Vermont State University students praise internships, flag staffing and access issues

Students from multiple Vermont State University campuses told a public forum that internships and transferable general-education courses are helping many prepare for careers, but they also raised concerns about faculty shortages in technical programs and scheduling frictions across campuses.

A nut graf: The remarks, made by students representing Castleton, Johnson and other campuses, underscore two competing trends at the consolidated Vermont State University system: growing job placement for juniors and seniors, and operational strains caused by retirements, cross-campus scheduling and heavy demand from early-college and nontraditional students.

Several students described routine internship placements and credit transfer success. A Randolph campus student said, “I do have an internship. I had an internship last summer. I'm returning this summer as a qualified employee, and I'll be going to school and working for them moving forward,” and added the employer is a medical device manufacturer. That student said the school is “very good about job placement.”

Students also described how they choose general-education classes to maximize transferability when moving to four-year colleges. One student who said they will transfer to a four-year college in the fall said, “Most of them, I believe so. I tried to take mostly gen ed classes so that they could transfer.”

But several students warned of staffing pressures in technical departments. A Randolph campus student reported, “We are lacking in teachers in the electrical department… there’s a couple that are headed for retirement,” and said that the department and peers see that as a problem in the coming year.

Students described mixed experiences with cross-campus virtual and hybrid scheduling. Luke Walters, a student at the Johnson campus, said his schedule mixes in-person and online classes across campuses and sometimes causes short overlaps. Hans Cleo, a Castleton student who identified himself as student government president, said the campuses “went through our time with the merger, which was a rough start. But now with the new president, President Berg, things have been really smooth sailing,” and that student governments are working “very cohesively” across campuses to expand virtual and transportation options.

Panelists discussed early college participation and nontraditional student populations. A student representing Middleton High School said, “I believe there are, like, probably around 5 of us that are doing early college.” Another student estimated heavy representation of first-generation and low-income students, saying, “I think we think that we're 50 percent first gen and over 50% low income.”

Students suggested expanding credentials and certificate options for nontraditional learners. One student noted prior proposals for a systemwide “credential of value” and said many students support more certificate pathways that do not amount to full degrees.

The students also described high demand in allied health and trade programs. The Randolph campus student listed nursing, vet tech, construction tech, auto and manufacturing programs as bringing many new students and noted that growth in skilled-labor graduates is “very good for the state.”

No formal actions or votes were reported during the forum. The speakers called for continued attention to faculty recruitment in technical fields, clearer cross-campus scheduling support, and expanded certificate options to serve nontraditional and early-college learners.

The forum ended with several students saying they plan to remain in Vermont after graduation to work or pursue further education, while others said they may take short-term opportunities abroad before returning.