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Three four-year colleges that are part of the Vermont State College system are now united under one name: Vermont State University.
The system’s Board of Trustees voted unanimously to approve the new name at a special meeting Wednesday evening, following two hours of public comment, much of it critical of the merger as well as the name, VTDigger reported.
The board first proposed merging Castleton University, Northern Vermont University and Vermont Technical College back in February. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the three institutions, which enroll a total of about 5,200 students, were in financial trouble due to chronic underfunding and declining enrollment. They stayed afloat during the pandemic only with the help of COVID relief aid from the federal government.
Beginning July 1, 2023, the three institutions will operate as Vermont State University under one administration, though each campus will remain open. The Community College of Vermont, which is also part of the state college system, will not be affected.
“Vermont State University capitalizes on the nationally and internationally known Vermont brand and highlights our connection to the state as a public higher education institution,” Board of Trustees chair Lynn Dickinson said in a written statement. “In establishing the identity of the new institution, this is the first step.”
