Champlain College Commitment to Equity, Inclusion and Social Justice

We, the Champlain College community, are students, faculty, staff, administrators, and trustees dedicated to serious and open intellectual inquiry. We embrace equity, inclusion, and social justice as pillars of excellence that are critical to personal development, community well-being, and organizational growth.

We, the Champlain College community, acknowledge the historical legacy of exclusion in higher education and we recognize that power imbalances, institutional bias, and systems of oppression stand in the way of students, staff, faculty, administrators, and trustees achieving their potential. 

We, the Champlain College community, believe that marginalization and discrimination occur with and without malicious intent, not only by the isolated actions of individuals, but also by the policies and practices of institutions. Whether intentional or unintentional, individual or institutional, this behavior is harmful and dehumanizing and has adverse effects on our community.

We, the Champlain College community, strive to cultivate a culture of authenticity and actively build a community that is comprised of members that bring diversity in their background, culture, and life experiences. We are conscious of the fact that, in a diverse community, serious exploration of social issues may generate conflict and/or tension, and we see this as an opportunity to practice openness, humility, curiosity, and empathy while engaging across differences and commonalities.

We, the Champlain College community, commit to fostering an environment where all members can truly learn, teach, work, and engage with one another regardless of ability, age, culture, education level, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, life experience, military status, nationality, perspective, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status—one that is free from the insidious and debilitating effects of marginalization and discrimination.  

To uphold this commitment, we will work to:

• Learn about and dismantle systems of privilege, inequality, and oppression, and reform our behaviors, programs, policies, pedagogy, and practices accordingly.

• Identify and address the causes and effects of marginalization and discrimination present in our community.

• Establish and implement policies and measurable practices that promote social justice, inclusion, equity, and accountability.

• Cultivate habits of telling our truths about the impact of bias, marginalization, and discrimination, and of listening to and accepting this feedback as resource for growth, at the individual and institutional level.

• Use inclusive, accessible, and anti-oppressive language and imagery in written, visual, and oral communication.

• Employ inclusive pedagogies and develop diverse and inclusive curricula that reflect the wide range of voices, perspectives, and experiences of people in our community and the world.

This work is urgent, our efforts will be continuous, and we will always be learning. We know and accept that we will make mistakes and we will own our responsibility for restorative action. We hold ourselves and one another—students, staff, faculty, administrators, and trustees—accountable to the commitments and expectations in this statement. 

(Adopted May 2020)