Sydnee Viray, M.Ed

As a cosmopolitan intellectual, I agree with bell hooks, who has stated, "Education is the practice of freedom." In my leadership role at the University of Vermont, I promote a premier research University who strives to support its Common Ground:

We aspire to be a community that values:

RESPECT. We respect each other. We listen to each other, encourage each other and care about each other. We are strengthened by our diverse perspectives.

INTEGRITY. We value fairness, straightforward conduct, adherence to the facts, and sincerity. We acknowledge when things have not turned out the way we had hoped. As stewards of the University of Vermont, we are honest and ethical in all responsibilities entrusted to us.

INNOVATION. We want to be at the forefront of change and believe that the best way to lead is to learn from our successes and mistakes and continue to grow. We are forward-looking and break new ground in addressing important community and societal needs.

OPENNESS. We encourage the open exchange of information and ideas from all quarters of the community. We believe that through collaboration and participation, each of us has an important role in determining the direction and well-being of our community.

JUSTICE. As a just community, we unite against all forms of injustice, including, but not limited to, racism. We reject bigotry, oppression, degradation, and harassment, and we challenge injustice toward any member of our community.

RESPONSIBILITY. We are personally and collectively responsible for our words and deeds. We stand together to uphold our common ground.

I am also an published author on the following publications:

Our Stories Matter: Liberating the Voices of Marginalized Students Through Scholarly Personal Narrative Writing (Counterpoints: Studies in the Postmodern Theory of Education)

How Stories Heal: Writing our Way to Meaning and Wholeness in the Academy (Critical Qualitative Research)