By LISA RATHKE (AP) – Nov 5, 2009

MONTPELIER, Vt. — A panel considering the governor's proposal to consolidate the University of Vermont with the five state colleges has recommended against merging the institutions.

In a draft report released Thursday, the 5-member task force concluded that UVM and the five Vermont state colleges can continue to work together to become more efficient and offer better programs. But, they decided, a merger wouldn't work because of the difference in the cultures of the institutions and the students they serve.

"We just didn't find sufficient improved efficiencies by bringing the two institutions together," said former House speaker Stephan Morse, chairman of the task force, which has been meeting for six months. "We thought that the way the current system is set up that probably students were being better served."

But UVM and the Vermont state colleges — Castleton State College, Johnson State College, Lyndon State College, Vermont Technical College and the Community College of Vermont — can work together on programs, the report said.

The report recommends that the president of UVM and the chancellor of the state colleges sign a memorandum of understanding to continue working on joint programs. The memo must be presented to their respective boards, the governor and the Commission on Higher Education Funding yearly.

"We really want to emphasize that there are lots of programs where the two institutions are currently working together. We've pointed out where they could work more cooperatively and we think provide better educational opportunities for Vermonters," Morse said.

The institutions have collaborations under way but could do more together in agriculture, education, engineering and nursing, the report said.

They already offer a joint agriculture program called 2+2 FARMS, in which students attend two years at Vermont Technical College for an associate's degree and then go on to UVM for a bachelor's degree.

The panel did not find duplicative programs that could be eliminated, Morse said.

It also noted that UVM and the state colleges receive about 16 percent and 17 percent, respectively, of their general fund revenues from the state. The rest comes from tuition.

"We need to recognize that Vermont ranks either 49th or 50th in the United States in what we contribute to higher education," Morse said. "It's a fact that policymakers are going to have to address at some point if they really believe that they want to keep Vermonters in state, going to school here and hopefully staying here to work."

UVM and the state colleges, which were skeptical of a merger, said they were open to finding more ways to be efficient and better meet the needs of the state.

Gov. Jim Douglas had not seen the draft report Thursday, but his spokeswoman, Dennise Casey, said he hoped the report "includes recommendations that not only will help both institutions save money but rather help them deliver a better service, a better product to the kids the students that they serve."

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.