[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6060364,"mediaKeyId","3291671-ecc9a774d803437a79aa8599791a4fe6","parentId",3291671,"title","Randolph center advances plan for associate degree in agriculture, food and forests tied to 1787 Butchery and EDA grant","audioSeconds",1224,"startMs",9516000,"endMs",10740000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3291671-ecc9a774d803437a79aa8599791a4fe6&start=9516&end=10740","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3291671-ecc9a774d803437a79aa8599791a4fe6/thumbnail_9516000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6060364/Vermont/Randolph-center-advances-plan-for-associate-degree-in-agriculture-food-and-forests-tied-to-1787-Butchery-and-EDA-grant","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6060364-ea2e485c890cda40009dce0b1359a793/orig.mp4?Expires=1770950959&Signature=kgqRr2B1uF3yLEyxfPfEfyQF24GpLTUgpH04bvc3P6RxxSnu3kaas7jzfZGU-ekjG7ueO0DAo~Pd-2JyA4F5-FDm6IiTmXwsIyqtauyD5hCsRhBMXd4Ws1qVvFOVDRuezsmUciT4mj-cA0DLdXxPlVX3jlXOjf3yP3-tn4N5kKM2iuBkEvorsfx-WWAOJ8ylvVZRFlgsDFQ1ItXodmBwkvBskSX8eh3lsyuNzWwMW~P5RPjQ3WUevJSk0T4qOrfbZss5lFfIoYewGsPVlByNxGGXIvYgUBAwTvoT6f5gWT6-Zu6PZYE~EKqypL6ovAz3gTYAYwAZiiGYR-570DVmrQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Vermont State Colleges","date","2025-05-12T20:05:16Z","article","Lehi Evans, associate director of the Center for Agriculture and Food Entrepreneurship at Vermont State University’s Randolph campus, presented a status update on a proposed associate degree in agriculture, food and forests at a trustees committee meeting on May 12.

Evans said the center was formed with a three-year Economic Development Authority (EDA) grant and that the grant’s deliverables include launching an accredited workforce-oriented associate degree. He said the program would leverage newly completed facilities, including a university meat-processing teaching facility (referred to in the presentation as the 1787 Butchery), 250 acres of campus and partner-managed land, a sawmill, orchard and greenhouse resources.

Evans described a “funnel” model in which a two-year curriculum begins with broad exposure to ag, food and forestry careers and skills, then allows students to identify one or more specific focus areas (e.g., butchery, forestry, veg/fruit production, dairy) and complete second-year, credit-bearing internships and higher-level coursework. The program would also include business and entrepreneurship coursework and stackable credentials so students can exit with certificates if they do not complete a full associate degree.

Evans cited industry support from the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, regional manufacturers and producers, and partnerships with private farms for on-site operations; he said the grant’s funding runs through August 2026, which requires the program to be market-ready for fall 2026 enrollment planning. He reported enrollment projections: an initial target of 25 students per year with a 70 percent retention assumption leading to an ongoing enrollment of roughly 35 students.

Trustees and college leaders discussed alternatives such as launching certificates first to meet the grant deadline more quickly, financial partnerships to reduce program operating costs, and the need for aggressive, regional recruitment given earlier efforts that paused some ag/forestry programs during consolidation. Evans said the new model relies heavily on third-party partnerships to reduce on-campus operating costs compared with earlier models (for example, prior campus-run dairies) and that the new approach reduces the enrollment threshold required for financial viability.

Ending: The chancellor and provost asked administrators to coordinate timeline details for formal board approval; trustees asked for a follow-up with a clear approval timeline since the grant funding requires program delivery planning before August 2026.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","VSCS Board of Trustees DEI, EPSL, Audit, and F&F Committee Meetings | May 12, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Randolph-based Center for Agriculture and Food Entrepreneurship presented plans for a two-year associate degree that leverages a new meat-processing teaching facility, an Economic Development Authority grant, and partnerships with industry. Leaders proposed a funnel model of broad exposure followed by focused, credit-bearing internships.","taxTitle","Vermont States Colleges, Public Universities: Board of Trustees Meetings, School Districts, Vermont","taxId",79443,"location","Vermont","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6060369,"Chancellor’s innovation fund approves five pilot projects to reduce costs, boost student success and build capacity",760,8056000,8816000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3291671-ecc9a774d803437a79aa8599791a4fe6&start=8056&end=8816","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3291671-ecc9a774d803437a79aa8599791a4fe6/thumbnail_8056000.jpg","/articles/6060369/Vermont/Chancellors-innovation-fund-approves-five-pilot-projects-to-reduce-costs-boost-student-success-and-build-capacity","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6060369-09a2de4c9a1c6c60db92f1ff51fd80e5/orig.mp4?Expires=1770950959&Signature=iFJR6DxU~o76-VrQJ6MhJHGBwz9nJSsL-QWXxXYFG9-S9IU6keaYS2lzZAdgYOejssMspsulXVABQreP-soX~zHz9ts0-3H7G5DFdEsv9eO7EsJGbJzGo-IiD6c~xblnfVsD1GayQM5n~mEQD0ZcTWLheEBmQe~CHDgkxfz19ijcobn8AOfmQiAZYWTxuoMoQti1KI2B2dVkkHBDtCxwo0kdnB2RDy7G3MI89bULb0Frx1kA2RkjPzl2Vdr7KtGvcPBdpc-f63bhjwJZeZpf9WHksmf3hhIxyP4Qd5wY5YlmnbaviYbKukaxF9cOfQuRk9csXYWFsKoP~NNoh1eyDw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Chancellor’s Innovation Fund — run jointly by CCV, Vermont State University and shared services staff — selected five faculty/staff proposals for implementation in the 2025–26 academic year and the chancellor approved funding for those projects, committee members reported on May 12.

Heather Weinstein, dean of strategic initiatives and student affairs at CCV, said the scoring committee received 15 proposals in the first round, recommended five to Chancellor Mok and that all five projects were approved. The selected projects are:

- “Making a Difference, Making a Living,” a hybrid alumni-and-career conference aimed at motivating existing and prospective students by connecting them with alumni and workforce leaders (planned for November).
- Multilingual learner supports at CCV to expand curriculum and assessment tools for multilingual students and partner with employers statewide.
- Opportunities for Undergraduate Research and Graduate Professional Study (RGPS), a summer research pairing of faculty and students across campuses with a September showcase and graduate-prep workshops.
- An Open Educational Resources (OER) initiative pairing CCB and VTSU faculty to identify low- or no-cost science course materials to reduce student textbook costs and improve day-one readiness.
- An AI-readiness and performance-tracking project to prepare faculty and staff for responsible use of AI tools and to develop evaluation frameworks.

Weinstein said the fund launched in September, proposals were scored in November and the first five projects will begin implementation; the committee had also accepted a second round of proposals and expected to announce additional awards the following week.

Committee members emphasized that projects were selected for innovation, alignment with system priorities, measurable outcomes and potential to scale. The chancellor’s team approved the five proposals and implementation leads are now preparing pilot schedules and budgets.

Ending: The committee asked faculty project leads to identify themselves to trustees so the board could acknowledge them; trustees were invited to follow the projects’ progress and the committee plans regular updates as pilots move into implementation.","An innovation fund committee selected five projects — alumni/career conference, multilingual learner supports, an undergraduate research program, open educational resources for sciences and AI readiness/training — and the chancellor approved funding to begin implementation in 2025–26.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6060374,"Vermont State Colleges outline campus guidance on law-enforcement visits and incident reporting",704,1529000,2233000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3291671-ecc9a774d803437a79aa8599791a4fe6&start=1529&end=2233","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3291671-ecc9a774d803437a79aa8599791a4fe6/thumbnail_1529000.jpg","/articles/6060374/Vermont/Vermont-State-Colleges-outline-campus-guidance-on-law-enforcement-visits-and-incident-reporting","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6060374-86178ea7ca6f09f50611f0ae713e3132/orig.mp4?Expires=1770950959&Signature=L15SXW0OSQJC0IQwNfkkW7sKA3G1UujEprL9NJfuUkD2UwJa51-~1orOlXK3Erf0OJcGXADVay19WbWI37DBeJpYTGu6WsinXHiOzagwshoonUaoU3U5zjryGp9dgp-F0X1L31~WzG7hZ0MwlJBUxhmDfrmTot8M-YtbJb~gcDpE~VlN4Hv-y3jImjSGbYt8-Nrp~RFPKKGYqJCs4O9mVxT4orRWaPDG-C7kjJ93X0v4lvwy35UliWTHcZWUA9TnntmD-EuskheshyEHBsDxOF-RfA8PKRnJhhwAYlnFw79Wr4vVInjx2cctPGUmPCVwFzNd293nwrLtBlw0p4CqpA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Trustees discussed institutional responses to law-enforcement requests, campus reporting and student rights at a Vermont State Colleges committee meeting on May 12, as college leaders described different operational models and a shared effort to standardize incident reporting.

Paul Yoon of Vermont State University said the university has public-safety professionals on its campuses who are trained to review warrants and make appropriate determinations. “The totality of the guidance … would be simply to contact public safety,” Yoon said. He added the university is monitoring federal developments and will continue internal dialogue about legal guidance.

Mary Broski of CCV told the committee that CCV does not have full-time public-safety officers at each center; CCV’s regional administrative managers and administrative specialists have been trained to follow scripts, to know who to call and to request properly signed warrants when appropriate. Broski said CCV staff will connect students to community resources and legal information, but will not interfere with law enforcement’s legal framework.

General counsel Catherine Santiago (and other legal staff present) said both institutions will continue to coordinate with state higher-education peers and legal advisors. Carrie Savage — identified by speakers as a campus professional overseeing international students — was described as actively communicating with students on visas about documentation and preparedness. One trustee asked whether students are being told their rights; legal and student-affairs staff said education for students is ongoing but acknowledged the need for broader, systemwide education on rights and resources.

The committee also heard that incident-reporting mechanisms are currently fragmented — VTSU noted several reporting systems for public safety, code-of-conduct issues and Title IX — and that both institutions favor moving toward a single, easy-to-find reporting form with back-end distribution to the correct offices.

Ending: Trustees urged continued coordination, training for on-site staff, improved student education about rights and clarity on whether events on campus property are considered “public” for enforcement purposes; no formal policy was adopted at the meeting.

","Trustees heard that VTSU and CCV have different operational responses to law-enforcement requests because VTSU has on-campus public-safety professionals while CCV relies on regional administrative staff; both are consolidating incident reporting and coordinating legal guidance amid federal developments.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6060379,"Vermont State University reports enrollment growth, employee pulse survey and hires; expands incident-reporting work",777,1360000,2137000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3291671-ecc9a774d803437a79aa8599791a4fe6&start=1360&end=2137","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3291671-ecc9a774d803437a79aa8599791a4fe6/thumbnail_1360000.jpg","/articles/6060379/Vermont/Vermont-State-University-reports-enrollment-growth-employee-pulse-survey-and-hires-expands-incident-reporting-work","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6060379-0fe658afe5c36903709e732267ffb3c3/orig.mp4?Expires=1770950959&Signature=oTdNR7mRpgFtrJD1DkttLU1kGFXKnivl~mRXNZJcwlYBqsUhCH81TwZo0Le0r8v5Ge6ggaFoTVLt7aTijTLInCVjXd-E73Jt1EWFNfBh1aXTBoJVMwTi0rYAC4C9ulkbToOAn6uYlI-3it~l~htBjYw6zg4nKAD-mByRCGtIYtK3-BShvOVJPPIhYr-e8MTTAkHSqCghtAZBCRXF~gKPgmeUzj9bmJ1KCX8WsD~jDXhcff~6gNsLe9xprwqnBn8mEMb9~gf934x0ApIdxZcD~cfdCllIZj8Dwqfgrt7BDrO5BwtgwEtKE53Nw7IU51EJ~UEgl5~03uue5sI1mZmgJw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Paul Yoon, chief diversity officer for Vermont State University, briefed the Vermont State Colleges Board DEI committee on May 12 with updates on enrollment, an employee pulse survey and a plan to simplify incident reporting across the newly merged university.

Yoon said VTSU recorded about 5 percent growth in applications year-over-year, a roughly 15 percent increase in deposits compared with the same point last year and growth across first-year, transfer and internal-transfer populations — “the numbers speak for themselves,” he said. Yoon said the university is working to strengthen transfer pathways from Community College of Vermont (CCV).

Yoon reported an employee pulse survey this semester drew about 520 responses, a roughly 40 percent response rate. The university will administer the survey annually to track trends and Yoon said President Berg delegated him to lead follow-up actions based on the survey findings.

On campus safety and incident reporting, Yoon said VTSU is auditing its multiple reporting mechanisms and aims to implement a single reporting form to make it easier for students, staff and faculty to report incidents ranging from public-safety concerns to Title IX and code-of-conduct matters. He said public-safety professionals on VTSU campuses serve as first responders for law-enforcement requests and are being trained on procedures and legal boundaries.

Yoon also announced a hire for his office: Jen Hayden will join VTSU in June as assistant director of diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice, coming from Middlebury College.

The committee asked follow-up questions about differences between VTSU and CCV responses to law-enforcement requests, and Yoon and CCV speakers described nuance driven by VTSU’s full-time public-safety officers and CCV’s model of regional centers where staff and local administrators are trained to follow specific scripts and call appropriate campus contacts. General counsel and campus leaders said they are coordinating internally and with state and sector partners to monitor federal developments that could affect campuses.

Ending: Yoon said the reporting work remains “a work in progress” and the university will pursue a single reporting portal while continuing inter-agency coordination and training for public-safety staff.

","Chief diversity officer Paul Yoon told trustees VTSU is seeing increases in applications and deposits, ran an employee pulse survey with a 40% response rate, is developing a single reporting form for incidents and has hired an assistant director of DEI.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6060383,"Community College of Vermont highlights multilingual supports, staff survey and outreach at DEI committee meeting",472,188000,660000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3291671-ecc9a774d803437a79aa8599791a4fe6&start=188&end=660","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3291671-ecc9a774d803437a79aa8599791a4fe6/thumbnail_188000.jpg","/articles/6060383/Vermont/Community-College-of-Vermont-highlights-multilingual-supports-staff-survey-and-outreach-at-DEI-committee-meeting","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6060383-1c4667862a1011dc2c4962e0b7257076/orig.mp4?Expires=1770950959&Signature=KAiWyBWxFwF4xtJLFstHu54GFNDznUOZmyJBLrVMmw~eKR3KfLwYJjNhrTH1hIN4e7ykjCceqOKSy29HbLDx38TfUgCBTogdI2Zbi-N4Dx0PjWbU7DTnkuj1Bf15fRtrVLg0Wh8BgdQNDGS5zmpBnCXOh50bt9e1mjC-DX5FUCUXfnaK2bHNrwAFT6rIRO2zDfOeOvIWu0kkugTfrZw-h7BOhDwlCLK45Ybf1sx9wG5aaqrxfk0vAk6qQq6cc-BCJBjR5e3eS6oWvMx3iFjfi61rnVKcGuNszJErmX3iZdoTs4yxNgZTrQ0P3q3kcW8Z04GFdJB12n78fWgwXJxOfg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mary Broski, dean of people at the Community College of Vermont, told the Vermont State Colleges Board of Trustees’ Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee on May 12 that CCV is expanding multilingual supports, delivering a staff DEI survey with largely positive results and hosting community outreach events.

Broski said CCV hired a multilingual teaching-and-learning coordinator last fall who has worked with faculty and workforce partners to create an English-for-healthcare course and to build an on-ramp for multilingual learners into college coursework. “She actually helped create a curriculum … an English course specifically for health care professionals,” Broski said.

The college also ran its 22nd International Food Festival in April and drew about 50 attendees from students, faculty, staff and the community. Broski said the event received positive local press. She reported that CCV’s spring staff DEI survey — run biannually — had an 85 percent participation rate in the prior cycle and, this spring, strong positive responses above 92 percent to questions about whether CCV offers educational opportunities that promote DEI and whether people felt respected.

Broski described attendance at an external Vermont Business for Social Responsibility session and a StoryCorps–based “One Small Step” moderated conversation that brought together people with differing political views; she said the approach inspired ideas for facilitating civil dialogue on campus. “It really is just communication,” she told the committee.

Trustees and committee liaisons responded with praise and suggested CCV explore ways to scale such dialogues, share the restaurant-based “I’m Vermont 2” exhibit described by a trustee, and continue cross-campus coordination with Vermont State University colleagues.

The presentation was delivered as an informational update; no committee votes or formal actions were taken. The committee invited Broski to return for future meetings and encouraged continued cross-institution collaboration on DEI programming.

Ending: Broski said CCV staff and faculty continue DEI work across CCV’s statewide centers and that the college will keep benchmarking progress through the biannual staff survey. Trustees encouraged continued sharing of activities and resources across the Vermont State Colleges system.","CCV leaders told the Vermont State Colleges board DEI committee that the college is expanding multilingual supports, saw high positive results on a spring staff DEI survey and held a 22nd International Food Festival, while seeking ways to sustain DEI work amid national polarization.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Randolph center advances plan for associate degree in agriculture, food and forests tied to 1787 Butchery and EDA grant

Chancellor’s innovation fund approves five pilot projects to reduce costs, boost student success and build capacity

Vermont State Colleges outline campus guidance on law-enforcement visits and incident reporting

Vermont State University reports enrollment growth, employee pulse survey and hires; expands incident-reporting work

Community College of Vermont highlights multilingual supports, staff survey and outreach at DEI committee meeting