President’s Letter

Champlain College President, Dr. David F. Finney

Hello from the Hill,

In March, the College and I were honored to receive the New England Board of Higher Education's Robert J. McKenna Award for achievement. This award specifically recognized some Champlain signature programs: the New Americans Scholarship for refugees, Bring Your Own Business (BYOBiz), and our Vermont First Scholarship for Vermont students who are the first in their family to attend college.

Such innovation and initiative have long been hallmarks of Champlain's identity. As you read through this issue, you'll find that great things continue to happen here on the Hill, and the College continues to spread its influence beyond the boundaries of the campus to the world.

We are profoundly proud of these and other achievements that distinguish Champlain, yet we remain aware that higher education is facing significant challenges ahead.

At the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities conference in Washington, D.C., in January, one speaker pronounced: "What you look like in five years will depend on the decisions-in light of reduced resources-that you make now."

Throughout the conference, the assembly of higher education leaders heard variations on this theme,
all underscoring the importance of strategic planning and how higher education is facing a "perfect storm"
of challenges.

Speakers said the winds of change in student demographics, rising institutional costs, increased competition for students and donors, and an uncertain economy will become gale forces sending students and their families to the shelter of colleges and universities that offer affordability, quality, cutting-edge thinking and a legacy of successful graduates-in short, to those institutions that offer the best value.

At Champlain College, we feel well braced for such shifts and have already weathered the economic squalls of the past 18 months better than most. But the seas remain choppy, and we must remain vigilant and proactive. Indeed, we are not only monitoring our progress in the near term, but looking off into the horizon and charting our course into the future: This past fall, administrators, faculty and staff began an institution-wide, comprehensive strategic planning process to pinpoint where we are, where we should go next, and how we'll know when we have arrived.

Our work now is to aggressively forge ahead formulating the strategic plans, then drive the concepts through rigorous paces of review, revision, and refinement. By the end of summer, every department and division will have established goals and have mapped out how best to achieve them within the next five to 10 years. We will bring the plan to the Board of Trustees this fall for their consideration.

Although it may seem a long time until 2020, here on the Hill, we've been measuring just how quickly time passes through the swift realization of ambitious goals we had set a number of years back. It hardly seems possible that we broke ground on a new renovation/construction project a year ago, yet the transformation of historic Perry Hall on South Willard into our new $15 million student welcome and administrative center is nearly complete and will be ready for the incoming Class of 2014.
Five years have passed since I arrived at Champlain, and so much has changed-new majors, new graduate programs, new academic centers, new technology, new facilities, and many new faces. None of Champlain's remarkable achievements, awards, or accolades to date, however, would have been accomplished without you.

Our journey together into Champlain's future is being charted with care, realism, and purpose. Rather than cast about in the coming "perfect storm," we are setting our sights high and our compass toward ever-new directions. With your ongoing enthusiasm, encouragement, and support filling our sails, we're bound to continue our journey to success.

Dr. David F. Finney
President