for the Future of Burlington College

The Vision of Burlington College is to reflect the standing and the values of Burlington and Vermont and all that that entails: a strong sense of community; an intellectually-engaged population of students, staff, and faculty; progressive principles of inclusion, diversity, and integrity; creativity in the arts and an understanding of their role in our spiritual, intellectual and economic well-being; experimentation and innovation in our program design and curricular offerings; sustainable development policies and practices; and environmentally sound and technologically current facilities. Every aspect of the institution will be actively engaged in the community-based mission of the College as we implement our shared vision for the future.

Burlington College will establish a reputation as an innovative leader providing the individualized educational opportunities that people need, when they need them, in a form that is accessible to them. We will be known for our rigorous academic programs and their relevance to, and integration with, the local and global community, for our focus on teaching and learning, and for our student-centered, supportive environment that facilitates both independent study and a rich community of learners.

Enrollment management initiatives and strengthened student recruitment will contribute to significant improvements in the quality and quantity of applicants, improve their experience at the college, and increase our retention and graduation rates. We will set a college-wide enrollment goal of 500 (300 headcount by FY 2014). This will require a commitment to enrollment management principles throughout the College.

We will provide our students with the opportunity to contribute to, benefit from, and be fully engaged with, the broader community. Burlington will be our campus and students will design their education by integrating their strengths, interests, and skills with the needs, concerns, and opportunities of the community of their choice. A liberal arts college with a humanistic curriculum that emphasizes responsible citizenship and stewardship of the environment, Burlington College will offer a transformational experience for students, encouraging each of them to determine a unique path to a meaningful livelihood and an empowered life.

We will maintain a commitment to small seminar-style classes that encourage the discussional dialectic and a critical analysis of issues. Our students will have access to a wide breadth of academic disciplines and a diversity of perspectives through an expanded community faculty made up of practitioners in the fields they teach. Our faculty will be advisors and mentors first, working with students to understand their raison d’etre at that stage of their lives, and assisting them to determine what and how they want to learn and to design their most beneficial program of study. This could include organized classes, mentors, community resources, internships, and/or independent study.

We will continue to strengthen our interdisciplinary approach to the academic program, and that will be reflected in our structure, hiring, and degree offerings. In keeping with our community-based mission and civic-engagement goals, we will be broadening our existing curriculum in the academic disciplines of the social sciences, particularly in the areas of sociology, political science, history, and economics. By hosting public lectures and discussions, and participating fully in the life of the city, our Institute for Civic Engagement will be an influential conduit in public discourse and will foster the participation of our students in the community and our community‘s participation in the College.

We will review, appraise, and where appropriate, strengthen or re-evaluate existing programs. As we design courses of study, we will strive to reflect and to utilize Burlington’s and Vermont’s natural and human resources. We will develop new interdisciplinary majors that expand the reputation of “The Film School at Burlington College,” while incorporating elements of existing majors in Writing and Literature, the Arts, and Psychology. These will include majors in Documentary Studies and Expressive Arts. We will explore expanding academic degree programs to include BFA degrees.

We will establish a major in Sustainability Community Development that will draw on the wealth of local resources in all the fields that contribute to those studies. Subject matter will include, but not be limited to, social ecology, urban and rural planning, energy efficient design and construction, organic agriculture, environmental studies, and community revitalization. We will also offer global studies courses that educate our students about the global economy, trade issues and environmental concerns.

We will internationalize the campus through student exchanges and articulation agreements with other colleges and organizations, including an expansion of our Cuba Study-Abroad Program and an expansion of our international studies. We will continue our commitment to achieve more diversity among our students, faculty and staff.

We will respond to the city’s, the state’s, and the nation’s need for lifelong learning opportunities grounded in the real world economy. We will offer graduate certificates, more professional tracks, and continuing education credits (CEUs) that provide mid-career workers the opportunity to keep current in, or broaden, their areas of expertise. We will offer Masters-level degree programs. This move to graduate level will require our adherence to high academic standards, including more extensive library resources and terminal degrees and/or demonstrated excellence for all faculty hires.

Burlington College’s location on the edge of the Old North End, a neighborhood rich in history and growing diversity, and overlooking the Lake Champlain waterfront, is an intrinsic strength that has yet to be realized. We will invest in our campus and physically reorient ourselves toward the waterfront, while academically strengthening our ties with the community.

We will build a LEED certified building on the westernmost portion of our site, utilizing geo-thermal and solar energy, gray-water and green roof elements, and state-of-the-art energy-efficient materials and appliances. This new building will provide an open, multi-purpose space for large gatherings, several classrooms, studios and an art gallery, administrative, academic and student service offices, a student lounge and café. We will transform our campus into a community landmark with beautiful views and access to Lake Champlain. Walking paths with fitness stops, ecological interest, and beautiful landscaping are dotted throughout the property all the way down to the waterfront. We will work with adjoining landowners, the city and the Land Trust, to accomplish this urban retreat.

We will use this building project to take the opportunity to improve our instructional and administrative technology and our environmental integrity, renovating existing facilities in keeping with our campus-wide initiative to make Burlington College more energy-efficient. We will expand student housing and residential life opportunities.

We will continue to increase our donor base and our endowment, tripling our overall development revenues over the next five years. This will be achieved by expanding alumni support and involvement, increasing our involvement in and visibility to the local, state, and national community, and soliciting private and public grants.

This vision of growth and expansion is built on the foundation of a thorough and detailed financial plan that is bold, achievable, and adaptable to changing conditions. It anticipates ongoing and regular evaluation of all academic programs to ensure academic rigor, interdisciplinary focus and relevance in today’s global environment.

This is a moment of opportunity for Burlington College, as we implement a plan of significant campus improvement, expansion of academic programs and investment in graduate initiatives. The success of this vision rests on our recognition of this strategic moment. If we understand who we are, and who we want to be, and we are willing to embrace the momentum of a promising future, albeit with some risk, we will secure a place at the forefront of progressive education in the 21st century.

Respectfully submitted by:

Dr. Jane O’Meara Sanders
President

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