Dear CC Community,

The Colorado College Board of Trustees met on campus Feb. 27-28 for our regular spring meeting, during which we had important discussions about the strategic direction for CC, the challenges facing higher education, and the values that guide our decision-making.

The session began with a conversation with CC’s legal counsel about new executive orders impacting higher education and our community — focusing on the Board’s role in setting broad strategy, mitigating risk, and ensuring alignment with the Interim President and Cabinet. College policies and programming around equity, belonging, and nondiscrimination remain both central to our values and compliant with federal law. College Diversity Officer Rosalie Rodriguez and the Institutional Equity and Belonging team are dedicated to distributing resources and timely information to the CC community as we navigate these challenges.

We also heard more about the strategic vision and progress Interim President Manya Whitaker has led at CC for the last eight months. We’re grateful for her leadership during this transitional period.

The Board continued to discuss and evaluate the 2023 decision to withdraw from the USNWR rankings, within the context of our intended impact and current enrollment goals. Of note are the recent changes to the criteria used to assess institutions and the benefit that may have to CC.

We also had collaborative sessions focused on CC’s brand refresh, recruitment and enrollment for the Class of 2029, and refreshing CC’s core values. Faculty Executive Committee Chair Beth Malmskog shared updates on faculty governance, and board members will be meeting with the FEC later this spring. We broke up committee meetings with lunch at Rastall with members of the CCSGA Executive Council.

As a highlight of the week, we had the wonderful opportunity to see the world premiere production of In Her Bones at the FAC.

The board also discussed next steps in the college’s presidential search, and we will share those with the CC community in the coming weeks.

At the Thursday business meeting, the board:

Approved a 4.01% increase in the comprehensive fee — largely to support faculty, staff, and student compensation; address deferred maintenance of college facilities; meet the rising costs of wages and insurance; and support our commitment to financial aid. For full details, see the tuition & fees website.
Approved tenure and promotion to associate professor as of July 1 for eight professors:
- Mike Angstadt, Associate Professor of Environmental Science
- Baran Germen, Associate Professor of Film and Media Studies
- Christopher Hunt, Associate Professor of Religion
- Chet Lisiecki, Associate Professor of German Studies
- Aline Lo, Associate Professor of English
- Danielle Sanchez, Associate Professor of History
- Sarah Schanz, Associate Professor of Geology
- Jake Smith, Associate Professor of History
Approved emeritus status for five faculty members:
- Howard Drossman (1992), Professor Emeritus of Education
- Jean Gumpper (2015), Senior Lecturer Emerita of Art
- Vibha Kapuria-Foreman (1989), Professor Emerita of Economics
- Paul Myrow (1987), Professor Emeritus of Geology
- Esther Redmount (1987), Professor Emerita of Economics

Congratulations to these esteemed faculty members! Thank you for all you do to expand students’ perspectives, inspire their passions, and prepare them for meaningful lives and careers.

My term as chair will end June 30, as will the officer terms of our vice chair, Ryan Haygood, and secretary, Heather Carroll. The board elected a new chair and officers for these positions, and we look forward to sharing that news in the coming weeks.

If you missed the virtual town hall discussion on Tuesday, March 4, a recording is available here.

I once again left campus with a deep sense of gratitude for the people who make up the CC community and the immense value of our educational experience. Students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents and families: thank you for the role you play in our mission.

Sincerely,

Jeff Keller ’91, P ’23

CC Board of Trustees Chair

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