University

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The announcement failed to quell the outrage, and on April 14, Vermont State University’s board of trustees announced Grewal’s abrupt resignation. In a press release, the university said that his departure “comes after much consideration about how best to lead the upcoming launch of Vermont State University.” The changes to libraries and athletics would be paused, officials said.

On Monday, administrators backtracked further. Layoff notices for library staff would be rescinded, interim president Smith said, and athletics programs at the Johnson and Randolph campuses are to be maintained for at least three years while officials collect data to determine whether those programs are sustainable.

That data could include “the number of student athletes per program and total, the retention rates, and what athletics have to do with those retention rates,” Smith said at Monday’s meeting.

The about-faces have been met with celebration by campus unions, who fought the library and athletics transformation from the start. The Vermont State Employees Association, which represents Vermont State University staff, including library employees, called the announcement “great news.”

“The initial plan was a very bad one in the minds of many Vermonters, and that was evidenced by the large number of commentaries and letters to the editor blasting the decision, as well as plenty of testimony to lawmakers in the past few weeks against the cuts,” Aimee Towne, the union’s president, said in an emailed statement Monday.

But the ultimate fate of the campus libraries is not yet clear. At Monday’s meeting, Smith said that the library collections would still undergo a “streamlining” process.

“If you look at what’s happening with libraries out there, there is a move towards the digital evolution or revolution, whatever you want to say,” he said.

Katherine Levasseur, a spokesperson for the university system, said that the future of the libraries would be determined through a “deliberative” and “collaborative” process.

“We are changing how we are approaching this work while also acknowledging that digital is in our present and in our future,” she said.

Letters To The Editor

Loving our library

National Library Week is April 24-May 1. It is an opportunity for all of us who use and appreciate our wonderful library to let the staff know how much we appreciate them.

The library offers an extraordinary range of programs and activities for all ages. The staff is always welcoming, ready to answer any questions and incredibly helpful about finding and sharing resources and information.

Try to stop by the library this week and let the amazing staff know how much you appreciate all they do for our community.

Friends of the Dorothy Alling Memorial Library, Library Board of Trustees

• A variety of studio, one and two-bedroom apartments.

• Common areas including living and dining room, private dining room, country kitchens, cocktail lounge, exercise room, salon/barber shop, patios, walking paths and gardens.

• Delicious chef-prepared meals and snacks.

• Engaging activities and events, as well as health and fitness programs.

• Assistance with personal care, grooming, bathing, dressing, medication management and physical therapy.

• Housekeeping, laundry and maintenance services.

• Scheduled transportation for medical appointments, errands and events.

• Pendant call system to alert for immediate assistance.