Why You Should Take the NACCC Survey

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Sunday, October 10, 2021

This message was sent to all students today, reminding them to take the National Assessment of Collegiate Campus Climates survey, which will be open Oct. 12-Nov. 9. If you can, please encourage students to take the survey. Their answers will help inform the Antiracism Implementation Plan, including new initiatives. Similar surveys will be conducted for staff in Spring 2022 and for faculty in Spring 2023.

Dear Students,

As announced last week by President Richardson, on Tuesday, October 12, you will receive an email containing a link to the National Assessment of Collegiate Campus Climates, a survey asking students about the racial climate at Colorado College. The survey will assess the extent to which race matters on campus, as well as the current level of equity at CC. Watch the video below to hear from Deksyos Damtew ’22, student body president, Rochelle T. Dickey ’83, P’19, dean of students and vice president for student life, and Ryan Bañagale ’00, associate professor of music and director of the arts at CC, about why you should participate in the survey.

Important information about the survey:

The survey will be open for responses from October 12-November 9.
The survey will take about 15 minutes to complete.
The information you provide will be kept confidential and individual data will only be accessible to NACCC survey administrators who are under strict confidentiality requirements.
Results and recommendations from the University of Southern California’s Race and Equity Center will be received during the summer of 2022.
There will be four random weekly drawings — one after each week that the survey is open — where 10 students who have completed the survey will receive a $50 Visa gift card.
After the conclusion of the survey, every student who completed the survey will have a chance to win one of three Apple iPads, including an Apple Pencil.

We understand that responding to statements on race and the racial climate on campus may cause any number of feelings, and may be uncomfortable for you. For support, the diversity, equity, and inclusion team; Butler Center; Counseling Center; Wellness Resource Center; and Spiritual Life are available.

Thank you for your commitment to antiracism at Colorado College.

Sincerely,

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Leadership Team

Rosalie Rodriguez
Senior Associate Dean of Students for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Director of the Butler Center

Peony Fhagen, Ph.D.
Senior Associate Dean of Equity, Inclusion, and Faculty Development

Eric E. Lee, Ph.D.
Assistant Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Staff and Administrative Operations

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14 Cache La Poudre St.
Colorado Springs, CO 80903

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October is Cyber Security Awareness Month

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Friday, October 8, 2021

October is Cyber Security Awareness Month.

We annually post topics to help the community understand the risks associated with sharing personal and organizational information, and keeping that data secure.

This week’s topic is “What is Doxxing?”

Doxxing is the act of revealing identifying information about someone or an organization online, such as their real name, home address, workplace, phone, financial, and personal information. That information is then circulated to the public — without the victim’s permission.

Originating in the 1990s, rival hackers would decide to “drop docs” on somebody else, who had previously only been known as a username or alias, revealing their identity to law enforcement.

The definition of doxxing has expanded beyond the hacker world community and now refers to personal information exposure. Doxxing has become a tool in the culture wars, with attackers doxxing those who have different views politically or personally. These are done for multiple reasons such as cyber bullying, extortion, harassment, or retaliation. Doxxers aim to escalate their conflict with targets, revealing information which could include:

Home addresses
Workplace details
Personal phone numbers
Social security numbers
Bank account or credit card information
Private correspondence
Criminal history
Personal photos
Embarrassing personal details
Organizational data

Individuals can protect themselves by reflecting on the personal information they share online. The four “R’s” should be considered:

Restrict access to what you share
Review what has been shared
Remove what is not necessary
Revise on a regular basis

Please contact ITSSecurity@coloradocollege.edu if you feel you’ve been a victim of doxxing for more information.

Our mailing address is:
Colorado College
14 Cache La Poudre St.
Colorado Springs, CO 80903

You are receiving this email because you are a member of the Colorado College community. Thank you for the important work you do each day.

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Please Participate: Racial Climate Survey

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Tuesday, October 5, 2021

This message was sent to all students today, encouraging them to take the National Assessment of Collegiate Campus Climates, which will be open Oct. 12-Nov. 9. Based on students’ responses, the survey will assess the extent to which race matters on campus, as well as the current level of equity at CC. If you can, please encourage students to take the survey. Their answers will help inform the Antiracism Implementation Plan, including new initiatives. Similar surveys will be conducted for staff in Spring 2022 and for faculty in Spring 2023.

Dear Students,

Our mission – to provide the finest liberal arts education in the country – calls on us to create an environment that fosters a positive racial climate on campus. With antiracism central to our mission, our faculty, staff, and students will experience greater equity and inclusion, our teaching will become more impactful, and you, our students, will be better prepared to make positive change in the world.

As part of this work, your valuable input will help us to better understand:

how campus community members feel about the college’s commitment to equity and inclusion
the extent to which we interact meaningfully with diverse others
feelings of readiness for citizenship in a racially diverse democracy

We will soon administer the National Assessment of Collegiate Campus Climates, a survey asking students about the racial climate on our campus. Subsequent surveys of staff and faculty will be conducted through Spring 2023.

Please express your honest and true feelings about the racial climate at CC to help us understand your experiences at the college. Your voice matters. The information you provide will be kept confidential. We will use the results to inform our Antiracism Implementation Plan, including new ways to make CC more inclusive.

Look for an email about the NACCC from helpdesk@nacccsurvey.org on Tuesday, Oct. 12 and click the link inside to participate.

Thank you so much for your commitment to antiracism at Colorado College.

Sincerely,

L. Song Richardson

President

Our mailing address is:
Colorado College
14 Cache La Poudre St.
Colorado Springs, CO 80903

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This Block in Sustainability…

Office of Sustainability

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Office of Sustainability

Enhancing Educational Experiences within the Office of the Vice Provost

Sense of Place: Campus Tree Tour

Get to know the trees on the CC campus! Trees play a critical role on Earth. Numerous studies demonstrate that the presence of trees in communities have a wide range of benefits, many of which can be connected to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. With all the benefits that trees provide in our urban landscape to the community, how often do we take a moment to stop and appreciate them? Take a wellness break from work and come explore CC’s diverse tree species in the first-ever guided Campus Tree Tour presented by CC’s Arborist Mike Spruce.

Register on Summit by 5 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 8!

Morning tour: Monday, Oct. 11, from 10-11 a.m.

Afternoon tour: Monday, Oct. 11 from 2:30-3:30 p.m.

Attend the AASHE Global Conference!

The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Environmental Education is virtually hosting its annual conference Oct. 12-14, and CC Sustainability is sponsoring students, faculty, and staff to attend! The conference will feature leaders in sustainability from around the world discussing policies, research, and more on advancing sustainability in higher education, centered around this year’s theme: “The Future Is…” We will host a live viewing session and post-conference chat for attendees to connect, and participants will be able to access conference recordings through Dec. 31, 2021. Interested individuals should submit a brief paragraph on why they wish to attend, including specific sessions of interest, to sustainability@coloradocollege.edu. CC Sustainability will cover 100% of costs for students, and 80% for staff and faculty. Please contact Mae Rohrbach (mrohrbach@coloradocollege.edu) with questions, and visit the AASHE website for more information.

Intern Spotlight: Green Home Certification with Gordon Clark

Left: Gordon Clark ’21
Right: Green Home Certified Level 1 Plaque

Gordon Clark is a green programs intern. With the return of students to campus, Gordon has been working to extend the Green Room Certification program to those living off-campus through the Green Home Certification program. The GHC program is a household-evaluation system with the goal of increasing education and action on how to foster sustainable living outside of CC’s on-campus facilities.

The process is easy! Participating houses submit a completed checklist of sustainable living practices on Summit. Once certified, houses will receive a plaque as well as a “sustainable home kit,” which can include sustainably sourced detergent and cleaning products, reusable bottles for dish soap, loofah-sponges, and more. Thanks for helping our whole community practice sustainable living, Gordon! Contact Gordon (g_clark@coloradocollege.edu) with any questions.

Mountain Metro: FREE for all

Are you looking for a way to explore Colorado Springs without a car? Explore Mountain Metro, the Colorado Springs public bus system — all CC students ride free with a Gold Card! The bus has several stops bordering campus and routes that travel to local parks and greenspaces, shopping centers, and more. Mountain Metro Transit provides real-time information to Google Maps so you can plan your trip with ease.

Please note that, per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, Mountain Metro Transit is requiring all riders ages 2 and older to wear a mask. Remember to be safe, responsible, and wear a mask when in public spaces.

Diverting Waste at CC: Compost

Composting organic matter is an excellent way to divert waste from landfills and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but deciding which items should be composted can be confusing. Compostable items include food waste, paper products (such as paper towels and napkins), and paper food containers. Labelled compost bins and dumpsters can be found across campus. Please be mindful to follow the waste signage posted near each receptacle and deposit designated items ONLY; proper composting processes cannot occur if the load is contaminated with unacceptable items! Off-campus households can commit to composting by signing up for the Off-Campus Compost Program. Learn more about diverting your waste at CC here.

Our mailing address is:
Colorado College
14 Cache La Poudre St.
Colorado Springs, CO 80903

You are receiving this email because you are a member of the Colorado College community. Thank you for the important work you do each day.

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Homecoming and Family Weekend is Almost Here!

With over 2,000 alumni, parents, families, and students registered to attend this year’s combined Homecoming and Family Weekend, there will be a lot of activity across campus. We hope you’ll join in the fun!

Thanks in advance for welcoming these guests to campus for this important weekend! Here are some things you’ll need to know:

Homecoming and Family Weekend registration is located on the first floor of Tutt Library by the Data Viz Wall and in the Edmonds Experimental Classroom (Room 105). Registration is open on Friday from 9:30 a.m.-7 p.m. and on Saturday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

All attendees of the Colorado College 2021 Homecoming and Family Weekend are required to abide by CC’s Public Events Policy. This includes submitting proof of vaccination, a negative COVID-19 test result from within 72 hours of check-in, or proof of infection and recovery from COVID-19 (at least 10 days prior with no symptoms, and no more than 90 days prior to event).

Attendees’ Homecoming and Family Weekend nametags will be their proof of compliance, and will be required to enter any event on campus. (Current students, faculty, and staff may present their active Gold Card, and do not need a HFW nametag.)

Parents, family members, and guests should only be in the residence halls when accompanied by their host student. Each student is allowed up to two guests in their residence hall. Alumni have been instructed not to enter any student residences on campus.

As current students, many of you are pre-registered to attend specific events along with your guests traveling to campus for this weekend. In addition, all students are invited to take part in the many free, non-ticketed events, presentations, and sporting events during the weekend, including the signature events listed below.

Friday, Oct. 8
10 a.m.-noon
“Tiger Talks: CC Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow”

Richard F. Celeste Theatre, Edith Kinney Gaylord Cornerstone Arts Center

The Colorado College experience spans nearly 150 years. Join faculty, alumni, and students as they explore various aspects of how that experience has changed, and how it remains the same. Anchored by a 50th Anniversary Celebration of the Block Plan presentation by English Professor Steven Hayward, these short talks are sure to inspire your imagination on what CC was, is, and will become. Attend any or all of the talks during the two-hour program.

Friday, Oct. 8
5-9 p.m.

Pre-game Tailgate Party
Under the Homecoming and Family Weekend tents,
Tava Quad and South Hall Quad

Opening just in time for Homecoming and Family Weekend, Ed Robson Arena is Colorado College’s multi-purpose, indoor, on-campus competition arena, with the adjacent Mike and Barbara Yalich Student Services Center. We invite all to come celebrate the winning Tiger spirit and the generosity of the CC community which made this new gathering place possible. The pre-game tailgate party will have customer-pay food trucks, entertainment, and live music. Stop by and join the fun before heading over to the student section of Robson Arena for the CC Tigers’ first hockey game of the season against St. Lawrence. Here’s information on picking up student tickets.

Saturday Oct. 9
2-3:30 p.m.
Young Alumni Panel: “How to Successfully Navigate Your Time at CC and Beyond”

Richard F. Celeste Theatre, Edith Kinney Gaylord Cornerstone Arts Center

Come hear from recent CC grads! These newest members of our alumni community will share stories of how they made the best of their time at CC, and advice on how to plan for life after CC.

If you’d like to see what else is taking place during this weekend, you can view the complete schedule on the Homecoming and Family Weekend website. For more information or questions about the weekend, contact the Office of Alumni and Family Relations at homecoming@coloradocollege.edu.

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Join the Antiracist Book Club

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Monday, October 4, 2021

Dear CC Community,

The diversity, equity, and inclusion leadership team is excited to roll out the second year of the Antiracist Book Club. We have selected three timely texts to get us thinking about antiracism from multiple angles. Our first selection is Delgado and Stefanic’s “Critical Race Theory,” chosen specifically so that you can answer for yourself, “What is all the fuss about?”

This book is available to pick up now, free of charge with a CC Gold Card, in the CC Bookstore, now located at 819 N. Tejon Street. You can also purchase a copy for yourself or your department at multiple online retailers such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

We want to thank Dr. Claire Oberon Garcia, acting provost and dean of the faculty, for her generous contribution to creating the study guide for this text, as well as an extensive list of resources for further reading and viewing. You can access this guide on the Antiracist Book Club Microsoft Teams platform. Garcia will also be hosting a talk about this text during Block 3, more information to come.

In January, we will continue with both written and audio versions of Tarana Burke and Brene Brown’s bestseller, “You are Your Best Thing: Vulnerability, Shame, Resilience, and the Black Experience” while we also welcome one of the essayists, Austin Channing Brown, to campus for our Block 5 First Mondays Lecture Series. Finally, we will end the academic year with, “Ebony & Ivy: Race, Slavery, and the Troubled History of America’s Universities” by Craig Wilder. Each book will be accompanied by study guides, talks, and other resources.

As a reminder, the ABC is meant to be self-led and asynchronous. We encourage you to create space to discuss these books and their topics in the spaces you already currently inhabit (e.g., department meetings, athletics teams, student clubs/organizations, etc.) and at your own pace.

Happy Reading!

Peony Fhagen

Senior Associate Dean of Equity, Inclusion, and Faculty Development

Eric Lee

Assistant Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Staff and Administrative Operations

Rosalie Rodriguez

Senior Associate Dean of Students for Equity and Inclusion
Director of the Butler Center

Our mailing address is:
Colorado College
14 Cache La Poudre St.
Colorado Springs, CO 80903

You are receiving this email because you are a member of the Colorado College community. Thank you for the important work you do each day.

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Reminder for “Dismantling Anti-Black Racism with Dr. Della Mosley” tomorrow

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Dismantling Anti-Black Racism: A Keynote Conversation with Dr. Della Mosley

October 4, 7 p.m.
Cornerstone Arts Center – Celeste Theatre
This is a hybrid in-person/online event. Attendance in-person will require a CC ID. Members of the general public may register and attend via Zoom.

During this keynote conversation open to all Colorado College students, alumni, faculty, and staff and community members from the Colorado Springs area, Dr. Della Mosley will discuss the need for, process, and outcomes of dismantling anti-Black racism. Mosley’s research, teaching, and service connect to her goal of “enhancing the psycho-political wellness of folx who experience oppression simply as a result of their social identities.”

This event is part of Dismantling Hate: An Educational Series Toward Understanding and Action. This series, for the academic year 2021-22, is a campus-wide initiative that provides programming for CC students, faculty, staff, and alumni and community members from the Colorado Springs area. The purpose and goal of this educational series is to support our communities in better understanding hate — the root and outcomes — and to motivate people to take action to dismantle hate. Each educational program in the series will feature a conversation with an activist, broadly defined, who will share their work and experiences dismantling hate against marginalized communities.

Our mailing address is:
Colorado College
14 Cache La Poudre St.
Colorado Springs, CO 80903

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Block 1 Block Break: Building Community

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Thursday, September 23, 2021

Dear Campus Community,

You learn a lot about a place when you see how it builds community.

When I arrived at Colorado College this summer, our Alumni and Family Relations team presented me with a gorgeous book that they created, filled with images of the beautiful Colorado College campus and Pikes Peak region, facts about the college and the area, and the best part – tips and suggestions from students, alumni, staff, and faculty, sharing their favorite restaurants, hikes, places on campus, and things to do in this new place we now call home. The welcome continued in person, with faculty, staff, and students who brought me books and snacks, and shared their favorite places to visit. It is exciting to join this community of people who love this college and this area so much.

In late summer, I could feel the energy and excitement grow as first our fall athletes, then our Bridge Scholars, then our new students, and finally our returning students arrived on campus. And they did so with joy. No longer do any of us take for granted the ability to come together. Our students are thrilled to be on campus, in person, experiencing classes, activities, residential living, athletics, intramurals, clubs and so much more — after more than a year when that wasn’t safely possible because of the pandemic. Because the majority of our campus community is vaccinated, we can do this. Our COVID efforts this year are about moving forward, educating and supporting students on campus, and managing life with the virus as best we can.

In late July, we suffered a devastating loss when Vice President for Information Technology Services/Chief Technology Officer Brian Young passed away unexpectedly. Brian’s warmth, sense of humor, care for our students, staff, and faculty, and dedicated leadership were obvious to everyone who met him. We came together on Tava Quad to hear how he positively impacted Colorado College. This year, we will initiate a new President’s Leadership Award for service to the college in honor of Brian. We miss him.

Last week, we lost a pillar of our campus community, David van Diest Skilling ’55. Van was a dedicated alumnus who led admirably as chair of our board, shared his business acumen as former chairman and CEO of Experian by teaching a block in Economics and Business every year, and was a dear friend to many. I had the good fortune to be with Van twice since my arrival — at a May celebration to honor former President Jill Tiefenthaler and again at our June board retreat. Van had a knack for connecting meaningfully with each person he met. He was well loved.

As I settle into my role, understandably many people want to meet with the new president about things they want to change and ways we can do better. I’m struck by how much they care about our students, the college, and all the people who make it the distinctive, special place it is. They care what our future looks like, and dream about what that may be. All of these and more upcoming conversations will be part of what I’m currently calling Project 2024. We will spend this year asking how we can continue to do what we do better, next year determining how to do it, and a final year doing it — in time for the college’s 150th anniversary in 2024. I’m thrilled that Professor of History and former Dean Susan Ashley has agreed to coordinate this exciting work. You will hear more about this soon.

Last week was a special time to see the extended CC community, as we came together to cut the ribbon on the new Ed Robson Arena and the Yalich Student Services Center. Excited students, staff, faculty, alumni, trustees, and Tigers fans got their first glimpse of these beautiful new spaces that will enhance the ways we support students and celebrate CC.

We’ve now arrived at our first block break of the year — a moment to reflect. It’s clear to me that Colorado College is a strong, dedicated community, and one of great promise. We provide students with tools, knowledge, and guidance. We prompt them to explore, grow, and discover themselves. We cheer as they strike out on paths we can’t even imagine.

In return, they push us to do what we do better. We are buoyed by their energy and innovative thinking.

I have a collection of picture frames in my office. Over my time here, I will fill them with images of special moments — of sharing, connection, and camaraderie. Of friendships, hard work, commitment, and celebration. I can’t wait to see that visual story of this fantastic community emerge. Thank you for being an essential part of it.

Sincerely,

L. Song Richardson

President

Our mailing address is:
Colorado College
14 Cache La Poudre St.
Colorado Springs, CO 80903

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Project 2024

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AN INVITATION

Dear CC Community:

Everything that I’ve learned, experienced, and observed since joining our remarkable community two and ½ months ago inspires and fills me with such hope and optimism about our future. I feel fortunate every day to be part of this special place. I know that together, we will continue our extraordinary accomplishments.

This year, I invite all of us to harness our creativity, ingenuity, and courage to ask ourselves this question: How can we do what we do better?

I believe it’s both a critical and an opportune moment to ask ourselves this question. We are experiencing a transitional moment at CC, with new leadership and the evolving nature of the pandemic providing us with new opportunities to do things differently. Our society is grappling with necessary and important questions about structural inequities. Some are questioning the value of a liberal arts education.

Times like these provide opportunities for us. What I have learned about our CC community is that we care very much about our future. We also are not content to simply do things the way they have always been done. Our mission to provide the finest liberal arts education in the country is what drives us to continue to be imaginative, bold, and pioneering. What I have learned from my conversations with you is that our desire to dream big, to be courageous, and to dare to imagine how we can do what we do better is strong.

So, this year, I would like us to step back and consider the distance between our aspirations and our actions. I invite us to look ahead at the realities likely to affect higher education over the next several decades and to think about ways to address them. I ask us to engage in conversations that focus on the possibilities for our future rather than the challenges and problems of the past and present. Let’s dare to have visionary discussions about how we educate our students, capitalize on our unique strengths, and take advantage of the opportunities available to us to do what we do better.

THE PROCESS: Committee of the Whole

This is a bold plan, and it won’t be easy. Because of the importance of this endeavor, and because the voice of every member of our community is critical to its success, I would like us to engage in these conversations as members of a committee of the whole.

To that end, I am thrilled to announce that Susan Ashley (Professor of History, Chair of Economics and Business, and former Dean of the Faculty and Dean of the College) has generously agreed to serve as the coordinator of this venture. She will share more information about the process soon.

THE TENTATIVE TIMELINE

My hope is that we will celebrate the successful completion of this process by CC’s 150^th anniversary in 2024. This year (2021-22), we will determine what we hope to do. Next year (2022-23), we will determine how we do it. And in the final year (2023-24), we will do it.

I don’t yet have a name for this endeavor and hope that one will develop during the year. In the meantime, I will refer to it as Project 2024.

I look forward to us challenging ourselves and asking, How Can We Do What We Do Better.

Thank you.

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Song

A Video Message from President L. Song Richardson

September 3, 2021

Dear Parents and Families,

What a wonderful start to the 2021-22 academic year! Your students have made it through their first week of classes and are ready to enjoy the first weekend of Block 1. We want to thank you again for the many ways you’ve helped make this year possible, and for your continued encouragement as students transition back to life on campus. Please watch and enjoy this short video message for parents from President L. Song Richardson.

The Office of Alumni and Family Relations is here to support you, and to provide opportunities for you to engage with the CC Tiger family throughout the year. Don’t hesitate to reach out with questions, concerns, and ideas. Even as we all continue to navigate the impacts of COVID-19, we are committed to your students and excited about the possibilities for the year ahead.

A quick reminder that Labor Day is not a holiday for CC, and your students will be back in class on Monday! We do hope many of you will be able to take a deep breath and enjoy some rest and refreshment over this holiday weekend.

Best,

Janna Jones

Associate Director, Parent and Family Engagement and Programs