May 23, 2023

Dear Faculty,

Our beautiful Commencement ceremony always prompts me to reflect on the prior academic year and all that we have accomplished together.

In addition to graduating more than 3,000 doctoral, master’s, and bachelor’s students, this year we launched our system of professional advising for all first-year students; we established the Osher Center for Integrative Health, the Institute for Agroecology, and the School of World Languages and Cultures all of which contribute to our interdisciplinary strength; we developed data-driven Inclusive Excellence Plans; Senator Leahy helped secure a $30M endowment for our Honors College; we have made strides on the Art and Science Group recommendations (some of which you’ll read about below); 523 faculty participated in our pilot Comprehensive Faculty Mentoring Program which included 20 professional development sessions offered throughout the year; and the Student Government Association established a wonderful new campus tradition: a week of kindness each semester. In the context of our many successes, I recognize that there is difficult and important work that lies before us to ensure a safe and inclusive campus for all. We are making progress there as well – you can read more about that in Timely Campus Issues below.

I want to thank you for your ongoing support and engagement with our students—centering their learning inside and outside the classroom; for your commitment to the creation of new knowledge and scholarship that enlightens our future; and for your service to your programs, departments, schools and colleges, and the university. I have great pride in the tremendous accomplishments of our faculty from our early career award winners to our Fulbright Scholars, our academic society honorees, our published book scholars, and those with wonderful musical and theatrical performances and art exhibits that bring beauty and understanding to our world.

I also wish to thank our program directors, chairs, associate and assistant deans, deans, vice provosts and vice presidents for leading the way through change. This is not always a comfortable role, but I have appreciated your commitment to the well-being of students, staff, and faculty, ensuring a high-quality academic experience for students, and supportive work environments for our faculty and staff.

And I want to acknowledge and thank our incredibly talented and hard-working staff members, without whom none of what we do would be possible. I appreciate all that our staff contribute to the success of our university.

As you read all that has been accomplished below, please share my pride in your work and commitment to our institution. Eleanor Roosevelt once said that the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. Even as we navigated Covid, we continued to dream. With your help, we have created a bright future for UVM.

Enrollment

The Undergraduate Class of 2027
Enrollment for the class of 2027 is exceedingly strong, and I’m pleased to share the following with you.

  • We received 28,459 applications for Fall 2023, reflecting the second highest number of applications in university history (second only to applications for Fall 2022)
  • This is among the most academically qualified classes in university history yielding over 60% of the valedictorians within Vermont and the highest yield rate on Honor’s College offers in university history (15%)
  •  We have a 60% admission rate, tied with last year, and tied for the most selective class in 30 years
  • Over 50% of our first-time first-year (FTFY) students hail from outside of New England; this is especially important as we broaden our reach in response to demographic shifts which will be especially challenging in New England
  • 45 states and 23 countries are represented
  • 16% of new FTFY students identify as BIPOC; this is the most diverse class in university history
  • 11% are first-generation, and will be the first in their families to receive a bachelor’s degree

This outstanding class is the result of the hard work of many talented people across our campus including our Division of Enrollment Management led by Vice Provost Jay Jacobs, Director of Admissions Moses Murphy, the dean’s offices in our colleges and schools, and our student success leaders across campus, all of whom make important contributions to our recruitment and retention efforts.

Our New Graduate Students
Graduate recruitment for academic year 2023-24 is still in progress, but the numbers thus far are very strong. Some highlights to date:

  • We have received 2,753 graduate applications, reflecting the second highest number of graduate applications in university history (second only to applications for 2021)
  • 16% of incoming domestic students are students of color
  • 22% of incoming domestic students and 57% of incoming international students identify as first-generation
  • The number of international applicants is 10% higher than last year's previous highest ever total, and represents 22 countries

I’m grateful to Graduate College Dean Cindy Forehand, Graduate Admissions Specialist Serenity Bolt, the entire team in the Graduate College, as well as our dean’s offices, graduate program directors, and faculty and staff across campus who all contribute time, energy, and talent to graduate student recruitment efforts.

Collaborative Graduate Recruiting Pilot Program
We have established an ambitious goal of doubling graduate program enrollment in the next three to five years. Included in this goal is enrollment in online programs which supports workforce development, allows us to reach more diverse populations, and increases revenue which strengthens our financial sustainability. This semester we launched the Collaborative Graduate Recruiting Pilot Program to develop and drive highly targeted campaigns aimed at select programs to help us reach our enrollment goal. Together with Enrollment Management, University Marketing will partner with the Graduate College, participating dean’s offices, graduate program leadership, and recruiting staff to create a centrally supported marketing, inquiry management, and enrollment pilot program. This newly formed partnership will focus on ten graduate programs: Master of Accountancy, Master of Social Work, the MAT and MEd in Curriculum and Instruction, the Master of Science programs in Civil and Environmental Engineering (Data Analytics for Water Resources), Electrical Engineering, Medical Laboratory Sciences, Medical Science, and Dietetics, Nutrition, and Food Science, and the Occupational Therapy Doctorate. The pilot will run from February 2023 to August 2024 and is the first step in the development of a comprehensive graduate marketing strategy that will establish best practices and help us achieve economies of scale that will benefit all of our graduate programs.

Teaching and Learning

Learning Community Book Discussions at Orientation
Our Learning Communities will welcome the class of 2027 with Community Reads for the next academic year. As part of Orientation, we are seeking more faculty to facilitate book discussions on Friday, August 25, from 8:30-9:30 or 9:45-10:45 AM, depending on Learning Community. You can review the book options for each Learning Community and sign up to lead a session at this link. Discussion leaders will be provided with a hard copy of the book for their Learning Community. As we get closer to August Orientation, we will also provide a facilitation guide, including suggested activities and discussion questions (although you are invited to develop your own discussion questions as you read the book). I will be participating again this year, and I invite you to join me in getting the Class of 2027 off to a strong start. If you have any questions, please contact John Sama.

New Learning Community – The Gaming Collective
This fall, the Gaming Collective, a new Learning Community, will debut in Jeanne Mance Hall, with both first-year and second-year student residents. As the name implies, this learning community will bring together students interested in all kinds of games, including tabletop board games, puzzles, role playing games, and beyond. Programming for the community will include a chance to meet Box Brown, the author of the Learning Community's first year read, Tetris: The Games People Play, a graphic history of the game Tetris. Other regular events, such as game nights and opportunities to teach and learn new games will be incorporated into programming for this new Learning Community experience.

Brightspace Transition
The Center for Teaching and Learning is offering 40 Brightspace training sessions between May 15 and May 26, and workshops will continue throughout the summer and next academic year. The Implementation Team has migrated over 5,650 courses to date and continues to make progress with Brightspace-Banner integrations. Fall 2023 course spaces will be in Brightspace in early June. The last day to access Blackboard will be September 8, 2023 for all faculty and students. Please refer to the May 11, 2023 e-mail message from Chief Information Officer Simeon Ananou and Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs Jane Okech for more information. Online transition resources posted on the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) website include:

Brightspace: Training Opportunities
Schedule an Individual Consultation
Brightspace: Manually Move a Blackboard Space into Brightspace
Blackboard: Saving Course Files and Student Data

Degree Works Upgrade
Our degree audit system is getting a modest update in June. Requirements and courses are not changing, but the look, security, and functionality of the degree audits will improve. You can learn more on the Office of the Registrar website.

UVM GO (formerly Global Trek)
Our UVM GO plans have moved into high gear. I’m delighted to share with you some of the UVM GO opportunities that will be offered this August. I am enormously grateful to these faculty members for their willingness to help us build this important new program.

From the UVM GO Canada and UVM GO Cities Programs:

  • Multicultural Vancouver: Social Justice and the City led by Pablo Bose, Department of Geography and Geosciences
  • Montreal: Building Culture from Cultures: Quebec and Vermont led by Charles-Louis Morand-Métivier, School of World Languages and Cultures
  • Seattle: Justice in Local and Global Food Systems led by Teresa Mares, Department of Anthropology
  • Washington, D.C.: Climate Change and Youth Activism led by Jon Erickson, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources
  • Chicago: Building Communities and Commerce led by Cynthia Reyes, Dean’s Office, College of Education and Social Services    

From the UVM GO Community Program in partnership with our Learning Communities (LC):

  • LC Gaming Collective: Everyone Games! led by J. Dickinson, John Franklin, and Ian Davis
  • LC Arts and Creativity: Democratizing Art through Printmaking led by Jen Berger
  • LC Global Connections: Ways of Growing and Gathering led by Sarah Williamson
  • LC Innovation and Entrepreneurship: The Entrepreneurial and Innovative Spirit of the Burlington Food Scene led by Todd Pritchard and Beth Bradley
  • LC Leadership and Social Change: Find Your Voice: Becoming a Change Agent for UVM and the Greater Community led by Deb Hinchey and Noah Barclay-Derman
  • LC Liberal Arts Scholars Program: Dive In! Exploring Lake Champlain’s Global Role led by Devin McFadden
  • LC Sustainability: Northeast Kingdom: Food & Farming, led by Travis Reynolds
  • LC Wellness Environment: WEventure led by Bill Copeland

Career Center Initiatives
My thanks to the faculty and professional advisors who participated in the annual Career Summit on May 1 to learn how Career Center resources can help them engage students in career exploration. Presentation topics included ways in which career preparation can be brought into the classroom to advance integrative learning and student success; how to field career questions during advising sessions; and progressive career preparation touch points throughout a student’s time at UVM. Career Services is also collaborating with the colleges/schools and the Center for Teaching and Learning to build a series of 4 badges that will roll up to the “Career Starter” certificate in Brightspace, our learning management system. This certificate will be available this fall and is the first in a set of three certificates that will encourage student progression along the Path to Career Success. In partnership with the Alumni Association, the Career Center launched its Interest Groups on the UVM Connect platform last fall. Interest Groups help students build a network of peers, faculty, alums, staff, and employers to support career success. We have interest groups in Arts, Media, and Communication; Business and Entrepreneurship; Education, Policy, and Social Impact; Food, Environment, and Sustainability; Health Professions; STEM; and Exploring.

We have nearly 3,500 student members, and double that many alums, with over 800 interactions on the platform. We are encouraged by these early numbers and will continue efforts to drive more consistent traffic to the platform. Career Services will also be piloting a new Employer Partner Program next academic year. Instead of one-off transactions (e.g., paying to table at a job fair), employers will be encouraged to invest as partners in connecting talent (our students) with opportunity (their jobs). The program includes 3 tiers that offer varying levels of access and service to employers.

Faculty Recognition and Recruitment

University of Vermont Faculty Awards

Each year we recognize the innovative scholarship, teaching and advising excellence, as well as the community citizenship of our faculty. I want to thank all the faculty, students and staff who participated in the award nomination process; and all the faculty serving on the award review standing committees. I’m proud to, once again, congratulate the recipients of our most significant faculty awards.

Kroepsch-Maurice Excellence in Teaching Awards
The Kroepsch-Maurice Excellence in Teaching Awards recognize faculty members for their excellence in teaching, including creating an environment conducive to and encouraging learning. Each year, one faculty member in each of the four faculty ranks (Lecturer/Senior Lecturer/Clinical Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor) receives this honor. The 2023 award recipients are:

  • Assistant Professor Daniel Tobin, Ph.D., Community Development and Applied Economics, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
  • Associate Professor Richard Single, Ph.D., Mathematics and Statistics, College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences
  • Professor Anthony (Tony) D’Amato, Ph.D., Director of Forestry Program, Director of UVM Research Forests, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources
  • Senior Lecturer Lisa Dion, M.S., Computer Science, College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences

Outstanding Faculty Advisor Award
The Outstanding Faculty Advisor Award recognizes a faculty member who has achieved excellence in displaying and enacting responsiveness, availability, concern, respect, and depth of knowledge in undergraduate academic advising. This award is a collaboration of the Office of the Provost, the Student Affairs Committee of the Faculty Senate, and the Student Government Association. The 2023 award recipient is:

  • Luis Vivanco, Ph.D., Professor and Chair of the Department of Anthropology, College of Arts and Sciences.

President’s Distinguished University Citizenship and Service Award
Nominees for the President’s Distinguished University Citizenship and Service Award are lecturers or clinical faculty, full-time tenure or tenure-track faculty, research faculty, library faculty, or Extension faculty who have worked at the University of Vermont for at least five years and have demonstrated sustained and exceptional leadership and service to our community. This includes but is not limited to, service at the department, college or school, or university-wide level as a member of committees, governance groups, and advising student organizations or committees. The 2023 award recipient is:

President’s Distinguished Senior Lecturer and Lecturer Awards
The President’s Distinguished Senior Lecturer and Lecturer Awards recognize Senior Lecturers or Lecturers for their outstanding teaching, scholarship, and service. The 2023 award recipient is:

  • Priyantha Wijesinghe, Ph.D., Senior Lecturer and Director of Curricular Enrichment, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences.

University Scholars Award
The University Scholars Award recognizes distinguished UVM faculty members for sustained excellence in research and creative and scholarly activities in the following two categories: Social Sciences, Humanities, Creative Arts, and Basic and Applied Sciences (including biological, medical, and physical sciences). The 2023 award recipients are:

  • Social Science: Terence Cuneo, Ph.D., Professor and Marsh Chair of Intellectual and Moral Philosophy, Department of Philosophy, College of Arts and Sciences
  • Basic and Applied Science: Sarah Heil, Ph.D., Professor of Psychiatry, Larner College of Medicine; Professor of Psychology, Department of Psychological Science, College of Arts and Sciences; and
  • Rory Waterman, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences  

University Distinguished Professor Award
The University Distinguished Professor Award is the highest academic honor that UVM bestows upon a faculty member. Holders of this title are recognized for having achieved international eminence within their respective fields of study and for the truly transformative nature of their contributions to advancing knowledge. The 2023 award recipients are:

  • Mary Cushman, M.D., M.Sc., Professor of Medicine, Hematology/Oncology Division; Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine; Larner College of Medicine
  • Stephen Higgins, Ph.D., Professor of Psychological Science, College of Arts and Sciences; Professor and Vice Chair of Psychiatry; and Director of Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, Larner College of Medicine
  • Gary Stein, Ph.D., Professor and Chairperson of the Department of Biochemistry; Professor of the Department of Surgery; Larner College of Medicine

Faculty Recruitment
Faculty recruitment for the 2022-23 academic year is ongoing, with 16 searches in progress. In August, we will have the final data on new hires for the next academic year. To date, we have hired 105 new full-time faculty. Of the 105, 21% identify as BIPOC, international faculty, or other undisclosed backgrounds. We have a significant increase in BIPOC/international faculty hires on the tenure track, with 12 new hires this year. We have also appointed three new Henderson-Harris Scholars. I want to thank all the deans, faculty, staff, and students who continue to support and participate in our faculty recruitment process. I will follow up with a more detailed report when the recruitment process is complete in the fall.

Timely Campus Issues

Improving Policies and Procedures in Support of our Inclusive Community
As you know, the university agreed to a voluntary resolution of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights investigation into reports of antisemitism on our campus. As part of our commitment to continual review and improvement, we are updating our equal opportunity and antiharassment policies and procedures that were shared at this past weekend’s May Board of Trustee’s meeting. Most importantly, we pledge to continue holding ourselves to a standard that ensures our response to reports of hateful conduct related to antisemitism will be timely and effective, and addressed in the same manner we address other forms of discrimination and harassment. When an act of antisemitism occurs, we will take appropriate and necessary action to address the act, prevent its recurrence, and support those impacted. Our goal is to ensure that all members of our community are well-served and free to outwardly share the special and distinctive expressions of their identities.

Sexual Violence Prevention
April was Sexual Assault Awareness Month during which the university offered programming aimed at increasing awareness and prompting action. On April’s eve, Vice Provost Caloiero and I sent our students a memo affirming our commitment to the safety and wellbeing of all members of our community. The month included collaborations with internal and external campus entities including Hope Works, Campus Recreation, the Student Government Association, and more. We offered several free wellness events including restorative yoga, blacklight Zumba, a gym walk-through and a goal setting session with the Girl Gains student organization in collaboration with Campus Recreation. We also offered workshops including a series hosted by Hope Works entitled “Sex Positivity after Trauma” and “Fumbling Towards Repair: A Transformative Justice Workshop” as well as the month’s keynote lecture hosted by the co-director of the national organization The Heal Project entitled “Sexual Liberation? Living at the Intersections.” These events were complemented by community engagement events like the Town Hall hosted by an SGA President emeritus, Denim Day, and tabling events which engaged community members with consent-themed messaging. 

Also in April, the Spring 2023 Title IX and Sexual Misconduct Update newsletter was issued to campus stakeholders and included information on resources, future plans, and the following updates:

  • AAEO has hired two new staff members who will provide outreach and support to UVM students, staff, and faculty involved in matters of bias, discrimination, harassment, sexual misconduct, and relationship violence.
  • The College of Nursing and Health Sciences has hired Jennifer Demers as Clinical Assistant Professor of Sexual Violence Prevention. Dr. Demers has experience in best practices regarding violence prevention and will develop a peer-based education program for sexual violence prevention here at UVM.
  • A group of technology and content experts are evaluating our current online education module regarding sexual misconduct to ensure that it is meeting our needs and/or to recommend another solution.
  • Student Health Services now offers drug testing for students who believe they have been given a substance that causes impairment, without their knowledge or consent.

Engagement with the Vermont Abenaki Community
My engagement with the Abenaki Chiefs and Commissioners has continued and broadened. Earlier this month I, along with Dr. Amer Ahmed and Dr. Sherwood Smith from our Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and Dean Bill Falls from the College of Arts and Sciences, met with a Parent Advisory Committee in Swanton. We heard the concerns of families and youth who identify as Abenaki and who worry that the story of their community needs greater representation when tribal communities from outside of Vermont are given a platform to share their stories on our campus. We are working with Vermont Abenaki to ensure that UVM is a safe and inclusive environment for them to bring their children. As part of these efforts, I affirmed UVM’s recognition of the four tribes of the Vermont Abenaki.

Leadership Transitions

Two members of my team will soon depart. Cindy Forehand, Dean of the Graduate College, will retire at the end of June. Dean Forehand is an important member of the academic leadership team and has served as our graduate dean since 2014. Under Dean Forehand’s leadership, total graduate student enrollment has increased by more than 25%, including a 38% increase in international graduate students and a 186% increase in graduate students of color, and nearly 30 graduate programs and certificates have been added to our curriculum. Graduate assistantship stipends and benefits also increased substantially. A national search for a new dean of the Graduate College was launched late fall yielding 90 applications for the position. This leadership opportunity has generated an exceptionally strong slate of finalists who have been visiting our campus these past few weeks.  I will be sharing more information on the selection soon and want to thank the Chair of the Search Committee, Dr. Fran Carr, and her entire committee for their hard work in bringing such outstanding candidates to our campus.

Alex Yin, Assistant Provost for Institutional Research and Assessment has accepted the position of Vice Provost for Strategic Planning and Institutional Effectiveness at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, the largest HBCU in the country. Alex was appointed as UVM’s Director of the Office of Institutional Research in 2016. During his time at UVM he was promoted to Executive Director and then Assistant Provost, with the scope of his office expanding to include assessment, and growth in his staff from three to eight members. Highlights of Alex’s many accomplishments include transforming the office to be a resource for the university community by being an adaptable and proactive office with a commitment to producing sustainable, timely, reliable, and valid data analysis. He did this by overseeing the creation of Catamount Data and tirelessly meeting with vice presidents, vice provosts, deans, associate deans, directors, faculty, staff, and students to promote a culture of data-informed decision-making. We will launch a national search for a new leader of Institutional Research and Assessment this summer.

Cindy and Alex have been wonderful colleagues who will be missed both personally and professionally. I wish them the greatest happiness and success in their next endeavors.

Wellness

Sexual Health and Wellness Fair
The Center for Health and Wellbeing planned and hosted the inaugural SEXPO: the UVM Sexual Health and Wellness Fair, on March 29. Students engaged with on-campus and community organizations offering sexual health services to provide them with resources and tools to take charge of their sexual health. Topics included consent, substance use, body image, pleasure, LGBTQ+ identity, STI testing, and confidential medical consultations about birth control, trans health, HIV testing, and more.

Cat ECare
Our new Catamount Emergency Care, or Cat ECare, Program launched in April. Cat ECare coordinates the distribution of lifesaving equipment across campus (automated external defibrillators, bleeding control kits, and Narcan) and provides associated training to UVM students, faculty, and staff. The program is a collaboration among the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, the Office of Emergency Management, UVM Rescue, and a number of talented and innovative undergraduate students. Cat ECare adds to our health and wellness ecosystem, prepares us to respond to emergencies, and will provide high-impact internship opportunities for our students who will help lead and manage the program and will also serve as program instructors.

WE 5K Wellness Run
I was delighted to join almost 800 students, staff, faculty, and community members in the 8th Annual 4/20 5K for Wellness Run/Walk last month. This has become a positive springtime tradition on our campus – and while the run is all good fun, it does bring out the competitive side of some of our faculty members! Most importantly, though, it provides an opportunity for our community to come together and celebrate wellness.

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This summer, among many other things, the Provost’s Office team will be preparing for the UVM GO launch in August; supporting the Brightspace transition; drafting our 5-year interim  report to our accreditor; rolling out the Catamount Core Curriculum to our incoming students; conducting the search for the new Executive Director of the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment; developing contingency plans for emergency preparedness; preparing for our first Virtual Faculty Recruitment Fair in the fall; hosting a leadership exchange with the University of Aberdeen; planning for New Faculty Orientation and the Faculty Conference; and planning next year’s Faculty Mentoring Program (including the First-Year Faculty Experience Series, Mid-Career Faculty Series, Demystifying the RPT Process at UVM series, and the Chairs and Associate Deans Leadership Series), a Faculty Mentorship Mini-Conference, and an August Faculty Writing Retreat.

As you wrap up the Spring semester, please do remember to sign up to lead an Orientation Learning Community book discussion (more information above). Engaging with our newest students is a wonderful way to open the academic year.

It’s a privilege to witness the joy of our graduates and their families. I hope you, too, will spend some joyous time with family and friends this summer. I am looking forward to our annual family reunion in July as our son and his family travel from Arizona and our niece and nephew and their families travel from Texas to South Hero, Vermont where grandchildren, great-nieces and -nephews join us to not only enjoy Lake Champlain and the Green Mountains but to appreciate the beauty of just being together.  

Be well, Catamounts!

Warmly,
Patty