MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - The head of the Vermont State Colleges system announced Tuesday that he is resigning, days after outcry over his proposal to close three campuses due to added financial problems from the coronavirus outbreak.
Jeb Spaulding said in a written statement that he would formally submit his resignation at a board meeting Wednesday evening after five years on the job.
“Ï realize that a fresh perspective and new leadership is necessary to move VSCS forward in its mission,” he said in a written statement.
The four-college system, which has struggled for years with declining enrollment, low state funding and other problems, is facing a deficit this school year of between $7 million and $10 million, including $5.6 million in refunds of room and board fees and moving to online learning.
This year’s deficit includes the expected $3 million in federal assistance. Next year’s deficit could reach $12 million.
Spaulding had proposed April 17 that the campuses of Northern Vermont University in Johnson and Lyndon and the campus of Vermont Technical College in Randolph, which has another campus in Williston, would close. Liberal arts programs in Johnson and Lyndon would be moved to one campus, Castleton University.
After he and the board heard from thousands of people in emails and two online meetings who opposed it, he withdrew the proposal.
Board Chairman J. Churchill Hindes said in a written statement that the board deeply appreciates “Jeb’s extended career and service to Vermont and Vermonters.”
“We at the Vermont State College System have valued his contributions as our Chancellor, and we wish him well as he charts his next course,” he said.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.