Carrie Williams Howe, director of the Office of Community-University Partnerships and Service-Learning (CUPS) at the University of Vermont, has been named executive director of Vermont Campus Compact, an organization dedicated to engaging Vermont colleges and universities in community-based teaching, learning, research and service. Ms. Williams Howe will begin as director at the VCC offices located on the campus of Saint Michael’s College on September 4. Her appointment was announced by Paul Fonteyn, president of Green Mountain College and chair of the Vermont Campus Compact Board of Directors.
At UVM, Ms. Williams Howe trained and supported faculty in engaging more than 1,500 students per year in community-based academic projects. She previously served as associate director of CUPS for six years, till her appointment as director in 2010.
“Carrie brings a wealth of professional experiences that position her to lead VCC toward increased and sustained engagement of Vermont higher education with community,” stated President Fonteyn. “Under her leadership, VCC will work to leverage the considerable resources of Vermont’s colleges and universities to meet pressing needs in our state and beyond,” he added.
President Fonteyn also expressed his gratitude to out-going executive director, Cheryl Whitney Lower, for her leadership of the organization. “Cheryl has taken VCC to the next level in our ability to partner our campuses with state-wide initiatives that serve to both educate students for social responsibility and address real needs. She leaves an excellent foundation on which to build.”
“Plans to engage every higher education institution in Vermont”
“I am excited to engage in conversations about higher education’s civic mission at a statewide level,” Ms. Williams Howe said. “My first goal is to meet with representatives from every higher education institution in the state to better understand the unique challenges and opportunities on each campus, such that VCC’s engagement with them can be meaningful and relevant,” she said.
Ms. Williams Howe has taught service-learning courses at UVM on topics such as civic leadership and nonprofit management. After Tropical Storm Irene, she and a colleague created “Rebuilding Vermont,” a responsive service-learning course on disaster management that contributed greatly to Vermont’s recovery efforts. As a member of the Vermont and National Campus Compact Consultant Corps, she regularly leads workshops in academic service-learning and engagement on campuses across New England. She has been an active member and leader in the VCC Network for ten years.
Ms. Williams Howe earned her master’s degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs from UVM and is currently pursuing a doctorate at UVM in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies with a focus on higher education leadership and college teaching and learning. She holds a B.A. from Middlebury College.
Vermont Campus Compact provides training, networking, grants, resources, awards, and more to advance service, service-learning, and civic engagement on campuses and in communities. VCC is part of a larger national network of 35 state Compacts affiliated with national Campus Compact, representing 1,100 college and university presidents and their campuses, all dedicated to realizing the public purposes of higher education.