Dear UVM community,

An important part of being a Catamount is service—all of us doing what we can to make the world a better place. I’m so proud of the announcement this week that UVM ranks third in the nation among medium-sized schools for producing Peace Corps volunteers, the latest recognition of how members of our campus community commit themselves to serving others. UVM has a longstanding tradition of exemplary service to many such volunteer organizations, and that should be a point of pride for us all.

Service to our own campus community is equally vital, and our Operations Teams for Federal Response have done a wonderful job throughout the semester of listening to concerns from faculty, staff, and students, exploring ways to address issues, and organizing informative discussions both in-person and online. These groups will continue to meet during the summer, at an adjusted cadence. I’d like to personally thank all the members of these groups for their continued commitment to this important work.

Thursday’s faculty forum on academic freedom was another good opportunity for us to examine together a subject that is crucial to the continued fulfillment of our mission as a university. Co-hosted by our operations teams for Faculty Affairs and Our Common Ground, this event spurred some excellent questions that fed into an informative dialogue on understanding and protecting freedom in the classroom.

Preparations for our upcoming Commencement are underway with our grounds crews hard at work. They have kept our campus beautiful throughout the year, but the spring refresh is always a special time. I look forward to experiencing the re-envisioned format for college and school ceremonies this year that improves accessibility and creates a better overall experience for our graduates and their guests. I encourage everyone to visit the Commencement website for the best and most up-to-date information about scheduling, parking, and other considerations for this wonderful tradition at UVM.

Commencement is a celebration of transition and new beginnings, as we bid farewell to our graduates with a mix of fondness for the time we shared together and a sense of hopefulness and inspiration for all they will achieve. I would also like to take this opportunity to say a heartfelt goodbye to all our students who are not yet graduating and have wrapped up their final exams over the past few weeks. Whether you are headed into a promising internship or other opportunity for experiential learning this summer or simply returning home to spend time with family and friends, please take some time to relax and recharge. I hope you all have a wonderful summer and return to campus in the fall with high spirits and anticipation of all the possibilities you will have to learn and engage with faculty, staff, and your peers.

Thank you, Catamounts, for making this year a special one for me. It has been an honor and privilege to serve the entire community as your Interim President.

Warmly,

Patricia Prelock
Interim President