• The Colorado College Action Agenda
• A Sustainable Community: Funding Vision 2010

Vision 2010 is underway, and is stimulating palpable energy on campus.

The campus has a new look and feel – inside and out. “The most frequent comment I heard from parents and alumni during Homecoming is how striking the enthusiasm and excitement is around Vision 2010,” says Colorado College President Richard F. Celeste.

Sections

• Enhancing CC’s Rigorous Intellectual Experience
• Vision 2010’s Signature Programs
• A New Dean for a Bold New Era
• A More Diverse, Respectful Community
• Next-Generation Campus: Palmer, Packard, and Tutt Library Renovations
• A Sustainable Community: Funding Vision 2010 »

Enhancing CC’s Rigorous Intellectual Experience

The energy of Vision 2010 is evident in the excitement of a dozen faculty members who joined the college this academic year. Six new tenure-track faculty will be recruited this year to bolster our intensive teaching, one-on-one advising, and collaborative research with students. The flexibility of the Block Plan, now 35 years old, means that teaching and learning can take place just about anywhere: in classrooms and labs on campus; in the canyons and deserts of the American Southwest; in museums, theaters, and financial institutions on the east coast; and as far away as Antarctica, Nepal, and Argentina. CC students have unparalleled opportunities for rigorous intellectual adventure.

The college and its action agenda have generated buzz among prospective students, making CC a “hot school.” The stellar class of 2008, selected from the largest applicant pool in history, personifies one of the goals of Vision 2010: to attract an even more talented and diverse student body. Twenty percent represent American ethnic minorities; one out of seven were valedictorians or ranked in the top one percent of their high school classes; more than half were ranked in the top 10 percent.

More students receive deep-need financial aid, encouraging students from all economic backgrounds to enroll. These extraordinary students enhance the intellectual life of the campus and contribute to an increasingly diverse and vibrant community.

As part of Vision 2010, CC has increased student venture grants to support student research, student attendance at national conferences, and faculty-student collaborative research projects. Faculty members revisited the college’s curriculum, agreeing to both simplify and strengthen the general education requirements. “The new requirements give students flexibility in choosing courses, and permit them to experiment, build their own connections, and study off campus,” says Dean-designate Susan Ashley.

Vision 2010’s Signature Programs

Signature programs, like the Symposium, connect the rigorous intellectual experience of our students, faculty, and staff, with the wider community. For example, this election season, CC took a broad look at the presidency, the election, and the future of American democracy with the Sondermann Symposium, “The Year of the Presidency.” Speakers from across the political spectrum shared their views, predictions, and expertise with the campus and Colorado Springs communities.

The first State of the Rockies Conference, held last spring, took a closer look at what happens when one of the most spectacular and fragile regions in the nation is buffeted by major changes. The college unveiled the first State of the Rockies Report Card, a provocative commentary on the economic health of eight Rocky Mountain states.

As part of its Vision 2010, the college created a Partnership for Civic Engagement that promotes civic learning by establishing strategic partnerships between the college and its local, national, and international communities. “Students become effective citizens and leaders by developing intellectual and practical skills, competencies, and habits of mind,” says Professor Eric Popkin, director of the project. In addition, a new Public Interest Fellowship Program places CC students in paid positions with Colorado public interest nonprofits.

A New Dean for a Bold New Era

Next-Generation Campus: Palmer, Packard, and Tutt Library Renovations

The college’s efforts to create a 21st-century campus are visible in the remodeled “smart” classrooms, new common areas, and state-of-the-art equipment of Palmer Hall. Faculty, staff, and trustees rededicated this historic and beloved 100-year-old building during Homecoming. Next spring the campus community will enjoy an intramural recreation field and a xeriscaped sundial bench in the area north of Palmer.

Tutt Library’s south wing houses the new Learning Commons, an attractive, colorful space that combines the Colket Student Learning Center, the Crown Faculty Center, the Writing Center, the Quantitative Reasoning Center, and more. The commons serves as a “hub of learning for both students and faculty – a kind of intellectual hangout dedicated to the premise that all students and teachers can become better,” says Paul Kuerbis, director of the Crown and Colket centers.

Students attending art and music classes in Packard Hall, and community members who attend gallery showings and events, will appreciate the renovation and expansion of this landmark building now underway. Craftspeople also gave careful attention this year to the interiors of Arthur, Haskell, Max Kade, Mullet, and Cutler halls.

Continue to A Sustainable Community: Funding Vision 2010 »