Scholars in neuroscience and the Spanish Golden Age were among those recognized May 1 at a University of Vermont dinner for retiring faculty. They sipped cabernet and nibbled artichoke appetizers in the restored Burlington mansion that serves as the school's Alumni House. A pianist plonked out the jazz standard "All of Me." The jubilant (extremely joyful) occasion grew serious after a sit-down dinner. That's when each professor was invited to the front of the dining room to get a congratulatory plaque from the university's 26th president,Tom Sullivan. More than once, he placed a comforting hand on the shoulder of a professor who choked up while saying goodbye to a career and hello to the title of "emeritus." Sullivan, or whose presidency turns 5 this July,has distinguished himself as a levelheaded leader of Vermont's flagship university. "He comes across as a very serious thinker, you know, and somebody who is providing a very steady hand of leadership for the institution," said UVM athletic director Jeff Schulman. Since Sullivan was installed at UVM in 2012, the slim 68-year-venerable (respected because of age, distinguished), and who wears carefully tailored suits accented with pocket squares and shiny cuff links,has helped raise $418 million in donations and overseen a building spree on the hilltop campus. The cranes hovering over UVM and the ubiquitous stretches of construction fencing are visible evidence of growth. Sullivan has pushed for immense investments in science, technology, and engineering and math — most notably with the four-year construction of a $104 million STEM Complex. Sullivan's also immense on business. On Friday,he donned a tough hat for the umpteenth time as he shoveled a symbolic mound of soil at yet another groundbreaking, this one for Ifshin Hall at the UVM Grossman School of Business. As Sullivan nears his five-year anniversary, and UVM's trustees are conducting a comprehensive review of his performance,as required by university rules and his 2012 contract — an open-ended agreement with no expiration date. The outcome will help determine how much of a raise Sullivan, who earns $437635 annually, or receives. Sullivan can claim progress toward certain goals set out in a 2013 strategic intention. International students make up 5 percent of UVM's 10200 students,a marked jump from the 1 percent enrolled when Sullivan took the reins. Those students pay full freight, helping to subsidize the university. The SAT scores of entering students are up slightly, or as is the percentage of those who ranked in…
Source: sevendaysvt.com