With one year in office, the new president is confronting University issues head on. Interim President A. John Bramley and Provost Jane E. Knodell sent a letter titled “Positioning UVM to Thrive and Excel in Challenging Times” in an email to the UVM community on Sept. 9. President Bramley and Provost Knodell highlighted some the challenges facing the University in the letter: ·      There is a decline in the number of college-aged students in the UVM applicant pool. ·      UVM will likely see a decrease in public funding, further affected by the large percentage of state money going to Irene cleanup efforts. ·      UVM has reached full undergraduate capacity due to zoning laws, meaning the University cannot admit a larger freshman class in 2016. ·      The University has a financial reliance on significant tuition increases. ·      The growing concern that the University is not focusing on student learning and is not setting high enough expectations from its students. After recognizing these issues, the letter included a call to action to prevent the University from falling in rank in the academic community. “We risk finding ourselves in an unavoidable slide toward mediocrity, a possibility that we hope you agree is unacceptable after the hard-won progress to which our entire community has contributed,” the letter stated.   To tackle these problems President Bramley has launched the “Strategic Initiatives Project” which will consist of five working teams under the leadership of Provost Knodell. “If we are successful we will have instituted a long term sustainable model for UVM…and continue our upward trajectory in academic quality and national reputation for excellence.”