Three-and-a-half weeks into his tenure, Burlington College has raised $600 toward its goal of $250,000 by July, interim President Michael Smith said Friday.
But while the college is struggling to pay off a massive debt, it announced this week that it is providing rent-free space to Big Heavy World, a nonprofit organization that promotes Vermont-made music.
“We aren’t even unpacked and it feels like home,” said James Lockridge, Big Heavy World’s executive director.
The organization’s all-volunteer staff now occupies a lunchroom at the college and broadcasts a 24-hour, low-power community radio station, The Radiator (105.9FM), out of an adjoining office that was formerly occupied by the film department.
Smith said there was some “dissatisfaction” at the school over how the move was handled, but said he honored the agreement because it was made before he arrived.
Smith, a former executive with FairPoint Communications, was named interim president this month after President Christine Plunkett resigned under criticism from students and faculty.
The college and Big Heavy World said the collaboration will provide cultural as well as academic resources to students and the surrounding neighborhoods.
The long-term plan is for Big Heavy World to occupy space in the older part of Burlington College’s building, which is currently uninhabitable because it is not up to code.
Big Heavy World plans to help the school raise money to upgrade that part of the building, Lockridge said. An official memorandum with the school hasn’t been signed, he said.
Big Heavy World has an all-volunteer staff and a $30,000 annual budget, Lockridge said. It paid the school $1,000 for electrical upgrades so the building could support the equipment, he said.
Burlington College is on academic probation from the regional accrediting agency because of its financial struggles.The school in 2010 borrowed more than $10 million to buy the North Avenue campus from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington and has had trouble repaying the debt.
The partnership will further the college’s goal to work with arts and cultural resources in the community, the school said.
“Our invitation to work with Big Heavy World is an effort to achieve the most inspiring environment possible for our students and the combined Old and New North End communities,” Smith said in a blog post on the college’s newly redesigned website this week.
In addition to the radio station, Big Heavy World maintains a public listening library of Vermont-made recordings, a record label that releases samplers of Vermont-made music and an online shop of Vermont music. It also hosts concerts and educational events.
The organization for the past 18 years rented third-floor offices above Pure Pop Records on College Street, Lockridge said. Now, he added, the station finally has a handicap-accessible studio.
Talks to relocate to the college began between Lockridge and former Burlington College music professor Michael Dabroski, Lockridge said. Dabroski resigned in July after the school canceled a classical music concert series he designed, but the school honored the agreement with Big Heavy World, Lockridge said.
Many college and high school students are volunteer DJs, so the location on North Avenue near Burlington High School is perfect, Lockridge said.
“The setting couldn’t be more ideal,” he said.
One Burlington College student has started working with the station and Lockridge said he is excited to meet with faculty to brainstorm other ideas for collaboration.
On its website, Big Heavy World features a quote from Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., praising the organization and Lockridge for promoting the importance of young people in arts, technology and community service.
Sanders’ wife, Jane, is a former president of Burlington College. Lockridge said as far as he knows, neither the senator nor Jane Sanders were involved in executing the arrangement.
