Attention:

Northern Vermont University is now part of Vermont State University! Please visit VermontState.edu for accurate information.

NVU Creates and Opens Nominations for NVU Strong Advisory Committee

To ensure Northern Vermont University’s strength and vitality as it rides out the demographic and disruptive challenges facing higher education, NVU must right-size—focus on its core mission, find new revenue streams, and form new partnerships so it stands ready to serve Vermont students and future generations. To guide this transformation, NVU is forming the NVU Strong Advisory Committee. The Committee will be charged with identifying financially sustainable models and initiatives that collectively will ensure a strong and thriving future for NVU’s Johnson and Lyndon campuses as well as NVU Online. 

“The creation of this Advisory Committee is an opportunity to build on the incredible groundswell of support for NVU. I want to thank students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members for their unfailing support for NVU,” said Elaine Collins, president of NVU. “NVU, a vital higher education institution for Vermont’s northern tier, is at a turning point. In order to ensure that NVU remains viable and sustainable into the future, we need to right-size the University. This is not an easy task. We are asking community members to engage with us and bring the innovation, creativity and common sense that Vermonters are so well known for to the table as we look for ways to bring NVU into the future.”

The Advisory Committee’s report will be delivered to NVU President Elaine Collins at the end of May. Collins will be submitting NVU’s proposed model and initiatives for sustainability to the Vermont State Colleges System Board of Trustees in June 2020. The Committee will consist of 13-17 members and will be made up of students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members. Nominations for the Committee will remain open until 5 pm, Thursday, May 7, 2020. Nominations may made at NorthernVermont.edu/StrongFuture.

The NVU Strong Advisory Committee will begin their work by reviewing the ideas and suggestions submitted by community members and collected via a form launched Wednesday, April 22, 2020 at NorthernVermont.edu/Strong.

“While NVU has made incredible strides since its formation 22 months ago, today it is clear that we cannot continue with business as usual,” said Collins. “To ensure that we can continue to deliver a high-quality higher education for our students and be an economic engine for our region, we need to innovate for the future. I encourage people to engage in this important process as we determine how we can meet the serious financial and demographic challenges while also continuing to serve our students and communities.”

An NVU Strong Kickoff on Thursday, May 7 at 11:30 a.m. via Zoom will share pertinent information about NVU and strategies and ideas submitted to date. For more information about the NVU Strong Advisory Committee, the nominating process, and the kickoff, visit NorthernVermont.edu/StrongFuture.