Dear faculty and staff,

I am filled with gratitude as each academic year draws to a close. I’m grateful to our faculty for all they do for our students and for their contributions to research, scholarship, creative work, and service. I’m grateful to our staff for the myriad ways they contribute to university success (special thanks to the hundreds of you who contributed to a spectacular Commencement weekend), and I’m grateful for our students and the intellect, energy, and curiosity they bring to our campus. Our work together during a challenging year has been positive and productive and leaves me with a sense of optimism for the future. 

I also want to acknowledge Interim President Patty Prelock and her unwavering commitment to academic excellence and student success. We are all the better for her legacy of excellence, dedication, collaboration, service, kindness, and wellness. She will be deeply missed. As we reflect on all of Patty’s contributions, we are also eagerly preparing for President Designate Marlene Tromp’s arrival. I am excited by Dr. Tromp’s experience and energy, and by the prospect of a fresh perspective on UVM’s future.

As we look forward with optimism, we are also clear-eyed about the uncertainty before all of higher education. In early March we established a set of “Ops” teams in response to recent federal actions. The overarching goal of this effort is to determine how we can best support faculty, staff, and students during a time of unprecedented change, and to navigate and emerge from the situation more resilient and well-prepared to take advantage of new opportunities. This effort includes more than 60 faculty and staff who hold important perspectives and expertise, organized into five teams: a core leadership team providing guidance and implementing recommendations; a research team focused on reductions in research funding and shifting priorities; a faculty affairs team focused on impacts on faculty career trajectories; an Our Common Ground team focused on directives associated with DEI and antisemitism; and an immigration team focused on visas, enforcement, travel bans, and the like. The groups met weekly for two months and shifted to alternating weeks beginning in May. Among the many accomplishments of these teams: important financial modeling; creating an informational website; developing important FAQs for our community and talking points for use with families and prospective students; campus-wide information sessions on research, immigration, and academic freedom; targeted information sessions for particularly impacted members of our community; revising our faculty annual review and reappointment, promotion, and tenure guidelines for impacted faculty; developing an Our Common Ground statement for use in faculty and staff recruitments; and upskilling our faculty on communicating the value of research to media and others. 

We have also taken a number of related external actions. Importantly, we have maintained membership in the Association of Public & Land-Grant Universities (APLU) and the Association of American Universities (AAU). Importantly, we have maintained membership in the Association of Public & Land-Grant Universities (APLU) which has joined with the Association of American Universities (AAU) and the American Council on Education (ACE) as plaintiffs in three separate lawsuits challenging recent actions of the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and the U.S. Department of Energy (we have provided data for two lawsuits related to F&A caps). The university has supported and/or signed select advocacy letters from federal officials and national organizations. Vice President for Research and Economic Development Kirk Dombrowski, Executive Director of Government Relations Wendy Koenig, and others are in regular contact with our federal delegation, our fellow EPSCoR states, APLU and America East presidents, APLU & northeast OVPRs, and other advocacy organizations. A great deal of work is being done to position the university for success in the current environment.
 
Despite our focus on the federal situation, the good work on our campus continued and I’m pleased with our progress on so many other important fronts. Below you will find updates and information on some of our new and continuing initiatives.

Campus Community

Dr. Linda Prokopy will join our community on July 1 as the new Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. She is an accomplished scholar and leader, having earned both a PhD and MRP in Environmental Planning from the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill and a BSNR in Resource Policy and Behavior from the University of Michigan. Dr. Prokopy is Professor and Head of the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture at Purdue University where she has overseen growth in both undergraduate and graduate student enrollment, increased grant funding, and raised over $1.5 million for facility improvements and student success. Dr. Prokopy is an accomplished scholar who has led diverse teams across scientific disciplines and is a recognized international expert in motivating farmers to adopt environmentally friendly practices. We’re looking forward to welcoming her to campus this summer. 

We had the opportunity to thank and recognize Dean Leslie Parise at a reception earlier this month. She joined the college in 2020 and has expanded the research base of the college, hired outstanding new faculty and chairs, and provided cutting-edge educational opportunities to our students. 

I’m grateful to Dr. Mandar Dewoolkar for his continued service as Interim Dean of the College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences (CEMS) while we conduct a national search for the CEMS dean during the coming academic year.

The Undergraduate Class of 2029  
Enrollment for the Class of 2029 is exceedingly strong, and I’m happy to introduce them to you:

  • We received over 25,000 applications for fall 2025, reflecting the fourth highest number of applications in university history.
  • This is among the most academically qualified and diverse classes in university history. The first-time first-year (FTFY) class includes:
    • Half of the valedictorians within Vermont;
    • Representation from 48 states and 29 countries (50% of our new students are from outside New England); and
    • Students who will be the first in their families to receive a bachelor’s degree (13%).

Thank you in advance for helping us mitigate “melt” over the summer. Your efforts to provide outstanding student- and family-centered support and service over the next several months are critically important. 

Research Week
In April, we celebrated the fourth annual Research Week coordinated by the Office of the Vice President for Research. Among the week’s highlights: the Student Research Conference showcasing nearly 500 undergraduate, graduate, and medical students’ research, and the We R1 UVM Celebration recognizing UVM’s historic R1 designation. This annual event highlighting UVM’s research, scholarship, and creative work has quickly become a much-anticipated opportunity to come together and recognize the important achievements and contributions of our community members.

Celebrating Wolfgang Mieder
Our beloved Professor Emeritus Wolfgang Mieder was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, and it was a delight to host the ceremony at UVM in April. The Order of Merit was established in 1951 and is the highest civilian honor awarded by the Federal Republic of Germany. It is given to recognize outstanding political, economic, social, and intellectual achievements, as well as exceptional social, charitable, and philanthropic work. For Professor Mieder it’s a recognition and celebration of his lifelong commitment to the study and teaching of Germany’s cultural, literary, linguistic, and folk traditions. 

Thank you in advance for helping us mitigate “melt” over the summer. Your efforts to provide outstanding student- and family-centered support and service over the next several months are critically important. 

Research Week
In April, we celebrated the fourth annual Research Week coordinated by the Office of the Vice President for Research. Among the week’s highlights: the Student Research Conference showcasing nearly 500 undergraduate, graduate, and medical students’ research, and the We R1 UVM Celebration recognizing UVM’s historic R1 designation. This annual event highlighting UVM’s research, scholarship, and creative work has quickly become a much-anticipated opportunity to come together and recognize the important achievements and contributions of our community members.

Student Success

Center for Health and Wellbeing
The Center for Health and Wellbeing’s (CHWB) new Test & Go Clinic recently conducted 1,320 tests in two months and has received positive feedback from students for its convenience, quick turnaround, short wait-time, and easy scheduling. The average time to the first appointment (triage) for counseling is now under 24 hours, significantly better than the national average of 6.4 days, and for ongoing therapy the average time from triage to appointment has improved to 12 days this academic year, down from 18 last year. The CHWB has also overhauled the Short-Term Acute Illness Form that was implemented in academic year 2024–25. This form is now the institutional approach for class excusal for illness, with over 1,300 submissions per semester. It has created a rapid response communication line among colleges, faculty, and students to support academic progress.

The work of the CHWB will be further enhanced by planned construction of a new medical clinic that will replace and expand the existing clinic located at the University Health Center, which is ~6,000 square feet. The new, fully accessible, one-level ~14,000 square foot clinic will be located on the Redstone campus within walking distance for most students living on campus, as well as to the Athletic complex. The new facility will be accessed off the existing road around the Redstone Green between Redstone Lodge and Blundell House. Building a new medical clinic is not just a response to space limitations—it is an investment in student health, wellbeing, retention, and success. Additionally, Counseling and Psychiatry Services (CAPS) will relocate to 322 So. Prospect (adjacent to the new clinic). The new and thoughtfully designed facility will:

  • Improve access to relevant care for students who need services;
  • Enable and enhance collaboration between providers from complementary specialties to support complex health needs;
  • Reduce unnecessary UVM Medical Center emergency department and urgent care use; and
  • Address and support students’ physical and mental wellbeing holistically.

The project cost is $16.5 million. Student Affairs facilities reserves will provide $10 million of the necessary funds and the division will receive a $6.5 million loan from central reserves that will be paid back over six years.

Graduate College Innovations
The Graduate College, in collaboration with campus partners such as the Office of the Vice President for Research, research institutes, CHWB, the Office of International Education, Career Center, and others, continues to enhance its services in support of our growing graduate student population and postdoctoral scholars. In spring 2025, the Graduate College launched new professional and career development programming for Ph.D. students (including Individual Development Plans, career exploration, and research communications skills) and is developing collaborative opportunities with the Career Center to support the professional and career development of Master’s students; established the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs as a central source of expertise, guidance, and support for Postdoctoral Scholars, their faculty, and administrators; grew pre- and post-doctoral scholars’ participation in UVM Research Week (Postdoctoral Research Showcase, Three Minute Thesis Competition); and engaged hundreds of graduate students during National Graduate and Postdoctoral Appreciation Week.

Over the past semester, the graduate admissions and marketing teams have worked collaboratively across administrative and academic units to bring greater sophistication to the graduate marketing, recruitment, and admissions functions. They have introduced new and exciting recruitment opportunities like the UVM Accelerated Master’s Pathway Fair for current undergraduates to learn more about master’s pathways at UVM and significantly increased the number of recruitment events across the country where UVM is present. They are building out automated marketing and communication campaigns and prospective student-centered program web pages that will enhance the service levels for prospective graduate students and ultimately increase the volumes of leads, applications, and enrolled students in our graduate programs. We are already seeing extremely positive results from these efforts with applications to graduate programs up nearly 30% and about 15% more offers of admission to graduate programs. We expect to see increased graduate student enrollment for fall 2025, for which final data will be available later this summer.

Career Center
The Career Center continues to find new ways to help our students engage in key experiences such as networking, internships, and career exploration. Career Interest Groups, organized around broad career fields such as STEM, Arts Media and Communication, and Business and Entrepreneurship, have been growing, connecting students as early as Orientation weekend. A recent program evaluation of the Career Interest groups revealed a 1:1 correlation between engagement and benefits—when students engage in their Interest Groups, they benefit! The survey also revealed that students expect membership to be passive—upon joining, they expect the group to do the work for them. To address this, and more proactively teach students how to leverage their networks, the Career Center is elevating their signature networking events. Every month spotlights a different Interest Group with a networking event to match the vibe/culture of those industries. While the STEM Networking Night continues to be a well-attended classic networking event, new events like the Creatives Carnival bring networking to life for students exploring avenues in the arts, media, and communications. Last month over 100 students experienced the Carnival in the Davis Atrium, where they could record a professional pitch, work on their logo design, get practical advice on freelancing, and more. In April, students interested in food, environment, and sustainability had the opportunity to golf (mini-golf that is) on the green with alums and professionals in a playful take on a classic networking sport.

In related career news, the Center is also pleased to report record turnouts for their career fairs this year, with employers embracing the expanded Employer Partner Program. Through collaborations with Christopher Pallas, the new Director of Professional and Career Development in the Graduate College, the Center attracted over two dozen grad students to the Career Center to learn about the services available to grad students and alums.

Thank you for encouraging our students to join and engage with career interest groups, to attend the Career Center’s signature networking events, and to seek internship opportunities and more to support their career success.

Vermont Pitch Challenge
The second annual Vermont Pitch Challenge, led by the Division of Enrollment Management, provides high school students with a unique opportunity to make their college applications stand out by showcasing their entrepreneurial spirit. This year’s Vermont Pitch Challenge saw more than 140 teams from 15 countries and 28 states. Matthew McPherson, from Flemington, New Jersey, was awarded the competition’s top prize—a full-tuition scholarship to the University of Vermont—for his business venture, Boxer Breeze, an eco-friendly underwear brand that combats textile waste by using sustainable materials like bamboo fiber and organic cotton.

New and Continuing Initiatives and Activities

Food Systems Research Institute
At their recent meeting, the Board of Trustees approved the creation of a university-wide Food Systems Research Institute (FSRI), reporting to the Office of the Vice President for Research and led by Dr. Polly Ericksen. The University of Vermont has been a leader in the field of food systems for nearly two decades. The FSRI was founded in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences as the Food Systems Research Center in 2019 as a partnership between the University of Vermont and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service. It receives more than $5 million annually in federal funding to support UVM researchers and partners working on transdisciplinary, regional food systems research. The mission of the FSRI is to improve environmental, economic, production, health, and social sustainability in Northeastern food systems, including the health and nutrition of the people these systems feed. Through collaborative research and stakeholder engagement the FSRI seeks to find solutions to address problems faced by producers, processors, consumers, and other food system actors to improve conditions not just for individual sectors, but for the overall food system. Its transition from a center in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences to a university-wide institute reflects its cross-disciplinary nature and will amplify its impact across the university. This change will allow the FSRI to better align with the university’s research mission and foster intentional collaboration with other institutes that share similar research priorities.

Generative AI
As we all know, generative artificial intelligence (AI) is developing rapidly and has already had a significant impact on teaching and learning. To provide our faculty and students with a better understanding of the ethics, advantages, disadvantages, and power of AI, I have charged an AI Classroom Practices and Pedagogy Working Group led by Susanmarie Harrington, Director of the Center for Teaching (CTL) and Clayton Cafiero, Senior Lecturer, Department of Computer Science. The goals of this working group include identifying ethics in AI modules for faculty and students; drafting AI-specific language for inclusion in our Academic Integrity Policy; and developing a two-day seminar in August 2025 for a select group of faculty to educate them, develop guiding principles around AI for faculty, and develop a course in our learning management system, Brightspace, where faculty can learn from each other on how to best use AI, share concerns, and provide mentorship.

This work will build on the work of the Office of Writing in the Disciplines Program (WID), also led by Susanmarie Harrington, that has built an increasingly nuanced array of faculty programming to support teaching in the age of genAI. The programs have covered 18 separate topics, ranging from critical AI literacy to AI detectors and trust in the classroom to designing assignments and communicating AI policies to students. Program attendees have explored the cognitive and affective dimensions of genAI’s impact on course and assignment design, assessment, and motivation; and even more have worked with the CTL’s self-serve web resources. These programs allow participants to connect across disciplines, learn about and test genAI applications for course/assignment use; discern what matters most in their classroom policy development, and explore challenges and constraints. Fundamentally, these workshops allow participants to identify disciplinary, curricular, and personal goals that drive their decisions about incorporating and/or resisting genAI. WID’s goal is to center human judgment and human values in relation to genAI, ensuring that participants are well prepared to make choices that enhance students’ learning, critical thinking, and performance opportunities. 

Data Governance
The Office of Institutional Research and Assessment is co-sponsoring a Data Governance Program charter with Enterprise Technology Services to promote high-quality, secure, and compliant data management at UVM. Working with the Project Management Office, the aim is a campus-wide structure that will implement and maintain data governance policies, standards, and processes that promote data stewardship, optimize resource utilization, and enhance data-driven decision-making.

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Thank you for all of your work and contributions this year. I hope you have wonderful fun-filled summers and get a chance to relax and recharge. I look forward to being together again in the fall.

All the best,

Linda