Dear colleagues,
UA does not generally endorse candidates for office but we do share information about candidates. In anticipation of the Aug. 14th primaries, I recently asked all six legally qualified candidates for Governor of Vermont to answer four questions about higher education policy in Vermont, letting them know I will share with faculty all responses received by today verbatim. PDFs are attached containing the answers of the four candidates for which I have received responses so far. I will share any more responses that I receive as soon as they come in.
Each candidate was asked to answer, in 100 words or less, the following questions:
1) UVM is the only public research university in Vermont. Roughly 70% of its 11,000 students come from out of state. Out-of-state undergraduate tuition, much higher than in state tuition, is UVM’s single largest revenue stream. Do you think UVM is serving the state as well as it could, or do you think there is room for improvement. What might those improvements be?
2) Vermont has long been very near or at the bottom of per capita spending on higher education. Do you think this is an acceptable situation, or do you think it should change? If you think it should change, how should it change, and what would you do as Governor to change it?
3) Most public higher ed faculty in Vermont are unionized, including at UVM. What is your view of faculty unions?
4) Ideas have been floated in the Vermont legislature to create free tuition for all Vermont residents. What is your position on this idea, and what would you do as Governor if legislation is introduced to move the state in that direction?
Best,
Tom Streeter
President, United Academics