Around the Block – Continued Learning

Anonymous Gift Establishes Manya Whitaker Professorship in Education at Colorado College

ID: the front of Tutt Library with an orange roof, trees and the walkway leading to the building.

Photo by Lonnie Timmons III
By Caryn Maconi

Two anonymous alumni donors have donated $2 million to Colorado College to establish the Manya Whitaker Professorship in Education, the first endowed professorship for CC in the Department of Education. The professorship will be awarded for the first time in the 2023-24 academic year.  

Endowed faculty positions recognize CC’s most impactful faculty members — those who embody the spirit of engaged teaching and learning on the Block Plan. These positions provide leading faculty with the funds and freedom to go above and beyond in their daily work, and to innovate new ways of teaching that bring subject matter to life.

The position is named in honor of Manya Whitaker, associate professor of education, who is also executive vice president and chief of staff. Whitaker made a significant impact on the donors during their time at CC, and they credit her classes with fostering their passion for social justice and educating youth.

Beyond the Land Acknowledgement

An upcoming online course explores land acknowledgements, the occupation of Native nations, and the role of higher education.

The course descriptor provides background on the role of land acknowledgments in organizations: “Land acknowledgements have become a powerful introduction to convocations, graduations, meetings, conferences, and more. Despite the intent, institutions must challenge themselves to move away from performative acts and move into commitments of real transformative change.”

In this e-course, you will gain actionable ideas and concepts for how to move beyond a performative land acknowledgement and towards genuine relationships with Native community members. Megan Red Shirt-Shaw discusses her research into how education institutions received their land, and the steps institutions can take for land-based reparations including returning institutional land back to Native nations or if this is not possible, providing free higher education to Native students whose traditional homelands the institution sits upon.

For more information please visit the website. If you plan to register for the course, please contact Juvi Mallari.

COVID-19 Tests Available for Students               

Self-test kits are available to students in the Loomis, South, Mathias, and Hybl lobbies. These tests are in freestanding boxes for students to grab-and-go and will be refilled as needed.

Isolation spaces are limited and being prioritized for situations in which the student or their roommate have a documented medical condition that places them at risk for severe disease. Any additional isolation spaces will be allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis.  

Please review the COVID-19 Information webpage under the “Symptomatic Testing,” “Asymptomatic Testing,” and “Isolation” sections for more comprehensive information.

Strategies for Staying Emotionally Healthy During the Holiday Season

ID: the inside of a building, a stairway with plants around the outside

Photo by Katya Nicolayevsky ’24
As Fall and Winter Breaks quickly approach, we are mindful that returning home or spending extended time with family can be a source of stress for many people. We encourage everyone to create plans for well-being in advance of the break. Some ideas to consider:

  • Develop a strategy for managing stressful conversations. Spending time with family often means navigating difficult conversations around sensitive topics. Set yourself up, as best you can, by thinking about how you may react to divisive or hurtful conversation. Connect in advance with those who offer support, plan how you might de-escalate tensions, and know it is alright to step away when you need to engage in self-care. It can also be helpful to try to focus on shared values and viewpoints, and to plan shared fun activities so that you are making new positive memories together.
  • Establish realistic goals. Although family dynamics can change, it can take time. Recognizing that it might not be realistic to change your uncle’s mind about a topic might allow you to set a goal that is realistic, like agreeing to disagree, or finding a common underlying value. Entering a conversation with a goal of sharing views rather than convincing others of your viewpoint can take pressure off and ease tension.  
  • Plan time for yourself. Ensure you make time to do things that reduce stress, make you feel calm, or spark joy. Some options might include listening to your favorite music, taking a walk, stargazing, or reading a book for pleasure. If you’ve planned for these activities, you can also use them when you need to step away from stressful interactions.
  • Maintain healthy routines and habits. Whenever we change locations or go somewhere “on break,” the routines that keep us grounded and healthy often go out the window. Spend some time prior to the break thinking about the routines and habits that you want to keep while away. Some examples might include prioritizing sleep, getting regular physical activity, engaging with meditation, mindfulness, or yoga practices.

Activities and Info for Students Staying on Campus During Breaks

The Office of Campus Activities, in conjunction with many campus programming partners, puts together a wide variety of fun and free (or inexpensive) activities for students to take advantage of should they be staying on campus or in town during  breaks. All activities are designed to help students rest, relax, and rejuvenate as well as (re)connect with themselves, each other, and the local area. These activities are shared with students via the Block Break Digest email, posted to the Campus Activities website, and advertised on various campus Instagram pages. 

Find out more about programming partners and the variety of offerings on the Campus Activities website. If you have suggestions or ideas for events, or need support getting connected, reach out to campusactivities@coloradocollege.edu.

Fall Break Hours for the Adam F. Press Fitness Center
Wednesday, Nov. 16: 6:30-9 a.m. and 12:15-7 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 17: 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 18: 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 19 – Friday, Nov. 25: CLOSED
Saturday, Nov. 26: 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 27: 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m. (Normal operating hours resume)
Fall Break Hours for Campus Safety
Campus Safety is available 24/7 and will have Safe Ride shuttles available within 1.5 miles of campus.  
Fall Break Hours for the Student Health Center 
Monday, Nov. 14: 8 a.m.-7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 15: 8 a.m.-7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 16: 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 17: 12-5 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 18: 12-5 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 19- Saturday, Nov. 26: CLOSED
Sunday, Nov. 27: 12-3 p.m.
Open regular hours beginning Nov. 28.
Nearby Optum Urgent Care is available for medical care needs.

CC Welcomes Seven New Faculty Members, Two New Riley Scholars

ID: a beautiful fall day, trees and grass in front of Cornerstone Arts Center

Photo by Lonnie Timmons III
By Julia Fennell ’21

New faculty members at CC include:

Anbegwon Atuire, Race, Ethnicity, and Migration Studies

Atuire earned his MFA in English and Ph.D. in ethnic studies from the University of Colorado Boulder. His research lies at the intersection of Africana critical theory, Pan-African social movements, and indigenous Ghanaian Studies.

Celeste Diaz Ferraro, Economics and Business 

Diaz Ferraro is a social scientist interested in entrepreneurship and social innovation as a means of fostering more equitable, resilient, and sustainable communities of well-being. She is a qualitative researcher in organization theory and entrepreneurship, with particular interest in the roles of power and agency in shaping the governance and social orientation of emergent fields and ecosystems. Diaz Ferraro focuses her teaching on societal problems and the potential for responsible business to generate solutions to those problems. 

Varsha Koushik, Mathematics and Computer Science

Koushik holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in computer science from the University of Colorado Boulder. Koushik won the 3MT Thesis Competition at the University of Colorado Boulder this year, and the Hope Schultz Jozsa Award last year. Koushik was a lead teaching assistant in the university’s computer science department.

Dhanesh Krishnarao, Physics

Krishnarao received his Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2020, with a minor in physics. Before starting at CC this fall, he was a National Science Foundation Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellow at John’s Hopkins University, as well as a block visitor at CC last year. 

Maria Sanchez, Political Science

Sanchez holds a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Minnesota and a B.A. in international relations from Gonzaga University.

Steven Schwartz, Anthropology

Schwartz holds a Ph.D. in sociocultural anthropology and an M.A. in social sciences from the University of Chicago, as well as a B.A. in anthropology from the Universidad Central de Venezuela. Schwartz was born and raised in Venezuela.

Leland Tabares, Race, Ethnicity, and Migration Studies

Tabares holds a Ph.D. and M.A. from Pennsylvania State University, as well as a B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His book project, “Professionalizing Asian America: Race and Labor in the Twenty-First Century,” examines how the increasing representation of Asian Americans in a range of contemporary industry professions enculturates new meanings of race, belonging, and solidarity.  

Additionally, CC welcomes two new Riley Scholars in Residence:

Oscar Ulloa, Spanish and Portuguese

Óscar Ulloa received his Ph.D. from the Hispanic Studies Department at the University of California, Riverside. Ulloa is currently a Post-Doctoral Riley Scholar-in-Residence and visiting instructor in the Spanish and Portuguese Department at Colorado College. 

Preston Waltrip, English

Waltrip received his Ph.D. in English from the University of California, Riverside. He holds an M.A. in English from Texas Christian University and a B.A. in English from the University of Dallas.

Photo of the Week

ID: a kickline made up of 5 people, 4 in corsets and tights, the person in the middle is tall with a dress, all in front of a sequin curtain.

Rocky Horror Show, this year’s musical production in collaboration with Music Department and Student Theatre Workshop, performed in Taylor Theatre on Saturday, Oct. 30.
Photo by Erin Mullins ’24
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Today at CC Digest for Students

A Daily Digest for Colorado College

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A Daily Digest for Colorado College

Creativity & Innovation Block 3 Updates and Opportunities

What role does creativity play in sustaining a friendship? What role does friendship play in sustaining a creative practice? Teal Fitzpatrick and Giselle Restrepo met at Colorado College more than twenty years ago and have nurtured a friendship in which their creative work plays a joyful and central role. This exhibit inspired both artists to create new pieces inspired by one another’s CC senior thesis projects, alongside contemporary works and “creative correspondence” exchanged over the years. Highlighting diverse practices, the show includes embroidery, rug-hooking, collage, fiber arts, and clay. 
 
Presented by Creativity & Innovation in collaboration with the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College, the Colorado College Alumni Office, and the CC Arts and Crafts Program.

Creative Mondays are Back!

Mondays from 3:00-4:30 p.m.
Worner, Room 212

Creative Mondays are a weekly gathering where students, staff, and faculty can drop by and be creative. We provide abundant supplies for card-making, collage, painting, knitting, etc. Stop in at any point and stay as long as you like. If you can’t make it in person, feel free to join via Zoom

Creativity & Innovation is on Instagram 

We’ve relaunched our Instagram page! Follow us at @creativity_innovation_cc to learn about upcoming events, workshops, and happenings around campus.
To celebrate our Instagram relaunch, we are featuring/following the CC students attending COP27*. They will post about their experiences and observations while in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. Check in daily to get first-hand accounts of what students think as they attend and participate in the 2022 United Nations Climate Control Conference.

 *At COP 27, countries come together to take action toward achieving the world’s collective climate goals as agreed under the Paris Agreement and the Convention. The conference will take place November 6-18, 2022, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.

Unfccc. int. (n.d.). Retrieved November 4, 2022, from https://unfccc.int/cop27

Student Seed Innovation Grants

Sponsored by Creativity & Innovation at CC, Student Seed Innovation Grants (SSIG) are donor-funded grants of $3,000 – $8,000, designed to empower currently enrolled Colorado College students to investigate questions and solve real-world problems.  
The SSIG program seeks to be an idea accelerator by providing resources for students to:
  • Be creative problem-solvers
  • Embrace ambiguity
  • Iterate a project/idea foward
For more information, visit the SSIG webpage or email innovation@coloradocollege.edu” style=”font-weight: normal;font-weight: normal;color: #7a6646;text-decoration: underline;color: #7a6646;text-decoration: underline”>innovation@coloradocollege.edu.

The Draper Competition: 2023

Applications Open: December 1, 2022
Application Deadline: February 10, 2023
 
The Draper Competition is a national business plan competition designed as an on-ramp for women founders seeking access to networks, capital, and resources.
If you’re an undergraduate woman with an idea for a new business, we encourage you to apply for the ONLY competition where women’s entrepreneurial creativity is the sole focus … and the prize money doesn’t require you to give up any equity in your venture!
You are eligible if:
  • You are currently enrolled at a two-year or four-year accredited, not-for-profit college or university in the United States.
  • You or one of your founding team members is an undergraduate woman currently in good standing at a two-year or four-year accredited, not-for-profit college or university in the United States.
  • Your venture hasn’t raised more than $25,000 in funding or generated more than $100,000 in gross revenue by December 31, 2022.
To learn more about the Draper Competition, watch highlights from the 2020 competition here!
For any other questions, feel free to contact draper@smith.edu” style=”font-weight: normal;font-weight: normal;color: #7a6646;text-decoration: underline;color: #7a6646;text-decoration: underline”>draper@smith.edu or visit our website.

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See You at In The Loop Next Week

Sent on behalf of the President’s Office and Staff Council:

See you next week at the Block 3 In the Loop all-staff meeting Thursday, Nov. 17. Topics will include mental health updates from Cabinet, CARES reporting, compensation committee updates, and more.
Meet in Celeste Theatre inside Cornerstone Arts Center; the program will begin promptly at 8:30 a.m. Stay afterward for breakfast and conversation in Cornerstone Main Space.
Those wishing to join the meeting via Zoom from their individual workspace may do so using this link. Feel free to swing by the main space after 9:30 a.m. for a grab-and-go breakfast.
Submit good news, kudos, and questions to be answered during the question-and-answer period. You must submit your items by tomorrow, Friday, Nov. 11.
View dates for all of this year’s In the Loop meetings.

In the Loop is a joint venture between Colorado College leadership and the Staff Council to facilitate communication and build community spirit among the staff at Colorado College. These meetings are your chance to directly connect with college leaders and other staff members on a regular basis.

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A Daily Digest for Colorado College

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Housing Information for Rising Seniors

Hello Class of 2024, 

As we progress through Block 3, we want to share some important housing updates specific to the current junior class.
For the 2023-24 academic year, we anticipate limited availability of on-campus housing. We will have about 75 spaces allotted towards senior housing:
  • Most spaces will be in properties along North Weber Street (cottages and apartments) along with a few spaces in Cascade Park Apartments reserved for seniors only.
  • Both furnished and unfurnished spaces are available. Any assignment categorized as an apartment will require an apartment meal plan and will come furnished. Cottages are typically unfurnished and do not require a meal plan.
  • Housing rates for 2023-24 will be set during the Spring 2023 Semester.
The first part of the 2023-24 housing process is to complete this survey to indicate interest living on campus next year and room type: Senior Housing Interest for 2023-24. Please complete this survey no later than Dec. 1, 2022. Remember, due to limited space, indicating interest does not guarantee a space on campus.
Next steps:
  • During Block 4, we will contact all rising seniors to complete the housing selection process, completing the process for rising seniors by the end of Block 4.
  • This provides time to look for potential rental spaces off-campus if needed. The Housing Office works with a few landlords near campus and can make referrals if we know of open apartments.
  • Any rising seniors who do not receive a housing assignment via this housing process may be placed on the senior housing waitlist application toward the end of the 2023 Spring Semester. We will place seniors in non-designated senior areas after all incoming first-year and transfer students have been placed.
For any student receiving financial aid, please note that your aid does not change if you live off-campus. Determine your estimated savings by looking at your Fall 2022 bill and reducing the charges by any room and board charges on your account. Connect with Financial Aid via email financialaid@coloradocollege.edu or schedule an appointment if you have any questions.
Visit our website for the most up to date information or contact housing@coloradocollege.edu with additional questions; Housing Office staff members are also available for in-person consultation during regular business hours.


Samantha Soren 

Director of Housing and Residential Experience 

Edwin Hamada, Ph. D.

Assistant Vice President for the Residential Experience

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Project 2024 Year Two

Dear CC Community,

As we approach the end of our fall semester, I want to share with you what we have been doing since my last update in September.

The students, faculty, and staff on the Project 2024 Steering Committee are instrumental to the success of Project 2024. Each has their own reasons for taking part in this work, and I’d like to share some of those voices with you.

Mark Lee, director of web and digital media and Steering Committee member, describes what participating in Project 2024 has meant to him and why he wants to be part of this critical visioning process.

Four Phases of Project 2024 Year Two: 

  • Generating ideas
  • Identifying options to pursue
  • Consolidating options
  • Vetting and assessing options

Phase One – Generating Ideas: From June-September, nearly 800 faculty, students, staff, alumni, and trustees engaged in the process through discussions, emails, and surveys.

Phase Two – Identifying Options to Pursue: concludes in Block 4. Eight working groups, made up of faculty, students, and staff and led by two members of the Steering Committee, are developing sets of options building on campus-wide conversations over the last ten months and on relevant data. These groups may also develop additional ideas as they consider possibilities and “what ifs.” 

Phase Three – Consolidating Ideas: Blocks 4 through 5. The Steering Committee will evaluate the options advanced by the eight working groups and consolidate them where possible.

In addition to this work on “How can we do what we do better?,” “exploratory groups” composed of people from inside and outside CC will examine four key challenges facing higher education. These include the financial model and access, demographics and access, and digital knowledge — the role of online learning at CC and the effects of screen use and social media on cognitive function and student learning and wellbeing, plus, as more high-quality colleges and universities now offer less costly online diplomas. How strongly will these compete with a CC degree? What role should online learning play in a residential liberal arts college? How compatible is it with the Block Plan? 

We’re also asking offices and divisions to think more about “connection” and “time,” the two main themes of Year One discussions. We’ve asked them to consider: What are they doing now that they could stop doing in the future, and how could they best use the time they would save? And how could they support other offices, and how could other offices support their work?

In each of these initiatives, we remain mindful of who we are and what we do, and of the values we share:

We are a place of learning committed to supporting our students.

We provide a liberal arts education in a residential setting that builds community and promotes learning beyond the classroom using the Block Plan, which features small classes and an intensive one-course-at-a-time structure.

We value the health and wellbeing of the campus community, our work on antiracism, ensuring equity and access, protecting the environment, and providing clear, transparent, and effective communication.

Please check our website for ongoing updates. I look forward to sharing more updates and introducing you to other members of our Steering Committee after Winter Break.

Thank you for all that you have done to make this work successful!

Sincerely, 


Susan A. Ashley

Professor of History and Project 2024 Coordinator

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