There aren’t enough Vermonters in the UVM administration.
Our college is comprised of a variety of members. We have both in-state and out-of-state students, and it is great to hear from different perspectives across campus and in classes.
This diversity is something we would like to see more of in the leadership of the University.
We would like more Vermont natives to be in the administration
Very few — if any — leaders at our University are native Vermonters.
Many have spent a lot of time in the state, often getting their degrees at UVM or other state colleges. Others often have no connection to our state or University prior to coming to our school.
Our school often hires administrators from other top colleges, and many of the recent hires have been acquired through this method.
They come from outside institutions rather than being promoted from within our school.
This is not necessarily problematic, since many of these administrators are high performing — both at their former schools and UVM.
But there is something unique about UVM and the community around us.
This UVM culture is something that must be learned by newcomers.
We aren’t a massive research school, nor are we a small liberal arts school.
Our special school is not, and cannot be run, like many other schools.
We’re a research university, we have a strong environmental college, a booming business school, all while still maintaining our humanities programs.
We’re also a Division I school and have more than 160 SGA-recognized clubs on campus.
Vermont and UVM possess a community like no other.
It is a community that values local business and the wellbeing of the community.
Having roots in Vermont would allow administrators to better understand the school and population they are about to lead.
Vermonters are going to be personally invested in the wellbeing of their state and its flagship university.
So UVM, next time you’re looking for a new administrator, don’t just look at a resume, look for someone who truly loves UVM and our wonderful state.
