Administrators at Vermont State University are under fire for cutting faculty and staff positions in the name of “restructuring” while at the same time expanding the number of administrators and giving them hefty raises. A March 2026 letter from faculty and staff union leaders notes that while their full-time staff positions have decreased by 26 percent – or 115 positions – and unionized faculty positions have decreased by 30 percent – or 70 positions – non-union, full-time upper-level administrative positions have grown by 41 percent – or 38 positions.
High-level administrative salaries have grown as well. Using information compiled from public records requests, the union leaders found that some raises for high-level administrators either equaled or exceeded the full annual salary of some frontline staff positions; some administrators got raises of more than 20% or more than $35,000. In contrast, the letter notes that union members fought for eight months to get 12 to 15 percent raises spread out over several years.
The union reps also took aim at a decision by the board of trustees to hold their annual three-day retreat at the Woodstock Inn & Resort at a total cost of more than $31,000, arguing the retreat could have instead been held at one of the university’s campuses – including one that is centrally located.
The bigger picture:
The union reps say the financial decisions of the administration are harming the university’s future. "These conditions do not strengthen enrollment or attract new students," the letter states in regard to fewer programs and services being offered. “In fact, they risk weakening the very experiences that make our campuses vibrant and appealing to prospective Vermonters.”
The faculty and staff cuts were made amid declining student enrollments and a number of college closures in the New England region and have led to fewer program offerings, fewer on-campus support positions for students, deferred maintenance, consolidated campus property, and “strained” campus services and student life programming.
One of the more eye-catching statistics cited in the letter is the union’s finding that there’s now a managerial administrator-to-faculty ratio of nearly 1:1, whereas the generally accepted standard for the most cost-effective balance is 3:1.
The administration has pushed back against the faculty union's charges, arguing that the numbers don’t tell the full story.
