Diversity Task Force

Mission

President Finney charged the Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion to develop a broad set of recommendations to enhance the socioeconomic, racial/ethnic and geographic diversity of Champlain College. The mission is to ensure that the College is an inclusive community, providing rich opportunities for people of differing world views to interact in meaningful ways. This effort is fundamental to our institutional vision of developing skilled professionals and global citizens who are prepared for a multicultural world with diverse values, lifestyles and perspectives.

Dr. Finney addressed these ideas in his inaugural remarks in November 2005:

"It is evident to me that Champlain will benefit significantly from our efforts to diversify, and so we will become a more diverse institution. It is my hope that our future will be characterized by a cacophony of dissonant voices in our classrooms that cause both students and faculty to question their own comfortable assumptions, their own certainty about how the world is, or is not."

In short, as President Finney expressed, "we need to bring more diversity to campus so that the Champlain community will be less comfortable with preconceived notions and more comfortable with "otherness."

Timeline

• Interim report to Dave Finney by Summer 2006
• Long-term recommendations may extend 3-5 years
• Ongoing evaluation, assessment review, and dialogue about diversity and inclusion at Champlain College

International Students at Champlain College

The Office of Diversity and Inclusion

The Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) was created to help Champlain's increasingly diverse population engage in academic and campus activities. The office strives to create a more diverse and rich college community and offers advocacy and support to under-represented students, in particular. ODI sponsors a variety of academic, social, and educational events and activities for students, faculty, staff and community members throughout the entire academic year.