Champlain College

I was very excited about the program at CC. I applied to it. They were even nice enough to review my unofficial transcripts to give me an idea of how I’d stand if I transferred to the college. I have a certificate from Umass Lowell in web design and development and I also have an AS in computer information technology from Southern New Hampshire University. They wouldn’t take 33 of my credits! Basically this added on 11 more classes to earn a bachelors. They were unreasonable to consider my 20 years of work experience and my education (which was recently completed). I am so sad as I wanted to get into the program but from them lack of care or working with me I gather they are not in need of students. I guess it worked out for the best, as this would just be a sign of the future and how they’d treat me as a student.

I think I got in at Champlain at the perfect time, right before they started changing the things that I liked most about it.
When I started in 2006, majors were based off of an «Upside Down curriculum» where you got in classes that actually pertained to your major right away. I LOVED it and loved my classes.
I had fantastic professors in the Marketing and Graphic Design majors but warn incoming students about the pressures of double majoring. It is NOT encouraged by the academic advisors, and majors are not usually set up well to be double majored in.
The café got better and better as the years went on, thanks to a rocking head chef.
The campus is GORGEOUS and it is nice and small so you get to know everyone and grow together as a community. There were a lot of housing issues, but hey… what colleges don’t have those! The dorms are beautiful though, which helps make up for it.

As an alum and former staff member I’ve benefited from the curriculum and the professional development. Beautiful campus, innovative programs, talented faculty and staff. Five stars, without hesitation.

As an ethos for making my review, I’m a 2005 graduate of Champlain College.
Three stars… why only three?
It’s not that I didn’t have a five star experience here, overall I did. It’s just that I’m disappointed with the direction the college has taken in its instruction. I’ll get to that in a little bit… but first let’s talk about the positives.
Infrastructure: Champlain College has a top notch campus in regard to its buildings and facilities. For a school of its small size it has everything from modern suite style dorms, non-​traditional dorms in retrofitted historic mansions, brand new recreation building, brand new dining hall, extensive wi-​fi network, beautiful quad/​courtyards, and an exclusive location (several blocks closer to downtown Burlington and Lake Champlain than UVM).
Educational style: Champlain College touts itself as an institution that prepares its students for immediate employment after graduation. It boasts an over 95% employment rate within six months of graduation. Also, the school is wonderfully flexible with non-​traditional students who already have full-​time jobs. I was one of those non-​traditional students.
Champlain offers an extensive array of traditional day, night, and online courses. These multiple options were integral in making it possible for me to attend full-​time while maintaining a full-​time day job.
Now let me get to why I’ve chosen to CURRENTLY award Champlain College only 3 stars…
Champlain went through a period of tremendous growth and repositioning of itself, as a reputable 4 year college, during the mid 1990s through the early 2000s. It was VERY successful in doing so; so much so that the school has had no choice but to become increasingly selective in recent years due to an ever growing number of applicants.
This growth, coupled with the school’s focus on rigorously preparing its graduates for the workplace, necessitated the school’s increased hiring of working professionals as adjunct instructors.
From my perspective, this move seemed to serve multiple purposes: 1) it bolstered the number of faculty/​instructors to meet the need for an increased number of classes; 2) it was cost-​effective, as adjuncts are paid very poorly as compared with regular faculty – a unsolicited fact that the adjuncts often expressed to students in class. 3) working professional adjuncts are of value to the college in fitting with its mission to prepare students for immediate employment.
Unfortunately I, as well as many of my student colleagues, found this move to be a double edged sword. Yes, the adjuncts did give a real-​world perspective; but most of them lack skill in running a class. Some of them were grossly unsuccessful at even establishing the respect of their students, and disciplining those students who lacked respect for decorum and assignment deadlines. Also, because these adjuncts were working professionals, many did not have much time outside of their busy schedules for one-​on-​one office hours.
The above problems, coupled with the sheer number of adjuncts, in ratio to the number of full-​time faculty, in my opinion greatly cheapens the educational value of a Champlain College education.
My experience was five stars because I managed to select most of my classes with the full-​time faculty, and was able to avoid the adjuncts most of the time.
From what I understand, the adjunct problem has worsened.
I’d like to see my Alma Mater reposition itself for academic excellence by attracting and investing in a greater percentage of talented full time faculty.