Institute for Global Engagement

Champlain College is pleased to announce the establishment of the Institute for Global Engagement. The Institute, as part of its mission of promoting dialogue between Champlain College students and faculty and their colleagues around the world, will direct the college's Global Modules program and an expanding Global Modules Consortium featuring schools such as Kenyatta University, the University of Jordan, Zayed University, Al Akhawayn University and others. The Faculty Internationalization Initiative will fall under the auspices of the Institute. Pierre Mujomba, the 2008-2009 Roger H. Perry Endowed Chair, will be the first Cities of Refuge writer to be housed in the Institute. In addition, the Institute will be charged with promoting new international ventures. For example, currently the Institute is working with the American University in Cairo's Dialogue project and Alexandria University's Institute for Peace Studies NGO, as well as on a grant proposal with North Carolina A&T University that would promote online dialogue and provide two African universities with workstations featuring computers and digital cameras. Dr. Gary Scudder will serve as Director of the Institute as well as Assistant Dean for Global Engagement.

Global Modules Project

Champlain College has completely restructured its core curriculum to best prepare students of the 21st century for their role as global citizens. A key component of this new core curriculum is the college's innovative Global Modules project, where Champlain students connect with students at various international universities for short, thematic, course-embedded, online discussions. Starting in the Spring 2008 semester Champlain positioned the Global Modules as mandatory assignments in certain key required interdisciplinary courses. The goal is to create an integrated series of progressive assignments based on global dialogue carried over the four year university experience.

Faculty Internationalization Initiative

Underscoring Champlain's commitment to developing a vital, global curriculum, the college instituted the Faculty Internationalization Initiative in summer 2008. Thirteen faculty representing the fields of economics, philosophy, history, literature and science received stipends for summer international travel. After visiting Morocco, Turkey, Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates they are now incorporating their experiences into coursework by creating Middle Eastern-themed third year courses taught by faculty members with real world, international experience.

Roger Perry Chair Endowed Chair

Cities of Refuge Writers in Residence

This year, Champlain hosts (in conjunction with the Cities of Refuge program) its first visiting international scholar-in-residence. Award-winning Congolese playwright Pierre Mujomba is working and teaching at the college all year, offering both academic expertise and a powerful, personal perspective on the impact of political unrest on human rights and the pain of deep poverty amid rich natural reserves. Pierre Mujomba's presence, and those of other global scholars in future years, will have a profound impact on campus and in the broader community.