The Vermont State College System - update and what's next

In September 2014, Secretary of Administration Jeb Spaulding replaced Tim Donovan as Chancellor of the Vermont State College System.  

The Vermont State Colleges are five unique institutions located across Vermont. They include: Castleton University, Community College of Vermont, Johnson State College, Lyndon State College and Vermont Technical College.

While the public corporation known as the Vermont State Colleges was created by Vermont statute in 1961, the institutions were founded over a span of 200 years. The oldest, Castleton University, was founded in 1787. The newest, the Community College of Vermont, was founded in 1970. From 1961 to 1977, the VSC operated largely as a “loose confederation” of colleges. There was little or no coordination of academic, financial or personnel activities. Cooperation between the colleges was minimal and there were few system policies. In 1977, the Board of Trustees asserted their leadership over the colleges and created a more closely aligned system of higher education. The board accepted full responsibility for the financial, academic and personnel activities of the system.

The VSC website presents a wonderful summary of the system through hard data - see the data summary here. 

Chancellor Spaulding's appearance has been arranged by Pat Scheidel.  Also invited to attend are two Essex residents who play a major role in the governance and management of the Vermont State College system:  Elaine Sopchak, Village Trustee and Executive Assistant to the Chancellor, and Tim Jerman, Essex Junction State Representative and Vice Chair of the VSC Board of Trustees.