A publication for Champlain College families

Addressing The Core -- A letter from Dr. Betsy Beaulieu

Dear Champlain Parents:

I’m writing because I know that there is some confusion and frustration surrounding the implementation of the new Core curriculum at Champlain.  Champlain College has spent considerable time and resources to develop the new interdisciplinary Core curriculum.  The process began with extensive research into trends in higher education, recommendations of the accrediting board, and input from major employers nationally and internationally.  We believe this new model of general education will prepare Champlain College graduates not merely to succeed in their chosen fields (our graduates are already successful!) but to be leaders in their fields.  I will try to address questions that were raised during the fall semester and during the course evaluation process at the end of the semester

Why was the new Core Curriculum designed?  The new Core is interdisciplinary.  Students study subjects not in isolation but in an integrated way, because life is interdisciplinary.  When we make educated decisions we rarely do so from one point of view; rather, we integrate ideas and feelings and sources of knowledge to arrive at the best possible choice.  The new curriculum encourages students to approach learning and life in this way.  The Core curriculum has not lessened the number of professional field courses available to first-year students.

How have employers influenced the design?  Key to Champlain’s history and mission, the new Core curriculum has been designed to respond to what employers have been saying in national and international surveys.  There is much research on the value of integrated general education.

A number of employers said that success is not tied to any given major but rather tied to “the total package.”  In fact, many pointed out that although a solid skills base is required, they expect to provide further professional training in the field, but they are not able to provide training in “core” skills – they want graduates who have practiced and perfected those skills already.

Why do students have to take general education classes?  It is crucial that an educational institution be accredited.  The New England Association of Schools and Colleges, the agency that reviews and accredits Champlain College, requires that one-third of every student’s academic program is made up of general education courses.  According to NEASC, “The general education requirement … ensures adequate breadth for all degree-seeking students by showing a balanced regard for what are traditionally referred to as the arts and humanities; the sciences including mathematics; and the social sciences.”

What are the Core courses?  This semester (spring) students will take Concepts of Community, a further introduction to interdisciplinary thought and practice.  The disciplines they’ll study are History, Philosophy, Sociology, and Economics.  Their classes will also have a Global Module, which will enable them to communicate with a group of students in another country about an important problem or issue.  This program is unique to Champlain College and has generated significant interest nationally.  With their international counterparts, they’ll be the first class of students to pioneer the Global Modules, a truly exciting venture.

In the sophomore year students take Scientific Revolutions and Aesthetic Expressions and The Secular & the Sacred and Capitalism & Democracy.  Combined, these courses will provide an overview of western civilization and its shaping influence on the world.

The third year theme is the Global Experience. One semester students will take a course on technology paired with another course.  During the other semester they will be completing what we call “examined experiences in culture and place” courses.  We hope many students will study abroad in one semester of their third year, and these courses will be specific to the locale they choose.

In the final year students will work on a capstone project that integrates the interdisciplinary approach they have developed in their Core courses with knowledge that they’ve gained in their program.

How were the faculty who teach Core courses chosen?  What are their qualifications?  The faculty who are teaching the new Core courses were chosen because they are experts in teaching and learning; they are among the best teachers Champlain College has to offer.  Because the courses use the Inquiry Method, whereby questions are posed and explored together, disciplinary training is less important than genuine curiosity and a desire to work with undergraduate students.  The fall semester evaluations of the faculty were overwhelmingly positive; Champlain College students are truly lucky to have these smart, talented instructors who are passionate about and know the value of interdisciplinary learning.

Sincerely,
Dr. Betsy Beaulieu
Dean, Core Division
ebeaulieu@champlain.edu

BACK TO TOP

Emergency Preparedness – Notification

Campus Emergency Notification System

We are pleased to announce Champlain College has achieved another milestone toward making our campus safer with the implementation of a campus emergency notification system. Like many colleges and universities nationwide, emergency alert systems are being implemented as a tool to warn campus affiliates when imminent danger is present on or near a college campus. In addition, students will also be advised through this system of any weather related closings or delays.

Please encourage your student to register so that they will receive emergency alert notifications if a situation arises requiring mass notification of a crisis, imminent danger or other urgent situation. Our goal is to achieve 100% participation, but to date only a small percentage of students have registered.

To participate in the alert system, students must first log in to Champlain College’s portal located at https://my.champlain.edu/portal/main.html. Once there, students have access to detailed instructions on how to register to be notified of an emergency. Champlain College has borne the costs associated with purchasing the CampusAlert® software. The only cost to receive an alert message lies with a student’s mobile phone pricing plan when receiving a text message.

BACK TO TOP

Champlain Student Serves on State Council for the Disabled

By Danielle Frawley ’08

Many students dream about making a difference in the world after graduating from college. For Heidi Viens ’08, a visually impaired student at Champlain College, that dream has already come true. In fact, Viens recently completed her first full year of service with Vermont’s State Rehabilitation Council (SRC) for the Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired (DBVI), an advocacy group within the Agency of Human Services. Viens, a Business major from Essex, Vermont, was named to the council in September 2006 -- a prestigious appointment recognizing her ability to inform disability policymaking statewide.

All SRC members have either a disability or a close connection to the state’s disabled community. Their primary roles involve conducting research in Vermont communities to provide legislators with recommendations for improving opportunities and conditions for the state’s disabled residents. “We have insight that lawmakers don’t,” Viens says.

The council’s most recent initiatives focused on three areas: employment, technology, and transition. Viens has been working on a team of four individuals responsible for exploring transition -- specifically, how the State helps disabled young people transition into independent, self-sufficient lives in their communities. “Thirty percent of blind adults work,” Viens notes. “[So] our first recommendation was that the transition needs to start younger and younger with disabled children in schools. They need to learn to transition into the real world before they turn 16.

“Our second recommendation was that all schools, whether big or small, should have uniform funding and resources,” she adds. “Schools in the Northeast Kingdom should have just as many resources as those in Essex or Burlington.”

Viens’s views and dedication have made her a valued member of the DBVI team. “Heidi is very bright and very determined,” says Scott Langley, assistant director for the DBVI. “She is very willing to take on challenges and has come a long way. I knew her when her impairment was new to her, and she was very willing to try new things in the community.”

In addition to fulfilling her responsibilities to the SRC, in her final year at Champlain, Viens is completing a self-designed internship that involves a study of Champlain’s accessibility to visually impaired members of the campus community. She’s investigating accessibility of information, the physical campus environment, and technology available to the visually impaired. She’s also examining faculty members’ protocols and standards for visually impaired students in their classes. Her final report will be reviewed by the College administration for areas in which Champlain might better serve visually impaired students, faculty, and staff members.

While Viens’s findings have not yet been compiled, her diligence in the effort -- as an SRC member and as a Champlain student -- have come to distinguish her to teachers, such as Professor Jim Whitney, program director of the Business major. “Heidi is a highly motivated individual, and her name was forwarded to the governor because those who know Heidi believe in her ability to deliver,” he says. “Her strength of personality already has people within the commission talking about her future leadership potential.” DBVI Director Fred Jones concurs: “Heidi is very positive,” he says. “She has lots of energy and good ideas and she is a good team player. … She is a role model to her peers, and that is what we are looking for.”

BACK TO TOP

Champlain students participate in cyber-security competition at RIT

From February 29 - March 2, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in New York hosted the 2008 Northeast Regional Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (NECCDC, http://www.nssa.rit.edu/neccdc/). Seven of our Computer Networking & Information Security (CN&IS) students spent the last weekend of their spring break in Rochester participating -- along with teams from Northeastern University, Norwich University, Polytechnic University, RIT, and Syracuse University -- in this first northeast regional competition, in what we hope becomes an annual event.

The group represented Champlain College and the CN&IS program very well. Despite the fact that none of our students had participated in any similar type of competition before and that most of the other teams were larger, they placed in the middle rankings of the six school teams and received many compliments on their ability to work together as a team. The Champlain students report learning a great deal and reflect on what a good experience it was. As many in the group are juniors and sophomores, they will be able to participate again next year. The student travel was funded through the CN&IS student club.

The Champlain College NECCDC team members were: Ryan Davis '08 (team captain), Thahir Basha '08, Trevor Bryant '09, Zachery Gauthier '08, Christopher Parker '09, Ryan Donnelly '10, and Charles Nolan '10. Gary Kessler accompanied the students on the trip and provided mentorship (and was the chauffeur) during the competition. Jim Hoag and Cristian Balan provided advice and mentorship prior to the event.

We anticipate participating in this competition in upcoming years and are discussing other competitions in the information security and computer forensics space.

(L-R): Ryan Donnelly (back to camera), Charles, Ryan Davis (back to camera), Zach, and Chris.	(L-R): Charles, Ryan Donnelly, Thahir, Zach, and Chris.
(L-R): Thahir and Zach	(L-R): Charles, Ryan Donnelly, Thahir, Zach, and Chris.

BACK TO TOP

Academic Calendar – Spring 2008

Graduation Schedule:

• Cap and Gown Pick up
  Thursday, April 10, 2008

• Commencement Rehearsal &Ticket Distribution
  Thursday, May 1, 2008

• Commencement Ceremony & Reception
  Saturday, May 3, 2008

• Rehearsal
  Thursday, May 1, 2008
  Memorial Auditorium – 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm

• Gratitude Reception
  Friday, May 2, 2008
  Graduates, families and guests are invited to a reception hosted by the Parent Program of Champlain College
  IDX Student Life Center – 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm

• Graduation
  Saturday, May 3, 2008
  Memorial Auditorium – 10:00 am
  Students meet in basement of Memorial Auditorium at 9:00 am
  Doors open to guest at 9:00 am

BACK TO TOP

For Your Information: College Telephone Directory

BACK TO TOP

Get Involved

Supporting Champlain College

Since its founding in 1878, Champlain has benefited from the continued financial support from alumni, parents and friends of the College. Every gift makes a difference to students and the College. For information on ways to support Champlain, please visit www.champlain.edu/support/index.php

Gifts of Time and Talent

Champlain College offers volunteer opportunities for parents both on and off campus.  Parents who volunteer help further the mission of Champlain College through their efforts.  It is a great way to meet new people, make new friends and foster bonds that may last a lifetime!  For more information, please complete the Parent Program Volunteer Opportunities form [PDF] and return it to the address listed below.

Please Consider Joining Our Team!

For more information on making a gift to the College or volunteering, please contact

Susan Moses
Director of Parent Programs
163 South Willard Street, P. O. Box 670
Burlington, VT  05402-0670

Email: parentprograms@champlain.edu
Direct line:  802-865-5428
Toll free: 866-421-7170

BACK TO TOP

If you do not wish to receive the Parent E-newsletter, please send us an email at parentprograms@champlain.edu.