Vermont state colleges failing again

Submitted by aMaezingadventures t3_1204yf5 in vermont

Many of you might have seen the news that the Northern Vermont University (JSC) was trying to remove the library.

Tonight I learned that the married family housing on the Johnson campus wants to kick out all the families that are living on campus, they are stating that the married family apartments were never meant to be used for non students (children, spouses of students).

As someone who is directly affected by this I am trying to get the word out because I do not believe it is in the schools best interest to alienate the community by evicting the families that currently reside here, and preventing unconventional students from attending in the future.

Any other ideas on how to protest this and prevent this new rule would be extremely helpful and welcome.

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HandCarvedRabbits t1_jdfvzq6 wrote

If it was “never meant” for spouses and kids, it’s odd that they are just now starting to have a problem with it. I was there 97-01 and there were plenty of families in those apartments JSC has been on a race to the bottom since the mid 90’s. Sorry for your situation.

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Bradcopter t1_jdgom55 wrote

If they didn't want families there, they probably shouldn't call them family housing.

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whatsupvt t1_jdhbjws wrote

I don’t think they’ve actually been called family housing in a long time. When I lived in those apartments in 2015, they were the “college apartments,” and “married family housing” was a left over old timer title from back in the day.

Not to say I don’t have sympathy for the situation though.

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Bradcopter t1_jdhrhdj wrote

They still advertise it on the NVU website so.. fuck em.

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Easy_Pizza_7771 t1_jdg0pdu wrote

Are they just trying to force students out and shut the place down? There has been kids play equipment up at the apartments I think since the early 2000s.

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aMaezingadventures OP t1_jdg239t wrote

We pointed that out, our new housing director didn’t know they existed 😂🤦🏻‍♀️

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EpictetussutetcipE t1_jdg3vlm wrote

New housing director, likely went to newer degree programs focusing on greed and exploitation. He's doing what the new economic model and greed mechanics expect of him. They should be shamed into resignation.

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Easy_Pizza_7771 t1_jdgldxr wrote

Sadly that's what you get when you whittle away at and force out the people who have known and worked at the place for decades. You get outsiders who start making decisions who don't know the place or what they're doing.

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PianistInformal4967 t1_jdh1hvp wrote

It seems the insiders don’t know what to do either if it’s failing…

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suzi-r t1_jdkjytc wrote

Could be that Easy’s point is that outsiders have become insiders, so to speak. Happening all over VT as newbies come in, judge VT to be inadequate compared to what they had elsewhere, change things & price out many of the older VTer & even their kids…neither understand nor respect the efforts & culture of those who have lived here before them, & certainly don’t respect the quality of the rural life & environment here, or the natives & long-timers they coexist with. It’s not just VT either, it’s everywhere. Talk to a rural Florida native (a friend of mine who settled here a few years ago) about what happened to her father’s farm and the family’s small town. Or a local in NH (and another, a former student of mine living on disability allowance in a nearby Vt town) just thrown out of their apt. bc the building’s been bought by someone who want to “remodel” & sell/rent to ppl who can pay lots more. Or a dairy farmer in central VT whose income has diminished so quickly that improvements and diversification are unaffordable and the herd must be sold. And many more, all across the nation.

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kosmonautinVT t1_jdhwdyw wrote

Jfc, so they've never driven by and looked at the apartment building? The playground equipment is right there

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Galadrond t1_jdgpp2o wrote

They probably just want to take whatever money is left in the system and run, just like Marlboro.

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Amyarchy t1_jdhmgdk wrote

Marlboro's demise still stings. I graduated 30 years ago this May and I would have loved to attend a reunion. Sigh.

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Galadrond t1_jdu5tlp wrote

Yep, they just stole the money and ran away.

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zombienutz1 t1_jdfsuwj wrote

Contact your trusty legislators.

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aMaezingadventures OP t1_jdfthpm wrote

That is on my list, but it seemed as though public outrage has kept some of these negative changes from happening in the past so I’m trying to get the word out anyway I can.

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patisme24 t1_jdh2bd7 wrote

You have a newly elected representative, Shayne Spence. He is HIGHLY dedicated to all things NVU. I would definitely reach out to him. He will help, I promise!

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negativetrajectory t1_jdg3hk3 wrote

so was Jeb right? and just forced out for raising the point two years earlier?

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thisoneisnotasbad t1_jdgzpxv wrote

When he raised the point it was not early. The VSC system has been kept alive last last couple years by some funding shenanigans which always would eventually end up where we are. The schools are no longer economically viable and will need another infusion of state money to stay afloat.

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Hagardy t1_jdh79vn wrote

the only way the VSC system will survive in something that looks like the current form is if we massively increase the state funding, which isn’t on the table. Vermont is among the states with the least funding for public higher education, and the bill has finally come due.

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aMaezingadventures OP t1_jdg3t03 wrote

Hindsight….we protested him in 2020, but it definitely appears we were kicking the can down the road.

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cloudydaytday t1_jdh5n9h wrote

And during a housing crisis. Makes no sense

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WhatTheCluck802 t1_jdhjzb0 wrote

The whole VSC system has become such a shitshow. Administrators should be embarrassed.

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aMaezingadventures OP t1_jdhkjs2 wrote

I feel genuinely bad for the people that have been there for years, they are slowly watching this school go down, it can’t be fun.

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Dadfart802 t1_jdh7t6s wrote

I really hope that you guys can close and not take Castleton with you

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aMaezingadventures OP t1_jdh9pby wrote

I wonder if we had stayed JSC, would we be this close to closing? No offense to Castleton of course, but Johnson has been on the bottom of the priority list since the first restructure.

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Idislikethis_ t1_jdj4ruw wrote

I definitely think merging with Lyndon was the beginning of the end for JSC. Should have just let Lyndon go but instead they're taking Johnson down too.

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aMaezingadventures OP t1_jdj67wu wrote

Exactly, which will hurt the communities the schools are in.

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Idislikethis_ t1_jdj7ail wrote

Absolutely. My husband and I graduated from there, are raising our kids here and he used to work for the college but had to quit when it became unbearable. It's already greatly affected us. Hope things work out better for you!

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aMaezingadventures OP t1_jdjaga4 wrote

Well, please help spread awareness about this latest issue in town! I’m meeting with a representative tomorrow morning to try to get some support on this topic as well.

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Dadfart802 t1_jdhpgoz wrote

None taken and that’s a really good question. I think that Johnson had a niche that made it successful

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amoebashephard t1_jdh82dc wrote

UVM tried to do this five or six years ago, the buildings were costing quite a bit for upkeep and they wanted to sell them off to a private rental agency, mostly to aquire the matching money for a large donation to build a new arena.

Luckily, CHT was able to put an offer in. Existing students weren't just evicted, they were allowed to stay, option was given to purchase their unit, and if they wanted to transfer they were given priority in other CHT housing.

This sounds exactly like what happened there. There's tons of articles. I would contact the journalists who wrote those and get them to help you dig, then see if you can get a similar resolution, because when it comes down to it, they've likely already decided to sell it, best outcome is to get a nonprofit in that expands your options.

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aMaezingadventures OP t1_jdh9vy4 wrote

We had heard rumors that the apartments here would be up for rent to non students, and honestly we would be fine with that. Trying to stay in the area so I can do grad school and my daughter can stay in the school district is almost impossible with the housing in Lamoille county right now, we are quite panicked.

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amoebashephard t1_jdhfk6w wrote

If they are planning on opening up renting to non students, then I don't see how they can kick families out, since they'll need to abide by non discrimination laws- which includes discrimination on partnership/child status.

Either way, it's rough and I wish you luck. What a shitty thing for them to do

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Human802 t1_jdh21os wrote

Who is doing this?

Is it in writing somewhere, or proposed at a meeting or just rumors?

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aMaezingadventures OP t1_jdh3w5u wrote

It was stated at a meeting, supposedly that meeting was recorded and I plan to get a copy of that.

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PM_Nightly t1_jdhgp2u wrote

That’s wild. I can’t imagine they’ll be around for much longer making moves like that. Sorry for your situation hope you get your degree soon or are able to move on to an institution that better supports you and your fam.

Write to seven days or vpr or something?

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aMaezingadventures OP t1_jdhgufy wrote

It’s a matter of time before closure, for sure. It will be a great loss to the community though.

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Necessary_Cat_4801 t1_jdhm5lq wrote

If ain't the state university of New Jersey (uvm) the legislature doesn't give a shit.

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Longjumping_Vast_797 t1_jdm9ugh wrote

TBH, that housing probably isn't rated for the occupancy a family creates. People forget that they've voted for zoning and state regs that dictate how many bodies can use the systems in place ie. Wastewater or water supply.

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[deleted] t1_jdhhdkj wrote

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aMaezingadventures OP t1_jdhj9dw wrote

Lol, Vermont is my home…so where should I move? Know any open housing?

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[deleted] t1_jdhk9vb wrote

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aMaezingadventures OP t1_jdhlww5 wrote

Are you on the right post?

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Effinehright t1_jdhmute wrote

No I thought I was replying to a runner that was complaining about unleashed dogs… this definitely wasn’t supposed to be here. VSC thing just keeps getting worse.

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