Vermont Technical College (Vermont TechorVTC) was a publictechnical collegeinVermont. Its main residential campuses were located in Randolph Center and Williston. In addition, there were regional campuses distance sites, and nursing campuses in locations throughout the state.[1]
In 1806, the Vermont House of Representatives passed a law creating the Orange County Grammar School in Randolph.[5] The school provided education through the high school grades and by the 1850s its state mandate had expanded to include teacher training.[6] In 1866, Edward Conant, the principal of the Orange County Grammar School, expanded its course offerings to make it a full-fledged normal school for the education and training of teachers.[6] Later that year, the Vermont General Assembly passed legislation making the change official, and the school became the Randolph Normal School.[6]
In 1910, the Randolph Normal School was selected by the legislature as the location for the Vermont School of Agriculture.[7][2] In 1957, technical courses were added to the curriculum, and the Vermont School of Agriculture was renamed the Vermont Agriculture and Technical Institute (VATI).[7][2] In 1962, VATI was authorized by the state to award associate degrees and became Vermont Technical College (VTC).[7][2] VTC began awarding bachelor's degrees in 1993 and master's degrees in 2015.[2]
For many years, the Vermont public colleges have experienced financial stress and chronic underfunding.[8] Exacerbated by COVID-19, in April 2020, Vermont State Colleges system Chancellor Jeb Spaulding recommended closing the Vermont Technical College residential campus in Randolph as well as all operations/campuses of Northern Vermont University. Under the proposal, some of the Vermont Tech academic programs would be consolidated in Williston.[9] The proposal was abandoned after public opposition, with the Vermont State Colleges instead announcing it would merge its four-year schools as Vermont State University.[10]
VTC offered bachelor's, master's, and associate degrees.[11] Its five schools included: Agriculture, Plant, & Animal Sciences; Engineering & Computing; General Education; Nursing & Health Professions; and Professional Studies & Management.[11] The schools offered degrees in over 50 majors.[11]
WVTC, Vermont Tech's 300-watt fully licensed radio station, broadcasts online and locally at 90.7 FM.[16] The station is located at Morey Hall on VTC's Randolph Center campus.[16] WVTC is operated and maintained by the students of VTC through the school's Radio Club, and is financially supported by VTC Student Council.[16]
The Vermont Tech CubeSat Lab launched its first satellite, the Vermont Lunar CubeSat, a 1U CubeSat on November 19, 2013.[17] Intended to orbit for three to five years, the satellite was fully functional until reentry on November 21, 2015.[18] Vermont Tech's CubeSat was the first successful satellite launched by a New England college or university.[19] Vermont Tech subsequently aided in developing the flight software for the Lunar IceCube, a satellite intended for deployment as part of the NASA Space Launch System's first flight in 2022.[20]
Alexander Dunnett, Randolph Normal School graduate who served as US Attorney for Vermont, President of the Vermont Bar Association, a member of the Vermont Senate, and Caledonia County State's Attorney.[24]
^"Biography, Harry H. Cooley"(PDF). Secretary of State Harry H. Cooley Papers. Montpelier, VT: Vermont Secretary of State. Vermont State Archives. p. 1.
