Approval of the naming of the Patrick Leahy Honors College topped the agenda at the University of Vermont Board of Trustees May meeting held Friday and Saturday at UVM’s Dudley H. Davis Center.
The Board voted Friday to approve the naming of the Honors College in recognition of Sen. Leahy’s 48 years of service and support representing Vermont in the U.S. Senate. The senator – who retired in January 2023 as the third-longest-serving senator in the nation’s history – attended the meeting with his wife, Marcelle.
“It is wonderful to have Senator Leahy here for this moment of recognition and tribute,” UVM President Suresh Garimella said. “We are proud to have the excellence of the Honors College and the achievements of its students help contribute to the senator’s legacy.”
Prior to the naming approval, the Board was presented with an overview of the vision for the college from its dean, David Jenemann, and a group of Honors College students.
Friday morning’s portion of the meeting also included “50 Years of UVM and the Environment,” a presentation on the history and growth of programs focused on the environment and sustainability at UVM since 1973.
The presentation consisted of three primary segments: An overview and history of the study of the environment at UVM; a discussion of the funding and research landscape with respect to environmental scholarship; and a review of environmental and sustainability projects and initiatives on campus, highlighted by the university’s Comprehensive Sustainability Plan released earlier this spring.
“UVM has a history of leadership on environmental issues and sustainability,” said Elizabeth Palchak, Director of Sustainability at UVM. “It’s our mission to engage the UVM community in addressing sustainability challenges on campus and beyond our campus borders. Our outstanding faculty bring these challenges alive for our students, and our Comprehensive Sustainability Plan connects world-class research to university operations.”
Kirk Dombrowski, Vice President of Research at UVM, gave a presentation entitled Research Vision: Growth, Partnership, Impact. Highlights of the presentation included a preview of the University’s upcoming Research, Innovation, Sustainability and Entrepreneurship (RISE) summit and the launch of the Institute for Rural Partnerships, which is funded by federal funds Senator Leahy helped secure.
Other business during the meeting included:
• An overview of the university’s total operating budget and a resolution approving fiscal year 2024 budget planning assumptions pertaining to its general fund.
• Approval of several curricular additions, including a new undergraduate Certificate in Semiconductor Engineering and Physics in the College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences; minors in Global Public Health and in Public Health, Equity and Advocacy in the College of Nursing and Health Sciences; and an undergraduate certificate in Gerontology in the College of Education and Social Services.
• A resolution approving the programmatic scope of a planned Torrey Hall renovation project.
• A resolution approving revision of the University’s Equal Opportunity Policy Statements.
• An update on ongoing efforts to identify funding for the Multipurpose Center project.