Anarchist Dollars

Colleges have gone through many challenges since the pandemic has started, and few have escaped the necessary budget restrictions caused by falling enrollment.

Champlain College has recently announced that cuts need to be made to budgets because of the decline in enrollment in 2020. No program is immune, including those tasked with providing student support and implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

Stephanie Doan is the Student Resources Coordinator at Champlain and has observed some of the financial belt-tightening firsthand.

Some of the programs Doan works on include AHEAD Pre-Orientation Program, and the Champlain Achievement, Retention, & Excellence Program (CARE). She also does work with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, which is an office dedicated to raising BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) voices.

Spending among the departments at Champlain has become more deliberate. Many students worry about how this will affect them and the offices meant to support them. However, Doan believes that Champlain College is spending in the best interests of its students. “The priority in spending has been focused on what we can provide to support students' needs right now,” Doan stated.

Students who identify as part of the minority have nothing to worry about, according to Doan. It’s Champlain’s mission to give care to the students who need help the most, even other parts of the campus are pitching in. “The Counseling Center and Student Health Center have been making efforts to bridge some of the gaps in services for underserved populations, especially in BIPOC students,” Doan said.

She noted that there will still be many resources available to students they can rely on besides ODI. And while plans for the ODI are uncertain in terms of budget and staff, individuals involved believe progress is being made. ODI is in the process of looking for a new Associate Director.

By Eva Colabatistto, Giana Delossantos, Harper Bennett.

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