Southern Vermont College

Private college near Bennington, Vermont, US (1926–2019)

Southern Vermont College

Type| Private college
Active| 1926–2019
Location|

Bennington

Vermont

United States

Colors| Green and Gold

The Orchards

U.S. National Register of Historic Places

U.S. Historic district

Everett Mansion, 2004

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Coordinates| 42°52′04″N 73°13′07″W﻿ / ﻿42.86778°N 73.21861°W﻿ / 42.86778; -73.21861
Built| 1911
Architect| George Oakley Totten Jr.
Frank L. Wagner
Architectural style| Eclectic Revival, Norman Revival
NRHP reference No.| 00000384
Added to NRHP| April 24, 2000

Southern Vermont College was a private college on the 371-acre (1.50 km2) former Edward Everett Estate (originally The Orchards) near Bennington, Vermont. The college closed in 2019.[1]

## History

[edit]

Southern Vermont College was founded in 1926 as St. Joseph Business School, an institution offering certificates of proficiency in secretarial accounting, finance, shorthand and typewriting. Eleven students were in the first graduating class. In 1962, it became an accredited junior college, St. Joseph College, awarding associate degrees in business and secretarial science.

Twelve years later, in 1974, the college moved to the Edward Hamlin Everett Estate and became Southern Vermont College, a nonsectarian college. In the years immediately following this change of location, the college earned bachelor's degree authority from the Vermont Department of Education and full accreditation with the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE).

In 2019, NECHE placed the college on "show-cause" status and asked the college to provide additional information about its financial stability to retain its accreditation. The college's only alternative was to lower the admission numbers of its incoming freshman class. This option would leave the school with a financial deficit. The college's president, David Rees Evans, announced the closure in March 2019, and the college closed after finishing the academic year in May 2019.[2]

## Campus

[edit]

The 27-room Everett Mansion, listed (along with most of the campus) on the National Register of Historic Places, served as the college's primary administrative and academic building. It was built 1911–14 for Edward H. Everett, a successful businessman from Cleveland, Ohio, and is architecturally a distinctive combination of Beaux-Arts and Norman Revival styles. The architect, George Oakley Totten Jr., also designed Everett's Washington, DC residence, (formerly the Turkish embassy and now the Residence of the Ambassador of Turkey).[3] It hosts the library, theatre, Center for Teaching and Learning (academic support), Burgdorff Gallery, eight classrooms, plus administrative offices. From 1977 to 1994, the theatre served as the residence for the regionally acclaimed Oldcastle Theatre Company.

The college had five residence halls, as well as a residence hall complex, Hunter Hall, that was completed in 2009 and accommodates 110 residential students. This residence hall, situated on the slopes of Mt. Anthony with views of the Green Mountains, is both a living and learning facility, with science and computer labs, study rooms, and an atrium overlooking a pond. Other buildings include the Dining Hall, Mountaineer Athletic Center with Fitness Center, and a 24-hour computer lab.[citation needed]

## Academics

[edit]

Southern Vermont College offered 16 academic degree programs in five academic divisions: The McCormick Division of Business, The Hunter Division of Humanities, The Division of Nursing, The John Merck Division of Science and Technology, and The Donald Everett Axinn Division of Social Sciences.

It was a member of the Association of Vermont Independent Colleges (AVIC) and the Vermont Campus Compact, affiliated with the national association of colleges that include community service, hands-on learning and civic engagement as part of their academic requirements. All first-year students at Southern Vermont College took "Quest for Success," a course that combined classroom instruction with off-campus community projects in such fields as environmental restoration, research on historic objects in the local museum work with a local theater company, and media studies with Community Access Television.

In the fall of 2013, Southern Vermont College partnered with the College Steps Program, joining two other Vermont colleges engaged in this program aimed at supporting students with cognitive impairments (e.g., autism spectrum disorders, intellectual disabilities). It provided them with an opportunity to participate in a modified two-year college experience.

In January 2014, Southern Vermont College established the Veterans' Scholar Program (VSP). The program worked with veterans and military-connected family members.

## Athletics

[edit]

The Southern Vermont athletic teams were called the Mountaineers. The college was a member of the NCAA Division III ranks, primarily competing in the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) from 2008–09 to 2018–19. The Mountaineers previously competed in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) from 1998–99 to 2007–08.

Southern Vermont competed in 13 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports included baseball, basketball, cross country, soccer, track & field (outdoor) and volleyball; while women's sports included basketball, cross country, lacrosse, soccer, softball, track & field (outdoor) and volleyball.

### Accomplishments

[edit]

In the fall of 2012, the women's volleyball team won the NECC Championship for the third consecutive year.

In 2015, their Men's basketball team went undefeated in NECC regular season play before losing to Regis College in the NECC championship game 74-72. However, the Mountaineers came back with another undefeated regular season in 2016 and went on to win the NECC championship against Becker College.

## See also

[edit]

* List of colleges and universities in the United States
* List of colleges and universities in Vermont
* National Register of Historic Places listings in Bennington County, Vermont

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Therrien, Jim (March 4, 2019). "Southern Vermont College closing". Bennington Banner. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
2. ^ Toppo, Greg (March 5, 2019). "Another Small New England College Closes". Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
3. ^ "NRHP nomination for The Orchards" (PDF). State of Vermont. Retrieved February 24, 2016.

## External links

[edit]

* Media related to Southern Vermont College at Wikimedia Commons

* v
* t
* e

Colleges and universities in Vermont

Public|

* University of Vermont
* Vermont State Colleges (Vermont State University, Community College of Vermont)

Private|

* Bennington College
* Champlain College
* Landmark College
* Middlebury College
* Norwich University
* Saint Michael's College
* School for International Training
* Sterling College
* Vermont College of Fine Arts
* Vermont Law and Graduate School

Unaccredited|

* Center for Cartoon Studies
* Northeastern Baptist College

Organizations|

* Association of Vermont Independent Colleges

Defunct|

* Burlington College
* Castleton Medical College
* Castleton University
* College of St. Joseph
* Goddard College
* Green Mountain College
* Johnson State College
* Lyndon State College
* Marlboro College
* Northern Vermont University
* New England Culinary Institute
* Southern Vermont College
* Trinity College
* Vermont Technical College
* Windham College
* Woodbury College

* v
* t
* e

National Register of Historic Places in Bennington County, Vermont

Districts|

* Arlington Village Historic District
* Bennington College Historic District
* Bennington Fish Hatchery
* Carrigan Lane Historic District
* Center Shaftsbury Historic District
* Dorset Village Historic District
* Downtown Bennington Historic District
* East Arlington Village Historic District
* Equinox House Historic District
* Furnace Grove Historic District
* Holden–Leonard Workers Housing Historic District
* Kent Neighborhood Historic District
* Manchester Village Historic District
* North Bennington Historic District
* Old Bennington Historic District
* The Orchards
* Rupert Village Historic District

Buildings|

* Bennington High School
* Bennington Post Office
* Bennington Railroad Station
* W. H. Bradford Hook and Ladder Fire House
* William C. Bull House
* E. J. Bullock Block
* First Congregational Church of Bennington
* Robert Frost Farm
* Gov. Jonas Galusha Homestead
* Zera Hard House
* William Henry House
* Hildene
* Holden–Leonard Mill Complex
* Jenks Tavern
* Amos Lawrence House
* Manley-Lefevre House
* David Mathews House ‡
* Munro-Hawkins House
* North Bennington Depot
* Julius and Sophia Norton House
* Park-McCullough House
* Pratt-McDaniels-LaFlamme House
* Ritchie Block
* School Street Duplexes
* Frederick Squire House
* Tudor House
* Wait Block
* H.C. White Company Mill Complex
* Cora B. Whitney School
* Wilson House
* Yester House

Structures|

* Arlington Green Covered Bridge
* Bennington Battle Monument
* Bennington Falls Covered Bridge
* Henry Covered Bridge
* Silk Covered Bridge

Former listings|

* Johnny Seesaw's Historic District

Footnotes|

‡ This historic property also has portions in an adjacent state.

See also: National Register of Historic Places listings in Bennington County, Vermont and List of National Historic Landmarks in Vermont

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF

National|

* United States

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