First-Year Experience

In your first year at Champlain, you will focus on being a student. What is your role, both here on campus and in a historical sense? Where can you find support? How do you write a college-level paper, anyway?

Our Navigating classes equip all students with the agency and resources to succeed in the collegiate environment. You’ll take one Navigating course in the fall and one in the spring.

The First Year Inquiry (FYI) classes focus on experiential learning and sparking your curiosity and academic passion. Each FYI course offers a variety of sections, meaning you can take the FYI courses (one in the fall and one in the spring) that look most interesting to you. Enrolled first-year students will be contacted with more information about course registration.

Fall Semester

  • COR 101 | Navigating Higher Education

    Why go to college? What does it mean to be educated? In this course, you¡¯ll begin to answer these questions. We¡¯ll explore the academic expectations of higher education, college as a diverse community, and the significance of education around the world. By examining how these issues are negotiated and implemented at Champlain and elsewhere, you¡¯ll gain perspective on your own education and a deeper understanding of the ways that the college experience can be both liberating and transformative.

  • COR 102 | First Year Inquiry (FYI): Reading, Writing, and ____

    Inquiry is about learning how to ask the right kinds of questions, and figuring out how to answer those questions through discussion and reflection. This course introduces you to the types of inquiry necessary to succeed at Champlain and beyond. You will explore the intersections of reading, writing, and thinking by focusing on a specific topic or theme. You will approach that focus through the interrogation of relevant texts and analysis that draws upon multiple analytical frameworks.

  • Kelly Bowen

    Is banning books a violation of freedom of speech? Across the United States the practice of banning books is, once again, headline news. What factors are driving the recent hysteria? From small local school boards to state legislatures, the opposition voices are loud as they call for the removal of “controversial” books from public spaces. In 2021-2022 an estimated 1,600 titles were removed from the shelves and educators, in fear of repercussions, removed books from their classrooms. In COR 102 Reading, Writing, and Banned Books, we will examine: how students and critical thinking are impacted, what social constructs foster censorship, and how book banning affects society. In our critical reading and writing, we will explore why works with themes of race, racism, gender, sexuality, LGBTQ+, and memoir might become targets of a moral minority. We will evaluate how this practice creates disinformation and further marginalizes underrepresented communities.

  • Erik Esckilsen

    Would you call an ordinary snow shovel leaning in an art gallery a work of art? Artist Marcel Duchamp made that claim in 1915 with Prelude to a Broken Arm. The seemingly silly display, however, also leveled a critique of the art world and of the broader cultural forces responsible for World War I (underway at the time). Neither the world nor the art would ever be the same. Students in FYI: Reading, Writing, & Revolutionary Art Movements will encounter the work of Duchamp and other artists across a wide span of art history-from neoclassical painters to Japanese anime creators-to examine how art has shaped, and has been shaped by, its cultural contexts. Students will analyze art through multiple critical perspectives to gain a deep understanding of how art illuminates the challenges, joys, and wonders of the human experience.

  • Erik Esckilsen

    Would you call an ordinary snow shovel leaning in an art gallery a work of art? Artist Marcel Duchamp made that claim in 1915 with Prelude to a Broken Arm. The seemingly silly display, however, also leveled a critique of the art world and of the broader cultural forces responsible for World War I (underway at the time). Neither the world nor the art would ever be the same. Students in FYI: Reading, Writing, & Revolutionary Art Movements will encounter the work of Duchamp and other artists across a wide span of art history-from neoclassical painters to Japanese anime creators-to examine how art has shaped, and has been shaped by, its cultural contexts. Students will analyze art through multiple critical perspectives to gain a deep understanding of how art illuminates the challenges, joys, and wonders of the human experience.

  • Marianne Bhonslay

    Equal rights, equal opportunity, and equal treatment ¡ª three precepts offering a succinct outline for the ongoing and complex quest for social justice. According to the Center for Economic and Social Justice, ¡°Social justice also imposes on each of us a personal responsibility to work with others to design and continually perfect our institutions as tools for personal and social development.¡± This course explores the ways in which Twenty-First Century societies continue to strive for social justice and likewise examines the historical precedents that established the foundational framework for the inequities that continue to hinder essential progress. First-year inquiry students will consider issues from clean water, clean air, and climate refugees to racism and gender inequity. Through close reading of autobiographies, essays, and literary journalism, as well as close viewing of films and documentaries, students will read, write, and engage in the critical, analytical thinking process to address the ways to pursue and achieve social justice.

  • Fred Kosnitsky

    In this course we will use the Climate Crisis, perhaps the greatest threat to humanity, as our theme for exploring how we can use curiosity about any issue to create questions we want to answer, look for readings that will help us answer our questions, and use our writings to clarify and cement our understanding of these issues both for ourselves and to share with others.

  • Miriam Horne

    From movies to games to books and beyond, Zombies excite contemporary thinking because of their ability to stand in for angst around the environment, distrust of authority, and fear of economic turmoil, to name a few. In this class, we will examine the development of the gurgling revenant through history, psychology, literature, and even a little math as we seek to understand the power of this mythological being in society.

  • Miriam Horne

    From movies to games to books and beyond, Zombies excite contemporary thinking because of their ability to stand in for angst around the environment, distrust of authority, and fear of economic turmoil, to name a few. In this class, we will examine the development of the gurgling revenant through history, psychology, literature, and even a little math as we seek to understand the power of this mythological being in society.

  • Erik Kaarla

    This section of 102 (Reading, Writing and Musicology) will tap into the human passion of wanting to understand music, wanting to make music, and wanting to define music better. Whether you play an instrument or not – this course is for you! We all very much identify with particular genres of music, particular artists, and perhaps particular instruments – why is this? In this section, students will learn how to write about music and genres of music and also learn about the process of creative songwriting. Welcome to the world of musical creativity! Some of the questions to be explored in this section: How do we talk about music and how do we talk about culture? How do we talk about these two different structures at the same time? In addition to pondering these questions, we will explore musicology and other helpful theoretical frameworks for learning about music and music makers. The methods for studying music are limitless! What are some typical musical abilities and how can they be developed or enhanced? What are some basic connections between particular neurology and musical ability?

  • David Kite

    What do you want from life? Is real happiness possible? How do we find it both as individuals and within community? Centering on Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, this course will take a deep dive into the most important question using fresh ideas from contemporary philosophy, psychology and evolutionary biology. You will take up big questions about ethics and personal character, justice, intellectual and experiential growth, friendship and pleasure as you develop your own ideas about what makes for a good life.

  • Frank Robinson

    From Critical Race Theory to the death of George Floyd, from arguments for reparations to White Supremacist marches, and from Supreme Court definitions of equality to uncomfortable social media posts, race is a topic never far from risky conversation or public consternation. In this course we will explore our questions about race. What is race? Despite the civil rights movement 60 years ago, why is race still an issue? What are the stories about race in the U.S.? Drawing on autobiography, film, and history for answers — and more questions — the course will nurture the thinking skills of inquiry through reading, writing, and conversation.

  • Frank Robinson

    From Critical Race Theory to the death of George Floyd, from arguments for reparations to White Supremacist marches, and from Supreme Court definitions of equality to uncomfortable social media posts, race is a topic never far from risky conversation or public consternation. In this course we will explore our questions about race. What is race? Despite the civil rights movement 60 years ago, why is race still an issue? What are the stories about race in the U.S.? Drawing on autobiography, film, and history for answers — and more questions — the course will nurture the thinking skills of inquiry through reading, writing, and conversation.

  • David Rous

    Why are men allowed to get angry but not cry, while women are allowed to cry but not get angry? Why are men expected to lead, while women are expected to nurture? Why are little boys sometimes told to suck it up and deal, but little girls sometimes get hugged and comforted? Why are girls often given pink things, but boys blue things? Why do boys typically receive trucks and legos and toy guns at Christmas, while girls often get dolls or things with unicorns on them? Why are young men allowed to indulge their sexual appetite, but young women are encouraged to control theirs? And what are the rules for people who don’t fit into the traditional molds at all? In this section, we will explore why males and females are encouraged by society to do and be certain things, and why they are also encouraged not to do or be certain things. Through the lens of western popular culture, we will study how gender works and how it is changing in our times.

  • David Rous

    Why are men allowed to get angry but not cry, while women are allowed to cry but not get angry? Why are men expected to lead, while women are expected to nurture? Why are little boys sometimes told to suck it up and deal, but little girls sometimes get hugged and comforted? Why are girls often given pink things, but boys blue things? Why do boys typically receive trucks and legos and toy guns at Christmas, while girls often get dolls or things with unicorns on them? Why are young men allowed to indulge their sexual appetite, but young women are encouraged to control theirs? And what are the rules for people who don’t fit into the traditional molds at all? In this section, we will explore why males and females are encouraged by society to do and be certain things, and why they are also encouraged not to do or be certain things. Through the lens of western popular culture, we will study how gender works and how it is changing in our times.

  • Kelly Thomas

    Millions world-wide today share their lives with an animal they consider a member of the family. Why is that? How and why have humans developed relationships with other species for thousands of years? What roles do our furry, feathered, scaled and aquatic friends play in our lives, and we in theirs? Who “domesticated” whom? In this course, you’ll practice college-level close-reading and analysis as well as academic writing by investigating the emotional, behavioral and commercial aspects to human-animal bonding and its far-reaching cultural impact.

  • Kelly Thomas

    Millions world-wide today share their lives with an animal they consider a member of the family. Why is that? How and why have humans developed relationships with other species for thousands of years? What roles do our furry, feathered, scaled and aquatic friends play in our lives, and we in theirs? Who “domesticated” whom? In this course, you’ll practice college-level close-reading and analysis as well as academic writing by investigating the emotional, behavioral and commercial aspects to human-animal bonding and its far-reaching cultural impact.

  • Zachary LaMalfa

    In works of science fiction, we encounter alien ecologies and cultures, futuristic social orders, and “strange news words”–all inventions of writers’ imaginations. So why do these worlds always seem to have something to say about our own real-life cultures and societies, and the nagging questions of our times? This course will look at how sci-fi worlds are put together, and more importantly, why they’re put together in the ways they are. We’ll look at key texts by masters like Ursula Le Guin, Samuel R. Delany, Octavia Butler, Philip K. Dick, etc. And we’ll apply the lenses of psychology, environmental studies, history, philosophy, literature, and sociology, to better understand why the thought-experiments of science fiction have become such a large part of our cultural discourse.

Spring Semester

  • COR 103 | Navigating Your Information Landscape

    What makes an argument good or bad? What counts as evidence in our post-truth world? How can you understand and assess the truth value of a claim when you¡¯re not an expert? In this course you¡¯ll learn rhetorical strategies about how to examine arguments and types of evidence in different disciplines and fields of study. To help learn these strategies, you will do close readings of texts from a variety of disciplines in the liberal arts and sciences, popular culture, and social media.

  • COR 104 | First Year Inquiry (FYI): Making, Doing, and ____

    This course introduces you to interdisciplinary inquiry using applied, project-based, and/or experiential methods. Regardless of the specific course focus, you¡¯ll have opportunities for making and doing interdisciplinary knowledge creation through a variety of approaches and activities. You will collaborate with other students, iterate on ideas, and work to develop a project.

    You can explore the Spring 2024 FYI topics below. Please note that current and previous topics are not guaranteed to be available in future semesters.

  • Erik Esckilsen

    The central feature of any community is something shared¡ªsomething in common. For a community to thrive, however, community members must negotiate differences. What are the mechanisms by which functional communities bring people together across divisions? What are the barriers to creating inclusive communities? This course will examine a variety of communities, from students’ home communities to virtual communities to the ¡°global village,” to illuminate how diverse interests, power differentials, and the design of community spaces influence the health of a community. Students will engage in rigorous interdisciplinary research and critical thinking to understand the multifaceted nature of communities and, in one major course project, envision and design a better community.

  • Amy Howe

    How will you remember your generation as years go by? This course examines the nature of experience, archival work, and meaning-making. Together, we will draw on theories and ideas from anthropology, psychology, historical studies, and digital humanities to create time capsules of your moment in history.

  • Kelly Bowen

    This section is an interactive workshop in interpersonal communications. Through a series of seemingly simple group interactions: a tea party, a political debate, sending Valentines, we will dissect the layered and complex dynamics of human behavior. How do you conduct yourself, express yourself, and foster relationships? Starting on campus, this class will explore the mechanics of relationships and the importance of building tangible community ties. We will consider the societal benefits of developing strong personal and social connections. We will examine how human interaction has shifted in the digital age and discuss the personal and community impacts of the COVID-19 quarantine.

  • Erik Esckilsen

    The central feature of any community is something shared¡ªsomething in common. For a community to thrive, however, community members must negotiate differences. What are the mechanisms by which functional communities bring people together across divisions? What are the barriers to creating inclusive communities? This course will examine a variety of communities, from students’ home communities to virtual communities to the ¡°global village,” to illuminate how diverse interests, power differentials, and the design of community spaces influence the health of a community. Students will engage in rigorous interdisciplinary research and critical thinking to understand the multifaceted nature of communities and, in one major course project, envision and design a better community.

  • Erik Shonstrom

    Why does learning have to happen indoors? The tradition of outdoor education shows us that having adventures together teaches collaboration, self-reliance, and empathy. We can also think about what we gain when we break down walls – literal and metaphoric – and begin to interact directly with the world around us. Being outside changes us; learning is no longer transactional, but transformational. Plus, being outside is way more fun.

  • Amy Howe

    How will you remember your generation as years go by? This course examines the nature of experience, archival work, and meaning-making. Together, we will draw on theories and ideas from anthropology, psychology, historical studies, and digital humanities to create time capsules of your moment in history.

  • Kelly Bowen

    This section is an interactive workshop in interpersonal communications. Through a series of seemingly simple group interactions: a tea party, a political debate, sending Valentines, we will dissect the layered and complex dynamics of human behavior. How do you conduct yourself, express yourself, and foster relationships? Starting on campus, this class will explore the mechanics of relationships and the importance of building tangible community ties. We will consider the societal benefits of developing strong personal and social connections. We will examine how human interaction has shifted in the digital age and discuss the personal and community impacts of the COVID-19 quarantine.

  • Katheryn Wright

    Alternate reality games (ARGs) are a type of interactive narrative that connects actual and virtual spaces through stories and gameplay across multiple media platforms. Players usually encounter puzzles, find clues hidden in different locations and then, collectively, piece the information they learn together with others to create a story. We will analyze different examples and uses of ARGs and then work in teams to write ARG concept proposals. We will go through a selection process and, as a class, implement one or more of the games we propose on Champlain College’s campus.

  • Clint Bryant

    Storytelling is one of the essential elements of what it means to be a human. Yet, writing short stories is deceptively hard. How do we convey the narratives in our head onto the page? After you complete a first draft, how do you refine what¡¯s there? By taking an experiential learning approach to creative writing, the goal of this course is to understand the basic elements of writing a short story using our campus and local community as inspiration. We will read short stories, analyze narrative techniques, and use these to create a short story which you will workshop with your fellow students as your final project.

  • Katheryn Wright

    In this section of COR-104, you will be introduced to a new field of study: the Digital Humanities! You will learn how to think like a digital humanist by asking important questions, and experimenting with how to address those questions by drawing on different knowledge domains ranging from science and technology to philosophy, the arts, and communication. You will apply critical perspectives from the humanities and social sciences to a hands-on exploration of digital methods such as augmented reality, story mapping, and text scraping to name only a few possibilities. NOTE: You do not need to have any advanced technical skills in order to succeed in this course. It’s for anyone interested in learning about how you can play around with digital tools and applications to do cool stuff in the humanities and social sciences.

  • Erik Shonstrom

    Why does learning have to happen indoors? The tradition of outdoor education shows us that having adventures together teaches collaboration, self-reliance, and empathy. We can also think about what we gain when we break down walls – literal and metaphoric – and begin to interact directly with the world around us. Being outside changes us; learning is no longer transactional, but transformational. Plus, being outside is way more fun.

  • Cynthia Brandenburg

    From highly programmed childhoods and chronic digital surveillance, to the COVID pandemic, changing social norms and expectations, and the ubiquity of the iPhone, there are a multitude of factors that have impacted the reasons why Gen Z¡¯s experience of ¡°fun¡± differs from the generations that preceded them. In this course, we will explore how history, culture and society have shaped and reshaped what it means to have fun, what material objects are associated with fun, and why having fun actually really matters. Students will explore their own ideas related to fun and test their understandings by creating a series of pop-up events for the community that are intended to be, well, just for fun.

  • Stephen Wehmeyer

    From The Karate Kid, to Kung-fu Panda, from Mortal Kombat to Street Fighter and Enter the Dragon — Martial Arts intrigue us, excite us, terrify us and inspire us. This section takes an interdisciplinary approach to exploring multi-cultural martial arts in multiple contexts. We¡¯ll look at the philosophical, bio-medical, religious, historical, and cultural underpinnings of a number of martial and related fitness traditions. We¡¯ll explore their relations to systems of power and privilege, resistance and oppression. We¡¯ll have the opportunity to explore these arts at first hand – learning from experts in the local community, and consider those arts as systems of conflict resolution and embodied vernacular tradition. We¡¯ll examine the depiction of combat arts in popular culture and media and explore how a visceral understanding of these ways can open our minds and bodies to a deeper understanding of the cultures that create them.

  • Stephen Wehmeyer

    From The Karate Kid, to Kung-fu Panda, from Mortal Kombat to Street Fighter and Enter the Dragon — Martial Arts intrigue us, excite us, terrify us and inspire us. This section takes an interdisciplinary approach to exploring multi-cultural martial arts in multiple contexts. We¡¯ll look at the philosophical, bio-medical, religious, historical, and cultural underpinnings of a number of martial and related fitness traditions. We¡¯ll explore their relations to systems of power and privilege, resistance and oppression. We¡¯ll have the opportunity to explore these arts at first hand – learning from experts in the local community, and consider those arts as systems of conflict resolution and embodied vernacular tradition. We¡¯ll examine the depiction of combat arts in popular culture and media and explore how a visceral understanding of these ways can open our minds and bodies to a deeper understanding of the cultures that create them.

  • Katheryn Wright

    Alternate reality games (ARGs) are a type of interactive narrative that connects actual and virtual spaces through stories and gameplay across multiple media platforms. Players usually encounter puzzles, find clues hidden in different locations and then, collectively, piece the information they learn together with others to create a story. We will analyze different examples and uses of ARGs and then work in teams to write ARG concept proposals. We will go through a selection process and, as a class, implement one or more of the games we propose on Champlain College’s campus.

  • Stephen Wehmeyer

    From The Karate Kid, to Kung-fu Panda, from Mortal Kombat to Street Fighter and Enter the Dragon — Martial Arts intrigue us, excite us, terrify us and inspire us. This section takes an interdisciplinary approach to exploring multi-cultural martial arts in multiple contexts. We¡¯ll look at the philosophical, bio-medical, religious, historical, and cultural underpinnings of a number of martial and related fitness traditions. We¡¯ll explore their relations to systems of power and privilege, resistance and oppression. We¡¯ll have the opportunity to explore these arts at first hand – learning from experts in the local community, and consider those arts as systems of conflict resolution and embodied vernacular tradition. We¡¯ll examine the depiction of combat arts in popular culture and media and explore how a visceral understanding of these ways can open our minds and bodies to a deeper understanding of the cultures that create them

  • Isabella Jeso

    Do you love garment making? Do you love to explore justice issues, relating to labor practices such as livable wages, discriminatory practices based on gender, race, and culture? Do you love to explore alternatives for workers caught in the vortex created by such professional issues? If so, look no further! This course takes students on a learning journey, through relevant case studies from recent history in the garment industry, involving Latinx workers. Launching the course from Josefina Lopez¡¯ play, made into a film, about gender discrimination in the garment industry, you will explore relevant topics, using multi-media formats: texts, videos, film, blogs, podcasts. Collaborative learning, through small group discussions, will be conducted in every class meeting and on our Canvas Course site. Work through Google JamBoards and Google Shared Docs will add to our collaboration efforts. Students will also be treated to sewing their own chosen small but practical items such as these: scrunchies; jogging belt; body pillow case; fabric bookmarks; tech device cord keeper; (https://sewing.com/easy-sewing-projects-gifts-teens/). The course will culminate in a research project, asking students to integrate their semester-long takeaways. So, come have fun with your instructor, sewing usable things; reading, thinking, discussing, and writing, about labor justice and equity.

  • Isabella Jeso

    Do you love garment making? Do you love to explore justice issues, relating to labor practices such as livable wages, discriminatory practices based on gender, race, and culture? Do you love to explore alternatives for workers caught in the vortex created by such professional issues? If so, look no further! This course takes students on a learning journey, through relevant case studies from recent history in the garment industry, involving Latinx workers. Launching the course from Josefina Lopez¡¯ play, made into a film, about gender discrimination in the garment industry, you will explore relevant topics, using multi-media formats: texts, videos, film, blogs, podcasts. Collaborative learning, through small group discussions, will be conducted in every class meeting and on our Canvas Course site. Work through Google JamBoards and Google Shared Docs will add to our collaboration efforts. Students will also be treated to sewing their own chosen small but practical items such as these: scrunchies; jogging belt; body pillow case; fabric bookmarks; tech device cord keeper; (https://sewing.com/easy-sewing-projects-gifts-teens/). The course will culminate in a research project, asking students to integrate their semester-long takeaways. So, come have fun with your instructor, sewing usable things; reading, thinking, discussing, and writing, about labor justice and equity.

  • Isabella Jeso

    Do you love garment making? Do you love to explore justice issues, relating to labor practices such as livable wages, discriminatory practices based on gender, race, and culture? Do you love to explore alternatives for workers caught in the vortex created by such professional issues? If so, look no further! This course takes students on a learning journey, through relevant case studies from recent history in the garment industry, involving Latinx workers. Launching the course from Josefina Lopez¡¯ play, made into a film, about gender discrimination in the garment industry, you will explore relevant topics, using multi-media formats: texts, videos, film, blogs, podcasts. Collaborative learning, through small group discussions, will be conducted in every class meeting and on our Canvas Course site. Work through Google JamBoards and Google Shared Docs will add to our collaboration efforts. Students will also be treated to sewing their own chosen small but practical items such as these: scrunchies; jogging belt; body pillow case; fabric bookmarks; tech device cord keeper; (https://sewing.com/easy-sewing-projects-gifts-teens/). The course will culminate in a research project, asking students to integrate their semester-long takeaways. So, come have fun with your instructor, sewing usable things; reading, thinking, discussing, and writing, about labor justice and equity.

  • Amanda Young

    In a world brimming with diverse individuals, ideologies, and experiences, how do we bridge the gaps and form meaningful connections? What does it take to truly connect in an age where physical and digital interactions shape our relationships? This section offers a deep dive into the dynamics of human connection. Through interactive workshops, experiential activities, and collaborative projects, students will explore the art and science of forging bonds. Delving into the realms of psychology, communication studies, and digital humanities, we’ll examine the challenges and joys of connecting in a rapidly evolving world. From understanding non-verbal cues in face-to-face interactions to navigating the complexities of online relationships, this journey promises to enrich students; perspectives on the myriad ways we connect, relate, and belong.

  • Fia Moser-Hardy

    How do you find a story? How do you craft one? Why are stories important? What stories are yours to tell and which ones belong to others? Explore stories in a variety of ways: oral storytelling, personal narrative, journalistic investigation, retelling traditional stories through the written word, fictional stories, stories told through the creative and performing arts, and stories told through social media. Learn and recreate stories from around the world while discovering the stories that are truly yours to tell¡ªover and over again in a multitude of ways.

Core Division

Location

Aiken Hall, Room 300
163 S Willard St, 足彩胜负14场, VT 05401

Office Hours

Monday ¨C Friday
8:00 AM ¨C 4:00 PM

Contact Us