Vermont Tech Announces Vision for Future “Center for Agriculture & Food Entrepreneurship”

Vermont Technical College (VTC) builds on its 120-year history of educating Vermont’s farmers and food system workers with the announcement of a new Center for Agriculture & Food Entrepreneurship, set to open as early as the fall of 2023 at Vermont State University. The vision for the center aligns with Vermont’s agricultural future and ever-evolving local and regional food system. Students can expect expanded educational degrees offered in a variety of modalities (on-campus, virtual, and hybrid) as well as a robust internship program.

The centerpiece of the program will be an Associate Degree in Agriculture & Food Entrepreneurship, with concentrations in either Agriculture & Livestock Production or Food Entrepreneurship. Students may choose to go on to complete a bachelor’s degree in either Diversified Agriculture, or another degree offered at Vermont State University. The Dairy Farm Management Degree with a pathway to the University of Vermont will remain in place. Vermont’s dairy farms still generate approximately 70% of the State’s agricultural sales and utilize over 80% of its working land.

The new center comes at a critical time for Vermont’s farm and food sector which employs more than 64,000 Vermonters and supports more than 11,500 private sector farm and food enterprises (2019). Combined, these enterprises generate more than $11.3 billion in economic output annually (2017). Concurrently, local food consumption has increased over the past 10 years and represents more than $412 million in annual sales (2020). Growing interest from people wanting to enter the business of diversified, livestock or regenerative farming, brewing, meat curing, and other value-added products, has necessitated a new approach to education and training. Vermont Future of Agriculture Commission Action Plan recently noted that “times change, and Vermont food and agriculture needs to grow, attract new and diverse farmers and workers, and adapt.”

“Vermont’s production agriculture and value-added food businesses must have the skills and market savvy to successfully adapt to a shifting marketplace, whether locally, regionally, or nationally,” said Patricia Moulton, president at VTC. “We are changing so that we may continue to play a vital role in educating and training the next generation of bright, innovative farmers, food workers, and food entrepreneurs.”

The new programming comes as a result of a 20-month process to re-envision the agriculture and food educational degree programs and to re-design and modernize the campus farm at VTC. A group of more than 40 Vermonters, including alumni, farm and food producers, education professionals from other Vermont institutions as well as leaders in government, business, and the nonprofit sectors, engaged in the planning process.

“This is an exciting time to realign agriculture education programs with the future of agriculture in Vermont and all of its diversity and new opportunities,” said Meg Nelson at Nelson Farms and Shadagee Farm. “As a farmer in Vermont in both dairy and other agricultural enterprises, we need to have graduates educated with more diverse skills. The emphasis on entrepreneurism is exciting to see as well.”

The transformation process will also involve changes to the VTC Farm, which serves as a working laboratory to complement classroom-based learning. Planned changes include updating the farm facilities and launching new enterprises, including custom dairy heifer grazing, deep bedded hogs, vegetables, grass-fed beef, alongside the existing apple orchard and maple sugaring operations. These enterprises will give students real world experience in production, marketing, and sales of a wide range of products.

Also planned is a meat processing training lab and program, which will support credit, non-credit, and apprenticeship opportunities, serving as a workforce training program for meat processing facilities and supermarkets.

To enable a focus of time and resources on the program’s redesign, VTC has chosen to pause admissions to its current agricultural programs as it prepares the facilities and curriculum for the launch of the new programs, center, and operations. Current students will be engaged in their programs until their respective graduations.

To support the development of the new Center for Agriculture & Food Entrepreneurship at Vermont State University, please visit our donation page, or learn more on our Agricultural and Food System Education Transformation web page.

Opening for Fall 2021

August 11, 2021

Effective Friday, August 13 all faculty, staff, students, and visitors are required to wear a mask when indoors on campus at any Vermont Tech location.

This is in accordance with the CDC’s latest recommendations. This decision follows our recent announcement to mandate a COVID-19 vaccine of all enrolled students.

The latest research on the Delta variant shows that even a high vaccination level is probably not enough, by itself, to prevent significant infections on college campuses. As such, each of us donning a mask embodies the Vermont Tech’s values because it strengthens our ability to hold in-person classes and activities and it protects our friends who may be immunocompromised or have unvaccinated children at home.

The new Delta variant has the potential to infect people with the vaccine. The good news is that those who are vaccinated are much less likely to have severe symptoms, so the vaccine is working. But it is spreading more with this new variant. The CDC has recommended masks be worn indoors even by people who are vaccinated in high risk counties. A majority of the counties in Vermont have become high risk. To help mitigate the risk, the VSC system has implemented the mask mandate on all campuses.

No mask is required if working alone, such as in your office, or for on-campus residents when in their room alone or with their roommates. Everyone should have a mask ready for when conditions warrant their use.

July 30, 2021

Vermont Technical College now requires COVID-19 vaccination for all students enrolled during the 2021-2022 Academic Year. To be in full compliance a student must complete one of the following options before 8:00 am on August 23, 2021:

  • Submit a copy of their completed COVID-19 vaccination record. Please review the vaccination information to submit your vaccine; OR
  • Submit a request for exemption (only documented medical conditions or strict religious beliefs qualify for exemptions). Anyone on campus who is not vaccinated is expected to wear a mask indoors and to social distance (6 feet apart) from others, OR
  • Submit a copy of their vaccination record confirming the first COVID-19 vaccine was administered prior to August 23, 2021, indicate the scheduled date of the second shot (if applicable), and their agreement to complete the full vaccine protocol, OR
  • Submit a signed written statement (include name and Vermont Technical College ID number) to studentaffairs@vtc.edu stating they will not come on to the physical campus for any reason during the 2021-2022 academic year due to their taking classes exclusively online.

The goal is to maximize the number of vaccinated individuals for the safety of the entire Vermont Technical College community. Failure to be in compliance by August 23, 2021 will jeopardize the student’s ability to be present on campus for any reason. Please review information on vaccine availability in Vermont or in your home state.

July 22, 2021

Today, Chancellor Zdatny shared news from the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees:

The Executive Committee of the Vermont State Colleges System Board of Trustees voted this afternoon to require COVID-19 vaccination for all students enrolled in the 2021-2022 Academic Year. The safety of our students, employees, and local community members is our top priority as we continue to respond to the ongoing pandemic.

Our goal remains for all members of the VSCS community who are able to be vaccinated to get vaccinated. We urge you to make every effort to complete your vaccination as soon as possible. Requests for medical and religious exemptions will be considered in accordance with Vermont law. Today’s decision by the Executive Committee does not apply to students who will not come on to the physical campuses for any reason during the 2021-2022 academic year, such as those who are taking classes exclusively online.

Any necessary updated guidance will be distributed to you shortly on how to report your vaccination status and we look forward to welcoming you back to classes next month.

If you should have any questions in the meantime, please reach out to your Dean of Students.

The resolution is posted on the VSC website.

Summer 2021

Because of our community’s tremendous effort and sacrifice, we are increasingly confident in providing a campus and academic experience that is much closer to our traditional operations. While we don’t yet have all of the details, we eagerly anticipate a much-improved public health situation and a significant reduction in state mandates and restrictions this fall.

We strongly encourage everyone – students, alumni, staff and faculty – to get vaccinated. As a reminder, we will mandate the vaccine for enrolled students once vaccines are approved for permanent approval by the FDA. This will be in addition to the other vaccines currently required by the Vermont Department of Health. Once the COVID-19 vaccine is required, requests for medical and religious exemptions will be considered, in accordance with Vermont law.

March 1, 2020

After more than a year of modified instruction and limited campus housing, President Patricia Moulton has announced the college’s intention to return to full in-person academic schedules for the fall of 2021. To serve the needs of students by providing our uniquely applied educational format, the college will reinstate a full contingent of in-person classes and labs in the fall. Many clinical experiences have continued throughout the pandemic for our health majors, and will also be offered in-person in the fall.

“I have been very impressed by our college community’s ability this past year to adapt and pivot to meet the guidelines of the State, the CDC and the Vermont Department of Health while meeting the educational needs of our students,” says President Moulton. “I am looking forward, however, to returning to a sense of normalcy and togetherness as we set our sights on reopening fall 2021.”

As of this writing, the academic calendar for fall 2021 will not be modified to condense the schedule for the purpose of returning students to their home communities after the Thanksgiving break. Remote learning will not be the dominant delivery format for all courses. The college’s portfolio of online and hybrid courses will be available as they were pre-pandemic.  Residential housing will continue to be offered on both the Randolph Center and Williston campuses for fall 2021.

This plan will continue to be based on the shared responsibility of our entire community to adhere to any remaining safety measures and follow protocols during the coming academic year. We can likely expect that we will continue to wear masks and practice forms of social distancing into 2022. However, the trends in cases and vaccinations has led us the conclusion that our fall reopening plans are viable to return us to our campuses, classrooms and in-person labs.

More details about housing options and the academic calendar will be rolled out during the spring semester. Departments and offices will work to formalize details in the coming months.

 

Vermont State Colleges Students Eligible for New Scholarships

Today, the Vermont State Colleges System Board Chair, Chancellor, and Presidents held a press conference to announce the new legislation that creates several scholarship programs for Vermonters. Thanks to the Legislature and Governor, Vermont is funding several incredible opportunities for high school graduates and adult learners at the Vermont State Colleges this year. We are grateful, especially to the Legislature, for their prioritization of higher and continuing education and workforce development in their strategy for allocation of the federal American Rescue Plan Act funds.

These scholarships total a $15 million investment in Vermont students. This helps address the affordability of public higher education. We are thrilled that our students are reaping the rewards of this tremendous opportunity this year.

The new scholarship initiatives are

  • Welcome Home / Transfer Scholarship – for Vermonters who were attending an out-of-state college or who exited a VSC institution in 2020-2021.
    • This scholarship award is up to $5,000 for full-time students and $3,000 for part-time students per year to cover tuition, room and board, and fees.
  • Degree Completion Scholarship – for Vermonters who have earned at least 40 college credits and have a gap in their education of at least two years.
    • This scholarship is a ‘last-dollar’ scholarship, meaning it covers any remaining balance after all state and federal gift aid is applied.
  • Free Tuition Scholarship – for students entering or returning to programs identified as ‘Critical Occupations’ in the legislation, including healthcare programs and the McClure Best Bet programs.
    • This scholarship is a ‘last-dollar’ scholarship, meaning it covers any remaining balance after all state and federal gift aid is applied.
    • July 16, 2021: Due to response volume paired with limited State funding, this program’s awarding is paused at Vermont Tech, Castleton University, and Northern Vermont University, with the exception of our Paramedicine Program. Students admitted prior to this date are being awarded existing funds. Your continued interest is encouraged, while we work to secure additional funding. Please stay tuned. Scholarship programs above and the VSAC scholarships are unaffected by this pause.

VSAC also joined the press conference to present their state-funded initiative that also apply to students interested in taking a course tuition-free at one of the Vermont State Colleges System institutions: Green Mountain Grad and 802 Opportunity Grant. These programs are both provided by VSAC.

The press conference streaming archive is available on the VSC YouTube channel.

Vermont Tech Named in Newsweek’s Top 100 “Most Bang For Your Buck” Colleges

Vermont Tech is flying high, and it’s not just among its Professional Pilot program students. The college has been included in Newsweek Magazine’s The 100 Community Colleges With the Most Bang For Your Buck list. Ranking at 39, Vermont Tech is cited for the $1,050,000 40-year net present value, or a comparison of investing in a Vermont Tech education to future value. The $1M-plus value is a combination of affordable tuition and high earnings potential for the professional programs of the college.

Vermont Tech was included on the community college list for its portfolio of associate degree programs, but was also noted for offering, “programs ranging from certificate to associate and bachelor’s degrees.” The college also offers a Master’s in Software Engineering.

Another notable correction to the article is that graduates of Vermont Tech have historically achieved a 99% placement rate over the last five years, including the Class of 2020 that graduated into a pandemic. The Career Services webpage shows the rates back to the Class of 2016.

The Newsweek list is based on data derived from the Center on Education and the Workforce at Georgetown University in their First Try at ROI study.

Choose Vermont Scholarship Program

Vermont Tech is pleased to announce the 2nd annual Choose Vermont Scholarship program has launched! The Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development, Vermont Student Assistance Corporation and 13 Vermont colleges and universities, including Vermont Tech, are partnering in the 2020 Choose Vermont Scholarship Program, which will award $60,000 in scholarship money to students who commit to attend a Vermont school by June 1.  Both out-of-state and Vermont students are eligible to enter.

The program was developed through a partnership across Vermont’s higher education sector to market Vermont as a top destination for attending college.  The campaign targets students already accepted to a Vermont school, encouraging them to take the next step and “Choose Vermont.”

“As we work to grow our workforce and help Vermonters in their careers, our higher education system plays a critical role,” said Governor Phil Scott. “These institutions, however, are feeling the effects of Vermont’s demographic crisis and declining enrollment. It’s a testament to Vermonters’ ingenuity and collaboration that public and private partners are willing to work together to pool marketing resources and highlight the state as an ideal location for higher education.”

“The variety of higher education institutions we have in Vermont makes it a wonderful landscape for attending college. Whether you are looking for a top liberal arts school or learning a trade at a technical school, Vermont has it all,” said Ted Brady, Deputy Secretary of the Agency of Commerce and Community Development. “Couple that with tremendous access to outdoor recreation, the arts, and welcoming and vibrant communities, and it all adds up to an incredible place to attend college.”

Students who commit to attend one of the 13 participating Vermont schools between January 1, 2020 and June 1, 2020 and then register at ThinkVermont.com/scholarship will become eligible to win a $5,000 scholarship to their school.  The Vermont Student Assistance Corporation will offer an additional $5,000 scholarship to a student who commits to any of the 13 participating schools.

The inaugural Choose Vermont Scholarship Program was launched in May of 2019, giving away two $5,000 scholarships and drawing over 1,400 entries.  The success of that program led to more scholarship funding from colleges statewide for the 2020 program.

The Choose Vermont Scholarship Program is made possible by Vermont’s participating colleges and universities along with the support of the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation, the Association of Vermont Independent Colleges, and the Agency of Commerce and Community Development.

For full details and to find participating schools: https://www.thinkvermont.com/scholarship