University of Vermont

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They just announced they are cutting 20 majors. They’re not in good financial shape.

This. They are this very minute in the process of eliminating a whole slew of programs. If your DC is interested in languages or the humanities, it's time to look elsewhere, and even if those aren't their preferred subjects, they're likely to find a demoralized faculty and greatly reduced liberal arts education. Once those programs are gone, they're not coming back in any recognizable form, since they'll lose faculty and they won't be making tenure-track hires in those areas, and they won't have cohorts of kids in those fields. Before this, I wouldn't have hesitated to recommend VT, but not under these circumstances.

[Anonymous]

Every school is facing a budget deficit and will have to make cuts. Some have made those announcements and some will likely drop in the next 6 months. I would absolutely ask about the department/program your student is interested in to consider possible impacts. I'm a UVM alum and highly recommend it for education, public administration and environmental science/ natural resources. The professors are engaged, accessible and actually teach their classes (TA's are available for assistance) and there were plenty of opportunities to work with local towns on policy issues or to do environmental/natural resource research with professors. As PP noted, Burlington is a fun town and the fries at Nectar's are legendary. The kids studying environmental science were crunchy, but serious and knowledgable about the issues. The kids studying nursing, computer science & business were into hiking/biking/skiiing/golf, but weren't crunchy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They just announced they are cutting 20 majors. They’re not in good financial shape.

This. They are this very minute in the process of eliminating a whole slew of programs. If your DC is interested in languages or the humanities, it's time to look elsewhere, and even if those aren't their preferred subjects, they're likely to find a demoralized faculty and greatly reduced liberal arts education. Once those programs are gone, they're not coming back in any recognizable form, since they'll lose faculty and they won't be making tenure-track hires in those areas, and they won't have cohorts of kids in those fields. Before this, I wouldn't have hesitated to recommend VT, but not under these circumstances.

It's distressing. So much for a liberal arts education. It strikes me as extremely short sighted to cut humanities faculty and programs, including the Vermont Studies program at the flagship university. The university cut Classics, Religion (how do you understand politics without courses in religion?), Geology (in VT?!?), etc. Also, the administration seems to have cut these programs without faculty input. Sad all around.

[Anonymous]

https://vtdigger.org/2020/12/03/uvm-to-eliminate-23-programs-in-the-college-of-arts-and-sciences/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any firsthand experience from parents or students? Thanks!

.

My niece attends and we looked at it for our child. Nice college town/small city vibe. Big merit aid packages for applicants with top academic credentials vs the rest of the applicant pool. Strong in some majors (most students we met were majoring in environmental science or a related field) and notably deficient and underfunded in others, so it would be best to know what you want to study and assess the merits of that department. Friendly student body and accessible professors. The honors program is a little odd if that’s a factor. (Its structure makes it harder to double major.) Feels more like a regional university than a national one, in that most students seem to be from New England.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks for all the information!

[Anonymous]

Vermont sucks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They just announced they are cutting 20 majors. They’re not in good financial shape.

Large majority of states continue to reduce funding to state universities. What’s happening at UVM will happen all over if we as a society continue to lose interest in funding our institutions.

Give me a break. Schools receive plenty of financial resources as it is. Any school struggling financially right now has clearly mismanaged finances for years and/or is lacking the value proposition one would expect from an institution promising students a brighter future in exchange for a hefty sum of money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They just announced they are cutting 20 majors. They’re not in good financial shape.

This. They are this very minute in the process of eliminating a whole slew of programs. If your DC is interested in languages or the humanities, it's time to look elsewhere, and even if those aren't their preferred subjects, they're likely to find a demoralized faculty and greatly reduced liberal arts education. Once those programs are gone, they're not coming back in any recognizable form, since they'll lose faculty and they won't be making tenure-track hires in those areas, and they won't have cohorts of kids in those fields. Before this, I wouldn't have hesitated to recommend VT, but not under these circumstances.

It's distressing. So much for a liberal arts education. It strikes me as extremely short sighted to cut humanities faculty and programs, including the Vermont Studies program at the flagship university. The university cut Classics, Religion (how do you understand politics without courses in religion?), Geology (in VT?!?), etc. Also, the administration seems to have cut these programs without faculty input. Sad all around.

Bloated admin costs coming home to roost.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know 2 kids who are freshman there now and both love it. Great job with covid and they are having a good experience

A generation ago I was on faculty there, and the school did a great job providing for the students. Moreso than I saw at the much larger school where I did my grad work, I saw a faculty who took teaching seriously.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you are a Virginian, why would you choose UVM over UVA? UVM is ranked #48 in the public college category while UVA is #4. You would be paying much less if you attend UVA while also getting a higher quality elite education than the much much more expensive fees at UVM ($60,000!)

Not the same pool of kids. Different preferences and high school transcripts.

Just lay off and go away.

[Anonymous]

I don't have any concrete info for you, only anecdotal, but every person I know that went there LOVED it. It seems like the perfect school for a fun-loving, adventurous, outdoorsy type who is still looking for a solid education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They just announced they are cutting 20 majors. They’re not in good financial shape.

Large majority of states continue to reduce funding to state universities. What’s happening at UVM will happen all over if we as a society continue to lose interest in funding our institutions.

Give me a break. Schools receive plenty of financial resources as it is. Any school struggling financially right now has clearly mismanaged finances for years and/or is lacking the value proposition one would expect from an institution promising students a brighter future in exchange for a hefty sum of money.

And yet they are reducing funds. More every year.

[Anonymous]

That’s because of the obvious waste of funds that continues. Spend money on class, fine. Spend it on safe spaces, then funds get
Reduced