Vermont State Colleges considers name change

MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) - A new name could be on the way for parts of the Vermont State College System.

The board of trustees says a consultant came up with “Vermont State University” as the name for the new institution, unifying Castleton University, Northern Vermont University, and Vermont Technical College. They said it would help create a strong brand for the system.

The system has struggled financially for years and a proposal to close three campuses was met with protests last year and the resignation of the previous chancellor. Vermont State Colleges Chancellor Sophie Zdatny says that’s not on the table now, but rebranding the three schools is critical to keeping them open. “It was pretty clear that none of these institutions could survive on their own and to preserve the colleges and what we deliver to the state and the students is to bring the three together, " she said.

How each individual campus would be identified is still being worked out, but it could be placed-based or program-based. They’re also trying to figure out if students would apply to each campus or the university as a whole. If adopted by the board, the first class of Vermont State University would be the class 2023.

There will be public comments session on that name change next Wednesday and you can see our full conversation with Chancellor Zdatny Sunday morning at 7:30 am. on “You Can Quote Me.”

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