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Returning and Transfer Student Residence Halls

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Email: [email protected]

Phone: 802.860.2704

Second-, third-, and fourth-year students can live in one of Champlain's beautifully restored Victorian-era mansions or in a bright and spacious contemporary residence hall. These welcoming and well-cared for buildings are all conveniently located on or near campus, just steps from Burlington's pedestrian-friendly downtown and waterfront. Transfer students are encouraged to consider Lakeview Hall, which houses a thriving transfer community.

Imagine living in your own private suite with a handful of close friends. You'll enjoy peace and quiet, incredible natural light, and amazing views in these apartment-style pods. Feeling social? Hang out in one of the main common areas where you can relax by a beautiful gas fireplace, watch a movie on a big screen TV, bring your console and play games with friends, or cook a meal in a fully equipped kitchen.

Built with the environment in mind, these new residence halls all meet the highest standards for LEED Gold certification . Some even use 100% geothermal energy for heating and cooling. All Champlain College residence halls have ultrafast Wi-Fi, live and on-demand streaming TV and movies, and are smoke- and substance-free, co-ed communities.

194 St. Paul

Number of Students

Types of Rooms

9 Studios, 20 Doubles, 37 Triples, 26 Quads, 12 Townhouses

Gyms located on the 2nd and 3rd floors, Laundry offered on all floors above the ground floor, and restaurants like Cafe Saint Paul  and Magic Chopsticks Noodle Bar located next door

Proximity to Campus

½ Mile to Campus

Outdoor Spaces

Courtyard with outdoor seating and gas fire pit

Common Spaces

Ground floor community room. Each floor holds one study room and one lounge

194 St. Paul is Champlain's apartment-style campus housing. While juniors and seniors receive priority spots, sophomores can apply as well! Just a short walk from campus, you'll enjoy the benefits of living on your own and being near campus, downtown, and Lake Champlain—plus, all your utilities are included! You'll love the views of Lake Champlain from the upper floors.

To learn more about 194 St. Paul Street, check out this article on the View !

308 Maple Street

Small residence hall for upper-year students (sophomores, juniors, seniors)

Across from main campus on Finney Quad

Finney Quad as its backyard

Common room

308 Maple Street is perfect for students looking for a cozy community-based home on Finney Quad that fits their lifestyle.

Adirondack Hall

Small building for upper-year students (sophomores, juniors, seniors)

Finney Quad as its front yard

Want to keep living in a residence hall with old-time charm? Adirondack Hall is a renovated carriage house known for its small, close-knit community of only 20 residents. Centrally located on Finney Quad, Adirondack has amazing outdoor spaces for lounging, studying, or kicking around a soccer ball.

Boardman Hall

Suite-style housing

Open during breaks

Up the street from main campus

One common room per suite

Boardman Hall is ideal for students looking for suite-style housing with the privacy of single rooms. Each suite has a common area, as well as its own washer and dryer unit. Located on Main Street only a short walk from campus, Boardman Hall also provides easy access to the Church Street Marketplace. Boardman is the place to be for students looking for an independent residence experience while also staying close to their friends.

Butler Hall

Environmentally friendly & LEED Gold certified

Common rooms on every floor, study spaces, kitchen

Settled right in the heart of Finney Quad, Butler Hall has a lot to offer any student. With its contemporary style and large interior, students enjoy the perks of such a modern residence hall. Butler Hall has some spectacular views of the lake, and provides its residents with many ways to hang out with friends with a shared kitchen, large basement, and common spaces on every floor. Plus, Butler has a front row seat to all activities on the quad like our yearly Spring Meltdown and Rail Jam. 

Cushing Hall

Upper-year students only (sophomores, juniors, seniors)

On central campus

CCM Building, Campus Shuttle Stop

Located on South Willard Street, directly across from the Campus Bookstore, Cushing Hall is the perfect place for students who want to be in the center of all the action on campus.

Yesterday and Today

Cushing Hall was built in 1872 for sisters Elizabeth and Susan Bigelow. Champlain purchased the house in 1962. It contained classrooms and faculty offices until 2005, when it was converted to a residence hall. The hall has been renovated to preserve its historic charm and add modern features for student comfort. From Cushing, it is just a short walk to the IDX Student Life Center, dining hall, fitness center, and academic buildings.

The building was named to honor Ruth Cushing, President C. Bader Brouilette's mother-in-law.

Juniper Hall

Bike storage, ski/snowboarding tuning room

Juniper Hall was built in 2012 on Finney Quad. This building—like its sister buildings, Valcour and Butler Halls—has single and double rooms, a fully equipped communal kitchen, a central fireplace, and a large first floor common room. Plus, it has a ski/snowboard tuning room and bike storage open to all students on campus.

Lakeview Hall

View of Lake Champlain

Common room and game room

Lakeview Hall is named for its best feature: the west-facing windows looking out over Lake Champlain and the Adirondack Mountains. It's definitely a view worth waking up to every morning. Approximately 80 students live here and take advantage of the wooden floors and colorful rooms. The game room in Lakeview has a pool table and a television, making it the best place to decompress with friends. Transfer students are often placed in Lakeview.

North House

Close to downtown Burlington

Three blocks

Located on South Willard Street just past College Street, North House is well situated in the Burlington Hill Section, only two blocks north of the Main Campus and close to downtown Burlington. This is a great location for students who want to feel connected to the Burlington community while still being a short walk to campus.

North House was designed and built in 1887 by the architect Alfred B. Fisher for Riley Stearns, a druggist, his wife, Jane, and their family. Champlain purchased the building in 1966. North House is a very short walk to downtown Burlington, nestled within a quiet neighborhood between the Champlain campus and Burlington attractions. Offering an ideal combination of personal privacy, comfort, and the traditional Champlain residence hall experience, North House is perfect for students who enjoy some space between home and their studies.

The house was named to honor Thomas and Virginia North, who had provided housing for Champlain students there prior to its purchase by the College.

Sanders Hall

Closest to Burlington's downtown

Two blocks from Main Campus

Located on College Street, Sanders Hall is nestled right in the Burlington Hill Section. Students can feel connected to the Burlington community and are just a short walk from downtown.

Sanders Hall was built in 1865 for the Turk family, who operated a department store on College Street in Burlington for many years. The family lived in the house until 1921, after which it served as a dormitory for the University of Vermont. Sanders Hall features rooms of all shapes and sizes, each with its own personality. Sanders Hall is a traditional center hall mansion with a recently renovated foyer and beautiful woodwork. It is ideal for students seeking a close community in a residence hall and convenience to Burlington's downtown scene.

The house was named Sanders Hall after Daniel Sanders, who was the first President of the University of Vermont. When the building was purchased by Champlain College in 1967, President C. Bader Brouilette decided to leave the name of the building unchanged.

Valcour Hall

Substance-free and gender-inclusive

One of the most well-known upperclassmen residence halls on campus, Valcour Hall houses 91 students. With designated gender-inclusive and substance-free housing opportunities and a spacious central common room with areas to play board games and ping-pong, Valcour is all about community. It's also the closest residence hall on Finney Quad to campus, making its location great for students who want a close-to-campus feel. 

Whiting Hall

Adjacent to Main Campus

Finney Quad, Side Porch

Common room, Small lounges on each floor

Whiting Hall sits directly on Finney Quad, adjacent to campus on South Willard Street. Students who call this hall home can enjoy the recreational activities and open outdoor space of the green to relax, work, or hang out with friends.

Originally constructed as a summer residence for prominent lawyer John Drew, this fully renovated Victorian-era mansion has maintained its charm and boasts beautiful original woodwork and three floors of student rooms. The Whiting family lived at this address until 1924, and the building was subsequently used as a home for a President of the University of Vermont, a UVM dormitory, and a private home before Champlain College purchased the house in 1967 and reconverted it to a residence hall. For several years, Champlain had a chapel in the basement of Whiting Hall, in the current location of the Student Health Center. The space has been renovated with a focus on accessibility and student comfort. The new design provides a common lounge, and a tower was renovated to provide ADA access to all levels. Whiting shares lawn space with McDonald Hall, and it has a large front porch. On warm days, you will find residents studying under trees or playing Frisbee with their McDonald Hall neighbors.

The hall was named by former Champlain President C. Bader Brouilette in honor of the family that had resided there.

The best thing about living on campus is the tight-knit communities that are built within the residence halls.

Want to learn more about Residence Halls at Champlain?

Inside Champlain's Residence Halls

Your New Digs: Apartment-Style Housing at 194 Saint Paul Street

It's Good to Be Back: Champlain College Contemporary Student Housing

Blast From the Past: Champlain's First-Year Victorian-Era Res Halls

READ MORE ON THE BLOG

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One of the chief purposes of residential life at Champlain is to provide a positive environment in which students can prepare for their careers. The College is firm in its resolve to maintain this positive educational environment, and expects all residential students to conduct themselves with the highest regard for their fellow students and for College policy as outlined in the College’s Standard of Conduct and the Diversity Value Statement. 

Residency at Champlain College is reserved for full time students.  Housing priority is given to Champlain College undergraduate students.  The opening and closing dates for residence halls follows the undergraduate calendar.  The privilege of enrollment at Champlain or residency in  housing may be withdrawn from a student at any time, on any grounds, if the College considers such action to be best for the welfare of the institution and/or the student. Disciplinary cases involving residential students will be investigated by the Office of Student Conduct and resolved in accordance with the procedure outlined in the section titled Conduct Review Process, unless the College decides to take interim or permanent action without following such process, as referenced in the Standard of Conduct.

Residential Life staff not only oversee the day-to-day maintenance of the residence halls and implement College regulations, but also provide valuable guidance and support to residential students. They are committed to creating respectful, diverse and inclusive communities. Very often they can quickly and directly resolve any concerns.

The major responsibilities of Residential Life staff are to get to know each resident and to actively help each resident become a part of the College community; to build a fun, responsible and engaging community among students within each residence hall; to develop a working knowledge of College resources and refer students to appropriate personnel when necessary; to discuss, clarify and enforce the College’s residential policies and procedures as published in these policies; and to be on duty and available in their residence halls 9:00 p.m.-7:00 a.m. daily. Residential Life staff are expected to perform rounds of the building when on duty.

In addition, Residential Life staff generally: attend workshops, training sessions and staff meetings; open and close residences before and after vacation breaks; and report maintenance, safety and security needs as they arise. Any information about the latter should be reported to Residential Life staff.

Outdoor bike racks are available in multiple locations . Bicycles may not be stored in hallways, near fire escapes or in any manner that might obstruct access to or egress from any room. There are two indoor, secure, bike storage facilities available to residents on campus in Juniper Hall and Butler Hall.  To request access simply email [email protected] .  All bikes should be taken home at the end of the spring semester.

Cleaning and Room Inspections

Students are responsible for cleaning their own rooms and any connecting bathrooms. Common bathrooms are cleaned by the College on a regular basis, but concern for other residents dictates that each student must clean the bathroom areas after each use.

To maintain standards of health and cleanliness, sheets and mattress protectors must be used on all College beds. Bottles and cans may not be collected in lounges or hallways and must be removed from individual rooms weekly. If you fail to do this, bottles and cans will be removed by College staff.

The College reserves the right to inspect a room at any time, reserves the right to immediately remove all health or safety hazards, and reserves the right to take any and all actions determined at its discretion as are necessary to further the College’s Standard of Conduct and/or student compliance with applicable law. The College staff conducts maintenance and safety inspections of students’ rooms in an effort to discover and repair maintenance problems in their initial stages and to prevent hazards from developing. Potential Standard of Conduct or legal violations discovered in the course of maintenance and safety inspections will be referred as deemed appropriate to College or other authorities.

Students will be charged for damages to residence hall furnishings and buildings beyond what is considered normal wear and tear. When specific responsible parties cannot be identified, any assessment of damages to common areas, such as halls, bathrooms and living rooms, will be apportioned among all floor residents or all hall residents. Similarly, when damages occur within a room, the person responsible will be billed accordingly. In the event that responsibility cannot be placed on a particular individual, the cost of repair will be shared by all residents of the room, floor or building. At the discretion of the Student Accounts Office, students may be suspended from classes for nonpayment of any bill.

Fire Safety in Residence Halls

• The College reserves the right to inspect a room at any time, and reserves the right to immediately remove all health or safety hazards.
• Candles and incense are not permitted in any residence.
• Cooking is not permitted in the residence halls outside of designated kitchen areas. Cooking appliances in student’s rooms constitute a fire hazard and, if found, will be removed by the staff. This includes all types of coffeemakers.
• Grills are not permitted at any residence hall except at College approved outdoor events.
• Sunlamps, immersion coils and extension cords are not permitted. Power strips are permitted.
• Students may decorate their rooms and residence halls, but real greens are not permitted and only UL-approved lights may be used. Lights may not be draped in doorways or hung from the ceiling or fire safety equipment, and they may not be used anywhere near fabric or paper decorations. The College reserves the right to remove any decorations that present a fire hazard. Extra furniture that presents a safety hazard may be removed by the College.
• All exits are to be kept free of obstructions.
• All fire escapes, extinguishers, alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are for use in emergencies and in supervised fire drills only. Their use for other purposes is a serious violation of College regulations.
• Halogen lamps are not permitted in residence halls.
• No drapes, flags, tapestries or other flammable materials may be hung from walls or ceilings in such a way as to interfere with egress from the room or the operation of a light fixture, sprinkler head or smoke detector.
• Torches and all types of lighters that emit a continuous flame are prohibited.

Students will be fined $100 for any violation of these regulations, including unnecessary discharge of a fire extinguisher or tampering with pull stations, smoke or heat detectors, emergency exits, carbon monoxide detectors or any life-safety device. Students who fail to exit a building during a drill or an unplanned alarm may also be subject to this fine or similar sanctions (if the responsible party is not identified, the fine may be levied against all building residents). Violation of these regulations may also be a violation of the College’s Standard of Conduct that will be handled under the College’s disciplinary procedures.

Fire drills in residence halls must be conducted once per semester with most students participating. The Campus Public Safety staff will conduct a fall training session for all students in each residence hall upon request. The procedure for running a fire drill is as follows:

• Each semester, Campus Public Safety staff will conduct one unannounced fire drill in every residence hall that will be timed by staff. The goal is for all students to exit the building within two minutes of the alarm sounding. Because students are not to know of the drill prior to its happening, the procedure is as follows: Campus Public Safety officer notifies the local fire department of the drill and then proceeds to the dorm and notifies the Residential Life staff of the drill and then immediately activates a pull station to start the alarm.
• A Campus Public Safety officer will arrive at the residence hall before the drill is initiated.
• A Public Safety officer will telephone the local fire department to report when the drill will begin, so the department can take the building offline.
• The Public Safety officer will activate a pull station only after being given clearance by Public Safety and/or Residential Life staff.
• In a planned drill or unplanned alarm, a Residential Life staff member or Public Safety officer will check all the rooms to make sure that all students have evacuated the building. Attendance will be taken at an outdoor waiting area by a Public Safety officer or Residential Life staff member.
• After the evacuation of the building is complete, the Residential Life staff member will help Public Safety silence the alarm and reset the pull station. The Public Safety staff will reset the panel and notify the local fire department that the drill is complete.

In the event of an unplanned alarm, please note the following:

• Everyone must evacuate the building immediately. No one may reenter the building for any reason.
• A Residential Life staff member should account for all residents at the designated waiting area. A Public Safety staff member or local fire department representative should be immediately notified if an occupant remains unaccounted for.
• Only after the local fire department establishes the safety of the building may residents reenter the residence hall.

 The College’s annual fire safety report is available at the Campus Public Safety and Security Office or online at http://www.champlain.edu/Documents/security/annsecreport2010.pdf

Any food kept in student rooms must be stored in tightly sealed containers. Food and beverages may be consumed in the lounge areas.

Furniture in common areas has been arranged by the College to provide the best setup both for the residents and for College functions. If you have an idea to make common areas better gathering places, discuss it with the Residential Life Office. Any changes must be approved by the Student Life Office before they are implemented. Students should not bring their own furniture, and lofts not provided by the College are not allowed. Lounge furniture is not to be used in students’ rooms or to be placed outside. Students may not make structural changes to their rooms. Air conditioners cannot be installed in student rooms, as this represents a safety hazard and a drain on electrical systems that are not designed to accommodate this.

Guest Privileges

The hours of room and lounge visitation are 9:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m., Sunday through Thursday, and 9:00 a.m.-midnight on Friday and Saturday. In all cases, students and their guests are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that does not intrude on the rights of privacy or significantly interfere with the normal residential lives of others. Students may be held responsible for actions of their guests; to the extent such actions implicate students’ responsibilities under the Standard of Conduct.

Overnight guests are permitted for no more than two nights and only with the permission of roommates. Students are required to notify residence hall staff whenever overnight guests will be present in the building. Please remind your guests of the following:

• Guests must be visiting a particular person in a residence hall. The person who is the host in the residence hall is responsible for the behavior of that guest.
• Sleeping in the common areas of residence halls is prohibited.
• The College may refuse entry to nonresidents or require them to leave the premises, at the College’s sole discretion.
• No one may live in a residence hall unless he or she is registered to live there through Champlain College. At the discretion of the residential staff, guests staying more than two nights in any one semester may be barred from further visitation in College residence halls.

  Mail

All residential students, excluding those residing in Spinner Place, have mailboxes in Cushing Hall. All official College communication will come via e-mail or the student’s mailbox. Spinner students may have their packages sent to either the Mailroom or Spinner but their letter mail should go to Spinner.  Students can come to the mailroom to receive their box # and code. Returning students have the same mailboxes as they did the previous year unless they moved off campus or studied abroad.  Students who receive a package too big for the mailbox will receive an email letting them know the package is ready for pick up.

All mail sent through the U.S. Postal Service will be delivered to student mailboxes Monday through Friday (there is no weekend or holiday delivery).

The correct mailing address is very important! Please help us deliver your mail by making sure people know your correct address.  All mail to residential students should be addressed as follows:

For UPS or FedEx make sure to use this street address below:

Student’s Name and Mailbox #

Champlain College

246 South Willard St.

Burlington, VT 05401

For U.S. Postal Service you can use either the P.O. box Address below or the 246 S. Willard address

We suggest you use the 246 South Willard Mail address if you are sending an U.S. Express letter overnight.

P.O. Box 670

Burlington, VT 05402

Students living at Spinner Place will receive mail and packages there. Please address mail as follows:

Student’s Name, Apt. #

25 Winooski Falls Way

Winooski, VT 05404

Reasonable attempts will be made to forward first-class mail to residential students during the summer months.

All residential students except Spinner Place residents are required to purchase meals under contract at the College dining facility (IDX Student Life Center) and are charged accordingly. The College believes that bringing students together for meals not only fosters new friendships and thus is an important part of life at Champlain, but also aids in providing better food service to all concerned.

Students must present an ID card at each meal; students on the full meal plan cannot transfer meals to others. Students are expected to behave just as they would in their own home or at a restaurant. Behaving in a way that disrupts or disturbs other people is prohibited, and violators may be evicted. Serious violations of dining hall regulations may result in the cancellation of your meal contract or disciplinary action; this inevitably means that you may lose residency rights as well.

Large parties may not be held in the residences. Instead, the College makes the IDX Student Life Center and the Alumni Auditorium available during evening hours for social functions. To coordinate events in these facilities, contact the Event Center.

Burlington residents are required by law to recycle the following items: paper (including cardboard), plastics #1-7, aluminum cans, and glass bottles and jars. Items should be reasonably clean. For full details on what can be recycled, go to http://www.cswd.net/recycling/ . Recycling of these items is the responsibility of residents as well as the responsibility of all faculty and staff. There are receptacles in the residence halls for these items, and it is expected that residential students will participate in the recycling program. Returnable bottles and cans may not be gathered in lounge areas or in the hallways.

Room Assignments  

Incoming students are encouraged to submit housing and/or roommate preferences via the Housing Assignment Preference form included in the College acceptance packet. The College will attempt to assign students based on their preferences in the order of Early Decision 1 accepted students first, then Early Decision 2 accepted students, then regularly admitted students, then transfer students. The same buildings are often chosen by incoming students, so it is not always possible to grant preferences. Roommate choices will be honored if both parties make the request to live together.

Returning students are assigned priority numbers in early April in order to select rooms for the following year. Priority numbers are based on the number of credits earned toward graduation. Detailed housing selection information is released each March and is available on the Residential Life Department Web page.

Students wishing to move during the academic year may do so at any time. Every attempt will be made to accommodate changes when appropriate spaces are available. Information regarding special accommodation room assignments can be found in the Accommodations section of this catalog.

Room Change Requests 

At Champlain College we believe strongly in the educational benefits of learning to live with others, and practicing collaboration and compromise. All residential students will complete living agreements with their roommates in the first few weeks of the semester.  The Residential Life Staff works with students to help mediate and resolve conflict. Steps towards resolution of conflict could include revisiting the living agreement or participation in discussion and mediation with support from Residential Life Staff. If it is determined that the best resolution for all parties is a room reassignment, students should see the Operations Manager in the Office of Residential Life. The College reserves the right to reassign students as necessary.  Students may request room changes by visiting the Department of Residential Life and filling out a Room Change Request form. 

Students are not permitted on roofs because of the danger of falling and because of the damage this can do to the roofs.  Additionally, students are prohibited from climbing on or rappelling from any College owned or operated buildings or structures.

Because storage space is very limited and students sometimes move from room to room during the year, individual room furniture may not be disassembled or moved without specific written permission from the Student Life Office. No space is available for storage of students’ belongings over the summer.

Study and Quiet Hours

When you are living in a community with other students and College staff, it is important to remain respectful of others at all hours of the day and night. It is expected that electronic devices will be operated at a reasonable, considerate volume at all times. Speakers or amplifiers may not be placed on windows or outside at any time. Quiet hours are 11:00 p.m.-7:00 a.m. daily, but courtesy is expected 24 hours a day. During exam periods, 24-hour quiet is required in all residence halls.

Suspected thefts should be reported immediately to both the Student Life Office and the Campus Public Safety Office. It is your responsibility to carry theft insurance on your property; the College does not assume responsibility for any personal possessions that are lost or stolen.

Students are notified prior to the beginning of each school year the dates that the College will close for breaks. Students are expected to adhere to these dates and vacate their residence hall rooms on time. Exceptions will only be made if requested more than 48 hours prior to the close time, and in cases of extenuating circumstances. Students failing to vacate on time will be subject to the College Conduct Review process, possibly resulting in sanctioning or fines. No storage of personal property is available, so all possessions must be removed at the end of the academic year or when you no longer are enrolled at the College.

Windows may not be used for entry or non-emergency exits. Students are encouraged to keep windows closed and locked when not present in the room.

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Blast From the Past: Champlain’s First-Year Victorian-Era Res Halls

First-year students at Champlain College live in renovated Victorian-era houses in the Hill Section of Burlington, Vermont. We were curious about the history of these beautiful buildings, so we went digging through the Champlain College archives in the Miller Information Commons .

On the corner of South Willard and Maple streets is one of Champlain’s most recognizable residences: Bader Hall.

This Italianate residence was built by A. B. Fisher for Edward Lyman, who owned a dry goods store on Church Street called Lyman & Allen. Lyman and his family lived in the house until his death in 1890. Lyman’s daughter, Minnie, and her husband, Robert Roberts (mayor of Burlington from 1899–1901 and again from 1912–13), moved in soon after. They lived in the home until 1940, when Roberts died.

Roberts willed the house to the University of Vermont (UVM), who used it as a dorm named Roberts Hall. C. Bader Brouilette, Champlain’s fourth president (1956–77), bought the residence from UVM in 1960, two years after he moved Champlain College from downtown to the Hill Section of Burlington. He named it Bader Hall after his mother, Edith Bader, and the hall became home to administrative offices for the next 20 years. Champlain’s library was even housed in the hall until 1964, when it was moved to the then-newly-built extension of Freeman Hall.

In 1980, Bader Hall was transformed into a residence hall, and went under an extensive interior renovation in 2012. Bader Hall is one of Champlain’s most centrally located first-year residence halls, just steps away from the Center for Communication & Creative Media .

McDonald Hall

Did you know that Champlain College has its own miniature castle on campus? The distinctive Romanesque Revival-style architecture of McDonald Hall was designed by W. R. B. Wilcox in 1897 for banker Charles P. Smith and his family. A carriage house was also constructed on the property around the same time.

Charles Smith’s grandson, Frederick Smith, was a financial advisor to C. Bader Brouilette. He advised Brouilette to purchase the Burlington Business College (Champlain’s former name) in 1956. Various members of the Smith family continuously lived on the property until 1979, which is when they sold the main house to Champlain.

The main building was named after its street address until 1989, when it was coined McDonald Hall in honor of Vice President of Admissions Vernon McDonald, who retired that same year after 30 years with the College. Champlain bought the carriage house in 2004 and renovated it in 2008 to become Adirondack Hall, a sophomore residence hall. Today, McDonald Hall is one of Champlain’s most popular first-year halls.

Whiting Hall

Did you know that at one point, the original owners of McDonald Hall also owned the house right next door? Whiting Hall was built around 1880 for attorney John T. Drew and his wife, Lucy. Drew died around the same time the house was completed, but Lucy resided there until Alfred C. Whiting bought the house in 1888. The Whiting family, owners of the former Whiting Brush Company on Pine Street, lived in the home until 1924, when they donated it to UVM. Then-president Guy W. Bailey resided there until 1940.

UVM converted the house into a dormitory named Elmwood Hall two years later. Frederick Smith—of the same Smith family who lived in what is now McDonald Hall—purchased the building in 1957 and used it as a private residence.

Ten years later, Champlain bought the house and converted it back into a residence hall. The building was named Whiting Hall after the Whiting family. In the 1970s and 80s, the hall also housed a chapel, classrooms, and the campus bookstore. It underwent extensive renovations in 2014 when an addition was built onto the back of the building. Now, the ground floor houses the Student Health Center and the rest of the building is home to approximately 40 first-year students.

Twins come in all different types and sizes—including houses! Hill Hall and Lyman Hall were built side-by-side around 1884 by A. B. Fisher for A. W. and J. W. Dunham, two lumber-dealing brothers. The two houses are nearly identical, only different in coloring and woodwork detail.

Elias Lyman, a prominent founder of the former Elias Lyman Coal Company, purchased what is now Lyman Hall in 1889. Lyman lived there until 1923 when Thomas Wright bought the home. Lyman’s descendant, Edward Phelps Lyman Sr., later served as a faculty member and vice president at Champlain. The College honors a faculty member each year in his honor with the Edward Phelps Lyman Professorship.

Edward Clarkson bought Hill Hall in 1920 and became a business partner of Wright and Frank Abernethy’s, of the former Abernethy’s Department Store on Church Street. Abernethy himself lived in what is now Bankus Hall.

Champlain acquired the two houses only a few years apart: Lyman Hall in 1968 and Hill Hall in 1973. Both buildings were named in honor of family members associated with the structures, some of whom had connections with the College. Edward Clarkson’s grandson, Ralph Nading Hill Jr., wrote the first history of Champlain College, “The Invisible College.” He was also a trustee of Champlain and donated funds to create a campus computer lab in memory of his father, Ralph Nading Hill Sr.

Carriage House

One of Champlain’s most unique buildings is a first-year residence hall nestled between Freeman, Wick, and Foster Halls: Carriage House. But this residence hall wasn’t originally built to be any kind of home. It was built by S. B. Saxe around 1894 and used to store carriages (and later cars) of the Presbrey family, who lived in what is now Schillhammer Hall—another first-year residence hall—from 1895 to 1921.

In the 1930s, Roland and Caroline Doane transformed the carriage barn into a private home. They taught French and Russian at UVM. During World War II, the Doanes sheltered refugee children of several Resistance fighters in Carriage House. They later moved to Birmingham, Alabama, where they were active in the Civil Rights Movement.

Champlain bought the converted carriage house in 1994, and it was used as the President’s House before turning into a residence hall. Named after its original function, Carriage House is Champlain’s smallest residence hall—only 14 students live there each year.

Jensen Hall

Did you know that before 1965, Champlain students didn’t have an on-campus residence hall? Instead, they boarded with local families while completing their studies. To fix this, Champlain purchased the building that is now Jensen Hall.

This beautiful, shingle-style house was built in 1888 by Burlington architect A. B. Fisher as a summer home for Lt. William Loomis of Chicago. Many different people have occupied the house over the years, including Walter Gates, city editor of the Burlington Free Press in the early 1900s. UVM bought the house and used it as a women’s residence hall in the mid-1900s. In the 1960s, Champlain was in desperate need of a residence hall for its growing student population, leading it to make the purchase from UVM in 1965. C. Bader Brouilette named it after Albert Jensen, his partner in the purchase of the Burlington Business College —later to become Champlain College.

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Champlain College Housing

Burlington, VT   |   Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above

Champlain College endeavors to be a leader in educating today's students to become skilled practitioners, effective professionals and engaged global citizens. Champlain's agile and entrepreneurial approach to higher education uniquely blends technology leadership, market savvy, innovation and fiscal responsibility with a commitment to liberal learning, community involvement and "the human touch." This distinctive approach permeates the delivery of relevant, rigorous student-centered programs in business, arts, applied technology and public service.

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On Campus Housing at Champlain College

158 south willard hall.

158 South Willard Hall offers double occupancy rooms. Features WiFi and cable TV.

194 St. Paul Street

194 St. Paul Street offers two-, three- and four-bedroom apartments. Features WiFi, cable TV, a fitness room and laundry facilities.

308 Maple houses the substance free program. Features WiFi and cable TV.

371 Main Street

371 Main Street offers double occupancy rooms. Features WiFi, cable TV and a common area.

396 Main Street

396 Main Street offers double occupancy rooms. Features WiFi and cable TV.

Adirondack Hall

Adirondack Hall features air conditioning, WiFi and cable TV.

Bader Hall features WiFi and cable TV.

Bankus Hall

Bankus Hall offers double and triple occupancy rooms. Features WiFi and cable TV.

Boardman Hall

Boardman Hall offers single occupancy rooms. Features WiFi, cable TV, a kitchenette and laundry facilities.

Butler Hall

Butler Hall offers single and double occupancy rooms. Features WiFi, cable TV, a common area and study areas.

Carriage House

Carriage House offers single, double and triple occupancy rooms. Features WiFi and cable TV.

Cushing Hall

Cushing Hall features air conditioning, WiFi and cable TV.

Hill Hall offers double occupancy rooms. Features WiFi, cable TV and air conditioning.

Jensen Hall

Jensen Hall offers double occupancy rooms. Features WiFi and cable TV.

Juniper Hall

Juniper Hall offers single and double occupancy rooms. Features WiFi, cable TV, a common area and study areas.

Lakeview Hall

Lakeview Hall offers double occupancy rooms. Features WiFi, cable TV, a game room, a living room and air conditioning.

Lyman Hall offers double, triple and quad occupancy rooms. Features WiFi and cable TV.

McDonald Hall

McDonald Hall offers double occupancy rooms. Features WiFi and cable TV.

North Hall features WiFi, cable TV and air conditioning.

Pearl Hall features WiFi and cable TV.

Rowell Hall

Rowell Hall offers double occupancy rooms. Features WiFi, cable TV and air conditioning.

Sanders Hall

Sanders Hall features WiFi and cable TV.

South House

South House features WiFi and cable TV.

Summit Hall

Summit Hall features WiFi, cable TV and a lounge.

Valcour Hall

Valcour Hall offers single and double occupancy rooms. Features WiFi, cable TV, a common area and study areas.

Whiting Hall

Whiting Hall features WiFi and cable TV.

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Dead baby found in garbage can outside Florida college dorm

A dead newborn baby was found in a garbage can outside a dormitory on a Florida college campus Sunday night, according to police in Tampa.

Just before 7 p.m. Sunday, police were called to McKay Hall at the University of Tampa after someone reported finding the dead baby, wrapped in a towel inside the trash can.

McKay Hall is a residential hall which accommodates about 160 first-year students, according to the university.

Tampa police said the body was taken to a medical examiner’s office for an autopsy to determine the cause of death and the baby’s developmental stage at time of death.

Police were also able to locate the child’s mother, who was transported to a local hospital. Her name has not been released.

“The loss of a child is always a tragedy,” said Tampa police chief Lee Bercaw. “As our department actively investigates this incident, we want all expectant mothers to know there are resources available.”

Florida has what’s known as a Safe Haven Law, which allows parents of unharmed newborns to anonymously surrender a child no more than seven days old to any fire station, EMS station, paramedics, firefighters or hospital staffed by full-time emergency medical technicians, no questions asked.

The university has not commented on the situation, but Fox 13 in Tampa reported students received a campus-wide text message warning of the investigation and to avoid the area near McKay Hall.

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