Vermont Technical College

Vermont Technical College (Vermont Tech or VTC) was a public technical college in Vermont. Its main residential campuses were located in Randolph Center and Williston. In addition, there were regional campuses distance sites, and nursing campuses in locations throughout the state.[1]

This article is about the college prior to 2023. For the current university in the same locations, see Vermont State University.
The administration building at Vermont Technical College's Randolph Center campus

Founded in 1866 as the Randolph Normal School, the mission of the school evolved through time, finally becoming a technical institute in 1957.[2] On July 1, 2023, VTC merged with Northern Vermont University and Castleton University to become Vermont State University.[3][4]

History

In 1806, the Vermont House of Representatives passed a law creating the Orange County Grammar School in Randolph.[5] The school provided education through the high school grades and by the 1850s its state mandate had expanded to include teacher training.[6] In 1866, Edward Conant, the principal of the Orange County Grammar School, expanded its course offerings to make it a full-fledged normal school for the education and training of teachers.[6] Later that year, the Vermont General Assembly passed legislation making the change official, and the school became the Randolph Normal School.[6]

In 1910, the Randolph Normal School was selected by the legislature as the location for the Vermont School of Agriculture.[7][2] In 1957, technical courses were added to the curriculum, and the Vermont School of Agriculture was renamed the Vermont Agriculture and Technical Institute (VATI).[7][2] In 1962, VATI was authorized by the state to award associate degrees and became Vermont Technical College (VTC).[7][2] VTC began awarding bachelor's degrees in 1993 and master's degrees in 2015.[2]

For many years, the Vermont public colleges have experienced financial stress and chronic underfunding.[8] Exacerbated by COVID-19, in April 2020, Vermont State Colleges system Chancellor Jeb Spaulding recommended closing the Vermont Technical College residential campus in Randolph as well as all operations/campuses of Northern Vermont University. Under the proposal, some of the Vermont Tech academic programs would be consolidated in Williston.[9] The proposal was abandoned after public opposition, with the Vermont State Colleges instead announcing it would merge its four-year schools as Vermont State University.[10]

Academics

VTC offered bachelor's, master's, and associate degrees.[11] Its five schools included: Agriculture, Plant, & Animal Sciences; Engineering & Computing; General Education; Nursing & Health Professions; and Professional Studies & Management.[11] The schools offered degrees in over 50 majors.[11]

Athletics
See also: Vermont State University § Athletics

The Vermont Tech athletic teams are called the Knights. The college is a member of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA), primarily competing in the Yankee Small College Conference (YSCC) since the 2011–12 academic year.[12] The Knights previously competed in the Sunrise Athletic Conference of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 2006–07 to 2010–11.[13][14]

The Vermont State University Randolph Knights continue to play as of 2023.[15]

Student life

Student radio station

WVTC, Vermont Tech's 300-watt fully licensed radio station, broadcasts online and locally at 90.7 FM.[16] The station is located at Morey Hall on VTC's Randolph Center campus.[16] WVTC is operated and maintained by the students of VTC through the school's Radio Club, and is financially supported by VTC Student Council.[16]

CubeSat lab

The Vermont Tech CubeSat Lab launched its first satellite, the Vermont Lunar CubeSat, a 1U CubeSat on November 19, 2013.[17] Intended to orbit for three to five years, the satellite was fully functional until reentry on November 21, 2015.[18] Vermont Tech's CubeSat was the first successful satellite launched by a New England college or university.[19] Vermont Tech subsequently aided in developing the flight software for the Lunar IceCube, a satellite intended for deployment as part of the NASA Space Launch System's first flight in 2022.[20]

Notable people

Alumni

Faculty and administrators

See also

References
  1. "Locations". Vermont Technical College. Retrieved 2023-08-19.
  2. "Time To Celebrate: VTC Turns 150 in November". Herald of Randolph. Randolph, VT. September 29, 2016.
  3. D’Auria, Peter (2023-06-30). "After a rocky few years, Vermont State University tries to find its footing". Valley News.
  4. "Randolph Campus". Vermont State University. Retrieved 2023-08-10.
  5. Thompson, Zadock (1824). A Gazetteer of the State of Vermont. Montpelier, VT: E. P. Walton. p. 225.
  6. Harris, W. T. (1900). Circular of Information of the Bureau of Education No. 4: History of Education in Vermont. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office. pp. 204–205.
  7. Praeger (2010). American Universities and Colleges. Vol. 2. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. p. 1370. ISBN 978-0-313-36611-6.
  8. Lederman, Doug (2022-08-23). "From 3 Struggling Public Colleges, a New University Emerges". Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved 2023-08-19.
  9. Jane Lindholm; Matthew F. Smith; Abagael Giles (April 20, 2020). "Chancellor Jeb Spaulding On His Proposal To Close Three State College Campuses". Vermont Public Radio.
  10. "'Vt. State University' Moniker Lands in '23 - The White River Valley Herald". The White River Valley Herald - Serving the Communities of Vermont's White River Valley Since 1874. 2021-10-07. Retrieved 2022-07-25.
  11. "Vermont Tech Programs". Catalog Table of Contents. Randolph, VT: Vermont Technical College. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  12. "The Intercollegiate Varsity Athletic Program". Athletic Information. Randolph, VT: Vermont Technical College. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  13. Mahoney, Larry (June 17, 2011). "UMFK, UMPI, UMM leave NAIA for new association". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved July 2, 2011.
  14. "Sunrise Conference - Members". Archived from the original on April 11, 2010. Retrieved January 5, 2011.
  15. "Athletics at Vermont State". Vermont State University. Retrieved 2023-08-30.
  16. "WVTC Officially Over the Hill: The College Radio Station celebrates its 50th". News & Events. Randolph, VT: Vermont Technical College. April 19, 2017.
  17. "Vermont Tech Launches A Cube Satellite Into Space". Vermont Technical College News. Randolph, VT: Vermont Technical College. November 19, 2013.
  18. Vondrasek, Sandy (December 3, 2015). "Earth's Pull Ends Two-Year Orbit: But Work Begins On Lunar Model". Herald of Randolph. Randolph, VT.
  19. "Vermont Tech Student On A Mission to launch Lunar IceCube to the Moon". Vermont Technical College News. Randolph, VT: Vermont Technical College. January 25, 2017.
  20. "CubeSat Laboratory, Software Components". CubeSat Laboratory. 17 October 2016. Archived from the original on 17 August 2016. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  21. "Charles Adams, Retired State Supreme Court Justice, Dies". Rutland Herald. Rutland, VT. February 7, 1961. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. "Biography, Harry H. Cooley" (PDF). Secretary of State Harry H. Cooley Papers. Montpelier, VT: Vermont Secretary of State. Vermont State Archives. p. 1.
  23. "Demise of Alexander Dunnett". The Evening Argus. Montpelier, VT. September 15, 1920. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. Weymouth, Caroline B., ed. (1885). The Normal Register: A History of the First Vermont State Normal School Its Instructors and Alumni. Montpelier, VT: Argus & Patriot Steam Job Print. p. 55 – via Google Books.
  25. "Biography, Senator Norm McAllister". legislature.vermont.gov. Montpelier, VT: Vermont General Assembly. 2015.
  26. "Biography, Senator Robert A. Starr". legislature.vermont.gov. Montpelier, VT: Vermont General Assembly. 2017.
  27. Brown, Tom (July 1, 2013). "Randolph lawmaker Larry Townsend dies at 66". VT Digger. Montpelier, VT.
  28. "Commentator Biography, Cary Brown". VPR.org. Colchester, VT: Vermont Public Radio. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
  29. Ullery, Jacob G. (1894). Men of Vermont: An Illustrated Biographical History of Vermonters and Sons of Vermont. Brattleboro, VT: Transcript Publishing Company. pp. 243–244.
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