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Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont’s Board of Trustees this weekend toured new facilities that will quadruple the amount of dedicated group fitness and recreation space on campus and approved new academic initiatives in the College of Arts and Sciences.
The tour included the recently opened Recreation and Wellness Group Fitness Hub, which offers new and upgraded spaces for a wide range of activities, such as spinning, yoga, dance, and meditation. Trustees also saw the still-under-construction Multi Activity Court (MAC) facility, which will provide flexible indoor space for a variety of recreational sports and a state-of-the-art bouldering wall for climbing activities, and viewed progress on a “spine” structure, which will bring much-needed modern locker-room and sports medicine space for men’s and women’s hockey.
“Opening the group fitness hub is an important milestone as we continue to invest in the success and wellbeing of our students,” said UVM President Suresh Garimella. “Increasing fitness and recreation opportunities for students and employees will further contribute to a healthier and more resilient campus community.”
“We’re pleased with the progress and thrilled that students are already taking advantage of the new and improved recreation spaces,” said Director of Athletics Jeff Schulman. “The enthusiasm and volume of student usage have confirmed just how timely these improvements are.”
UVM has invested $68 million so far in its comprehensive expansion of recreation, wellness, and athletic facilities, including necessary infrastructure and HVAC improvements for future phases. The portions of the athletics complex that trustees toured represent approximately $27 million of the total project to-date, dedicated to the group fitness hub, MAC, and the first level of the spine. Trustees will review timelines for the remaining phases of the project later this year when the current phase is completed.
The board also approved a resolution to establish a School of the Arts within the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS). The new school will strengthen existing academic programs and offer a comprehensive center of gravity for arts and performance expected to enhance recruitment of students interested in music, theatre, dance, studio art, and art history.
“The new School of the Arts will spark greater student interest and engagement in the arts across all disciplines at the university, expand faculty collaboration, help raise awareness of the arts and arts-related events on campus, and help us grow community engagement,” said CAS Dean William Falls.
The board approved additional changes in CAS that will relocate the geology program to a new Department of Geography and Geosciences. The new department reflects current scholarly approaches in these disciplines that combine the physical sciences and human behavioral elements in the study of Earth.
“UVM’s geology and related programs are well-known and highly respected,” said Falls. “The new department will ensure that we remain at the forefront of these fields for future generations.”
The board also:
- Approved the creation of a Bachelor of Arts in Neuroscience in CAS.
- Approved the creation of a Micro-Certificate of Graduate Study in Sustainable Family Enterprise in the Graduate College, in conjunction with the Grossman School of Business.
- Following a lengthy faculty review process that resulted in uncontested proposals, the board approved the termination of the major in Greek, the minor in Greek Language and Literature, the major in Latin, and the minor in Latin Language and Literature.
- Reaffirmed the university’s equal opportunity policies.
- Received an update on the university’s sexual misconduct and response action plan, which is covered extensively on a dedicated website.
The board also took the following governance actions:
- Susan Brengle ‘85—a vice president and managing director for institutional business at Eaton Vance Management, a Boston-based investment management firm—was elected by the self-perpetuating UVM Board for a six-year term beginning on March 1. Brengle will succeed trustee Briar Alpert.
- Kristina Pisanelli ‘97—vice president of global government affairs for the Americas region for Medtronic, a Minneapolis-based medical device company—was elected by the self-perpetuating UVM Board for a six-year term beginning on March 1. Pisanelli will succeed trustee David Aronoff.
- Trustee Cindy Barnhart was re-elected as board vice chair for one year.
- Trustee Johannah Donovan was elected to succeed Jonathan Bartholomew as secretary of the board for one year.
Prior to the board’s meetings this weekend, the Associate Directors for the Appointment of Student Trustees recently appointed first-year medical student, Kenny Nguyen, to serve on the board for a two-year term beginning March 1. Nguyen will succeed Berke Tinaz.
The annual election of a board chair will occur at a special board meeting on March 1.
About the University of Vermont
Since 1791, the University of Vermont has worked to move humankind forward. UVM’s strengths align with the most pressing needs of our time: the health of our societies and the health of our environment. Our size—large enough to offer a breadth of ideas, resources, and opportunities, yet intimate enough to enable close faculty-student mentorship across all levels of study—allows us to pursue these interconnected issues through cross-disciplinary research and collaboration. Providing an unparalleled educational experience for our students, and ensuring their success, are at the core of what we do. As one of the nation’s first land grant universities, UVM advances Vermont and the broader society through the discovery and application of new knowledge.
UVM is derived from the Latin Universitas Viridis Montis (in English, University of the Green Mountains).
BURLINGTON, Vt. — The University of Vermont 2.5.2022