A Brief History of the VSCS
The public corporation known as the Vermont State Colleges System was created by Vermont statute in 1961. The Vermont State Colleges System currently consists of two institutions: Vermont State University and the Community College of Vermont. The roots of the legacy institutions that comprise VTSU date back over 200 years. Castleton, Johnson, Lyndon and Vermont Tech all started as normal schools between 1787 and 1911 and were under the control of the State Board of Education. The Community College of Vermont, a statewide institution, was founded by executive order of Governor Deane Davis in 1975. In 2018 Johnson State College and Lyndon State College combined to form Northern Vermont University and in 2023 Northern Vermont University, along with Castleton University and Vermont Technical College came together to form Vermont State University – a statewide university with campuses at Castleton, Johnson, Lyndon, Randolph, and Williston.
From 1961 to 1977 the VSCS operated largely as a “loose confederation” of colleges. There was little or no coordination of academic, financial, or personnel activities. Cooperation between the colleges was minimal and there were few system policies. In 1977, the Board of Trustees asserted their leadership over the colleges and created a functioning system. The Board accepted full responsibility for the financial, academic, and personnel activities of the system.
For decades, the Vermont State Colleges System operated under a “top-down” model. The Chancellor’s Office served as central leadership for the system, and the colleges operated within guidelines set from above.
Over time, VSCS leaders restructured the system and the function of the central office to enable a sharing of leadership. Facing increasing financial and operational challenges, the Board of Trustees and Chancellor have made it a priority to become a more comprehensive, cohesive, and interconnected system. This is intended to enhance educational opportunities by providing students access not only to the resources of their institution, but to the resources of the system as a whole, and to enable the most cost-effective operation of individual institutions and the system.
Leadership has evolved into a collaborative relationship allowing for substantial autonomy at the institutional level, while maximizing the educational and operational opportunities provided by a strong system and central office. The Board of Trustees sets policy for the system and the Chancellor adopts system-wide procedures in support of those policies. Each institution operates under the authority of its president and presidential cabinet, consistent with the policies and procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees and Chancellor.