Explores - Champlain College

Living, Learning, and Thinking AheadLaunched in the fall 2008 semester, LEAD becomes the thirddimension in the College’s signature Education in ThreeDimensions, the other two dimensions being (1) the Corecurriculum and (2) the institution’s professional degree programs.LEAD can best be summarized as an intensive, structuredapproach to developing life skills. LEAD is also a Collegerequirement spanning all four years of a student’s Champlainexperience.The result of an 18-month, college-wide examination of whatChamplain graduates should “know, do, and value,” asLeslie Averill, assistant vice president of Student Lifedescribes the program’s goals, LEAD draws on wideranginginsights, such as those gleaned from whatFinney describes as “me hanging around campusesfor 30 years and watching students leave and reallystruggle,” from faculty and administrators, and“Champlain strives to openstudents’ minds and have them becomemore accepting to others. Bafa Bafa has kidsexperience life in a different culture. It takestime for one to understand and live in a newculture. It can be different and difficult tospark intense emotions. When we use the wordculture, it is not just people from the other sideof the world, but can be any groups of peoplethat share similar beliefs and rules.”—Thomason Nguyen, First-year studentfrom the College’s millennial generation employees, who werecollege students just a few years ago. “That proved to be the bestgroup in many ways,” LEAD Director Shelli Goldsweig says ofthe millennials, “because those were people who could really tellus, unlike a young student, what [students] are going to need” tomake their way in the working world.From that rigorous process four general skill areas emergedas LEAD’s pillars: (1) clarifying values, (2) building community,(3) financial sophistication, and (4) career management. “As aninstitution of higher education, we’re obligated to deliver skillsthat people need to thrive in the 21st century,” Averillsays. Meeting this high standard requires, in somecases, rethinking traditional definitions of theseskills. Finney cites career managementas an example of a “tough one todefine.” As he says, “It’s not aboutcareer planning and placement.It’s about managing a careerover a lifetime.” He and LEAD’sarchitects are still in the processof pinning this critical skill down foractivities to roll out after LEAD’s first year.“The goal,” he adds, “would be to settle on someconceptual structure that can raise consciousawareness of the notion that when you get a job,it’s a piece of a career but not a career.”In the meantime, with LEAD’s first year upand running, Averill sees early signs of success,particularly in the level of student participationin those activities required prior to registrationfor the next academic year. “By the time fallregistration rolled around, we had a 100 percentparticipation rate, so everyone was able toregister,” she says, adding that “this tells me wehave responsible and engaged students attendingChamplain College.”Although LEAD is a graduation requirement,the initiative has been designed to foster a truesense of community through its very design, aswell as through its activities. Students go throughLEAD in cohorts, sharing and reflecting on theexperience with a group of students they’re comingto know well. The cohorts are coordinated by peeradvisors—students selected for their leadershippotential (see “StudentCounsel” on page13). Each skill areacovered through LEADincludes a series ofmeasurable outcomeslike those that theprofessional andacademic programs areStudents from the classof 2012 participate inBafa Bafa, a simulationactivity designed toilluminate challengesin interacting andcommunicating withother cultures.12 Champlain View | Spring 09