I’ve been a fellow of Champlain since I came to Trent University in 2003. Being a part of the community of faculty, staff and student members of the college, being involved in academic advising and college events, has been very valuable to me. Mainly I value the students whom it has been my pleasure to mentor, either through the Trent Global Living Community, the International Program (TIP), Trent Reads seminars, leadership work, or college activities. Students’ success is what makes my academic life meaningful.
Many of my Champlain and Trent colleagues were a part of a very important moment of my life: my partner and I were married in the cedar-lined courtyard between the Great Hall and the river in July of 2004. Yes, it was a beautiful spot for a wedding, but it was all the more memorable because our friends and families from around the world were welcomed here by our new Trent colleagues and friends.
The spirit of Champlain distinguishes us from the other Trent colleges, and from other colleges I’ve experienced. (At Cambridge University in England, I lived in both Selwyn and Newnham, where I was also a summer resident tutor). Champlain includes a remarkable range of people and perspectives, so it is no wonder that we’re known for being ready to voice our critical perspectives on significant issues. We’re also known for being fearless about taking a stand on controversial issues. And, perhaps because of the tradition of the Lumberjacks broomball team, or because it was Champlainers who pioneered this Trent campus when they moved in during the grey winter days of 1967, we have a reputation for being rugged and adventurous.
Champlain is inclusive of many characters and inspirations. The International Program’s (www.trentu.ca/tip) presence here, as well as The Seasoned Spoon café (www.trentu.ca/stuorg/seasonedspoon) ensure that the dynamism of Trent’s diversity is at the heart of college life.
Collegiality is a core principle of this learning community. College Fellows set Champlain’s collegial tone through the TRIPS (Trans-disciplinary Research In Progress Seminar). These faculty seminars bring together professors and instructors from across the interdisciplinary spectrum of the university to supportively share and develop research. Produced by the International Development Studies department, TRIPS provides faculty an opportunity to present their work-in-progress in order to gain the perspective and analytic insight of colleagues and peers.
The presence of departments like IDS, Politics, and Ancient History and Classics, also distinguishes the college. With that mix of globally-oriented departments, spanning the arts and social sciences, it was no accident that TIP was welcomed into the college as a part of a vision for internationalizing the experience of our entire community. Fellows from History, Anthropology, Environmental Resource Studies, Biochemistry and other science departments ensure our dynamism. Likewise, integral to a vision of the college as both a residence and a community of learning for students and faculty who live elsewhere, the Trent Global Living Community was established at Champlain; TGLC is not only a model for success for other LLC’s at Trent, but has a strong alumni tradition, with successful former residents all around the world. Likewise, the Active Living Community and La Maison Francaise are poised to lead the college in engagement and co-curricular learning.
My experience is that Champlain is home to people who like to accomplish things, whether those things are academic, athletic, social, or service to the world. We’re doers. That spirit harkens to a strong line in the tradition of liberal arts and sciences education: we are inspired by idealism, motivated to think critically and research carefully—and we are fully engaged in the real world. As the head of the college, I look forward to cultivating and supporting that spirit, and to fulfilling the potentials of this unique community of learning through engaging the interests and energies of the students and fellows of Champlain.
Let me know if you think I'm hearing and perceiving the Champlain you know!
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