2022 - 2023 Champlain College Online Undergraduate Catalog

Mission Statement

We embrace our Champlain tradition as an institution that prepares students to excel through radically pragmatic career-focused education. We are a supportive learning community that advances society by delivering uniquely future-focused academic programs, transformative hands-on experiences, and meaningful connections and collaborations that engage the passions of our students to create a better world.

College Values

Innovation * Engaged Learning * Inclusivity * Practicality * Interconnectedness

Vision Statement

Champlain College empowers learners. We continuously invent and offer highly distinctive academic programs and practical experiences that lead to outstanding careers and personal success.

College Competencies

The College has established these skill areas as the foundation of the educational experience at Champlain College, regardless of the student’s major. The goal is to help the Champlain College graduate develop into an ethical self-guided learner:

Life is a process of continuous development - learning in its broadest sense never ends. Developing facility in the competencies helps Champlain graduates continue to grow and develop after college by giving them the tools to take charge of their own learning, to identify what they need to learn and how to do it. This self-directed learning is combined with the ability to examine one’s own assumptions and obligations to others, and to act accordingly with autonomy, integrity and intention.

We believe that each of these skills is best developed through consistent practice, application and instruction. As a result, each faculty member is expected to design courses with these competencies in mind and incorporate instructional and developmental activities in these areas wherever possible and consistent with the goals of the course and program.

Champlain College Competencies
Technology Literacy	The ability to use, manage, assess, and understand technology.
Information Literacy	The ability to find, store, evaluate, and synthesize information to answer questions, develop new ones, and create new content and knowledge in an ethical and socially responsible manner.
Scientific Literacy	The ability to apply scientific methods to understand the natural world, to identify scientific aspects of daily life, and to evaluate the quality of scientific information on the basis of its source and the methods used for its generation.
Quantitative Literacy	The ability to interpret quantitative information, apply appropriate mathematical methods to solve quantitative problems, and communicate solutions in the appropriate context.
Inquiry	Inquiry is the ability to identify, formulate, and communicate questions that guide investigation and reflection toward discovery; the ability to critically and thoroughly examine one’s own assumptions and the assumptions of others.
Analysis	The ability to separate and organize complex topics or issues into their component parts, and through a systematic process, to identify and differentiate those components to gain an understanding of the topic or issue.
Integration	The ability to move from making simple connections among ideas, disciplines, and experiences to synthesizing and transferring learning and data to new, complex situations.
Creativity	The ability to think, work, and respond in ways characterized by a high degree of originality, divergent thinking, and risk taking; the ability to combine or synthesize existing ideas, images, or expertise (or aspects of these) in ways that are original or that lead to unexpected results.
Communication	The ability to think, work, and respond in ways characterized by a high degree of originality, divergent thinking, and risk taking; the ability to combine or synthesize existing ideas, images, or expertise (or aspects of these) in ways that are original or that lead to unexpected results.
Collaboration	The ability to work inclusively and productively with a group toward a collective outcome; the ability to create an environment where each perspective is considered for the cooperative purpose of making progress toward common goals.
Global and Cultural Understanding	The ability to critically analyze and engage with complex, interdependent global systems, and legacies-natural, physical, social, cultural, economic, and political-and their implications for our lives and the Earth.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion	The ability to evaluate intersections, influences, and social contexts from a position of shared humanity and openness toward difference, in order to integrate one’s values and belief systems into action.

Revised College Competencies established June 2014; Revised September 2018; Revised June 2022

Diversity Value Statement

Champlain College strives to create a diverse and inclusive community. It is our fundamental belief that in order to create a supportive educational environment and prepare students for life experiences, we as a community must seek and create opportunities for each of us to better understand our own beliefs, values, and cultures to fully experience new ideas, perspectives and traditions. To this end, we will pursue challenges that allow us to question pre-conceived ideas/beliefs that inform and/or infringe upon our commitments and to implement measurable inclusive practices.

A major strength of Champlain College is its commitment to fostering respect among students, faculty, staff, administrators and members of our local community. While we are conscious of the fact that serious exploration of issues surrounding diversity and inclusion may generate conflict and/or tension, we see this as an opportunity to constructively engage different points of view in conversations that will ultimately help our organization to be more inclusive and mindful of diversity. We, as a community, therefore, endeavor to create a safe environment for all members to discuss, challenge and explore the benefits of being in a community that is seeking to become more diverse and inclusive in its behavior, policies and practices. (Adopted September 2009)

The Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) was created to help Champlain’s increasingly diverse population engage in academic and campus activities. The office strives to create a more diverse and rich college community and offers advocacy and support to under-represented students, in particular. The ODI sponsors a variety of engagement opportunities for students, faculty, staff and community members throughout the entire academic year.

Freedom of Expression Statement

Champlain College’s spirit of inquiry in the pursuit of knowledge supports the institution’s culture of exploration with respect for diversity and a passion for an inclusive learning environment.

The college holds that its community, including, but not limited to, students, faculty, staff and invited visitors retain the right to freely express their ideas, so long as those forms of expression do not infringe on another’s freedom to do so.

We believe that the commitment to engage in discomfort and controversy can promote opportunities for growth.

It is not the institution’s purpose or duty to protect its constituents from conflict, but rather, to create conditions for debates and discussions to flourish.

(Adopted June 2017)

Degree Authority

Champlain College is authorized by the State of Vermont to award master’s, bachelor’s and associate degrees, and professional certificates to qualified candidates. Degrees are awarded in December, May and August, after all requirements have been met.

Accreditation

Champlain College is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE.)

Accreditation of an institution of higher education by NECHE indicates that it meets or exceeds criteria for the assessment of institutional quality periodically applied through a peer review process. An accredited college or university is one which has available the necessary resources to achieve its stated purposes through appropriate educational programs, is substantially doing so, and gives reasonable evidence that it will continue to do so in the foreseeable future. Institutional integrity is also addressed through accreditation.

Accreditation by NECHE is not partial but applies to the institution as a whole. As such, it is not a guarantee of every course or program offered, or the competence of individual graduates. Rather, it provides reasonable assurance about the quality of opportunities available to students who attend the institution.

Inquiries regarding the accreditation status by the New England Commission of Higher Eduction should be directed to the administrative staff of the institution. Individuals may also contact:

New England Commission of Higher Education
3 Burlington Woods Drive, Suite 100

Burlington, MA 01803-4514
(781) 425-7785
www.neche.org

Notice of Nondiscrimination/Equal Opportunity Statement

Champlain College affirms its commitment to providing equal opportunity in education and employment for qualified persons. The College operates its education-related programs, hires employees and makes employment decisions without regard to race, creed, color, national origin, place of birth, marital status, ancestry, religion, age, sexual orientation, sex, gender identity, veteran or military service status, HIV-positive status, genetic information, qualified disability and/or any other status to the extent protected, and as defined by, applicable law. Champlain College will make reasonable accommodations for the disability of an otherwise qualified applicant for employment, or employee. Implementation of this policy shall be in compliance with the Vermont Fair Employment Practices Act of 1963, the Equal Pay Act of 1963, Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1975, the Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Act of 1970, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the Civil Rights Act of 1991 and other pertinent federal and state nondiscrimination laws, as applicable.

Individual students should contact the Dean of Students at (802) 860-2702, with any questions or for support. Employees should contact the Vice President of Human Capital at (802) 865-5485, or designee.

In matters involving potential discrimination on the basis of sex (which may include sexual harassment and sexual violence,) the Vice President of Student Affairs serves as the College’s Title IX Coordinator. In that role, the Title IX Coordinator has oversight responsibility for Title IX-related complaints and identifying and addressing any patterns or systemic problems that arise during the review of such complaints. To accomplish this, subject to the exemption for confidential employees discussed below, the Title IX Coordinator must be informed of all reports and complaints raising Title IX issues, even if the report or complaint was initially filed with another individual or office or if the investigation will be conducted by another individual or office. The Title IX Coordinator is available to meet with students, employees or third parties regarding Title IX-related issues, such as issues related to the College’s compliance with Title IX, response to Title IX reports or complaints, related grievance procedures, relevant patterns of conduct, or related education and prevention programs. The Vice President of Student Affairs’ contact information is: Danelle Berube, (802) 865-5460, dberube@champlain.edu.

General inquiries concerning compliance with disability-related regulations should be directed to the College’s Section 504 Coordinator, Erin Ferrara at (802) 865-5764 (students) or the Vice President for Human Capital (802) 865-5485 (employees). Requests for accommodations and/or auxiliary aids or services needed to participate in College programs should be directed to the Office of Accessibility (802-865-5764) (students) or the People Center (formerly known as Human Resources and Organizational Development) (802) 651-5807 (employees).

Students may also contact the following state and federal agencies concerning the application of nondiscrimination policies and enforcement of rights.

United States Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights

33 Arch Street, Suite 900

Boston, MA 02110-1491

(617) 289-0111 (voice)

Vermont Human Rights Commission

14-16 Baldwin Street

Montpelier, VT 05633-6301

Disclaimer

This catalog is for the 2022 - 2023 academic years, and while it was prepared on the basis of the best information available at the time of publication, all information, including statements of policy, tuition, fees, financial aid, course offerings, admissions and graduation requirements, is subject to change without notice or obligation.