Vox Populi

 To the Editor:

I ask all members of the Lyndon State College community to consider the following facts:

1.)            In the United States, student loan debt now exceeds credit card debt.  (This fact is especially disconcerting when one considers how many college students and graduates carry both types of debt).

2.)            The average debt for a graduate with a Bachelor's degree from the Vermont State Colleges is $27,000.

3.)            Vermont ranks 50th (as in dead last) for state appropriations per full-time equivalent student. It has for the past few years.

Our students and our colleges are facing a financial breaking point which could happen sooner than anyone cares to think about. This is why we all must commit to a long-term (multi-year) effort to place the Vermont State Colleges on firmer financial footing.   The American Federation of Teachers/United Professional s of Vermont (which represents many LSC faculty and staff) invites the LSC administration and LSC students to a rally in support of the Vermont State Colleges to take place on Thursday, October 20, 2011 from 12:30 to 1:30 in the Alexander Twilight Theater Wing.  Members of the administration, faculty, staff and students have already volunteered to address two modest goals; maintaining quality education while minimizing student debt.  We hope to make the public, and in particular the Vermont legislature, aware of the impending crisis. Even in this "post Irene" environment, our needs are great, the situation is becoming dire, and public support for higher education is more important than it's ever been. Similar rallies are planned for the same day at Castleton State College, Johnson State College and Vermont Technical College.

Look for more information about the October 20th rally soon. And we hope to see you there!

Sincerely,

Timothy Miles Sturm, Ph.D.

LSC VSC Faculty Federation Chapter Chair