At its meeting held last Thursday at Castleton State College, the VSC Board granted a request by Tim Donovan to step down as Chancellor of the Vermont State Colleges on December 31, 2014, six months prior to end of his current contract. His request to step down cited personal circumstances.
In accepting Donovan’s request, the Board’s leadership expressed sadness and gratitude. Gary Moore, Chair of the VSC Board since 2006, observed “Tim has served the VSC very well and has been an excellent chancellor as well as college president during his long VSC career. We respect the reasons and the timing of his departure.” Moore, who turns over the chair of the board in July, further explained, “As Board chair, I knew there was some chance of this. Last June, the Board offered Tim a two-year extension of his contract. In July, he discussed with Vice Chair Jerman and me that he felt uncomfortable making a two-year commitment that he may not be able to fulfill given circumstances in his personal life. We urged him to sign the contract and continue as Chancellor for as long as possible.”
Martha O’Connor, incoming Chair of the VSC Board noted “Tim Donovan has served Vermont and Vermont’s higher educational institutions in the highest tradition. It has been an honor to work with him on the Vermont State Colleges Board. His dedication and commitment to higher education will be valued for years to come.”
“This is a sad announcement” commented Representative Tim Jerman, Vice-chair of the VSC Board. “I've known Tim Donovan for over 30 years; he has dedicated his professional life to the betterment of the Vermont State Colleges. He believes deeply in the values of universal access to higher education. There is now a generation of Vermonters who have benefitted from Tim's leadership. Tim's communication skills and easy manner allowed him to work effectively with students, parents, faculty, business leaders, and legislators. He will be sorely missed, but we wish him and his family nothing but the best for future.”
In a letter to the Board of Trustees, Donovan expressed passion for his work. “I care deeply for Vermont. I am fervent in my belief in the importance and transformative power of higher education. I care deeply for these colleges. These are very good colleges – better than Vermont should expect given its meager investment. With inspired stewardship from strong and effective Presidents, Chancellor, and Board, along with the commitment of so many dedicated faculty and staff at the colleges, they will continue to serve Vermont well.”
“I have known, respected and admired Tim Donovan for four decades,” commented Castleton President David Wolk. “For the past thirteen years we have worked even more closely together as colleagues. His outstanding service, historic perspective, impressive leadership and abiding love for the colleges and our students can only be described as legendary. During his tenure he has served as the strongest advocate for students and the most inspiring leader for his colleagues in the colleges and on the Board of Trustees. For me, his impending retirement balances, on one hand, a deep emptiness of a departing, cherished colleague and, on the other, a strong sense of gratitude.”
At the time of his retirement in December, Donovan will have completed a 38-year career in the Vermont State Colleges that commenced in 1976 when he was hired by CCV’s founding president Peter Smith to run a Prior Learning Assessment program and culminated with eight years as President of the Community College of Vermont and five years as Chancellor of the Vermont State Colleges.
He also serves on the boards of directors of the Vermont Business Roundtable, Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce, and the New England Secondary School Consortium; the New England Board of Higher Education; and the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education, New England’s regional accrediting body for colleges and universities.
About the Vermont State Colleges
The Vermont State College system is composed of five unique institutions: the Community College of Vermont, Castleton State College, Johnson State College, Lyndon State College and the Vermont Technical College. With more than 25 locations across Vermont, the five colleges serve more than 12,000 students annually, of whom 83% are Vermonters.
VSC 5.22.2014