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At Champlain, we have had the same mission for well over 100 years; giving thousands of men and women the career-oriented education they need to thrive in and contribute to society. We have always provided as one trustee puts it, "academics with a practical focus."

Clearly, Champlain is anything but traditional. We succeed because we keep pace with change. We are often the first to spot emerging trends and needs, the first to provide leading-edge accredited programs that capitalize on these needs, and the first to push beyond the boundaries of the familiar. At Champlain, we repeatedly review what works and what doesn't, what's needed and what's obsolete. We are flexible and practical. When we act, we act to transform the future.

In the last three years, the academic focus has shifted again to technology-rich fields with a global reach. New faculty members, with strong backgrounds in international business, e-commerce, web development, telecommunications and multimedia design, have been hired to launch six new majors. Staying current with the demands of the marketplace is essential for Champlain: more than 50 percent of today's students are in majors that did not exist 10 years ago.

After two years of intensive strategic planning that included four task forces from the community, Champlain College knows exactly what must be accomplished next. The College will create dynamic new international programs, an enriched campus life that provides students with diverse and healthy extracurricular activities, and an inviting residential complex for summer conferences and training programs that bring the wider educational world to Champlain throughout the year.

Partnering with the World

Thanks to an enterprising spirit and superb technological infrastructure, Champlain College has attracted partners from across Vermont and beyond. The Champlain experience prepares bright young people for careers with Putnam Investments, Qwest, Hill Associates, IDX and Sprint, among others. We provide the State of Vermont with resources in research, training and international business development. We also provide Vermont businesses with an educated, highly trained workforce -- almost 75 percent of Burlington-campus graduates remain in Vermont. We have increased the College's impact overseas, in Israel, Malaysia and United Arab Emirates. While the overseas programs provide significant revenues, more importantly, they teach professors and students how to work more effectively in international settings.

Champlain College was an important ingredient in one of the most significant economic development projects of my 10 years as Governor of Vermont. Without their expertise and innovative spirit, we would never have convinced Putnam Investments to come to Vermont and establish their Work@Home Program. Champlain invites creativity and vision from all of us. We are extremely fortunate to have them right here in Vermont.

Governor Howard Dean
State of Vermont