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Castleton State College. Wikipedia image.
When the newly formed Long Range Planning Committee of the Vermont State Colleges (VSC) system meets, one of the topics under discussion will be changing Castleton State College’s name to Castleton University.
VSC Chancellor Jeb Spaulding on Tuesday confirmed that a name change for Castleton is under review.
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VSC Chancellor Jeb Spaulding. File photo/VTDigger.
Spaulding said Castleton is unique in the VSC system, and has been operating like a small university. The college has created graduate-level programs, has the only public college football team in the state, operates an art museum, and hosts a polling center.
Castleton has increased research opportunities for faculty and students, created a diversified portfolio of entrepreneurial ventures, broadened arts and athletics programs, and increased recruitment efforts across the college.
Changing the name would be a recognition of Castleton’s broad programs and would help the school lure international students, Spaulding said.
“Becoming a university would enhance the recruitment and retention of international students, an important goal of the college as it seeks to become more diverse, introducing students, the majority of whom are Vermonters, to students who may think and look different from traditional students,” explained Spaulding.
The Castleton College strategic plan approved in 2013 set the stage for the development of a number of high-quality graduate programs, both online and hybrid courses, he said, establishing the college as a leader in graduate programs. Castleton’s first doctoral program will begin in 2016.
“Off-site venues and entrepreneurial ventures will be enhanced with university status as well,” Spaulding said. “These include the new polling institute, downtown Castleton, entrepreneurship programs, Spartan Arena, the new Spartan Dome, downtown art gallery as evidence of off-campus expansion in Rutland that characterize a university with satellite operations.”
Castleton is one of three four-year residential state colleges within the VSC system, the other two being Lyndon and Johnson. The VSC system also includes Vermont Technical College in Randolph and the Community College of Vermont, with campuses across the state.
Each of the three four-year colleges has strong programs for which they are known nationally, said Spaulding.
Spaulding said that branding Castleton as a small public university “would help us to be more comprehensive.”
“Part of our future is to let Vermonters and others know what a deep and quality educational offering we have throughout our system, and this could be part of that,” said Spaulding.
The designation would be considered “in the context of our broader discussion about the future of the system,” Spaulding said.
Spaulding said the full Board of Trustees may consider action on the name change as soon as July.
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