{"id":15624,"date":"2020-04-30T09:00:36","date_gmt":"2020-04-30T15:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.coloradocollege.edu\/bulletin\/?p=15624"},"modified":"2020-06-10T17:03:12","modified_gmt":"2020-06-10T23:03:12","slug":"from-building-on-the-block-to-exploring-the-planet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.coloradocollege.edu\/bulletin\/2020\/04\/from-building-on-the-block-to-exploring-the-planet\/","title":{"rendered":"From Building on the Block to Exploring the Planet"},"content":{"rendered":"

CC Wishes President Jill Tiefenthaler P’21, P’24 Bon Voyage<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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The end of President Jill Tiefenthaler\u2019s nine-year tenure at Colorado College has taken an unexpected turn. <\/strong>On Jan. 14, Tiefenthaler announced her Aug. 1 departure to serve as the chief executive officer of the National Geographic Society, assuring sustained momentum in current initiatives, and reflecting on her time serving as president, which she described as \u201cthe greatest honor and joy of my long career in higher education.\u201d In recent months, teamwork and engagement have taken on a new meaning for Tiefenthaler and the CC community.<\/p>\n

As concerns around the Coronavirus heightened, Tiefenthaler and her leadership team made the difficult decisions to switch to distance learning for Blocks 7 and 8 and summer classes to minimize the spread of the virus. But the president is just as committed to the CC community as ever before as she finishes her final few months with the college. Tiefenthaler\u2019s leadership has resulted in record fundraising achievements, increased community involvement, sustained expansion of campus resources, and access initiatives designed to serve dynamic, high-promise learners.<\/p>\n

Tiefenthaler\u2019s expertise on the economics of higher education has taken her across the country and the globe to speak on the topic. She has implemented transformative changes in financial aid and admission to increase access at CC, including the Colorado Pledge, Stroud Scholars, and the new test-optional admission policy.<\/p>\n

These impressive initiatives are backed by countless hours of community discussion and collaboration. \u201cJill is one of the great listeners I\u2019ve met. She gathers all viewpoints and uses them to inform her decisions, and made the effort with alumni of all ages. I feel so grateful for her dedication and connection,\u201d says Chris Schluter \u201965<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Year One and Beyond<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Tiefenthaler dedicated her first year at the college to soliciting input, which she called her \u201cYear of Listening.\u201d This ultimately yielded \u201cBuilding on the Block,\u201d CC\u2019s strategic plan. Reflecting on the many changes Tiefenthaler brought to life during her tenure, Director and Associate Professor of Feminist & Gender Studies Heidi Lewis says, \u201cI shook up the campus in so many ways alongside Jill Tiefenthaler and most often with her support. And we\u2019ve disagreed, laughed together, and lots in between. She\u2019s been an incredible mentor, and I\u2019m glad I got to bear witness and help move the needle.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tiefenthaler also experienced the Block Plan firsthand as a professor, co-teaching each year with her husband, College Research Professor Kevin Rask. Students who took their upper-level Economics of Higher Education course attended field trips to University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Pikes Peak Community College, the Colorado Department of Higher Education, and the State Capitol to learn from experts in the field and better understand public, private, and community college stakes in higher education.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a professor, she encouraged us to ask difficult questions and facilitated an exciting and fast-paced classroom environment,\u201d reflects student trustee Lily Weissgold \u201920<\/strong>, who took Tiefenthaler and Rask\u2019s course her junior year. That year, Weissgold also attended the COP-24 climate conference with Professor Mark Smith\u2019s Economics of International Climate Policy course, along with Tiefenthaler, Provost Alan Townsend, Director of Sustainability Ian Johnson, and trustees Marc St. John \u201980, P\u201917<\/strong> and Kishen Mangat \u201996<\/strong> in Katowice, Poland. \u201cPart of what makes Jill so phenomenal is her connection to students both in and outside of the classroom,\u201d says Weissgold. \u201cShe cares about so many issues, but most importantly, she cares about people, about learning as a community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Student engagement has always taken priority for Tiefenthaler. She hosted regular open office hours and a President\u2019s Council that met each block to discuss key issues for students on campus, in addition to attending countless athletics competitions, plays, music, and arts performances, and many other student events. She could even be found at Tutt Library handing out study snacks during fourth week. \u201cCC students are inspiring. They\u2019re imaginative, hard-working, and funny. It\u2019s been a true privilege to get to know them,\u201d says Tiefenthaler.<\/p>\n