The Mountain Times
By Bob Allen, former president of Green Mountain College, Poultney
The Select Committee and the Vermont Legislature have a difficult task ahead. Covid-19 exacerbated and accelerated a problem that has existed in higher education for at least a decade or more. I will argue the business model for most public and private colleges and universities is broken and needs immediate change.
I had the honor of leading Green Mountain College as its president from 2016 until its closure in the summer of 2019. Prior to my leadership position at GMC, I spent five years as the president and CEO of the nonprofit Windham Foundation based in Grafton; however, most of my professional life was spent in the for-profit sector. I spent 25 years in a succession of senior leadership positions at The Vermont Country Store, ending as president and CEO. Most of my ideas come from the perspective of operating a Vermont business that received no public support. Success was entirely dependent
With ingenuity and spirit, staff works to welcome new students to Norwich
In the Admissions Office, we stayed true to Norwich University’s “I Will Try” motto, adapting to the coronavirus pandemic and creating a vibrant year.
We built new opportunities for college-bound students to learn about the Norwich student experiences including academics, athletics, job opportunities from the Career and Internship Center and community good through the Center for Civic Engagement.
We developed flexible ways to safely welcome people who wanted to visit in person, or learn virtually at a distance if they couldn’t. And we created new scholarships to ensure Norwich is affordable.
COVID-19 crisis has high school seniors flummoxed by uncertainty for their future
Hartford High senior Deondra Goodspeed has applied to 11 nursing schools and has received an acceptance from her top choice. She said that the pandemic has strengthened her resolve to become a nurse. Goodspeed moved in March to Bradford, Vt., where she was photographed on Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020, but decided to finish high school remotely at Hartford rather than change schools so close to graduating. (Valley News - James M. Patterson) Copyright Valley News. May not be reprinted or used online without permission. Send requests to permission@vnews.com.
Bryce Ilsley, of East Corinth, catches his breath at the end of a workout at Always Fit Athletic Club in Woodsville, N.H., Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020. Ilsley has captained Oxbow High School s basketball and soccer teams and hopes to play basketball at college in the fall while studying business. (Valley News - James M. Patterson) Copyright Valley News. May