Our Progress | Middlebury

As we chart the course for our future, this page will track progress toward achieving the initiatives that, together, make up Excellence. Purpose. Joy.

This space will also serve to recognize when a key action has been completed.

In fall 2026, we rolled out the strategic plan’s affordability initiative, announcing that the College would be tuition-free for all students with family incomes up to $175,000. For more, read here.

We look forward to sharing our continued progress with the community as we put our ambitions into action.

Foundational Commitments	Status	Timeline
1. Build a truly plural Middlebury	Foundational	Continuous
2. Serve as a model of academic freedom	Foundational	Continuous
3. Uphold academic integrity and rigor	Foundational	Continuous

Initiative One: Our People	Status	Timeline
1. Recommend student-body size and student-faculty ratio goals	Implement	Immediate
2. Enhance affordability for families below $150K–$175K	Complete	Complete
3. Review admissions and test-optional policies	Implement	Immediate
4. Develop world-class advising system (academic, career, life, health)	Implement	Short Term (1–3Y), Continuous
5. Address academic policies regarding honesty, emerging technologies, and meaningful assessment	Implement	Immediate, Continuous
6. a. Reward excellence with merit-based faculty compensation 6. b. Review staff compensation	Implement	Immediate, Continuous
7. a. Support innovative teaching, research 7. b. Staff development	Implement	Immediate, Continuous
8. Welcome and support faculty, staff, and students from all walks of life	Implement	Immediate, Continuous
9. Explore postdoctoral and cluster hires	Explore	Short Term (1–3Y)
10. Align institutional policies, planning, and infrastructure with our priorities	Implement	Immediate, Continuous
11. Attract extraordinary students, faculty, and staff through mission-driven storytelling	Implement	Immediate, Continuous

Initiative Two: Community and Connection	Status	Timeline
1. Foster a vibrant and joyful campus life by creating gathering spaces across campus	Implement	Immediate, Continuous
2. Promote year-round recreation and support physical and mental well-being	Implement	Immediate, Continuous
3. Examine structures, schedules, and calendars to support well-being	Implement	Short Term (1–3Y), Continuous
4. Invest in all areas of athletics to encourage a sense of institutional community	Implement	Immediate, Continuous
5. Invest in a new student and community center	Implement	Medium Term (4–5Y)
6. Explore additional spaces for health, wellness, and recreation	Explore	Medium Term (4–5Y)

Initiative Three: Human Intelligence in the 21st Century	Status	Timeline
1. Complete the faculty-led review of the general education core curriculum	Implement	Immediate
2. Reimagine the first-year student experience	Implement	Immediate, Continuous
3. Support clusters of cross-disciplinary study and team-teaching opportunities	Implement	Short Term (1–3Y), Continuous
4. Seek to ensure that every student has access to a funded global experience	Implement	Short Term (1–3Y), Continuous
5. Seek to ensure that every student has access to a funded internship, research role, or experiential learning opportunity	Implement	Short Term (1–3Y), Continuous
6. Establish the Middlebury AI Studio	Implement	Immediate
7. Explore a “Middlebury Plus One” year for graduating seniors	Explore	Short Term (1–3Y)

Initiative Four: The Town’s College and a College for Vermont	Status	Timeline
1. Create a local innovation zone	Implement	Short Term (1–3Y), Continuous
2. Launch a Vermont Policy Solutions Studio	Implement	Short Term (1–3Y), Continuous
3. a. Establish Arts Engagement Initiative 3. b. Broaden community access to libraries, arts spaces, and athletic venues	Implement	Immediate, Continuous
4. Expand work on local affordable housing	Implement	Immediate, Continuous
5. Explore loan forgiveness for local public service/innovation	Explore	Short Term (1–3Y), Continuous

Initiative Five: The Nation’s College and a College for the World	Status	Timeline
1. Expand access to Language/Bread Loaf schools for teachers	Implement	Short Term (1–3Y), Continuous
2. Explore opportunities to support education for public service/climate/security professionals	Explore	Short Term (1–3Y), Continuous
3. Provide students with internship, research, and networking opportunities in Middlebury’s Washington, D.C., office	Implement	Immediate, Continuous
4. Provide interested students with language proficiency opportunities for study abroad; explore opportunities to increase access to summer language schools	Explore	Short Term (1–3Y), Continuous
5. Identify two to three international sites as global hubs for students, faculty, and alumni	Implement	Short Term (1–3Y)
6. Establish one to three study abroad sites conducted in English	Implement	Short Term (1–3Y)
7. Deepen links between the Schools Abroad and areas of Middlebury’s global strengths	Implement	Immediate, Continuous
8. Expand opportunities for cultural immersion	Implement	Short Term (1–3Y), Continuous

Initiative Six: The Middlebury Labs	Status	Timeline
1. Launch the Middlebury Solutions Labs	Implement	Short Term (1–3Y), Continuous
2. Launch the Liberal Arts and Artificial Intelligence Lab	Implement	Immediate, Continuous
3. Launch the Career and Life Purpose Lab	Implement	Short Term (1–3Y), Continuous

Initiative Seven: The Planet’s College	Status	Timeline
1. Develop a comprehensive new climate action and resilience plan	Implement	Short Term (1–3Y), Continuous
2. Support climate/energy education across the curriculum	Implement	Immediate, Continuous
3. Explore a School of Climate Solutions	Explore	Short Term (1–3Y)