News Watch - Brief Article

Matrix: The Magazine for Leaders in Education, Oct, 2000

Champlain College, Burlington, Vt., is the first four-year, private college in the East to create a multifaceted fitness, intramural, outdoor recreation, and extracurricular program for its entire student body in place of its varsity sports program.

The goal of this new programming is to quadruple the number of students actively involved in activities on campus. The current varsity sports programs involve about 50 athletes of the 1,380 full-time and 1,105 part-time Champlain students. Champlain's major expansion of its activities and programs will ensure that a variety of student interests and desires will be met.

A survey commissioned by the college found that Champlain's students ranked leadership opportunities, fitness options, community service, and clubs related to their major higher than the presence of varsity sports on campus. In a separate survey of prospective students, the presence of honors programs, community service, a state-of-the-art recreation center, and leadership opportunities were rated more influential than varsity sports in the college selection process.

To house the college's new offerings, Champlain will build a multi-million dollar facility. The complex, still in the design stage, will include a fitness center with treadmills, exercise bikes, rowing machines, free weights, and more.

Champlain's three varsity sports teams--men's basketball and men's and women's soccer--will continue to compete in the National Junior College Athletic Association until the 2002-03 school year. The college will honor athletic scholarships given to its players.