Important Information Regarding the Upcoming VSCS Unification
After careful consideration, the Vermont State Colleges System Board of Trustees recently voted to move the Vermont State Colleges System to an organizational structure for two complementary institutions with significant administrative consolidation. The proposal will unify the three residential colleges, Castleton University, Northern Vermont University, and Vermont Technical College, under a common accreditation in Academic Year 2023-2024 while maintaining the Community College of Vermont as a separate institution. Additionally, the system will streamline services across the institutions through significant administrative consolidation.
For more information on the Vermont State Colleges System transformation, visit vsc.edu/transformation.
Board of Trustees Unification Approval Press Release
Select Committee on the Future of Public Higher Education in Vermont Proposal
Due to a variety of economic and demographic challenges, the VSCS has been under considerable financial pressure. These pressures were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The VSCS is not considered to be sustainable in its current configuration and significant change is needed for the system to thrive into the future.
Castleton will unify with Northern Vermont University and Vermont Technical College and become part of a larger institution. The board of trustees will decide upon a name for the institution in the near future. Many of the details are still to be determined.
Castleton may have a slightly different name after the unification but will remain committed to everything that you have known and loved about the University. We will work to maintain our identity and history throughout the unification. The changes that you will see are largely administrative and should not affect our mission and purpose.
Yes. The completed unification is not expected to be completed for several years. You can continue to support Castleton now and beyond the merger by making a restricted gift specifically for our Castleton location.
You can best support Castleton in all of the ways that you are accustomed to, such as keeping positive messaging about the University, remaining engaged in University activities and news, and philanthropic giving.
Castleton has robust systems in place for enrollment, which has been evidenced by our recent success, including bringing in the largest class in the college’s history last year. We are doing everything we can to mitigate any negative effects that news reports may have on our enrollment. During and after the unification, we will maintain the institutional knowledge of how to present Castleton as a first-choice college and maintain our strong enrollment.
The VSCS understands the importance of athletics at Castleton and its positive impact on students and enrollment. We anticipate that athletics will remain an important part of our campus community and enrollment strategy.