Vermont State Colleges board approves revised Policy 109 timeline and affirms program recommendations

The Vermont State Colleges Board of Trustees voted to approve revisions to Policy 109 and adopted Resolution 20260001, which accepts program review reports from the Community College of Vermont (CCV) and Vermont State University (VTSU) and affirms programmatic changes at both institutions.

Megan Clover, chair of the Education, Personnel and Student Life Committee, said the committee revised the annual program-review timeline to align better with curriculum revision cycles at CCV and VTSU and recommended that institutions submit reports to the chancellor by September with committee review and chancellor recommendations in October. Clover read the resolved elements of Resolution 20260001 and moved the motion to approve the timeline changes and accept the chancellor’s recommendations.

Trustee David Silverman seconded the motion. The board discussed that the changes were vetted at length in the EPS committee and that VTSU will bring consolidated recommendations when campus-by-campus enrollments do not meet Policy 109 minimum sizes. The motion passed by voice vote.

Why it matters: The timing change is intended to synchronize academic program reviews with curriculum revision periods at the institutions, which trustees and staff said should improve the quality and timeliness of program decisions and make it easier to present consolidated institutional recommendations to the chancellor and board.

Next steps: The revised timeline will be implemented for the coming review cycle, with institutions submitting reports to the chancellor by September and the EPS committee reviewing recommendations in October.