NVU Strong Committee and Kickoff

May 4, 2020

A message from President Elaine C. Collins

NVU Students, Faculty, and Staff,

The past several weeks have been a rollercoaster for our institution and the Vermont State Colleges System. Thank you for the incredible groundswell of support as we showed how we are #NorthernVermontStrong. I could not be more proud of our students, faculty, and staff for showing not only their grit and resilience, but also their love of NVU.

Now it is time to turn our attention to building a sustainable Northern Vermont University—one that provides access to higher education and transformative experiences. One that continues as an economic and cultural engine for our region. One that is right-sized.

Over the weekend, legislative leadership released a statement reiterating their commitment to access to higher education in Vermont’s rural communities. While we have that commitment, we also know that state support comes with a need for our institutions to find a balance in how we deliver education in Vermont. To that end, I am establishing the NVU Strong Advisory Committee and calling for nominations for the Committee.

We have been collecting ideas on how to ensure Northern Vermont University’s strength and vitality. Now we move to the next step: considering those ideas to identify sustainable models and initiatives that will ensure a strong and thriving future for NVU so it stands ready to serve Vermont students and future generations.

NVU is now accepting nominations for the NVU Strong Advisory Committee at NorthernVermont.edu/StrongFuture.

NVU Strong Kickoff

Join us at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 7 for the NVU Strong Kickoff. We’ll share pertinent information about NVU and strategies and ideas submitted to date. This meeting will take place via Zoom and YouTube. To register for the Zoom meeting, email Darcie.Miles@NorthernVermont.edu. A YouTube stream will be available at NorthernVermont.edu/Live.

NVU Strong Advisory Committee Call for Nominations

The Advisory Committee’s report will be delivered to NVU President Elaine Collins at the end of May. President Collins will submit NVU’s proposed model and initiatives for sustainability to the Vermont State Colleges System Board of Trustees as requested in June 2020. This will also allow NVU to have an informed Fall 2021 recruitment effort.

The Advisory Committee will consist of 13-17 members and will be made up of students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members. There is a significant time commitment (May 11 to June 1) along with a fast timeline for this Committee. Member criteria, meeting schedule, and more are online at NorthernVermont.edu/StrongFuture.

Please nominate who you think would best serve on this Advisory Committee at NorthernVermont.edu/StrongFuture. Self-nominations are permitted. The deadline for nominations is 5 p.m. Thursday, May 7, 2020.

We are committed to a transparent process during this challenging and difficult time. Robust input and discussion is needed as we consider the difficult decisions that must be made to ensure access to higher education for all Vermonters.

Thank you, again, for being #NorthernVermontStrong. Our work is just beginning. We must be swift and make powerful decisions for a lasting NVU.

-Elaine