Two female students smiling on campus

Congratulations and Welcome to Champlain College!

Thank you for choosing Champlain College Online (CCO) as you pursue your educational and career goals. Our team will be here to support you every step of the way.

Plan For Your Success

We know you’re excited to get started - and we’re excited to welcome you to the Champlain College community! As you prepare for your program, start by reviewing the following success strategies and be sure to talk through your plans and any questions you may have with your Academic Advisor.

  • Let's start with the fun part! Jot down some of your primary motivations for starting on this academic journey. Consider the reasons why you are here, at Champlain, at this time! If you need some help getting excited, review your program's webpage and read more about connected careers, courses and their descriptions, and what advancing your education can do for you.  These notes will help guide your planning conversations with your Academic Advisor. Our goal is to help you make the best use of any timeline decisions and elective selections allowed in your program. 
  • Note term start and end dates and map any of your own work, financial, family, or leisure commitments that intersect with the semester schedule. Now is a great time to connect with our Compass Student Services team if you have payment or financial aid related questions: compass@champlain.edu 802-860-2777.
  • Draft a weekly schedule. Each semester is divided into 2 accelerated terms (7 weeks for undergraduate classes and 8 weeks for graduate classes). Within the quick timeline, each class earns 3 credits per class. CCO's asynchronous format is instructor-led and the learning objectives are taught and assessed through weekly participation in discussions and assignments. To get the most out of each class, you will need to dedicate significant time to your studies each week. Listen to the advice from CCO students and plan ahead! 
  • Set up your space. You won't have to commute to campus but please do take some time to ensure you are ready to "arrive" on day 1. Review the technology requirements and consider ways to manage your space so that you can focus, think, and learn.
  • Get connected! Learn more about your fellow classmates and start building your Champlain community today.

New Student Checklist

Once enrolled, you will receive an introductory email from your advisor. If you have any questions about starting classes, juggling school, work, and family, or anything else, your advisor is your go-to person. They’re here for you. To get to know all our advisors and get specific contact information, head over to our Student Support page.

As a newly enrolled student at Champlain College Online there are a few things you need to do before you can start your classes. To fully prepare yourself for your first term at Champlain, follow the checklist below.

In the days after being registered you will receive an automated email directing you to activate your Champlain College account. This account will provide you login access to all Champlain College resources including your Champlain College email, your Canvas classroom, Self Service (where you can check your program requirements, class schedule, grades, etc.), Brainfuse 24/7 online tutoring, and more.

If you have not received the activation email or cannot locate it, you can refer to the following instructions: activate your account or reset your password

If your account is locked or you need further assistance please contact Champ Support at 802.860.2710 or champsupport@champlain.edu.

You will receive a second email letting you know that your email address has been set up (video tutorial linked here). Official email will be sent to your Champlain College email account; any requests you make to alter your academic record in any way (ie, withdraw from a class) must originate from your Champlain College email account. Therefore, it is critical that you create this account by doing the following:

  • Log out of any personal gmail accounts
  • Proceed to gmail.com 
  • Sign in with your username (your full Champlain College email  address: firstname.lastname@mymail.champlain.edu) and password.

Login to Self-Service, open Student Planning and view "My Progress" to review your requirements. You can lookup class descriptions and schedule offerings, see any transfer credits applied, and confirm your registered class schedule. 

You can also view payment options in Student Self-Service and the Student Accounts Office will send instructions on your payment options to your Champlain College email address. Be sure to set up payment to stay enrolled. Helpful "How To" videos linked here.

Your Academic Advisor looks forward to talking with you about your program requirements, your goals and any questions you may have about learning online. The link to their meeting scheduler can be found in your welcome email. Please also refer to this page to locate their contact information

This is an important step. Prior to starting your first class at Champlain College, you are expected to complete two free, self-paced orientation tutorials that will help you prepare for your class(es). Log-in to the Canvas online classroom, click "courses" and then select "all courses" to locate the required orientations. 

Locate the many resources, questions and answers available to you through the Current Students page. If you aren’t able to find what you need, your Academic Advisor is here to help get you to the right place. Reminder, schedule your first academic advising meeting if you haven't yet. 

The Champlain College library is not only a brick and mortar building full of people and books, but also a digital resource providing access to material that will help you complete your work. Often times, materials needed for classes are provided via our library meaning fewer textbooks are required. Our award-winning librarians are experts in the research process and are available by phone, chat or email to help you succeed. 

24/7 online tutoring is offered to all Champlain College students through Brainfuse Tutors. You can meet virtually with a tutor, post a question, get study materials, view tutorials, submit a paper or career documents (like your resume) for review, and more. All you need to get started are your Champlain College login credentials. 

If you have a documented disability that could substantially limit your ability to be successful in the online classroom, you may request reasonable academic accommodations through the College's Office of Accessibility.

3-4 weeks before your first class, your academic advisor will remind you to:

  • Confirm textbook requirements via the Online Bookstore. Gather required materials and locate any additional Digital Library resources
  • Preview your course syllabus
  • Connect with the Office of Accessibility if you have a documented disability that could substantially limit your ability to be successful in the online classroom you could be eligible for academic accommodations

You’ll be invited to attend a Meet & Greet for all new students approximately 2 weeks before the start of your first class. This is a fun opportunity to meet the team of Advisors, say hello to fellow classmates, and participate in a live Q&A session. If you're not able to attend, don’t worry—all of the information you need will be included in the New Student Videos sent along with the invitation.

Sometimes things just don’t work as easily as they should. For information and tutorials explore the Champ Support Wiki. If you are experiencing technical issues, please reach out to Champ Support at 802.860.2710 or champsupport@champlain.edu.

Champlain College recognizes that transgender, non-binary, and/or gender-nonconforming students may not use the name that they were assigned at birth, as it does not reflect their identity. We also recognize that, for a variety of reasons, students may not wish to go through a legal name change—or may be in the middle of doing so—but don't want to use their dead name in class and on campus in the meantime. To accommodate this, the College has staff in place to assist students who wish to update their email addresses, academic class listings, and ID cards with their chosen name.

To inquire about or begin the process of updating an email address, academic class listing, and ID card, please complete the Chosen Name Request Form. Students wishing to learn more about the specific scope of this option before completing the form should contact Lisa Mazzariello at mazzariello@champlain.edu, located in IDX Student Life Center 315.