QUOTES MISLEADING

Karen Geiger, a CCV alumna and staff member, recently had a letter to the editor regarding CCV published in Seven Days. Below, is her letter which can also be found by clicking here (scroll to the bottom). Thanks for speaking up Karen!

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Let me first say thank you for your recent comments in the “Facing Facts” section of Seven Days. It’s nice to see the Community College of Vermont receive some much-deserved kudos for the role they play throughout the state. That being said, I must ask why you felt it necessary to use the quotation marks around the word college in your statement? CCV is an accredited institution with over 7500 graduated alums. Next year we are celebrating our 40th anniversary as a college, and we have 17 different associate-degree programs available to students. We have transfer agreements with 16 colleges and universities, including St. Michael’s College, the University of Vermont, and several out-of-state colleges. We are a leader in online learning. Our students go on to attend not only the usual in-state colleges, but Tufts University and Smith. This year alone, several of them graduated from Smith’s Ada Comstock Scholars program — no small feat, I can assure you.

We have wonderful, healthy partnerships with other area agencies, businesses and nonprofit organizations. The Boys and Girls Club and area high schools strongly benefit from these commitments. The class Introduction to College Studies allows students to enroll at CCV while attending their junior and senior years of high school. During this class they learn skills they will need to help them succeed in future college courses, and when they pass the course are given a voucher for a free, college-level class.

In tandem with the Vermont Department of Labor we now offer a Career Readiness Certificate. This course is designed specifically for people not currently attending college classes. By the end of the semester, men and women have developed higher skills in résumé writing, interview techniques and other professional abilities to help them succeed in today’s difficult job market.

So, please, sing our praises! But don’t think for a minute we aren’t a real “college.” We work hard to give students the tools they need to compete in our ever-changing world. And I don’t just work for the college; I’m also a proud alumna, class of 2000.

Karen Geiger
BURLINGTON
Geiger is an administrative assistant at CCV.