Blog Post

Letter to Governor Scott, VSC Trustees and NEK legislators

Lori Impey • May 11, 2020

To Board of Trustees and Legislators and Governor Scott:

The Lyndon State College Foundation is in our 40th year raising funds for scholarships for NEK students attending NVU Lyndon. I am the current president of the Foundation, a 501c-3, and share concerns we have about the trustees’ recommendations to close NVU-Lyndon. Community members have stepped up over the years to support the college which is an integral part of our area socially and economically.

Theodore N. Vail saw the need for further education of young people in the NEK and donated his land to the State of Vermont for a School of Agriculture.  The state was later to have the Lyndon Teachers College move to the site establishing Lyndon State College on Vail Hill. LSC was and is to continue to be the social and economic engine of the area.

Looking over the names of trustees and legislators in positions to decide the fate of Lyndon-NVU: I notice no one lives in the Northeast Kingdom. It takes someone like T.N.Vail, who lived here, to see the need of the area, and take action. Many students of the NEK work one or two jobs and might live at home to afford to attend Lyndon. My nephew is currently one of those students today.

Closing Lyndon would mean traveling to Chittenden or Rutland Counties. Once you leave the NEK for higher education-will you return? None of my four children did-as is the story of so many.

I think it is short-sighted to close NVU-Lyndon especially in a poverty-stricken area of the state. It would leave the entire east side of Vermont, from Vernon to Newport, with no institution of post-secondary education. It makes more sense to close Johnson and to move that student body east. Governor Scott is trying to pay young people to return to the state as we have such an aging population. Isn’t this going in the wrong direction?

I know things are tough-the Covid 19 pandemic is like a sci-fi movie none of us expected.  Our ancestors lived through dark times; my family of farmers continue to defy the odds to keep a dairy farm operating in the NEK. I want to suggest that CCV be integrated into the closest college campus-Newport and St. Johnsbury locations could be at NVU-Lyndon; we have a great rural transportation system now in RCT. The Chancellor’s office could move to NVU-Lyndon. Randolph VTC could move to NVU-Lyndon rather than Williston.  It seems short-sighted to close a campus where the need is greatest and move them to more populated areas of the state.

Please consider all options to keep Lyndon-NVU open. The Lyndon State College Foundation Members are pleading with you to support keeping NVU-Lyndon open.
Visit our website:  LyndonStateCollegeFoundation.com.

Sincerely,

Lorraine Impey
President, LSC Foundation


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We are pleased Derrick Litz made the decision to attend NVU-Lyndon and that our $2500 scholarship helped make his decision easier. This year we are looking to gift a scholarship to a senior from each of the High Schools in the Northeast Kingdom. This is made possible by the help of our supporters. Thank you to all of you who help us keep local students furthering their careers at NVU-Lyndon.
By Lori Impey 21 Jul, 2020
By Heather Holycross 18 Dec, 2019
LSC Foundation Scholarship for Vermonters, est. 1977A
18 Dec, 2019
November 15, 2019 Dear LSC Foundation Supporter, The LSC Foundation is appealing to you for a donation that will increase funds we make available to NVU-Lyndon for scholarships for NEK students. We are committed to the NEK and further education of students living here with the hopes they will remain in the area to further their careers or to start their own businesses. Any donation large or small is appreciated. We have enclosed a brochure so you can learn more about us. Visit our website as well at www.lyndonstatecollegefoundation.com to view our past fundraising events to raise money or to actually donate by credit card through the site. We are sure you have all heard the recent news of small colleges closing in New England. We feel the college on land TN Vail donated to the State of Vermont should always have a college on it. NVU-Lyndon is an economic engine to the whole business community of the Northeast Kingdom. You might wish to talk to your tax advisor about charitable gifts of appreciated stock or mutual funds—you will get the charitable deduction without paying capital gains. If you are over 70 ½, your mandatory distribution from an IRA is another consideration for gifting. Thank you so much. Please get in touch with any of the foundation’s executive committee members if you have questions. We are a non-profit organization. Donations are tax exempt as provided by section 501c3 of the Internal Revenue Code. Sincerely, Lorraine Impey, President
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