{"id":17475,"date":"2022-01-31T11:29:33","date_gmt":"2022-01-31T18:29:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.coloradocollege.edu\/bulletin\/?p=17475"},"modified":"2022-01-31T11:29:33","modified_gmt":"2022-01-31T18:29:33","slug":"the-presidents-message-how-can-we-do-what-we-do-better","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.coloradocollege.edu\/bulletin\/2022\/01\/the-presidents-message-how-can-we-do-what-we-do-better\/","title":{"rendered":"The President\u2019s Message: How can we do what we do better?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dear Alumni, Parents, and Friends,<\/p>\n

In Just Over Six Months At Colorado College, I have learned that community is everything.<\/p>\n

We felt joy in the air as students, faculty, and staff gathered on Tava Quad for Opening Convocation on the first day of classes. That day \u2014 the beginning of a new academic year \u2014 is no doubt meaningful every year. However, after months of lockdown and virtual interactions due to the pandemic, we came together on dewy grass, shaded our eyes under the magnificent Colorado sun, heard inspiring speeches, and started our year together. It was magical.<\/p>\n

Since then, I\u2019ve seen that the rhythm and hum of CC centers on engaging with one another. It\u2019s in a heated but collegial class debate and in laughter from students in hammocks on the quad. It\u2019s in a captivated audience taking in the dynamic moves and energy of Dance Workshop performers and in cheering on our myriad sports teams. The connections made while studying in Tutt Library, over lunch in Rastall Caf\u00e9, supporting one another in faculty and staff meetings, or while making music in Packard Hall are our lifeblood.<\/p>\n

Of course, it helps that CC students are magnetic. They pull together, find their passions, and share them in a way that draws you in as well. I\u2019ve had fabulous discussions with our CC Student Government Association, the student leaders in President\u2019s Council, student-athletes, student Title IX leaders, our esports teams, and CC EMS, among many others.<\/p>\n

While this connecting seems to happen organically, this year we are also intentionally engaging to explore a big question: How can we do what we do better?<\/strong> <\/em><\/p>\n

Under the coordination of Professor and former Dean Susan Ashley, groups are meeting across campus to consider ways this already great institution can be even better. This effort, called Project 2024, will determine the \u201cwhat\u201d this year, the \u201chow\u201d next year, and, in 2024, we will do it.<\/p>\n

Fifty-one years ago, our faculty, staff, and students innovated in a similar manner, and the Block Plan was born. Then, the question was about how we could teach better. The Block Plan used time \u2014 and faculty dedication \u2014 to create an immersive, supportive, and expansive education, centered on our core, the liberal arts. Our classes have been riffing on that, stretching the possibilities and flexibility within that framework, ever since.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m excited to ponder the possible \u201cwhat\u201d of Project 2024. Will it be about time, attention, and how we spend it? Access? Inclusion? Social justice? Mental health? The environment? Some innovation we haven\u2019t even dreamed of yet? With CC\u2019s great, creative minds and a connected community, anything is possible. As themes and ideas bubble up, we will plan ways in which alumni, families, and friends can engage in and further this important work.<\/p>\n

While coming together now involves masks and distancing, this is a community that feels it is worth it. Requiring vaccinations, COVID tests, and masks allowed us to bring alumni and families to campus in October for a beautiful Homecoming and Family Weekend. Under those same protocols, Tigers fans cheer in the new Ed Robson Arena, choirs sing, and most important, classes gather for life-changing teaching, learning, and sharing. I am grateful to all who have worked so hard to make that possible.<\/p>\n

The CC community is strong, caring, and far-reaching. Alumni tell me they bump into other CC grads wearing their \u201cColorado College\u201d apparel in airports, on hiking trails, in cities, and even on remote islands. Even if one graduate is from the Class of 2021 and another is from the Class of 1972, there\u2019s an immediate rapport, and probably a good conversation to be had.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s CC\u2019s community. It is here, it is spread across this globe, and it is a force for good. I am thrilled to be part of it.<\/p>\n

Sincerely,<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

L. Song Richardson, President<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dear Alumni, Parents, and Friends, In Just Over Six Months At Colorado College, I have learned that community is everything. We felt joy in the air as students, faculty, and staff gathered on Tava Quad for Opening Convocation on the first day of classes. That day \u2014 the beginning of a new academic year \u2014…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1496,"featured_media":17508,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[121],"tags":[91],"class_list":["post-17475","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-winter-2021-22","tag-from-the-president"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/sites.coloradocollege.edu\/bulletin\/files\/2022\/01\/3_RS73198_DSC08944.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.coloradocollege.edu\/bulletin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17475","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.coloradocollege.edu\/bulletin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.coloradocollege.edu\/bulletin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.coloradocollege.edu\/bulletin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1496"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.coloradocollege.edu\/bulletin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17475"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/sites.coloradocollege.edu\/bulletin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17475\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17580,"href":"https:\/\/sites.coloradocollege.edu\/bulletin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17475\/revisions\/17580"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.coloradocollege.edu\/bulletin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17508"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.coloradocollege.edu\/bulletin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17475"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.coloradocollege.edu\/bulletin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17475"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.coloradocollege.edu\/bulletin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17475"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}