CRAFTSBURY COMMON – With news that Sterling College will be ending its degree programs in the spring, residents have expressed concern about a Craftsbury institution vital to the small community. Alumnx have come forward to share a deep love and appreciation for their time there.
photo by Beana Bern courtesy Sterling College
An item on Tuesday’s Craftsbury Select Board Agenda created time for a conversation about the change, with Sterling President Scott L. Thomas, Ph.D., planning to be at that meeting to engage with the town and its government about how the change will affect everyone involved.
While the Sterling board has been working to address issues surrounding declining enrollment due to shifting demographics for years, the issue came to a head when the number of students entering with this year’s class didn’t materialize as the college had hoped for.
At their October meeting, the board made the decision to take the necessary steps to ensure an orderly transition for students, faculty and staff.
With the decision now public, Scott, the board and staff are just beginning the difficult process of working with all involved, he said. The announced plans to continue degree programs through the spring semester and then through the summer, will allow students to complete as many of their degrees as possible he said.
Virtual meetings have been scheduled this week with students and parents on Tuesday and Thursday to begin discussions about the College’s transition and help those families with their decision making for the future.
photo by Vanessa Fournier
Sterling has been an important part of Craftsbury since its founding in 1958 as Sterling School, a boys’ preparatory school and Vermont Domestic Nonprofit Corporation based in Craftsbury Common.
Since then the campus has evolved into a co-educational institution through programs like the Grassroots Project begun in 1974.
Walden’s Annie Gaillard, was a member of that first class; a guinea pig, she said. She learned many useful skills there and it’s what helped her decide to remain in Vermont.
Gaillard’s class just had its 50th reunion in July, where she connected with many of her former classmates and said she enjoys meeting those from other classes too. She said she has attended classes to teach students about her experience with co-ops and continues to support the college financially.
A two-year associate degree program was later added before the campus became an accredited four-year college in 1987 focusing on environmental liberal arts education. For roughly 50 of its 67 years, the campus has been known for its sustainability-focused curriculum and connection to the local environment.
The college’s institutional profile on IPEDS, the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, shows 2023-24 enrollment at 103 students, with some part-time, resulting in a full-time equivalent of just 74 students on a campus with enrollment capped at 125, according to last week’s VTDigger story.
Sterling’s declining enrollment in recent years has followed a national trend, identified as “a ‘demographic cliff’ with big implications for the economy,” said a January NPR report.
“This ‘demographic cliff’ has been predicted ever since Americans started having fewer babies at the advent of the Great Recession around the end of 2007, a falling birth rate that has not recovered since, except for a slight blip after the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”
Sterling’s experience has mirrored the national trend, said Thomas.
In response, the college has evolved to offer a single environmental studies major to concentrate on its core mission, with 37 staff on campus in the fall of 2023.
Thomas said staff and time reductions are anticipated. Work on that with staff is just beginning and nothing has yet been finalized, he said.
Sterling’s current facilities include its 138 acre Craftsbury campus, with 13 or so buildings (depending upon how one counts them) and Bear Swamp, a 306 acre boreal forest in nearby Wolcott used as a field classroom and managed for its forest products and ecological value.
Thomas said he “expects an intentional and orderly wind-down of current academic programs to preserve the best of what Sterling has represented for 67 years.”
“The board is undertaking an inclusive process of taking stock of where Sterling is and what comes next,” he added.
The college remains in good standing with the state, as it has since 1958. Gross receipts have fallen somewhat in recent years according to the school’s IRS filings, which show $9,079M in 2022, down from $9,298M in 2021, and again down from $9,817 in 2020.
Those three year’s tax filings total to show a small net loss of $24k, with revenue exceeding expenses by $316k in 2022, an improvement over 2021, which showed a loss of $570k after a slight $230k net positive result in 2020.
Assets of $6.034M were reported in 2022, growing from $5,649M in 2021, but falling from $6,430M in 2020.
Frequently-asked questions (FAQs) now appearing on the website suggest the administration was well-prepared to announce the change. Among those FAQs is the announcement that “Sterling will be hosting a College Fair on campus in February to provide current students with a chance to learn more about other institutions and how they align with their academic needs. The tentative dates are February 19 and 20. More information will be provided, as we finalize the details,” it reads.
Thomas specifically expressed interest in including the many Sterling alumnx in planning for the next iteration of the campus. There too, the website suggests inclusivity, indicating, “The legacy of Sterling College lives on through our alumni and supporters: each of you has played an essential role in shaping the spirit and story of Sterling. Your accomplishments, memories, and continued connection to the College embody the values that have defined our community for generations.
“We warmly invite alumni to share memories, stories, and photos that celebrate Sterling’s enduring impact and honor the experiences that brought us together. Your reflections help keep the Sterling spirit alive and remind us of the strength and resilience of our community.
A special set of FAQs is available to students through their campus accounts
Comments on a Seven Days social media post with a story about the school’s press release express a deep connection to the campus and, from alumnx, the education they received there. Representative of them is one from John Molina, who wrote, “Graduate of 79. Think we had 56 graduate. One of [the] best years of my entire life!! Had students from all over the country. Ended up being a hot shot forest fire fighter in the northern Rockies. Thank you Sterling.”
What the future brings is up to the board, in consultation with the many people the college and campus has connections to, and remains to be determined, said Thomas.
Paul Fixx is editor of The Hardwick Gazette and lives in Hardwick.
