to Idaho for an eightday backcountry ski trip during February break. The
students gained skills and knowledge pertaining to
avalanche phenomena, snow science, field forecasting,
the natural and cultural history of the Sawtooth region,
and backcountry travel and guiding techniques. All
received their Level 1 Avalanche Certification as endorsed
by the American Avalanche Association.
This year graduating counseling students did such an
outstanding job during their internships that several were
offered paid positions at their internship sites, including
Lamoille County Connections, Northwest Counseling
Services, and Washington County Counseling.
Twenty-two students, faculty and staff visited Havana
in early April as part of JSC’s interdisciplinary course
“The Art and Culture of Cuba.” Traveling under a general
license, the group spent a week exploring the cultural
treasures of Havana, including museums, artist studios,
and amazing architecture and performance venues. Final
projects, including paintings, photographs, videos and
poetry, were exhibited at the College May 6.
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Board of Trustees Meeting
STUDENT AFFAIRS
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May 31, 2012
A Successful Spring
ATHLETICS & RECREATION
Department Receives Two NCAA Grants
JSC has been awarded two grants from the National
Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) totaling more than
$136,000 that will support the expansion of programs and
leadership opportunities for student-athletes and enable
the JSC to create the position of assistant director of
athletics for external and internal communications.
JSC was one of just 15 institutions nationwide selected to
receive a three-year NCAA “CHOICES” grant, which will be
used to promote alcohol awareness and expand leadership
opportunities for the College’s 132 varsity athletes starting
with the fall 2012 semester. In addition, Johnson studentathletes will help promote healthy choices throughout the
student body as a whole.
“Our receipt of the CHOICES grant is the
result of a rich collaboration among JSC staff,
faculty and students,” said Camille Campanile,
departing coordinator of student-athlete
development at JSC. “We will use the grant to
educate, support and empower our studentathletes to make choices concerning alcohol
that are healthy, safe and legal, and to actively
engage them in promoting positive choices to
their fellow students through peer advocacy
and mentoring.” Media campaigns, community
outreach and events offering alternatives to
alcohol use will be featured as well.
The second NCAA grant, a three-year “strategic alliance”
matching grant, supports member institutions seeking to
create full-time professional opportunities for minorities
and women. JSC will use the grant to create a new
assistant director who help lead Johnson’s intercollegiate
athletics program, manage the sports-information and
marketing needs of JSC’s 12 varsity teams, and assist
with development and alumni relations. As Director of
Athletics Jamey Ventura notes, “The grants will allow
Johnson State College Athletics to continue to enhance
the experience of our student-athletes and grow our
programs in line with the mission of the College.”
The College’s 132 student-athletes experienced success
this year in the classroom, on the playing surfaces and
in the community. Student-athletes earned 24 awards
during honors convocation, and 51 student-athletes
earned a GPA of 3.0 or higher while participating in
community service. The department held a first annual
national student-athlete day celebration to recognize
their achievements.
All three spring sports — softball, men’s lacrosse,
and men’s tennis — qualified for the NAC playoffs.
Softball lost a hard-fought game with Castleton in the
quarterfinals. Lacrosse freshman Nash Garceau was a two
time recipient of NAC Rookie of the Week honors.
Men’s tennis had a particularly successful season. The
team was 4-1 in the NAC East and 10-3 overall in New
England on its way to a second
consecutive appearance in the NAC
East Finals. Second-year coach Laura
Laramee was voted by her peers as
NAC East Coach of the Year, and senior
Ryan Joy was named conference
player of the year. Ryan posted a 3-2
mark at first singles and was a perfect
5-0 in first doubles in NAC East
play. As noted earlier
earlier, he was named
First Team All-Conference in both
singles and doubles, while seniors
Alen Turan and Kyle Young earned
ryan Joy Second Team All-Conference in
doubles to round out the awards.
Spotlight on Athletic Training
Our Athletic Training staff contributed greatly to the
success of our student-athletes this year. Head trainer
Renee Breault and assistant trainer Betsy O’Rourke
provided 2,493 treatments to our student-athletes this
year, ranging from preventative-injury measures (taping
ankles, applying heat and encouraging stretching), to
rehabbing injuries with exercises, ice and electronic
stimulation. Renee has emerged as a leader within the
department, looking for ways to improve the studentathlete experience. This spring she developed a
Page 7 | Johnson state College | May 2012
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127
relationship with Norwich University’s athletic-training
program that enabled two student interns to work with
her at JSC. She also serves as the department’s senior
women’s administrator, advisor to the Student-Athlete
Advisory Committee, and a member of the department’s
senior decision-making team.
SERVE
SERVE Fri Program
The year’s final installments of this weekly program were
the annual Drop & Swap program, at which students
helped sort and organize 120 bags of donated clothing to
be redistributed to the local community, and a clean-up
day in Highgate at an apartment complex where JSC alum
Zach Johnston runs an environmentally focused afterschool program.
May 31, 2012
that the total proceeds — $1,270 — represented the
largest amount the event had ever raised for her agency.
Archbold noted how much she values the partnership
with JSC and its students.
The Senate finished off the year with several projects that
will be completed this summer, including the installation
of new bike shelters, updated laundry services in the
residence halls, and the placement of new trees on
campus as a gift of the class of 2012. SGA members also
attended the May 1 “Put People First” rally in Montpelier
to raise awareness about student debt and state spending
on higher education.
Blood Drive
Following the fall drive, which was JSC’s most successful
in 23 years in terms of units produced, the spring drive
netted 133 units, making it the most successful spring
semester drive since 1990. Nineteen JSC students
volunteered to help keep the event running smoothly.
Break Away
Over the April break three groups of students traveled
across the country to spend their week engaged in
service. Twelve students traveled to Catalina Island in
California to help the local conservancy agency rebuild
after wildfires destroyed campsites. The group also helped
with trail maintenance/construction and invasive plant
removal. At the same time, 11 students traveled to an
urban farm in Washington, DC, where they built gardens,
constructed greenhouses and raised awareness about
local food systems while working with children. Another
group of 12 students stayed at a day camp for children
and adults with disabilities in Chesterfield, VA, where they
led art and nature activities for campers.
STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION (SGA)
The last report described the success of the annual SGAsponsored Casino Night, which benefits the United Way
of Lamoille County. The College subsequently received a
letter from Executive Director Dawn Archbold indicating
New executive officers have been elected for the 2012-13
academic year: Shane Bouthilette and Colin Santee will
serve as president and vice president, respectively.
RESIDENCE LIFE
A successful year in which residential students gave
their experience high marks seems to be paying early
dividends, as housing deposits from returning students
are 20 percent higher than last year at this time.
The fall will see a number of pilot programs in Residence
Life, including a “Living Learning Community” associated
with a first-year seminar and a wing dedicated to Wellness
& Alternative Medicine students. In addition, VSAC
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Board of Trustees Meeting
is providing $12,000 in Gear-Up funds to support six
student peer mentors who will live in residence halls and
lead associated programming.
Staff and students also are pleased to see physical
improvements coming to the halls in the form of
bathroom renovations and a new front-of-house office
for Residence Life office in Arthur Hall.
COUNSELING & HEALTH CENTERS
Nurse Practitioner Jeanie Cass is leaving JSC after several
years to return to cardiac care, her passion. She will
be greatly missed, particularly for the connections she
established on campus and the extensive educational
outreach she offered, often in conjunction with Counseling
Center Director Cynthia Hennard. Cynthia was recently
pictured in the Morrisville News & Citizen taking part in a
panel discussion in Stowe on domestic and sexual violence
hosted by the Clarina Howard Nichols Center.
UPwARD BOUND
Upward Bound Director Tony Blueter has received
word from Senator Leahy’s office that the JSC program
has been awarded a five-year federal grant with annual
funding of $456,000, representing a total award of more
than $2.2 million. This year’s grant cycle was the most
competitive in decades, and our success is a testament to
the program’s 40-year record of achievement in helping
first-generation and low-income students succeed
in college. The program recently hired Lyndon State
graduate Courtney Corvelo as its new assistant director
and bid farewell to longtime program assistant Bonnie
Griswold, who has retired after 25 years of service to JSC.
BUSINESS AFFAIRS
JSC has been busy compiling information requested by
auditors with O’Conner & Drew, which is conducting its
A-133 audit. The auditors were on campus May 21-23.
Results for third quarter of FY12 were transmitted to the
central office in April. We are finalizing our FY13 budget
and will be transmitting that to the central office by the
end of May.
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May 31, 2012
PHYSICAL PLANT
The JSC Physical Plant had a busy spring as usual
preparing the grounds for Commencement 2012 and
gearing up for summer projects. Annual sprinkler,
fire alarm and generator inspections are under way,
as is a tune-up of our campus refrigeration and airconditioning systems.
This year’s big summer project is the renovation of the
bathrooms and the Resident Assistant suite in Arthur
Hall. Other campus improvements include work on the
Alumni Clock Tower plaza, new interior lighting and
improvements to the entrance of Dibden Center for the
Arts, dam repairs at Lower Pond, and the installation of
additional bike racks on campus.
CONFERENCE & EVENT SERVICES
There’s certainly no rest for the CES staff at this time
of year. The office organized and hosted numerous
events, including the April Board of Trustees meeting
and the “Grand Re-opening” of the Visual Arts Center
that same day, the annual JSC Career Fair, JSC 101
Admissions Open House and the Extended Classroom
Experience Showcase, the annual Drop & Swap, a visit by
guidance counselors taking the Consortium of Vermont
Colleges bus tour, a presentation by Socially Responsible
Businesses, Honors Convocation, the Junior High Jazz
Fest, the JSC Athletics banquet, and several other events
for the Student Government Association and students
involved in the Break Away program.
As always, the department concentrated heavily on
end-of-semester activities, including our largest event
of the year, Commencement. In addition, CES has been
preparing for a very busy summer camp and conference
season that will bring to campus the Burklyn Ballet,
Talent Development Institute, Vermont Legal Aid, Green
Mountain Youth Symphony, Vermont Soccer School,
Upward Bound and numerous sports camps for youth —
all returning for another season at JSC.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Assistant Chief of Technology Sally Searles retired May
10 after 34 years of service to JSC. Sally’s time here
was highlighted by her technological leadership in the
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May 31, 2012
1990s that brought the Internet to campus. Her hard
work provided the College with a solid foundation in
computing that has benefited us for many years.
A search for Sally’s replacement was launched in April.
We have been pleased with the quality of the candidates
interviewed to date.
Jacob White
(right) and
tyrone shaw,
professors in
the Writing
& Literature
department
at JsC,
describe the
department’s
work to
prospective
students and
parents during
the JsC 101
Admissions
open House
and extended
Classroom
experience
showcase
in April.
The IT Department has several projects planned for this
summer including the reimaging of all computer labs,
installation of new computers in the McClelland and
Martinetti computer labs, and the reassignment and
upgrade of computers for part-time faculty and staff. In
addition, the College will be installing wireless access
points in all residence halls, upgrading its email system
and developing new materials for student self-service.
ADMISSIONS & FINANCIAL AID
ADMISSIONS EVENTS
This spring Admissions hosted numerous group visits to
campus — including 15 schools and 477 students — all
coordinated by staff assistant Andrea Bourdeau, who
worked with teachers, school and VSAC counselors and
program directors to plan day visits for groups large and
small. These visits typically include a tour, presentation,
an activity with faculty and/or JSC students, lunch in the
dining hall and, for some, a special activity in SHAPE.
We are grateful to professors Karen Uhlendorf
Uhlendorf, Brad
Moskowitz and Ken Leslie; staff Dannielle Spring,
Allie Cunningham and Wendy Velander; and James
Consentino of ARAMARK for helping to make each a
success. Admissions counselor Joye Lyon wrote a minigrant in conjunction with St. Michael’s College and the
Crown Point Central School to bring 8th graders from
Crown Point, NY, to campus, where they worked with
Professor Ken Leslie on a bookmaking project in our new
Visual Arts Center.
One of the last Admissions events of the semester was
the annual visit by the Consortium of Vermont Colleges’
bus tour. Twenty-nine counselors from as far away
as California visited 18 colleges during their week in
Vermont, stopping at JSC April 23. Following breakfast
and remarks by President Murphy, they were treated to
a Q&A session with student panelists Ashley Carrington
(’12, psychology major), Ryan Joy (’12, biology), Amara
MacKillop (’14, education), Patrick Rainville (’14,
education) and Kylie VanEtten (’13, mathematics). The
counselors then toured campus and left behind their
evaluations, which included the following comments:
• On the campus tours: “I enjoyed seeing the new art
building…great to see classes in session to see how
they ran.”
• On presentations: “Always great learning from students;
their stories. I appreciated the biology major who
elaborated on his opportunities.”
• On the campus: “Tidy, easy to navigate, impressive
beauty even without the vistas on a cloudy day...
inclusive, welcoming, vibrant.”
With spring travel behind us — Admissions counselors
have attended national and regional college fairs since
February — we look ahead to events for the 2012-13 year.
These include our upcoming Summer Preview Days
on July 20 and August 3, which kick off our recruitment
activities for the fall 2013 incoming class. We hope to
attract students and families who might be vacationing
in the area and want to get a jump start on the collegesearch process. Other special summer events include
our Transfer Days (May 18 and 21; July 18 and 19),
which make it possible for transfer students to get an
admissions decision on the spot.
Page 10 | Johnson state College | May 2012
Board of Trustees Meeting
ADMISSIONS UPDATE
As of May 11, overall fall applications are up slightly.
Transfer and EDP deposits are up significantly, while firstyear Vermont deposits still lag behind last year’s numbers.
We continue to hear from students and parents seeking
additional grant and scholarship money in order to make
the commitment to enroll.
It’s a bittersweet time of year watching our seniors
graduate. This year, Admissions said farewell to eight
seniors who have provided hundreds of campus tours,
mailed thousands of packets of information and spent
hours entering data, phoning prospective students and
serving on student panels. We could not do our work
without their enthusiasm, commitment and passion for
JSC. We will greatly miss Alycia Brodeur, Lynne Dumais,
Madeleine Gibbons, Jessica Pafumi, Warren Ramsey,
Claudette Reyes, Ira Tillberg and Sara-Ann Wolf.
We will soon be saying goodbye to Associate Director of
Admissions Rebecca Pastor, who is moving on after seven
years of excellent work and leadership in the Admissions
Office. Rebecca coordinates the JumpStart Program,
organizes our Accepted Student Day programs and
off-campus receptions, and works with staff across the
campus to assemble our “deposit packets.” From traveling
to Vermont high schools, to developing a “placement”
system for incoming first-year students, to overseeing our
e-communications, Rebecca has taken on challenge after
challenge. We will miss her “let’s get it done” attitude and
willingness to go above and beyond. We wish her the best
in her next adventure and thank her for her service to JSC.
FINANCIAL AID
We are pleased to announce that JSC’s application to
continue receiving Title IV funding (i.e., the federal
program of grants, loans and work-study) from the U.S.
Department of Education has been approved. Colleges
must reapply every six years.
The Financial Aid staff is busy making awards to students
enrolling at JSC this summer and in the fall and working
with Admissions to review requests for additional aid.
We are employing 29 students on campus this summer
through the work-study program.
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May 31, 2012
Honors Convocation and our new scholarship-awarding
and reviewing process went well. Financial Aid Director
Lisa Cummings worked with Melissa Weinstein (web
editor), Lauren Phillie (development director) and others
to make the process more efficient and user-friendly
both for applicants and for faculty who provide letters of
recommendation.
DEVELOPMENT &
ALUMNI RELATIONS
ALUMNI AFFAIRS
We are pleased to welcome JSC alum Lisa Baranyay, class
of 1994, to our staff. As our new database manager, Lisa
will be learning to use our constituent database (Raiser’s
Edge) to its fullest capacity in order to improve and
increase our communication with alums. Lisa is attending
extensive trainings and focusing first on data cleanup and
training people how to properly use the system. Lisa will
also assist the development director in identifying where
to focus our fundraising efforts.
In April, several alums living in Connecticut came to an
Admissions reception held near Hartford and spoke to
prospective students about their experiences at JSC. The
week before, alums living in New England were invited
to a special performance by the JSC Chamber Singers in
Windham, Maine.
We recently launched an electronic newsletter to keep
alumni and donors informed about the JSC happenings.
In the interest in making it an email everyone looks
forward to receiving, we are soliciting feedback from the
recipients so we can populate future e-newsletters with
news. So far we’ve received rave reviews!
The Alumni Association will hold a summer BBQ with
the Vermont Lake Monsters on Thursday, June 28, at
Centennial Field in Burlington. Alumni, staff and faculty
are invited to bring their friends and family out for a fun
night at the ballpark.
MINAERT GOLF TOURNAMENT
Registration is under way for the 28th annual Johnson
State College Minaert Open. This year’s tournament will
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May 31, 2012
take place on Friday, June 1, at the Stowe Country Club
and will feature a four-person scramble format with a
shotgun start. All proceeds will go toward enhancing our
varsity locker rooms.
2012 HALL OF FAME INDUCTIONS
The Athletics Hall of Fame board met several times
over the winter to choose this year’s inductees. They
have chosen one team, one honorary member and
three individuals, all of whom will all be inducted at
a ceremony on September 22 during Homecoming/
Reunion Weekend.
HONORS CONVOCATION
JSC’s 2012 Honors Convocation took place April 24 in
Dibden Center for the Arts. The ceremony was preceded
by a tea party connecting scholarship donors with award
recipients and followed by a dinner to honoring this year’s
three Alumni Association award winners:
•
Distinguished Faculty award: Dr. gina Mireault
Gina joined the JSC Behavioral Sciences faculty in
1992. She is an avid researcher into such topics as
emotional development in childhood, childhood
grief after parental loss, and temper tantrums as
a manifestation of childhood anxiety. Assisted by
several students at JSC, Dr. Mireault currently studies
the perception and creation of humor in infants from
3 to 12 months old.
•
Distinguished alumni award: susan Collins, ‘70
Susan attributes her success in the field of education
to the education she received at Johnson State College.
After graduating from JSC, she received an M.Ed.
from the University of Vermont and Reading Recovery
certification from Lesley College. She helped start the
first kindergarten in Eden and was its first teacher.
She is proud to be from a family of educators, with her
mother, maternal grandmother and grandfather each
devoting 30-plus years to education. Now retired after
32 years, having spent her final time as librarian at
Swanton Central School, Susan is an active member of
the JSC Alumni Council.
•
Distinguished staff award: sally laughlin
Sally retired as JSC’s director of development and
alumni relations in January after nearly 18 years of
service to the College. During her time at JSC, Sally
not only worked steadily with the Alumni Council, the
Scholarship Committee and the Ellsworth Trust, she
provided enduring guidance to many JSC committees
as well as to the entire JSC community — all while
significantly building support for the College through
grants and donations.
SUMMER ACTIVITIES
In addition to hosting summer alumni events, working
on a number of grants, and maintaining communication
with JSC alumni and donors, we will be busy finalizing
plans for Homecoming/ Reunion Weekend in September.
This year we are combining this event with Family
Weekend, planning to bring a variety of exciting new
activities to campus (fireworks, anyone?) and
inviting community members to join in
the fun as well.
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may 31, 2o12
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May 31, 2012
Placement Statistics for
Class of 2011 Released
We are pleased to report that,
contrary to national press reports
and unemployment figures,
LSC grads are faring very well in
today’s job market.
Six months after graduation, 93
percent reported that they were
employed part-time or full-time
and/or were continuing their
education; that figure rises to 95
percent within one year. Graduates
of the Business, Electronic Journalism Arts, Elementary Education,
Mountain Recreation Management, Psychology, and Social
Sciences Departments boast over
85% placement within their fields
of study.
Figures are based on a survey of
228 grads, 162 alumni responded.
clockwise from above:
Patricia Shine
presents a symbolic
representation of an
idea formulated during
the College’s May 14
Vision Retreat. A group
exercise designed to
cultivate new ways
of thinking. Incoming
President Joe Bertolino.
on the cover:
Scenes from LSC’s
May 13, 2012,
Commencement
ceremony.
Introduction
Participatory Strategic Planning at LSC
T
he College conducted the final two workshops of The Institute of Cultural
Affairs’ Participatory Strategic Planning Process on May 14 to help determine
Lyndon’s direction for the coming year. Over 70 members of the faculty, staff,
and administration participated in this strategic planning process, including
Interim President Gold and incoming President Joe Bertolino. The day-long exercise
was facilitated by Dean of Institutional Advancement Bob Whittaker.
This gathering was the most recent event in a year-long effort to engage the College’s community in articulating for Lyndon’s 15th president where we want to be
and how we think we can get there over the next 3–5 years. The process kicked off
with a campus-wide retreat in October 2011 to create a practical, shared vision for
the College. Since that first retreat, groups have met to identify underlying contradictions that might block us from achieving our vision.
The primary goals of the gathering on the 14th were to identify Strategic Directions for the next 3–5 years and to formulate a one-year plan of innovative,
substantial actions to move us toward our vision, while dealing with underlying
contractions. The session was enlivened by two creative exercises designed to engage
“right-hemisphere,” original thinking.
Working as a whole and in smaller groups, by the day’s end we had identified actions for three, six, nine, and 12 months out. The suggested actions and measurable
outcomes coalesced around four strategic directions.
1. Capitalizing on human potential: Actions/outcomes include an increased number of seasonal events, developing better mechanisms to collect student feedback,
and strategies for improvement of student retention.
2. Reexamining and optimizing organizational processes: Actions/outcomes include curriculum mapping, enhanced data access, and more fully implementing
ideas already on the table.
3 Enhancing confidence in financial sustainability: Actions/outcomes include
comprehensive analysis of enrollment management, expanding the role of the
LSC Foundation, and creating an auditing system to inventory and purchase
hardware and software.
4. Supporting an innovative environment: Actions/outcomes include establishing
an open forum for new ideas, a public relations and marketing campaign focused
on innovation, and production of an LSC “app.”
Work will continue over the summer on refining and beginning to implement
the 12-month action plan. Joe Bertolino thanked participants for providing him with
information that will be very helpful to him as he begins his tenure in July.
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lyndon state college report to the board of trustees: may 31, 2012 page 2
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May 31, 2012
Lyndon Holds 100th Commencement
Rahiem with MBI
major Tyler Eckardt
Rock and Roll Hall of Famer
Rahiem Speaks on Campus
In April, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer
Rahiem of the legendary rap group
Grand Master Flash and the Furious
Five recently visited with 60 Music
Business and Industry students. His
energetic and informative session
covered the history and development of hip-hop culture, the
importance of copyrighting musical
works, and the changing landscape
of rap music. LSC student Tyler
Eckhardt invited Rahiem to speak
while the two were working on
a project together in a nearby
recording studio.
LSC held its 100th commencement ceremony May 13 under a tent on the LSC
soccer field. Undergraduate and graduate degrees were presented to 214 candidates.
Dr. Muriel Howard, president of the American Association of State Colleges and
Universities (AASCU), gave the commencement speech.
The Class of 2012 was represented by speakers Allison Poulin, a Mountain Recreation Management graduate, and Rachel Keller, a Psychology and Human Services
graduate. Steve Long extended greetings from the class of 1962—and extended a
challenge to members of the new graduating class to have alumni present at the
2062 ceremony. Ralph Vasami received the Distinguished Alumni Award. Vasami
is the CEO of Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc. Michelle Wilcox, a graduate
in Television Production, won the Alumni Council Award for Outstanding Senior.
Former LSC Presidents Dr. Janet Murphy and Dr. Carol Moore were in attendance. They were invited to the celebration by Interim President Steve Gold. Moore
spoke briefly to the assembled crowd.
In her commencement speech, Howard exhorted the graduates to “play an active role in history.” She added that graduates have a “responsibility to take care of
[themselves] and to help others. And that responsibility is the task of [their] life.”
Howard “applauded the energy,
confidence, and seriousness of
purpose in the class” and acknowledged that they “are going to be sensational.”
Graduates have already begun to put their degrees to use.
They are stepping into jobs in
hospitals, accounting firms, and
radio stations. One grad will be
touring and working in production for a Vermont-based percussion act. One woman is opening a day-care business. One grad is beginning an
internship as a tree canopy tour guide; another with the Appalachian Mountain
Club. A number of students are continuing their studies and are scheduled to begin
grad school in the fall. Karin Sague, English Literature and Cultural Studies, is slated
to start at Drexel University in September. Working toward a master’s in Library Science, she shared, “I’m excited to start this new chapter in my life.”
Second Fulbright in Three Weeks Awarded to Faculty Member
LSC Journalism
Professor Dan
Williams. Photo by
David Ballou.
journalism professor Dan Williams heading to china in 2012–13
Lyndon State College Journalism Professor Dan Williams has been awarded a yearlong Fulbright Scholarship to teach in China. “I am delighted to be selected and am
thrilled about the possibilities,” Williams said. Dan is the second LSC professor to
win the coveted award in three weeks—Associate Professor of Psychology Margaret
Sherrer just received notice of her Fulbright to teach and conduct research in India.
Williams has had his hand in every facet of broadcast journalism. He came to LSC
after spending 15 years at CNN and working stints at newspapers, magazines, a wire
service, and nearly a decade at Radio Free Europe in Munich, Germany. He brings
that international perspective to his teaching. “Like many journalism programs in
China now, there’s an emphasis on global news. China wants to compete with the
likes of CNN and the BBC on the world journalism stage.”
“The strands of journalism are converging, and practitioners need to operate
comfortably in more than one medium,” Williams explained. “Newspaper reporters take photos, and shoot video. Television correspondents write for the web. More
and more journalists use social media. Despite different journalism philosophies,
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lyndon state college report to the board of trustees: may 31, 2012 page 3
Board of Trustees Meeting
LSC Student Cycling Across
America... and Back
Jack Kerouac had a car and numerous friends along for his trip across
America. John Steinbeck’s travel
included a middle-aged poodle
and a camper. Lyndon State College
student Jamie Robertson has a cot,
a tarp, and a Sterling Discovery LX
bike with hybrid tires!
Robertson has mapped an ambitious route of 8,300 miles—80 days
of cycling, 15 of rest. He is carrying
ample water, a calorie-specific
daily ration of cereal, and SPF 50
sunscreen. “I burn easily,” the
redhead says with a grin.
“My goal is to get to know myself
better and to help motivate others
to do what they love... I’d like to
inspire people to inquire about
attending Lyndon State. This [trip]
can be a major milestone for both
me and my fellow students by
making this college more wellknown.”
Robertson is blogging and displaying photos on his Facebook page
during his trip and has planned an
audio-video presentation after his
return. He embarked on his journey
at 8:30 a.m. on May 14 from the LSC
campus. Friends, well-wishers, and
President Steve Gold were on hand
to send him on his way.
135
May 31, 2012
Chinese schools are no different from their U.S. counterparts in their need to try to
stay ahead of these developments.”
“That fact is at the heart of my proposal to teach journalism classes with a crossplatform emphasis. The time is ripe for this training as China takes on a role on the
world media stage commensurate with its growing political and economic profile.”
Williams serves as advisor to LSC’s student newspaper, The Critic, and has been in
touch with the editor of the journalism school’s English-language student newspaper
in Xi’an, China. “We started corresponding via email and trading digital copies of
our newspapers. Then her dean sent me an invitation to teach there. The Fulbright
makes that possible. Ultimately, I hope to establish ties between our college and
universities in China. Wouldn’t it be great if we could create an exchange of students
and faculty?”
LSC President Steve Gold weighed in, “Lightning can strike twice! What’s the
likelihood of two professors from the same small public college receiving this prestigious award in the same year? Only at Lyndon.”
Students
student accomplishments
Nick Russo to Serve as VSC Board of Trustee Member
LSC’s Student Government Association President Nick Russo has been chosen by
the Vermont State Colleges Student Association (VSCSA ) to represent them on the
Vermont State Colleges Board of Trustees.
In a message to the College community President Gold commented, “We can
be very proud of Nick’s achievements and very proud of John Kleinhans who has
represented the VSCSA on the Board of Trustees this past academic year. Last year,
we thought it was quite rare that student representatives from the same college serve
two successive years (Tim Cappalli then John Kleinhans), but now, Nick makes that
three years in a row! A real tribute to the excellence of Lyndon students!”
Outstanding Students
Honored
New Freshman Honor Society
Members: largest group in LSC
History
Forty-four freshmen were inducted into Alpha Lambda Delta (ALD) before a packed house
on April 22. ALD is a national
honor society for students who
have maintained a GPA of 3.5 or higher and are in the top 20 percent of their class
during their first year of higher education. ALD has members in more than 250
institutions and awards 35 yearly scholarships of $1,000–$6,000.
President Steve Gold exclaimed, “These 44 students make up the largest ALD
inductee-class in the 100-year history of LSC. We had a full house; no extra seats.
Such an amazing turnout!”
New ALD members are: Anthony Andrews, Nicholas Aresco, Cody W. Brackett,
Chalaun Blanchard, Matthew Bryan, Josh Cingranelli, Kaytlin J. Conley, Geena
Contrada, Paul Donais, Ashleigh Downing, Katheryn Ebner, Jena M. Finnegan,
Katrina Floranza, Emily Foehring, Kayla Franklin, Emily C. Gray, Matthew Green,
Olivia Hamel, Nathan Harvey, Megan Hassan, Brandon Heanssler, Bonnie Hili-
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lyndon state college report to the board of trustees: may 31, 2012 page 4
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May 31, 2012
adis, Emma Kaplan, Milan Krainchich, Jeremy MacDonough, Karisa Macomber,
Alexandra Main, Christopher McCray, Julia McNeil, Emelia Newkirk, Laura Noddin, Kelly O’Brien, Stella O’Donnell-Leach, James Otto, Shawn Redmond, Ilayna
Roy, Nathan Scoggins, Josh Searles, Emily Slayton, Chelsea Smith, Justin Tomaselli,
Dylan Toothaker, Monica Vigneault, and William Wilson.
Meteorologist Chelsea
Ingram joins WFFF-WVny
After completing post-graduate
work at LSC, Chelsea Ingram is
beginning her TV career with WFFFWVNY in Burlington, Vt. The station
announced on April 20 that Ingram
is joining their team as a weekend
meteorologist. “Chelsea is an
up-and-coming weather anchor
and we are very pleased to work
with her as she begins her on-air
forecasting career,” WFFF-WVNY
news director Tracy Davis said, announcing the hiring. Ingram has a
degree in meteorology from North
Carolina State University; she
completed her post-graduate work
at Lyndon this spring.
ADuLT LeARneRS: ALPHA
LPHA SIgMA
MA LAMBDA InDuCTIon HeLD
Lyndon’s chapter of Alpha Sigma Lambda (ASL) inducted 18 new members on
April 12 at the annual Adult Learner Recognition Night. The national honor society
is open to high-achieving adult learners. To be considered for induction in ASL,
a student must be in the top 10 percent of their class, be a minimum of 23 years
old, have at least sophomore standing, and a GPA of at least 3.2. The honor society
membership is life long.
The new inductees are Kevin Bacon, David Daly, Jonathan Dame, Emily Davis,
Benjamin Duplissis, Shawna Gagnon, Chad Gillander, Jeremiah Hamel, Wesley
Hatch, Tristan McKnight, Caleb Norton, Ami Norton, Ian Robbins, Mathew Robinson, Rebecca Rodger, Isaac Tanney, Na Zhan, and Jianchuan Zheng.
Tough Mudder
Team LSC... before,
during, and after
the competition.
yyear Two for Lyndon Tough Mudders
Start with a British Special Forces-designed course with 29 obstacles. Throw in a 10mile run over Mt. Snow’s rough terrain. The result is a particularly gruelling stop in
the annual international event called Tough Mudder. On May 6, a 15-member team
from Lyndon State measured their mettle in the Mudder.
Tough Mudder is not a race but a challenge. It doesn’t reward those who finish
first, but praises those who stick together and finish as a team. It tests an individual’s
stamina and mental grit while prizing camaraderie. The end result is an enormous
sense of accomplishment.
“The event last year was probably the stupidest thing I have ever done, but I
would have signed up again at the finish line if I could have,” Team LSC Captain
Jonathan Dame explained. “I grew interested and entered last year because of the
uncontrollable desire to push myself to both physical and emotional limits. I’m not
a triathlete. Tough Mudder is my sport.”
Obstacles range from the ridiculous to the frightening: a series of 12-foot walls,
pitch-black body-squeezing mud-filled tunnels, monkey bars, dunkings in ice-water,
huge “slip-n-slides,” and sprints through 10,000 volts of electricity—and fire.
The team consists of students, faculty, and staff from a variety of departments.
Team LSC are Jason Clark, Aaron Cornell, Jonathan Dame, Stuart Farina, Joe Kill,
Greg Ledoux, CJ Mauro, Darcie Miles, Leah Morgan, Allison Poulin, Takuya Shimamura, Anthony Sgherza, Meagan Swahn, Sara Swahn, and Jaclyn Toney.
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lyndon state college report to the board of trustees: may 31, 2012 page 5
Board of Trustees Meeting
Campus Activities Board
Go Bruins!
Cable television was installed just
in the nick of time in ASAC 100 for
students to catch game seven of
the Bruins vs. Capital’s series in
high definition. The Campus Activities Board purchased 30 pizzas for
students to enjoy before the game.
Fisher Cats Game
On April 30, 10 students attended
a Manchester (N.H.) Fisher Cats
game at the Delta Dental Stadium.
The Campus Activities Board
provided them with transportation, tickets, and food. Although
the Fisher Cats lost, students had a
great time in the suite and watching the game.
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May 31, 2012
S T U D E N T life
Residential Life
housing selection
The office of Residential Life has completed their housing selection process for returning students. We have filled all returning student beds and have a short waiting
list started for some returning residents. We are now moving into housing our new
first-year and transfer students on campus and anticipate being over capacity with
the need for some off-campus accommodations in the fall.
Leadership and Resident Assistant Banquet
We held our annual Leadership Banquet on April 26. Over 100 students were recognized for their hard work and accomplishments during the past year. We recognized students in leadership roles on campus, Who’s Who recipients, CARE Report
recipients, and those nominated by fellow students, faculty, and staff as outstanding
contributors to our campus. Individual awards were presented to recognize the hard
work of students who have excelled during their time at Lyndon.
The annual Resident Assistant Banquet celebrated the hard work of this year’s RA
staff. Individual contributions were recognized as well as the overall impact they have
had on their community throughout the year.
year-end programming
Our RAs finished the year with strong programming efforts. End-of-semester programming included a “No Make-up May” to promote positive body image and collect money to donate to a nonprofit organization that supports the cause; a roundtable discussion with a business professor to discuss post-graduation planning for
personal budgets, loans and getting a job; study breaks with study tips; and a cooking
competition.
Renee
Yohe
Fall Semester: Ready to go!
The Campus Activities Board has
nailed down next semester’s
schedule of events. Highlights
include an appearance by Renee
Yohe, whose story inspired the creation of the “To Write Love on Her
Arms” organization, and “abstract
percussionists” Plastic Musik. Bus
trips for fall 2012 will journey to Six
Flags New England in September
and New York City in December.
Lyndon State Adventure Program
Gravity Well climbing wall
Six new student “wall monitors” have received nationally recognized AMGA Climbing Wall Instructor Certification. Good timing, too, as the entire current crop of wall
monitors graduated this May. Assistant Professor of Mountain Recreation Management Jonathan Norling and Adventure Coordinator Jamie Struck both received their
AMGA Climbing Wall Instructor Provider Certification.
Disc Golf Course
The disc golf course is in terrific shape for the coming season. We are moving away
from wooden T-box signs in favor of lettering stenciled on concrete T-pads. Thanks
to the efforts of concerned students on campus, the course has been cleaned and
stairs were built on the third hole.
Adventure Programming
A recent resurgence in group development programming has us running around
like bunnies in a field of clover. In May and June alone we will facilitate 15 separate
group development programs on our low and high courses and climbing wall. The
word is growing that we have a great product up here on the hill. We are looking
forward to a busy summer working with many of the groups and organizations we
have partnered with in years past.
LOOP: the Lyndon Outdoor Orientation Program
The Lyndon Outdoor Orientation Program is seeing traction with incoming students
on an unprecedented level. Now in our sixth season, we already have nine participants signed up—and that’s before our marketing campaign gets fully underway.
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May 31, 2012
This year we will offer our usual Green Mountain hike plus a Connecticut River
trek that will cover 75-plus miles of paddling. Many new participants are excited to
be a part of an adventure for those who may not feel strong enough to carry a heavy
pack over 35 miles of trail.
Taking the leap
on LSC’s high
ropes course.
SuMMeR PLAnS
With a new Lyndon State Adventure Program work-study assistant in place, we are
ramping up to get much done. This position will enable us to get a big lead on our
campus mountain bike trails, allow us to develop new low ropes course elements, and
give vital training to student leaders in the programs LSAP has to offer.
AT H L E T I C S
Lyndon’s second season as an active member of the NCAA and its
fourth in the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) ended in May.
Two of the four spring programs qualified for post-season play.
Softball
Lyndon ended its season with a 10–2 loss to Husson University in the quarterfinals
of the NAC playoffs on April 24. The loss left the Hornets with an overall record of
11–23 and a mark of 3–13 in the NAC.
Freshman Ashley Barski led the team in hitting with an average of .369 and
topped the team in runs scored (26), hits (38), and stolen bases (14). Fellow frosh
Taylor Young hit .323 and had a team-leading six doubles and 13 walks. Freshman
Jena Finnegan led the squad in at-bats with 106 and runs-batted-in with 15. Sophomore Meghan Gadapee topped the pitching staff in wins with seven, and innings
pitched with 102⅔. She struck out 51 opposing hitters while walking only six. Freshman pitcher Katie Davis won four games and fanned a team-high 81 hitters.
Meghan gadapee
Lacrosse
Lyndon dropped a 14–1 decision to Husson University on April 26 in the quarterfinal
round of the NAC playoffs and ended its regular season four days later with a 16–6
loss to Norwich. The loss dropped the Hornets to 3–8 overall and 3–5 in the NAC.
Senior Max Ercole led the team in goals with 16 and collected two assists for a
total of 18 points. He tied for the team lead in points with fellow senior Ryan Brown
who had 12 goals and six assists. Junior Anthony Amoroso had seven goals and five
assists for 12 points, while sophomore Dan Randall scored seven goals and handed
out four assists for a total of 11 points. Sophomore goalkeeper Matt Reynolds played
every minute of every game for the Hornets, collecting 166 saves along the way.
Men’s Tennis
Shane O’Donnell-Leach
Lyndon ended the 2012 season with an overall record of 2–9 and a mark of 1–4 in
the NAC. Junior Tyler Schofield led the team in singles wins with four and doubles
victories with six.
At season’s end, three members of the Lyndon men’s tennis program were named
to the All-NAC East Team for their performances throughout the 2012 season. Michael Howard, a junior, was named to the All-NAC Second Singles Team while
Schofield and sophomore Daniel Weiner were selected to the All-NAC Doubles
Second Team. Howard was 2–5 on the season, playing mostly in first flight singles.
He also amassed a record of 1–6 in doubles play, competing with multiple teammates. Schofield collected an overall record of 4–6 in singles play, but teamed with
Weiner to record a mark of 5–2 in doubles competition. Overall, he had a record of
6–4 in doubles play throughout the 2012 campaign. Weiner was 2–9 in singles play
and had an overall mark of 6–5 in doubles play.
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lyndon state college report to the board of trustees: may 31, 2012 page 7
Board of Trustees Meeting
139
May 31, 2012
Baseball
Lyndon ended the 2012 season with an overall mark of 5–26 and a North Eastern
Athletic Conference Eastern Division record of 3–20.
Sophomore Tyler Pelletier led the team in hitting with an average of .284 and
topped the team in at-bats (95), hits (27), runs (11), doubles (6), and runs-batted-in
(16). Fellow sophomore Dylan Newton led the squad in home runs with two and
slugging percentage with a mark of .400. Senior Shane O’Donnell-Leach led the
pitching staff in wins with two and had a team-high earned run average of 6.82.
Freshman Devin Rhodes had 26 strikeouts on the season to lead the staff.
Lyndon Honors
Standout Athletes
Associate Academic Dean John Kascenska, Wildens Fils,
Michelle Wilcox, Josh Grant, and Athletic Director Chris Ummer
Lyndon’s Athletics Department
honored its winter and spring athletes, as well as its top student-athletes from the 2011–12 school year,
on May 3 at the annual Spring
Athletic Awards Reception.
The highlight of the evening
was the presentation of the Dudley
Bell Outstanding Athlete Award
given to the top male and female
student-athletes over the course of
the past school year. Josh Grant, a junior runner with the Hornets’ men’s cross-country team, was recipient for a third consecutive year by virtue of another outstanding
performance. Michelle Wilcox, a senior from Sheldon, Vt., was awarded the Dudley
Bell Outstanding Female Athlete of the Year Award for her efforts on the Lyndon
women’s soccer team.
Josh Grant also shared the prestigious Green and Gold Scholar-Athlete Award,
presented to the male and female student-athlete with the highest GPA, with junior
Patrick Hilton of the Lyndon baseball and men’s soccer programs. Earning the Green
and Gold Female Scholar-Athlete Award was sophomore Megan Phelps of the Lyndon women’s soccer team.
Senior Wildens Fils of the men’s cross-country program received the Champions
of Character Award, presented to the student-athlete who best exemplifies the values
of respect, integrity, responsibility, leadership, and sportsmanship.
Academics
Lyndon Secures Highly Competitive Upward Bound Grant
LSC Director of
Upward Bound
Rick Williams
The Upward Bound Program at Lyndon State College has received notice that they
are recipients of a five-year grant renewal from the U.S. Department of Education.
The $1.62 million grant will allow the Upward Bound program to continue serving
students, schools, and alumni of the program in the three counties of the Northeast
Kingdom and northern New Hampshire. This year’s grant selection was the most
competitive ever: 780 programs were funded out of more than 1,500 applications.
This funding exemplifies not only the commitment Lyndon State College has made
to moderate-income, first-in-family students, but also to the success of the Upward
Bound program itself. Lyndon State College has hosted the Upward Bound program
since 1980.
The program works annually with 75 students, in nine Northeast Kingdom high
schools, who are dedicated to achieving their post-secondary goals. Students spend
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lyndon state college report to the board of trustees: may 31, 2012 page 8
Board of Trustees Meeting
Emeritus
Status
Granted
We are pleased to acknowledge
the awarding of Emeritus status to
long-time LSC Professors
Frank Green, Education, (left) and
Dorian McGowan, Art (right).
140
May 31, 2012
six weeks of their summer on the Lyndon campus where they take college preparatory
courses, hold volunteer work-study positions in the community, and participate in
activities on campus while living in the residence halls. Upward Bound also provides
academic guidance and support to students throughout the school year. Upward
Bound is one of the federally funded TRiO programs through the U.S. Department
of Education and is free for any eligible participating students.
Leahy Center Announces
Early Promise Scholarship Recipients
The Patrick and Marcelle Leahy Center for Rural Students at Lyndon State College has announced recipients
of the 2012 Early Promise Scholarship. Established by the Leahy Center to assist
graduating high school seniors who are the first in their immediate family to attend college and who plan to continue their education at LSC, awards range from
$2,500–$5,000 and will be renewed on an annual basis if students maintain a 2.5
GPA or higher and are enrolled in a full-time course of study. All Early Promise
Scholarships have been made possible by the generous support of Community National Bank, the LSC Foundation, Jane’s Trust, and Carhartt, Inc.
Recipients are: Ritza Arias, Canaan High School; Darcey Burk and Desirae Colorado, Lake Region Union High School; John Dickson, Hazen Union High School;
Sydney McAlister, Concord High School; and Angelica Morrison, Oxbow Union
High School.
faculty
Promotions and Tenure Granted
LSC President Steve Gold has announced faculty promotions and tenure. He noted,
“We are delighted to reward these hard-working people with promotions. Our new
full, associate, and assistant professors are dedicated and talented individuals. The
entire LSC community congratulates these capable educators—our colleagues.”
Mark Hilton, Alison Lathrop, and Tim Lewis are now full professors. Hilton
teaches business administration and holds an M.B.A. from Plymouth State University. Lathrop has a Ph.D. from Dartmouth College and teaches geology in the
Department of Natural Sciences. Lewis teaches in the Electronic Journalism Arts
Department and has an M.A. from Union Institute & University/Vermont College.
Five faculty members were promoted to associate professor. They are Alan Giese
(Natural Sciences/Biology), Harry Mueller (Visual Arts), David Plazek (Social Science/Political Science), Paul Searls (History), and Dan Williams (English/Journalism). Joe Gittleman (Music Business and Industry) was promoted to assistant
professor.
In addition, Giese, Plazek, Searls, and Williams were granted tenure. The promotions and tenure take effect on September 1, 2012.
Faculty Retirements
Three faculty members with long and illustrious ties to the LSC community will
retire this spring. Together they represent over 85 years of outstanding service to
the College.
Professor David Ballou has been at Lyndon since the early 80s. He served as the director of college telecommunications from 1984–1993 and became a faculty member
in the Communication Arts and Sciences Department in 1993.
The success of News7’s award-winning broadcasts is testimony to David’s many
years of setting the standard for excellence and professionalism. Not only do you see
many Lyndon alumni on local news stations around the region, many alumni return
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lyndon state college report to the board of trustees: may 31, 2012 page 9
Board of Trustees Meeting
141
May 31, 2012
to do workshops with current students, a legacy of David’s mentoring.
Lyndon’s Interactive Communications Project (now The Vermont Center for
Community Journalism), has been providing high-quality, student-produced local
news broadcasts for the past 30 years. This program offers advanced television studies
and broadcast meteorology students with on-campus internship opportunities and
fills an information services gap regionally.
Although he will likely return in the fall to teach part-time, we wish David well
as he takes up his camera and captures the world through a slightly different point
of view in his retirement years.
Barry Hertz came to Lyndon in 1980 from Temple University as an assistant professor in Early Childhood and Elementary Education. During his 32 years at LSC, he
has taught and mentored hundreds of teaching licensure students who have gone on
to fulfilling careers in education. Many of those teachers remained in the Northeast
Kingdom or in Vermont, and they continue to serve Lyndon as cooperating teachers.
The list of all the Lyndon and broader community committees Barry has served
on is long indeed, including eight years as the chair of the Faculty Assembly. Barry
established the Summer Education Institute, which brought internationally known
experts in education to campus to provide professional development for area teachers.
Barry has served as college marshal, and he has served on the Education Council, the
Academic Policy Committee, as a member of the Project Compass team, the Commencement Committee, and on numerous task forces.
Barry served on the Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital Board of Trustees
for 10 years, and was chair from 2007–2009. He was a founding member of the Vermont Council of Teacher Educators, serving as chair three times. He has been on the
Board of Directors for the Vermont Association for the Education of Young Children
for 15 years, holding each of the officers’ roles. He has been a member of the Burke
School Board, the Burke Planning Commission, and the East Burke Fire Brigade.
While he was the chair of the Vermont Standards Board for Professional Educators he had the privilege of signing his eldest daughter’s teacher license, a very proud
moment for him to be sure.
top to bottom:
David Ballou,
Barry Hertz, and
Linda Mitchell
Professor Linda Mitchell has been a cornerstone of the Business Administration Department at Lyndon since her arrival in January 1989. She received her M.B.A. from
Columbia University. However, Professor Mitchell’s vast experience in her field has
been gained not just in academia, but through her active participation in professional
organizations, conferences, symposiums, and workshops in her field.
Linda has conducted workshops and seminars in marketing, total quality management, customer satisfaction, and surveying for IBM, Passumpsic Savings Bank,
The New England Center for Children, American Society for Quality, Vermont
Small Business Development Center, New Hampshire Regional Planning Directors,
and the Women’s Small Business Program. She has conducted marketing surveys
for many local companies: Littleton Coin Company, Community National Bank,
Wayne-Ford Chrysler (now Twin State Ford), Copper Cannon Center, Union Bank/
Citizens Savings Bank, and Littleton Main Street. Linda has provided professional
advising to businesses in the region such as the Village Bookstore in Littleton, Northeast Kingdom Community Action, and Lisbon (N.H.) Main Street.
While serving as chair of Lyndon’s Business Administration Department she expanded the adult learner program, focused on improving retention and graduation
rates, and increased offerings to other academic departments to provide them with
new marketing and management tracks/concentrations.
Linda’s dedication to her students is justifiably renowned. Although she demands
a lot from them as they prepare for their careers, she goes above and beyond in mentoring them—and displays true compassion during their times of struggle.
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lyndon state college report to the board of trustees: may 31, 2012 page 10
Spotlight
Board of Trustees Meeting
142
May 31, 2012
Electronic Journalism
Arts Department
Real World Preparation for Professionals
T
raining for a mass communications career in the American information industry used to be a lot simpler. Those who loved to report and
tell stories with words learned the art of newspaper stories. Those
who captured still photographs honed their eye for newspaper and
magazine images. Those who enjoyed using sound, moving pictures, and
words looked to broadcast as a way to record reality and relay that reality to their audience through mini-documentary films produced in hours
instead of months.
Then the internet happened. It turned mainstream media outlets and the
nation’s higher education mass communications programs on their heads.
That’s why Lyndon’s successful community-based service learning Television Studies program is now known as Electronic Journalism Arts (EJA).
The name change reflects a 2010 curricular shift that makes sure EJA students whose first love are words or on-camera writing also know how to
capture still and moving images... that dedicated photographers know how
to report... and that every one of them can tell effective stories across multiple platforms: TV, web, print, or social media.
At the heart of the training is hands-on experience: doing the real-life
work of monitoring, researching, and explaining the news of the day—on
that day, every day, for twelve weeks each semester—all while dealing with
the ethical and informational challenges that public service work entails.
The EJA program is designed to “stair-step” students toward their degree—each class building toward the next and the program’s innovative capstone experience—the Vermont Center for Community Journalism (VCCJ).
Director of Broadcast Operations Darlene Ballou, right, works
with students in the News7 broadcast control room.
Fox 44’s Lauren
Maloney, above, and
Emmy Award winner
Matt Cyr, right, are two
of the many recent
grads of the program
making a career of
electronic journalism.
The Three Platforms of the VCCj
The training occurs in a real-world laboratory with over 9,000 homes in
the 14 towns surrounding the Lyndon campus, as students meet demanding daily deadlines to bring that community the information they need to
lead and enrich their lives.
The Vermont
Center for
Community Journalism
Senior Michelle Wilcox
does a remote “stand-up”
in St. johnsbury.
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lyndon state college report to the board of trustees: may 31, 2012 page 11
Electronic Journalism Arts Department
Board of Trustees Meeting
143
May 31, 2012
Since 1979, local residents have been informed by the live broadcasts
of LSC’s Emmy award-winning News7. The VCCJ’s online news outlet,
NewsLINC, debuted in 2009. An electronic print publication, NewsINK,
was introduced by students in 2010.
However, this information highway runs both ways. LSC’s News7 is the
only broadcast news training program in the nation that allows community
viewers to rate and score student work twice a semester... and includes those
community ratings in the students’ grades.
Accolades and Awards
Since 2004, Lyndon’s News7, our daily, studentproduced newscasts, have garnered nearly 50
regional and national awards, including an Emmy
as the Nation’s Best College Newscast. Here are
some recent honors.
2012
• Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ),
Regional: 1st and 2nd place, Television Sports
Reporting
• SPJ, Regional: 1st place,
Television News Photography
• SPJ, Regional: 2nd place:
Best All-Around Newscast
First-place entries move on to the National Mark
of Excellence Awards competition in each category. Those national awards will be announced
during the summer of 2012.
Breaking news = Big opportunities
The long-standing practice of EJA student coverage of regional news, often
in cooperation with Vermont and New Hampshire statewide media organizations in Burlington or Manchester, means VCCJ news crews are ready
to compete as equals when big stories break.
This was evident during the spring 2012 semester, when the tragic murder of Melissa Jenkins brought news crews from across the nation to the
Northeast Kingdom in late March. VCCJ students were able to use their
training and technology to inform the local community.
ejA: Working Well with others
2011
Since 1974, the program has worked hand-in-hand with Lyndon’s meteorology program to help train broadcast meteorologists. In 2011, the department began offering an EJA minor for Atmospheric Sciences majors so
ATM students would have the in-the-field backpack journalist skills most
television stations require for entry-level, full-time weather jobs. The EJA
minor continues the weathercaster reporting training that occurred in the
TVS curriculum.
• Broadcast Education Association, National:
3rd Place Student Interactive Multimedia
Competition, NewsLINC
2010
• Broadcast Education Association, National:
2nd Place, NewsLINC
• College Broadcasters, Inc., National:
Finalist, Best Student Website, NewsLINC
• College Broadcasters, Inc., National:
Finalist, Best Student Newscast
• Society of Professional Journalists, Regional:
2nd Place, General News Reporting
Interesting Internships...
In addition to the VCCJ, many students are placed in outside internships
with stations in Boston, Providence, and Portland; cable news operations
run by Time-Warner, NESN, and NECN; and national news media organizations including CBS News in New York.
• WFSB, Rocky Ridge, Conn.: production
assistant on “Face the State”
• Fox 61, Hartford, Conn.: news/sports
production assistant
• Fox 23, Portland, Maine: online media assistant
• News 12 Connecticut: photography intern
• WFXT Fox 25, Boston, Mass.: photography intern
• WBZ, Boston, Mass.: newsroom intern
... And High-achieving Alumni
• Nick Barnets, 2011, CBS News, New York, N.Y.:
Weekend News Production Assistant
• R. J. Brownell, 2011, WTIC 61 Fox,
Hartford Conn.: weekend producer
• Alison Ciaramitaro, 2011, KMID 2 ABC,
Midland, Texas: meteorologist
• Michelle Frizalone, 2011, KTXS, Abilene, Texas:
Anchor/Reporter
• Michael Lang, 2011, Disney Orlando, Lake Bueno, Fla.
• Jeff Rusack, 2011, KDLT 5 NBC, Sioux Falls, S.D.: reporter
Nick Barnets parlayed his internship at CBS News in New
York into a full-time job after graduation—putting him
on track toward fulfilling a lifelong dream of becoming a
foreign news correspondent.
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lyndon state college report to the board of trustees: may 31, 2012 page 12
Board of Trustees Meeting
144
May 31, 2012
Faculty notes
jim Bozeman
In February, Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science Jim Bozeman traveled to Brattleboro Union High School with student Julie Burkholder to give a talk
entitled “What Your Math Teacher Never Told You.” Jim’s abstract, “Nearly Convex
Sets and Applications,” has been accepted for presentation at BIOCOMP2012—
Mathematical Modeling and Computational Topics in Biosciences, to be held in
Vietri sul Mare, Italy, June 4–8. The paper resulting from this talk will most likely
be published in Scientiae Mathematicae Japonicae.
enrollment Management
Helping Students With Financial Planning
1
Use this
worksheet to
estimate
your bill for one
semester.
Enter your
total on the
MY FINANCIAL
PLAN form.
Keep this
worksheet for
your records.
The cost of a college education and the debt load graduates are saddled with are very
much in the news these days. Student Services, Financial Aid, and Admissions are
Estimated Student Bill Worksheet
working together to help students and their families plan for and manage the cost
of their education at Lyndon. They have developed a “My Financial Plan” package
that is being sent to all new and returning students that includes worksheets to calStudent Financial Services Checklist
culate costs and debt, an individual plan for how to pay outstanding balances, and a
timetable to be certain financial obligations are met in a timely fashion—long before
students are deep into the school year.
Select the tuition option that matches your residency status.
OPTION 1: VERMONT RESIDENT
1. In-State Tuition & Fees: Includes tuition, capital development fee,
student activity fee, and new student orientation fee.
2. Average Course Fees:
3. Room & Board:
$ 5,232
3
4. Mandatory Health Insurance:
by a current policy. Health Insurance is billed until it is waived online.
TOTAL: ADD
Enter this figure on Form 2,
OPTION 2: NON-VERMONT RESIDENT
Keep this n File Your 2012-2013 FAFSA if you are applying for financial aid, www.fafsa.gov
1. Out-of-State Tuition & Fees checklist for
n View Financial Aid Document Status on Web Services. Accept and return your Financial Aid
student activity fee, and new student orientation fee.
your records.
Award Letter and Title IV Authorization form.
2. Average Course Fees:
n Continue to regularly check your e-mail for Financial Aid updates and revisions.
n
n Follow through on the options you checked on the My Financial Plan
financial clearance by the August 10 deadline. (See reverse for detail on these options
2
Please return
within 15 days of
receipt.
at www.studentloans.gov
www.studentloans.gov.
LSC ♥ ny
through Web Services or by calling
Student Services Center at 802-626-6396 to make a credit card payment over the phone.
Form: MFP
My Financial Plan
, i.e. 529 plans, 401k funds, trust funds, private bank loans, etc.
Please complete this form in its entirety, sign, and return to:
Lyndon State College, Student Services
Center
www.lyndonstate.edu/studentaccounts
n
PO Box 919, Lyndonville, VT 05851 to familiarize yourself with our policies, procedures, and deadlines involving your student
Your name:______________________________________________________
Student ID:_____________________________________ Term_____________
my balance due
TOTAL Bill For Semester . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Enter the TOTaL
TOT amount from Form 1, Estimated Student Bill Worksheet.
__________
DEDUCT Your Financial Aid Award . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . – __________
Refer to your financial aid award letter that you received from Lyndon State
College. Put the award total for the term in which you are completing this form.
DO nOT
OT include federal work study dollars—these funds are paid directly to
the student throughout the semester as they perform services.
DEDUCT Outside Scholarships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . – __________
Please include any scholarships, grants, or prizes that you have been awarded
by your high school, church, community, employer, parents’ employer, or any
other organization. also include outside sources such as staff tuition waivers,
vocational rehabilitation, V
Va
a benefits, and Veteran’s Occupational Rehabilitation.
BALANCE: Amount Still Due . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . = __________
If your balance is zero or a credit, skip the Payment Plan, sign at bottom, and return.
my payment plan
I intend to use the following methods to pay the remaining balance due for this semester.
Check all that apply. Please visit our website at www.lyndonstate.edu/studentaccounts to learn
more about these options available to you. These options must be in place by the published
financial clearance date.
OThEr FINANCIAL AID OPTIONS
BILL PAY
P mENT
ENT OPTIONS
n Direct Parent Plus Loan
n a
alternative Student Loan
n Other: _________________________
n Cash, Check or Credit Card
n LSC online Payment Plan
n Other: _________________________
PLEASE SPECIFY
PLEASE SPECIFY
my signature
SIGnaTURE:______________________________________________ DaTE:_________________
aTE:_________________
aTE:_________________
By signing this form, I acknowledge that I have a financial plan to cover my semester bill
at Lyndon State College. I agree to contact Student Financial Services if I intend to change my
plan in any way.
STUDENT SErvICES OFFICE po box 919 lyndonville, vermont 05851 802 626-6396 lyndonState.edu
l
ReCRuITMenT PeRFoRMAnCe
FALL 2012
(AS oF MAy
Ay 21)
A
Inquiries
Applications
Acceptances
Deposits
2011
%
CHAnge
6,171 5,799
1,649 1,302
1,473 1,129
367
384
+ 6.4
+26.7
+30.5
- 4.4
2012
We are seeing impressive growth in the number of students electing to attend LSC
from New York state. We expect 35 new students from the Empire State, versus 18
at this time last year—a 49 percent jump. We attribute this to admissions counselors’ diligence on the road and especially to the College’s Frontier Scholarship, which
grants a $5,000 reduction in out-of-state tuition to residents of upstate New York.
Facebook: Creating a Vital and Active Community
Lyndon’s social media team is working at a fever pitch these days—and getting results. Of course we are happy to see our number of friends continue to grow past
2,700. More important, it has become a vital, active space. We often post several
times a day, and large numbers of the community respond enthusiastically. Our
periodic photo albums are particularly effective at generating traffic, tags, and comments. The recent posting of images from May’s graduation garnered a total reach
over 12,000 people. Team members are Webmaster Takuya Shimamura, Admissions
Counselor Brya Emery, and a changing rotation of student ambassadors.
Student Ambassadors
Lyndon’s student ambassador program continues to be a great asset for Admissions
and the College as a whole. These 30 student leaders help by giving well-received
tours of the campus to prospective students, families, and other guests, and helping
at numerous Admissions events: open houses, accepted student days, decision days,
and summer preview programs. On April 29 the Admissions Office treated ambassadors to a day at Six Flags New England as a small token of our deep appreciation.
Summer Preview Programs
Two day-long open houses for prospective students aimed at current high school
juniors interested in some of LSC’s marque professional programs are scheduled for
July 13 and August 3. In addition to the usual open house agenda, these summer
preview programs focus on hands-on experiences hosted by faculty in the Atmospheric Sciences, Electronic Journalism Arts, Exercise Science, Mountain Recreation
Management, Music Business and Industry, and Visual Arts Departments.
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lyndon state college report to the board of trustees: may 31, 2012 page 13
Board of Trustees Meeting
145
May 31, 2012
Administrative Affairs
I N F O R M AT I O N T E C H N O L O G Y
Winners Announced in IT Competition
Steve gold and
jonathan Davis
employee
mployee Recognition
The following people were recognized for their years of service at
the annual faculty and staff family
picnic on May 14:
5 yeARS
Tom Archer
Traci Davis
Charlie Forrest
Kate Gold
George Hacking
Jenny Harris
Debbie Hughes
Rod Jacobson
Darlene Johnson
Richard Judkins
Sara Lussier
Peter Mallett
Heather Ring
Cindy Robertson
Dianne Rivers
Meri Stiles
10 yeARS
Kelly Glentz Brush
Susan Lynaugh
Beth Norris
15 yeARS
Steve Allen
Nolan Atkins
Jonathan Davis
Charlie Sjolander
20 yeARS
Buck Beliles
John Kascenska
Gerry Nelson
Lori Werdenschlag
25 yeARS
Jim Bozeman
Tim Hale
Bob McCabe
30 yeARS
Bruce Berryman
Anne Brown
Mike Carr
Monique Prive
Tim Sturm
35 yeARS
John DeLeo
PART-TIMe
FACuLTy:
10 SeMeSTeRS
Dan Dowling
Brett Engstrom
Jonathan Kaplan
J. Alan Moore
Erin Narey
Eileen Riley
Mark Tucker
20 SeMeSTeRS
Bill Biddle
Mike Dente
Pauline Dwyer
Lisa MacDowell
Aaron Young
30 SeMeSTeRS
Alia Thabit
CoACHeS:
5 SeASonS
Tim Tierney,
Lacrosse
This spring’s IT competition netted 13 proposals for consideration by a panel of six
judges, including staff, students, and the LSC Foundation, which generously provided the funds for the cash prizes. Proposals came from faculty, staff, and students.
All the proposals will be forwarded to incoming President Joe Bertolino as he
works with the community to develop an information technology strategy and continue the ongoing process of improving IT resources and systems. Criteria for selection included impact, scope, duration, achievability, and overall value/importance.
• 1st prize: $700 to the faculty General Education Unit and the Graduation Standards Committee members for their proposal to digitize the general education
and graduation standards rubrics to improve the ability of the faculty to make
data-driven, informed curriculum changes.
• 2nd prize (tie): $400 to Professor Linda Mitchell and team for their proposal to
use birth date information to target college applicants age 28 and over with particular and specific information relevant to them to increase their completion of
college matriculation at Lyndon. Team members were Linda Mitchell, Heather
Grieves, Trevor Barski, Donna Keely, and Heather Ring, with valuable input and
support from Vinnie Maloney, Edie Allen, Miranda Fox, and Deb Hale.
• 2nd prize (tie): $400 to Professor Bruce Berryman, Mike Dente, and Deb Hale
for their proposal to ensure the development of user-friendly software for the LSC
assessment database.
• 3rd prize (tie): $250 to Professor Deb Hughes for her proposal to use learning
analytics software to improve measurement, collection, and analysis of student
data to better and earlier intervene with and design successful learning paths for
students having academic difficulty.
• 3rd prize (tie): $250 to Michong (Charley) Mao and Chelsea Murray (Team
M&M) for their proposal to develop a smart phone application called iTourLSC
that would provide a voice-assisted, mapped tour of the campus; weather information; LSC news and sports information; campus life pictures and videos; and
academic programs descriptions and program website links and contact info.
P H Y S I C A L P L A N T / FA C I L I T I E S
Vail Museum
Construction has begun on a relocated and redesigned Vail Museum. The museum
is small but houses a significant collection of artifacts from the original Vail estate
(Manor Vail), as well as documents and personal items belonging to Theodore N.
Vail. For many years the museum has been located in a small room adjacent to the
third-floor lobby in Vail Center. Approximately two years ago, a group of alumni
from the 1950s and 60s organized as the Manor Vail Society (MVS). Members of the
society were among the last classes of Lyndon students to live and study in Manor
Vail before it was demolished in the early 1970s. The MVS approached the College
with a proposal to construct a new building on campus that would provide space for
an alumni center and museum, and would be designed in a style that would reflect
the history and memory of Manor Vail. The College is working with the MVS on a
plan and design for a building that will not only respect the history and heritage of
the College, but will also meet future needs for the campus.
As an interim step, the MVS agreed to provide $50,000 to relocate the Vail Museum to a more visible location and to improve the display of the collection. The
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group quickly raised funds for the relocation
and the project is underway. The new location is adjacent to the Admissions Office.
The design will incorporate original materials from Manor Vail while adding modern
graphic presentations of the history of the
campus. The location will give the museum
much better access for campus visitors and
will provide a convenient stop for inclusion
in admissions tours. We are grateful to the
MVS for their support and generosity to
make this project a reality.
Summer Projects
Residence halls and dining facilities will be
the primary focus of facilities work during
the upcoming summer. We will continue
renovating bathrooms in the Stonehenge
complex with seven more scheduled for upgrade. Flooring will be replaced in one of the
Creative destruction: work began on the
new Vail Museum, May 15.
Stonehenge buildings. Summer 2012 is the
fifth year of a program to upgrade the six
buildings comprising the Stonehenge complex. To date all buildings have received
additional insulation and new windows. Bathrooms and floors will have been replaced in four of the six buildings by the end of the summer. We expect that by the
summer of 2014 all buildings in the complex will have bathroom renovations and
flooring upgrades completed.
Wheelock Hall will also be getting upgrades in the form of new windows throughout the building as well as new flooring in approximately half the building.
We are working with Sodexo on a plan for improvements in the Stevens Dining
Hall and the Hornets Nest snack bar to be completed by September 2012.
Institutional Advancement
DEVELOPMENT
The development staff is placing a strong focus on stewardship this year. We see this
as incredibly important to sustaining and growing our development program, as we
prepare for the arrival of a new president.
A LU M N I R E L AT I O N S
Spring Alumni events
Twilight Players’ reunion show of Pippin.
The month of April was filled with alumni socials. On April 14, a hearty group of
LSC’s finest gathered at Fat Belly’s Irish Pub
in Providence, R.I., for an afternoon of good
food and great company.
The following weekend, a few dozen
alumni returned to campus to be special
guests at the Twilight Players’ production of
Pippin, a show that many of them took part
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in back in 1978. The highlight of the night included the current lead and the lead
from 1978 meeting on stage to begin singing “Magic to Do.” Other former cast
members joined them during the song, bringing all past and present cast members
together by the end for the final curtain call. Afterwards, alumni and current students
celebrated together with a dessert buffet.
On April 24, 50 retired alumni met at the Happy Hour Restaurant in Wells River,
Vt., for their annual spring luncheon. Interim President Steve Gold was a special
guest and provided an overview of the happenings at the College.
On April 27, 20 alumni from the greater Portland, Maine, area gathered for dinner and networking at the White Cap Grille in the Old Port.
giving Back: gifts of Time and experience
Student Lindsey Fitch (left) and
her parents met with Program
Director Kirsten Scobie of the New
Hampshire Charitable Foundation’s
Neil and Louise Tillotson Fund and
Lyndon State College faculty on
May 3. Lindsey was a recipient this
year of a Tillotson Fund Early Childhood Education Scholarship. The
Tillotson Fund directed $10,000 in
scholarship funds to Lyndon State
College to be awarded to students
from Coos County, N.H., studying
early childhood education.
Assistant Professor of Business Administration
Rod Jacobson’s Production/Operations Management class hosted guest speaker and alumni Peter
Wright, COO of Littleton Regional Hospital, on
March 29. Peter shared many of the critical points
required for good leadership and effective, efficient
operations. The students loved him. We even lined
up an internship.
Russ Murley, left,
and Peter Wright,
below.
Russ Murley ’86 was on campus April 27 to talk
with the faculty and students of the Atmospheric
Sciences Department about his work as operations
manager at Precision Weather. He spoke about the
company, what they do, and the challenges and opportunities in the private sector. Russ continues to
work as fill-in meteorologist at WMTW TV-8 in
Portland, Maine.
The Class of 2012
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Spotlight
Spring Dip
A Wet, Wacky Plunge for Pledges
Annual Fund Raiser at LSC nets Record Amount
T
his is one Spring Dip that requires neither refrigeration nor veggies. Only shoes are mandatory. Lyndon State College’s 6th Annual
Spring Dip was held May 2. The event, sponsored by the Faculty/
Staff Scholarship Committee, is billed as “good, clean fun…for a
good cause.” The money raised is used for LSC student scholarships. This
year $1,859 was pledged, a record amount, including a $1,100 gift from
President Gold who pledged $100 each to the first 11 “dippers” to sign on.
Faculty, staff, and students solicit pledges from other members of the
college community to sponsor their icy plunge into Library Pond. Dippers
are encouraged to don costumes and have dressed as nuns, scuba divers,
pirates, go-go dancers, and Bob the Builder.
The dip is traditionally held the first week in May. The calendar says
springtime, but the pond water temperature is decidedly winter-like; preplunge estimates placed this year’s pond temperature in the low 40s. A $10
minimum pledge allows for plenty of partakers; this year saw a record 28
participants sprint into the pond.
The dip stems from an idea from Hannah Manley, director of alumni
relations and development. As an annual participant, she is very familiar
with the pond water: “It’s cold and it’s dirty. It’s also refreshing.” Manley
adds, “It’s a great tradition and a terrific way to break pre-finals tension.
We plungers are the toughest people on campus. We put on quite a show
for those who only watch.”
The dip’s proceeds are added to the money raised throughout the year
by the Scholarship Committee. Last year, five students were awarded $500
each. This year, the committee added a $200 scholarship to the top fundraising student. Amanda Bernard was the top student fund raiser; Thom
Anderson of the Mountain Recreation Department was the top fund raiser
among faculty and staff.
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VERMONT TECHNICAL COLLEGE
President’s Report
A Report to the
Vermont State Colleges Board of Trustees
by Philip A. Conroy, Jr., President
May 2012
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President’s Office
Dr. Eric Braun is joining us as the new Dean of Students. Eric comes to the College with more
than twenty years of experience in higher education administration and teaching. His most recent
position was as dean of students at New England College in Henniker, New Hampshire.
Eric has an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership (University of Northern Iowa, 2006), M.A. in
Counseling and Higher Education (University of Denver, 1994), M.A. in Teaching (Tufts
University, 1990) and a B.A. in Sociology (DePauw University, 1988).
Eric's family includes his wife, Sarah, and their two sons, Noah (16) and Isaac (13) and he resides
in New London, New Hampshire.
Eric will assume responsibility for the Division of Student Affairs on July 1.
Center for Sustainable Practices
Partnership with Skidmore College
In early May, Skidmore College Sustainability Director, Riley Neugebauer picked up the mobile
solar powered electrical unit that was commissioned through the Mechanical Engineering
Technology Senior Project program at Vermont Tech. Conor Shlatz, MET’12, designed an
amazing unit that met all his client’s needs and came in under budget. Prior to this project, Conor
knew about electrical power issues but had no solar experience. In order to understand the
function of the unit, he sat in on additional solar classes to become familiar with the concepts
and learn about what he would need to integrate into the final unit.
Faculty member Roger Howes shepherded the project through its various incarnations, and
Professor John Kidder – resident solar guru – graciously agreed to donate time and advice to
Conor. In the end, the unit met the client’s desire to have a portable solar cart that could be used
by students to power a projector for outdoor films, a microphone for outdoor gatherings, and
would also serve as an educational unit capable of demonstrating and modeling the benefits of
solar power. With the help of faculty members Howes and Kidder, Connor assembled the
different components on separate levels of the unit for identification, mounted the solar panels
exactly as they would be on a roof system to demonstrate typical construction methods and
added a meter that indicates in real time the energy levels and consumption of whatever the unit
is powering. To demonstrate its viability, Conor powered an electrical hand drill and took meter
readings on energy use for his client.
The “Bumble-Bee” as it was dubbed by Conor, is able to power a movie projector for two hours,
a microphone for 3 hours, or charge up to 30 cell phones! This was the first inter-college
partnership for either Vermont Tech or Skidmore and is the result of the Center for Sustainable
Practices networking with other institutions. The success of this initial partnership may result in
another commission in 2013 by Skidmore, and outreach to other institutions who may wish to
engage in a similar partnership.
Vermont Small Business Development Center
Vermont Small Business Development Center (VtSBDC) received grant funding from the U.S.
Small Business Administration to provide additional advising for 12 months to businesses
affected by Tropical Storm Irene. Advising will be focused in Windham, Windsor, Orange, and
Washington counties. VtSBDC has contracted with outside consultants who will supplement the
area business advisors in these communities. The needs of business owners range from those
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who were affected with physical damage, or economic losses...to those who were unaffected but
are working on preparing their business to withstand a future event.
The role of VtSBDC and consultants includes:
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Evaluate options (rebuild, re-open, borrow money, etc.) based on what is “best” for the
business owner
Provide organization, direction and unbiased advice in the midst of uncertainty
Guidance completing loan applications and preparing required financial documents
Address and work through disaster loan denial issues
Encourage to consider SBA Economic Injury loan (deadline June 1 st, 2012)
Present other financing (understand and interpret terms, criteria)
Assist in creating a solid business plan (For those who have borrowed money, and need
to adapt their business model to the new reality)
Advise and train on disaster preparedness, risk management, financial and data security
in light of heightened awareness by all Vermont businesses
If you know a business owner who could use this type of help, please connect them to VtSBDC,
a statewide program of Vermont Tech, providing no-cost, confidential, one-on-one advising.
Visit www.vtsbdc.org or call 1-800-464-7232 and "like us" on Facebook.
Continuing Education & Workforce Development Updates
Vermont Tech celebrated the achievements of the final class to graduate under the
Telecommunications Technology Program for FairPoint Communications, a groundbreaking
workforce educational partnership between FairPoint Communications, a leading provider of
high-speed Internet access, local and long-distance phone, television and other broadband
services to customers across 18 states, and Vermont Tech. The program offered qualified
FairPoint employees an opportunity to earn an Associate Degree in Applied Science (A.A.S.) with
a concentration in Telecommunications Technology.
“Our innovative telecommunication technology curriculum introduces employees to the latest
technology in the telecommunications industry and gives employees the skills and knowledge
they need to make an even greater contribution to the highly competitive telecommunications
industry of the future,” said Professor Jeff Higgins, Director of External Degree Programs.
Vermont Tech’s Telecommunications Technology Program provides a state-of-the-art,
competency-based educational program that allows employees to keep pace with advancing
technology, understand changing marketplace realities, and enhance their customer service skills.
One-third of the curriculum is devoted to general studies, one-third to electricity and electronics,
and one-third to telecommunications. The curriculum includes topics such as switching
technologies, network management, quality, labor studies, customer satisfaction, problem solving
and teamwork.
The FairPoint program was initiated by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
(IBEW) and FairPoint, in collaboration with selected community colleges within New England
and New York. In 1996, Vermont Tech was one of the original 16 colleges from New England
selected to design and deliver this program to employees of NYNEX, Bell Atlantic, Verizon and
FairPoint Communications. The 17 current students in the program graduated on May 5 th and
attended a Recognition Dinner on May 10th at the Randolph Center Campus.
While the Telecommunications Technology Program for FairPoint Communications was
eliminated in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement between the IBEW and FairPoint,
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Vermont Tech is discussing the continuation of the program for employees of a consortium of
telecommunications technology companies throughout the state.
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Leadership begins May 15th in Williston
ARC GIS will be offered in Williston on June 21st & 22nd
Homeland Security cost accounting course has begun in Williston
May 15th Phlebotomy begins at Central Vermont Medical Center (CVMC)
May 22nd Anatomy & Physiology begins at CVMC
May 4th Center for Energy Workforce Development (CEWD) offered a class for
Fletcher Allen Health Care (FAHC) staff in Colchester
We will be offering online EKG classes beginning in May
CEWD will be attending the VT Business Expo on May 23rd & 24th
May 25th we will be offering Field Wetland ID for Surveyors and Municipals in
Williston
Check out more events and classes on our updated website at
www.vermontcorporatecollege.com
Academic Affairs
Commencement
On Saturday, May 5th Vermont Tech held commencement at Norwich University.
Commencement followed the Nursing and Dental Hygiene pinning ceremonies. 486 graduates
were awarded their associate or baccalaureate degrees. The commencement speaker was Rick
Cochran, the CEO of Mobile Medical International Corporation (MMIC) located in St.
Johnsbury, VT. The student speaker was Sarah Shepherd, a graduate of the Veterinary
Technology program.
Many awards were presented at commencement and included The Green Knight Award,
Professor Emeritus, and the Harry Wirtz, Master Teacher Award.
The Green Knight Award is a recently created award to recognize contributions to the State of
Vermont in general and Vermont Technical College in particular. The award is presented at the
discretion of the College’s President. This year the President awarded this honor to three
recipients and they were Patricia Menchini for her years of service and dedication to the
college; Ashley Lincoln and Samuel Lincoln for their ongoing support of the college through
student projects and especially the successful “Going to Bat for Farmers” event this past fall to
support local farms & farmers after Tropical Storm Irene.
The honor of Professor Emeritus granted by the Vermont State Colleges was awarded to
Kenneth Vandermark, retired Full Professor of Electronics and the second award was
presented to Marie Ricketts, widow of Alan Ricketts, retired Full Professor of Electronics.
Eva Zimet, widow of Matthew Zimet, Full Professor of Science was recognized from the
podium in honor of her husband receiving the Harry Wirtz, Master Teacher Award only days
before Dr. Zimet lost his courageous battle to cancer this spring.
Academic Professional Day
On Tuesday, May 8th Academic Affairs hosted the second of two Academic Professional
Development Days. The day began with the showing of a film entitled, The Five Dysfunctions of a
Team. The description of this film is, “Not finance. Not strategy. Not technology. It is teamwork
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that remains the ultimate competitive advantage, both because it is so powerful and so rare.”
With that recognition, Patrick Lencioni identifies the five dysfunctions of a team, and by
corollary, the five characteristics of a highly effective team. Lencioni utilizes a fictional business
metaphor to communicate his team building paradigm. He illustrates the team building model
through the business challenges being faced at Decision Tech, Inc. The Decision Tech team
experiences a dramatic turnaround as the team morphs from dysfunction to health.” Subsequent
to the viewing, the attendees divided into breakout groups to discuss how best to deal with
people who are creating team dysfunction. Then all viewed the authors principles for coping
with dysfunctional team members. The goal of this exercise was to assist all to become
functional team members and to provide insight as to how to cope when the team is not
functioning well.
In addition to the above, Allan Rodgers, a business faculty member presented the following
topic: Lost in Translation: Getting classroom results in an online environment. Allan shared his best and
worst online experiences from having taken nearly twenty online classes. We viewed and
discussed actual lesson samples, assignments, and instructor presentations from other
institutions. Lastly, we talked about translating face to face classroom experiences to the online
environment.
In the afternoon we had Respondus training conducted by our Instructional technologist, Logan
Stahler. Respondus is a powerful tool that allows users to create exams for print or use in
Moodle. We learned about creating tests from scratch, existing documents, or an extensive
publisher test bank network. When the test is ready, one can publish it directly into a Moodle
course with a few clicks! This presentation showed users how easy it is to create a Moodlefriendly test from an existing Word document.
Finally, Dr. Conroy met with the attendees to gain additional input into finalizing the strategic
plan. This was a busy and exciting day.
Administration
Christopher Beattie has been appointed Associate Dean of Administration effective July 1 st. In
his new role, Chris’ primary focus will be to manage and maintain the College’s grant programs,
including institutionalizing best-practices for grant execution. Secondarily, Chris will support
college-wide facilities planning, applied research initiatives and ongoing energy reduction
initiatives.
Chris has served the college in multiple capacities during his nearly eight years at Vermont Tech,
most recently as Site IT and Facilities Administrator for our Williston campus. He received his
Master of Science degree from Boston University and his Bachelor of Science degree from
Southern Illinois University. Chris will maintain his office in Williston.
Finance & Accounting
Budgets have been completed and are being submitted to VSC for approval this month. Once
approved, they will be entered into the general ledger and, beginning in July, compared to actual
results. Each month, reports will be disseminated to budget managers for feedback about
budget-to-actual results within their departments. This will begin execution of an important
strategy in Vermont Tech’s Strategic Plan – Goal 1 – Financial Sustainability: Design, develop and
implement an inclusive process to facilitate a dialogue with the college community with respect to the college’s
financial position and the relationship between budget priorities and the strategic plan.
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Facilities
Approval for the turnkey installation of a 375kWh anaerobic bio-digester by Bio-Methatech is
scheduled to begin in June after permitting is complete. The digester is an integral part of the
planned Institute for Applied Agriculture and Food Systems, the formation of which is to serve
the applied research and educational needs of the Vermont industries that support agriculture,
food production, waste disposal and energy production.
We are completing negotiations for new space in Bennington for the Nursing and Allied Health
Programs. This space is beautiful and centrally located for future growth.
Farm
The farm received a $4,500 Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food and Markets (VAAFM) grant
to build a vegetable washing station.
Funding from the Merck grant was used to develop a farm to school business plan, and the
milk/vegetable processing facility only has three year pay back!
The Farm obtained a lease on 65 acres of additional land. This plus 30 acres near the water plant
places us in a much more comfortable position.
Conference & Events
The summer is off to a busy start. In late May through mid-June we will see much activity on
campus with both new and returning conferences. They include the following: VT Future
Farmers of America (VT FFA) convention, Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership (HOBY), VSC
Retreat, Green Mountain Rug Hookers and Girl’s State. That rounds out the first half of the
summer campus activity, which we hope will bring potential students to campus after attending a
conference here.
Student Affairs
Creation of Athletic Hall of Fame
The Hall of Fame will recognize persons from all sports in which Vermont Tech competed as a
recognized intercollegiate athletic event through its long history. The Hall of Fame is in place to
recognize athletes, coaches, administrators and contributors who through his/her commitment,
sacrifice and dedication to the Vermont Tech athletic program, in turn bringing pride and
distinction to the college and surrounding community. The Hall provides role models to follow
for the student-athletes, coaches, administrators and others within the Vermont Tech
community, perpetuating the definition of athletic and academic excellence long held at the
college. The overarching mission is to acknowledge those who have come before; who through
their extraordinary achievements helped build the program into what it is today as well as link the
past and present generations of those involved in athletics at the college. This link strengthens
the bond between the various generations, enhancing the support garnered from the past to the
current and from the current to the past.
In order to maintain the integrity of the Hall of Fame the following criteria has been established
for nominations. Nominees must exemplify the highest standards of sportsmanship, ethical
conduct and character. All candidates will be judged on their significant and or long-term
contributions to Vermont Technical College athletics. The Athletic Department is currently
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accepting nominations for recipients and those names will be chosen and presented in the
upcoming Academic Year.
Long Time Basketball Coach Retires
John Dyer was the Men’s Basketball Head Coach at Vermont Tech for 9 years and also served 7
years as Athletic Director, which he was awarded USCAA Athletic Director of the Year in 2006.
As Head Coach he achieved the following: 154 wins; 5 bids to USCAA (United States Collegiate
Athletic Association) Men’s National Basketball Tournament; 3 YSCC (Yankee Small College
Conference) Regular Season Championships; 1 YSCC Tournament Championship (2011/12);
YSCC Coach of the Year (2010/11); and the 2012 Sportsmanship Award.
Enrollment Management
Admissions
Several majors have seen an increase in the number of deposited students compared to last year,
including; Agriculture, Automotive, Undeclared, and the Associate Degree in Nursing. The first
Professional Pilot Technology aviation program has 6 students enrolled this fall. The May 15th
report shows a decline in the number of deposited students, 622 compared to 643 a year ago.
Financial Aid
Financial aid is currently processing aid applications for 2012-2013 and award letters have been
mailed to 469 freshman applicants.
In order to better help students and families, a Net Price Calculator was installed on the vtc.edu
website. The tool will help students calculate their expected expenses based on the program their
enrolled in and other criteria while giving them an estimate for financial aid based on income data
supplied on the application. We anticipate the calculator will be a useful planning tool for
families.
While sending out new awards to the incoming class, we are also in the process of evaluating
satisfactory academic progress standards for the spring 2012 term. Student transcripts will be
reviewed to ensure they are meeting the satisfactory academic progress standard according to the
Vermont Tech policy for federal financial aid purposes. New this year is the requirement of an
academic plan for students who do not meet the standard. The review has been a coordinated
effort between, the Academic Dean’s office, the Center for Academic Success and Financial aid.
The goal is to provide better support for the purposes of retention to ensure student success.
Financial Aid Office Staff will be attending the annual VASFAA conference, sponsored by the
financial aid state organization’s in June.
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Information Technology
Moodle Training
One of the challenges of having several nursing sites around the state is getting everyone together
for technical training. We successfully did this for our nursing faculty in April. Logan Stahler,
Instructional technologist, conducted a half day Moodle training for our extended site nursing
faculty that covered everything from how to post a label the correct way to the intricacies of the
grade book.
Graduating Students
The IT department employs around 30 students to staff the helpdesks. We wish the following
recent graduates the best in their future endeavors; Maryah Merlo, Lucas Staerk-Maguire,
Max Eddy, Teddy Jeanty, and Nate Wheeler.
Institutional Advancement
Alumni Relations
The Alumni Office will be busy this summer and fall. Vermont Tech will have a booth to
interact with Alumni and recruit students at the Strolling of the Heifers, in Brattleboro, Vermont
on Saturday, June 2nd. Alumni who attend will receive a complimentary glass water bottle,
reminiscent of an old-fashioned milk bottle. Additional bottles may be purchased by all that
attend. In August the Alumni Office will have a presence at the Stowe Car Show along with Rob
Palmer, Automotive Alum and Program Director of the Automotive Technology Program who
will be there representing his department. The Office will wind down the summer with a booth
at The Tunbridge Fair in early September.
Annual Fund
To support the Annual Fund and market a sustainable product, the Alumni Office is selling glass
water bottles this summer. The cost to VTC employees is $8 each or 2 for $15. The public may
buy them for $12 each or 2 for $20.
In The News
Students invent bar of the future
WCAX
To watch video and read the article, visit http://ow.ly/aVDE0
How would you like to walk into a bar and have a machine tell you when you’ve had enough? It
could be coming to a watering hole near you, thanks to an invention by a group of student
engineers at Vermont Technical College. The device reads your license and then tells you when
you’ve reached your limit. It’s a little more complex than that, though.
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Vermont Technical College: Sustainability Education Hub Right Here in Randolph
Green Energy Times, April 2012
Vermont Technical College created its Center for Sustainable Practices (CSP) in 2007 to provide
opportunities for students, faculty, staff and the community to explore sustainability. The
programs emphasize experiential learning, applied research and training opportunities.
Living It: Dairy and Diversified Farm Education at Vermont Technical College
Lancaster Farming, April 2012
“Come to breakfast on Sunday morning,” read the e-mail, “to hear the students report out on
what is happening on the farm. I’ll be there cooking and mentoring. My cooking is bad, but the
eggs will be fresh.” So wrote Dr. Christopher Dutton responding to an inquiry to visit the dairy
barn at Vermont Technical Center (VTC) in Randolph Center, Vt. in early April. His words
exemplifying the essence of VTC’s ag programs — experiential and personal.
Vermont Tech Faculty Member Honored with Top Award from Vermont Organization of
Nurse Leaders
Vermont Tech Nursing Professor Leah Matteson is the 2012 recipient of the Vermont
Organization of Nurse Leaders (VONL) “Award for Excellence in Clinical Teaching.” Matteson
was lauded for her passion for the nursing profession and teaching, encouraging students to grow
as critical thinkers and for her innovative approach to applied learning at the award ceremony
during VONL’s annual Summit conference, held in April.
Vermont Tech Student Clubs Provide Aid to Lucy Mackenzie Humane Society
Motivated by concern for homeless animals placed in shelters, two Vermont Tech student-run
organizations, the Outreach Club and the Construction Club, have teamed up to build and
donate agility equipment for the Lucy Mackenzie Humane Society in Windsor.
Vermont Tech Student Named to List of “Most Successful Entrepreneurs of the Next
Ten Years” — Tuesday, May 15, 2012
What to do with the millions — even billions — of jugs, shampoo bottles and other types of
plastics that most often end up in trash dumps around the world? Tyler McNaney, a 19-year-old
freshman has invented the answer, The Filabot Reclaimer, a desktop device that grinds up and
melts those plastic throw-aways, turning them into spools of plastic filament that can be used
with desktop 3-D printers. 3-D printers can make a wide range of plastic parts, from cups to
doorknobs.
McNaney, a mechanical engineering major, has already raised more than $30,000
in growth capital on the entrepreneurial website Kickstarter, a funding platform for
creative upstarts. He was featured on MSNBC news in January and has been named to
a list of the “Most Successful Entrepreneurs of the Next Ten Years” by the World Future
Society, which will feature McNaney’s work at World Future 2012, the organization’s
conference that will take place in Toronto in July. The conference brings together a
global mix of world-renowned researchers, up-and-coming thought leaders, innovators
and trendsetters who will focus on a wide range of foresight techniques and global
trends that will influence the future.
“I hit the ground running with the Filabot idea at the end of last year,” explains
McNaney, who expects the Filabot Reclaimer will retail for approximately $800. “I think
it’s going to be something really, really big. It allows anyone to make something useful
with plastic. The possibilities for what 3-D printers can make are endless.”
More information about this new invention may be found at filabot.com.
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Students Present Project at VSE Meeting
The Vermont Society of Engineers (VSE) held its 99th Annual Meeting at the Capitol Plaza in
Montpelier, Vermont on April 25th. The meeting, co-sponsored by the Vermont chapter of the
American Society of Civil Engineers, included a student session at which senior projects from
Vermont Tech, Norwich University, and the University of Vermont were featured.
Vermont Tech Launches Business Plan Competition
It’s far from business as usual at Vermont Tech, which is launching a Business Plan Competition
for food and farm-related businesses to encourage new business development. Open to residents
and students in Washington, Orange, and Windsor Counties, prizes totaling $22,250 will be
awarded.
Student Selected for Prestigious German Exchange Program
Stephanie Bodensieck, a Vermont Tech junior, has been selected to participate in the
Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals (CBYX), a yearlong, federally
funded fellowship for study and work in Germany. Bodensieck was selected as one of 75
participants, from more than 500 applicants, for this unique fellowship program focused on
gaining cultural, theoretical, and practical work experience in Germany.
Vermont Business Magazine: Applied Learning and the New Economy by Dr. Philip Conroy,
Vermont Technical College President — Saturday, May 19, 2012
Vermont, like the rest of the country, must address critical workforce issues as it seeks to stabilize
from the recent recession, and adapt to a rapidly and continuously changing economy.
To achieve this we must speak to both the immediate and longer term skills needed in all sectors
of the workforce, educate students accordingly, and retain active partnerships among private,
public, government and education counterparts.
Applied Learning is a critical part of this equation. Distinct from the model of theoretical Liberal
Arts and traditional technical or vocational education, Applied Learning involves the actual
integration of theory and practice, the opportunity to incorporate both knowledge and skills.
An important distinction between Applied Learning and more abstract theoretical knowledge is
well articulated by philosopher Gilbert Ryle. According to Ryle (1949), intelligence melds two
kinds of knowledge, which he labeled “knowing that” and “knowing how.” “Knowing that”
encompasses theoretical understanding, the knowledge typically reflected in mastery of facts and
principles. “Knowing how” involves the demonstration of skill in performing a task. The
integration of these two types of knowledge proves crucial in what counts as intelligence. To play
a game successfully, for example, one needs to know both the rules (knowing that) and the
strategy (knowing how). Applied Learning combines these types of intelligence into a reflective,
experiential process; it is the type of learning which constitutes our bridge to the future.
The pace of change in our modern economy underscores the need for this kind of integrated
education, for the sake of workers and businesses alike.
This "new economy" demands workers who are not only specifically skilled, but also flexible and
capable of creative and critical thinking. In 1950, unskilled positions accounted for 80 percent of
US jobs, but today, 85 percent of our country's professions require skilled workers who have
critical-thinking capabilities combined with career and industry specific requirements (Blodgett,
2000). According to the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, 63
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May 31, 2012
percent of the 30 million jobs, both new and replacement, to be created between now and 2018,
will require at least some level of college education. (Mitch Rosen, 2011)
The industries indicating a growing need for workers with this combination of academic and
technical background include health care, agriculture, information technology, hospitality,
engineering and "green" industries. An integrated Applied Learning approach, which puts
intellectual principles into practice and includes both technical and problem-solving skills, is
particularly effective in training the workforce to fill these needs.
A national survey conducted for the Association of American Colleges and Universities
(AAC&U) in 2010 by Hart Research Associates, asked 302 executives of companies with more
than 25 employees what they believed were important learning outcomes or goals for student
graduates. The results indicated that employers want more emphasis on a broad range of skills as
well as in depth knowledge of a specific area. They also placed great importance on students’
ability to apply their knowledge to the real world.
What business wants is clear: graduates who can hit the road running on day one, which means
they have experience specific to that field. They also want employees who can work in teams,
understand market dynamics, and adapt to continuous change, which requires critical thinking
and analytical reasoning abilities.
Meanwhile, in a recent GallupLumina Foundation poll, the vast majority of Americans said that
they believe economic well-being is tied to holding a college degree. The facts bear them out: the
dramatic pay gap between those with education and those without, has more than doubled in less
than 20 years. But a majority of Americans in the same poll question whether college and
universities are able to deliver the job-relevant learning that is required today.
They are right to demand that we better align workforce needs with the range of educational
programs, and not only for traditional students, but for the large number of adults who find their
job skills are less relevant in today's labor market.
We have the obligation, and the ability, to educate students for both immediate job placement
and long-term career success. Applied Learning is an important part of the paradigm to achieve
this.
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