The deadline to propose an Off-Campus Summer Block for 2026 is Monday, Sep. 29. Proposals must include both course information and a draft budget. If you have questions about the proposal or the budget format, please contact Allen Bertsche.

The priority deadline for student Spring 2026 Semester Away applications is Wednesday, Oct. 1. This includes the CC in France, CC in Latin America, and CC Chinese in Asia programs as well as the CC Internal Application for any partner-led semester away. Students interested in a Spring semester away should be encouraged to complete all applications on or before this date. 

Connect to a community partner to co-create community-engaged classroom projects for a Spring 2026 course through the PEAK Project (Publicly Engaged Actionable Knowledge). Submit an Educator Interest Form by the end of Block 2 (Sunday, Oct. 19). Until funds are exhausted, matched partner/faculty pairs are eligible for grant-funded project development stipends ($500 each).

The deadline for Academic Year 2026-27 Off-Campus Block proposals is Thursday, Oct. 23. Unlike the summer proposals, the AY Block proposals do not require a draft budget at this phase. Please connect with Allen Bertsche if you have any questions about Block Away development.

Join us this January by engaging in the Week of Action, January 12-16,  as we celebrate MLK Day! Week of Action is a week of opportunities and events that aim to mobilize and inspire staff and faculty to engage in local community-based work and build community.  

We encourage departmental teams and individuals to join us for a 2–3-hour community engagement activity. To express interest as a team or individually, please complete this form by Friday, Oct. 31.

If you have need for funding for a field trip that is above and beyond an amount that can be covered by your department or other sources, apply for Spring semester courses by Friday, Dec. 5. 

Are you intrigued by the idea of offering an Off-Campus Block, but you missed the Build a Block Away workshop and don’t know where to start? Fear not. There is an online version offered in Canvas. This online program will guide you through the timeline and process for approval, advise you on budgeting and best practices, and provide you with resources to help turn your idea into a feasible plan for a Block Away. 

The LACF Initiative is currently seeking educators to teach courses in the 2026-27 Academic Year and beyond. Please fill out this brief form to express interest or email jradke@coloradocollege.edu. 

Through the LACF, we expand access to higher education for incarcerated persons by offering for-credit courses at no cost in the Youthful Offenders System (YOS) facility in Pueblo, which serves a population of 19 to 25-year-olds.

The Office of Sustainability monitors campus-wide progress through the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS)—a transparent framework that evaluates institutions across five key areas, including Academic Research. As part of this effort, we’re asking faculty to complete a brief 10-minute survey about any sustainability-related research conducted in the past three years. 

Not sure if your work qualifies? Research may be considered sustainability-related if it meets any of the following criteria:  

Your input helps us reflect the full scope of sustainability work happening across campus. 

If you are planning to do a field trip, you are required to complete the Field Trip Leaders portion of the Taking Students Off- Campus Canvas Course. Even if you have not yet completed the course, please complete the Field Trip Plan if you have a trip scheduled for Blocks 2-4. 

Students can now take live, online, and on-demand test prep for free through Kaplan for graduate school admissions exams: GRE, GMAT, MCAT, DAT, OAT, & LSAT. For more information and the link to register for classes, please visit this website.

The Office of Sustainability tracks the College’s greenhouse gas emissions each year as part of our commitment to understanding and reducing our environmental impact. This effort includes anonymous data on employee commuting, which falls under Scope 3 emissions – indirect behavioral activities. Our Emissions Team compiles and publishes this data annually in the Greenhouse Gas Technical Report. ` 

Your responses help increase the accuracy of our reporting and help provide valuable insights into our community’s commuting patterns. Please take this anonymous 5-minute survey about your commuting habits and you’ll be entered into a raffle to win a $10 Downtown Partnership gift card redeemable, at over 100 local downtown shops, restaurants, and venues.

Whether you have done hundreds of field trips or none, Drew Cavin, Director of Field Study, can assist you in planning your off-campus experiences. Drew can help with every step of the process, from long term planning and financing/logistics to field trip pedagogy and making community connections. Please email dcavin@coloradocollege.edu to get started.

Is your academic department planning to host a guest speaker, alumni panel, or other event to help students understand educational and career pathways beyond CC? The Career Center would love to partner and help promote these opportunities! A few ways we can collaborate:

Please contact us at careercenter@coloradocollege.edu to start the conversation. 

Student Information

We encourage you to review the student newsletter and pass along opportunities that align with students’ interests and goals.

Join CC Assistant Professors of Education Nickie Coomer and Juan Miguel Arias for the Block 2 Faculty Lunch talk, “Biopolitics, Debilitation, and Neoliberal Post-Colonialism: The Discursive Borders between Humanism and Educational Rights in Irish Education” on Tuesday, Oct. 7 from 12:15–1:30 p.m. in Bemis Great Hall. Faculty and staff are invited to attend.  Learn more about this event. 

Please register by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 1. Lunch will be provided.

Reach out to kettleman@coloradocollege.edu“> Keragan Ettleman with any questions. We look forward to seeing you there!

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14 E. Cache La Poudre St. | Colorado Springs, CO 80903 US

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.

Welcome to Block 2! The pacing of our academic calendar affords a special type of educational intensity, one where we dig deep and explore widely. Our Block 1 Crown Center Workshop focused on “Inclusive Participation.” Faculty and staff gathered over lunch to consider different modes and expectations of participation, ultimately articulating how the “what,” “how,” and “why” of participation depend on particular classroom contexts, expectations, and outcomes. Such modes and norms also shift over time. 

As Dr. Nadia Guessous, Associate Professor and Chair of Feminist & Gender Studies, shared with us, reframing participation as “contributions” offers a stronger and more inclusive means of supporting student engagement. As a culmination of many years of intentional development and practice, she has graciously shared with us a recent syllabus that outlines examples of how such contributions unfold in her courses. You can find more information on this and other evidence-based practices in the “Workshop Recap” below.

Our classrooms thrive on participation and experiential learning. When our students work together in ways that value all experiences and perspectives, they can accomplish almost anything. And we can too, in our departments, offices, and programs across campus.

[This introduction was not organized, written, or edited with AI]

Sincerely,

Ryan Raul Bañagale 

Associate Professor of Music and Director of the Crown Center for Teaching

This workshop focused on specific strategies for fostering robust, meaningful, and inclusive student participation. (Real) Professor Ryan Bañagale facilitated the conversation using a Crown Center case study scenario that describes a tense moment in the classroom after the (fictional) Bañagale “cold calls” on a quiet student to answer a complex question. In the ensuing discussion, workshop participants explored how and why we might shift away from a one-size-fits-all notion of “participation” towards more flexible, transparent, and student-centered approaches that acknowledge diverse ways of thinking, processing, and engaging.

The group generated many ideas; here are just a few:

Do you have suggestions to add to this list? If so, email Jessica Hunter.

You can find the Crown Center Participation Scenario, a video of the workshop, and a complete summary of the discussion on the Crown Canvas page. Contact Jessica Hunter to gain access to the site.

Block 2 at the FAC features a modern take on Sherlock Holmes on the theatre’s stage, and a critical reframing of wellness in the museum’s galleries:

Contact Academic Engagement Manager Blair Huff to learn how your class can engage with these projects and more at the FAC.

The full schedule of workshops is available on the Crown website and the C&I website. 

Monday, Oct. 6, 12:15–1:30 p.m. Crown Center Workshop: “Faculty Advising at CC: Preregistration and Beyond” by Marion Hourdequin. Access workshop information and registration using this link.

Thursday, Oct. 9, noon-1:45 p.m. Creativity & Innovation Workshop: “Flexibility for the Unfamiliar” by Kris Stanec and Steve Ralph. Access workshop information and registration using this link.

The NEH Professorship offers Humanities in Partnership Grants (HIP) of up to $3,000 for the academic year 2025-26 to faculty projects that connect to NEH themes. Read more for descriptions of grant categories and application instructions. Applications are due by noon on the third Monday of each Block. The Block 2 deadline is Monday, Oct. 13.  Please contact Jessica Hunter with any questions.

Be part of an unforgettable evening tomorrow, Wednesday, Sep. 24 at 6:30 p.m. in Celeste Theatre with SPEAK., the multi award winning Sundance documentary that captures the power of high school speech and debate. Follow five extraordinary students as they harness their voices to confront injustice and advocate for change on pressing issues like disability rights, immigration, mental health, and LGBTQ+ advocacy.

After the screening, stay for a dynamic panel conversation moderated by former CC Senior Vice President Mike Edmonds, and featuring President Manya Whitaker along with directors Guy Mossman ’95 and Jennifer Tiexiera. Together, they’ll explore how storytelling and civic dialogue shape culture, influence policy, and build stronger communities.

Presented in association with the Visiting Series in Film and Culture, this hallmark event of Conflict & Community: A Pluralism Series is a must-attend evening for anyone passionate about advocacy, leadership, and the power of young voices to inspire change.

We wish you all a joyful fall season and a great start to Block 2. May we find comfort in the possibility that accompanies new beginnings. This block we hope you make new connections and create new possibilities at one of the many justice-centered program offerings that our campus is privileged to still be able to organize and enjoy. Please read on to discover events from the Butler Center and Elder Debbie, a powerful dance performance connected to our Fall Antiracist Book Club selection, and additional programming from collaborators on and off campus. 

I wish to extend heartful gratitude to the Durán Family, the Hulbert Center for Southwest Studies, and the FAC for their collaboration on our Sense of Place Field Engagement – The FAC and the Durán Family Chapel. Please read more about this meaningful experience below.  

All this continued hard work to create a campus committed to academic excellence, belonging, and community-building has been recognized with this year’s 2025 Higher Education Excellence and Distinction (HEED). This national recognition, the HEED Award, not only affirms our commitments to a more just world but also recognizes the efforts of many. 

Finally, please help me welcome to our team, Aiyanna Quiñones, who joins us as our new Programs Coordinator—welcome, Aiyanna! We are excited and lucky to have you join us.  

Lovingly in community, 

Nancy 

Aiyanna Quiñones (she/her) is from Colorado Springs. She earned a B.A. in Sociology with a minor in Women’s and Ethnic Studies at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs and is pursuing master’s degrees in Public Administration and Sociology. Drawing inspiration from her family’s ties to Vieques, Puerto Rico, her work centers on the intersections of race, disability, and policy, with a focus on bridging research and advocacy. Outside of her studies, she enjoys dog sports, reading, and time with her service dog, Ebony. We are very excited to have Aiyanna as part of the IEB Team!  

Aiyanna Quiñones, IEB Programs Coordinator

While we welcome Aiyanna, we are also saying goodbye to our beloved Interim Program Coordinator, Heather Heinnickel. Heather was hired last October in a temporary role. With her keen understanding of equity and belonging, Heather has been the engine behind the newsletters, our master editor, and general herder of cats (that’s the rest of us). We will sincerely miss her in our MS Teams Chats and wish her the best in her next endeavor.  

While racial profiling and its impacts on the safety of our community is not new, heightened enforcement methods have pushed questions of legality to the courts. Last week, the Supreme Court overturned a federal court order that had barred agents from making stops without “reasonable suspicion.” In a 6-3 decision, SCOTUS has allowed agents to stop suspects based solely on their race, language, or job, while a legal challenge to the recent immigration sweeps in LA works its way through the courts.  

As we remain vigilant in ensuring the safety of our students, it is imperative that all off-campus trip leaders are aware of and prepared to discuss the risks of travel, even locally, in the current environment. Prior to travel, all trips are required to be registered with the office Global Ed and Field Study and should complete the Field Study Training. Working with students and/or employees with elevated risk to make alternative arrangements and/or an emergency plan is essential.  

If you have more questions on this course, the policy, or off-campus travel risks, please contact Drew Cavin, rrodriguez@ColoradoCollege.edu“> Rosalie Rodriguez, or rhammes@coloradocollege.edu“> Ryan Hammes.

The IDEAL team met during Block 1 to discuss the new structure as a standing operational group, subcommittees, and new projects. We invite departments or individuals who are creating new policies, or updating existing ones, to connect with us if you’d like an equity review of your policy. As a reminder, the ADEI Planning and Evaluation Rubric created by the Antiracism Commitment Committee is an excellent resource available on the website. 

Are you or your club looking for more ways to engage with Dr. Myrriah Gómez’s Nuclear Nuevo Mexico: Colonialism and the Effects of the Nuclear Industrial Complex on Nuevomexicanos? While we will be welcoming Dr. Gómez to CC in Block 8, in Block 2 we strongly encourage you to attend the free performance of Stories From Home by Safos Dance Theater. Stories From Home’s artistic director and choreographer, Yvonne Montoya, is Gómez’s cousin, and uses the body, dance, and movement to tell many of the same stories and histories told in Nuclear Nuevo Mexico.  

In Block 3 we are collaborating with Tutt Library’s UNBOUND program and will offer UNBOUND: How to Start a Book Club. This will be great for folks who are new to ABC or may be looking for a group of people to gather and discuss and/or creatively convene around Nuclear Nuevo Mexico. 

Sense of Place Field Engagement participants: Savanah Pennell, Blaif Huff, Tasmin Zafar Ahmad ’29, Willa Brooks-Kistler ’29, Jaiqi Elisa Zhang ’29, Michael Christiano, Gina Lujan, Mason Randall ’29, Finn Saylor ’29, Doreen Durán, Paige Talerico, Nancy Ríos, Sara Hodge, Kerstin Fay, and Jose Durán.

Pre-Trip Learning Opportunity with Sara Hodge at the FAC with the Durán Family Chapel Santos.

Caring for the Durán Family Chapel Cemetry in Talpa, NM. From left to right: Gina Lujan, Mason Randall, Willa Brooks-Kistler, and Savanah Pennell.

In collaboration with the Hulbert Center for Southwest Studies, the FAC, and the Durán Family, our Sense of Place Field Engagement, The FAC and the Durán Family Chapel, was an offering to the CC community to learn more about the history of the FAC, the role of museum and cultural institutions in shaping and documenting the complex and sordid history of the US Southwest, and to participate in the FAC’s efforts to shift their museum practices to a communities of care centered practice.  

Thirteen staff and students traveled to Taos, NM over Block Break to work with the Durán Family in caring for the sacred chapel grounds. While in Taos, this experiential practice was augmented by Drs. Kathy and Tessa Córdova, who broadened our understanding of the colonization of New Mexico and its impact on our region.  

Thank you to all the collaborators and participants! We hope you can join us on a future Sense of Place Field Engagement.   

The Fall deadline for ACE Grants is approaching! Please complete your submission by Wednesday, Oct. 1 to apply for funding during the fall semester. More information and instructions can be found on this year’s application form. 

We will be holding office hours Tuesday Sep. 23 and 30, from 2-4 p.m. in Worner 216 for those who would like to talk through potential submissions before the October 1 deadline.   

Tuesday, Sep. 23  

Mountain Minyan and High Holidays 5786 Sign-Ups 

To learn more about Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services, as well as other events on campus and in the community, contact Jewish Life Coordinators Barak & Ruthie at jewishlife@coloradocollege.edu.

Sponsored by the Chaplain’s Office & CC Hillel. 

Thursday, Sep. 25 from 12:30–2 p.m. in Worner Campus Center, Gaylord Hall 

Undocu-Joy Celebration 

Join the Butler Center and Advocates for Immigrant Justice for a luncheon to celebrate joy for and with the undocumented immigrant community. Lunch provided; registration required. 

Friday Sep. 26 and Friday Oct. 3 from 12:30–2 p.m. in Hybl Main Space 

First Gen Fridays 

Open to all First-Gen students, faculty, and staff. Snacks and drinks provided; join the First-Gen Tigers student group to stay updated. 

Friday, Sep. 26 from 4–6 p.m. in the FAC Museum 

Open-Hearted: A Roundtable Discussion  

Inspired by the FAC’s upcoming exhibit Open-Hearted, which challenges us to imagine wellness as a collective responsibility, this roundtable of CC scholars, moderated by Dr. Nadia Guessous of Feminist and Gender Studies, will consider “the ableism of neoliberal models of health and wellness and the need to think of health in a more systemic manner.” 

Saturday, Sep. 27 from 7:30–9:30 p.m. in Armstrong Hall, Kathryn Mohrman Theatre 

Stories From Home  

(Flyer offset right) 

Through the efforts of The Hulbert Center for Southwest Studies and many others, Safos Dance Theatre will perform Yvonne Montoya: Stories From Home, a multilayered borderlands history told through contemporary modern dance. Admission is free and open to the public but please reserve your seat here. 

Tuesday, Sep. 30 in Worner Campus Center 

Indian Boarding School National Day of Remembrance 

Please visit the display created in collaboration with NASU to learn more about and honor boarding school survivors. Wear orange as a visible sign of your support for reconciliation and remembrance.  

Tuesday, Sep. 30 from 12:15–1 p.m. Sacred Grounds 

Talking Circle  

Please join Elder Debbie, the Chaplain’s Office, and the Wellness Resource Center for this block’s Talking Circle; a traditional indigenous method of bringing people together for sharing perspectives, personal reflection, and experiences. Lunch provided. 

Tuesday, Sep. 30 at 7:30 p.m. at The Black Sheep 

The Halluci Nation  

Students, faculty, and staff are invited to attend The Halluci Nation in concert at The Black Sheep. Formed in Ottawa, Canada, The Halluci Nation have garnered international acclaim for their innovative fusion of traditional Indigenous music with genres like dubstep, hip-hop, and drum & bass. We will be sponsoring transportation and tickets to this all-ages show. Keep an eye out for a registration form. 

Wednesday, Oct. 1 from 5:30–7 p.m. in Worner Campus Center, Gaylord Hall 

Unpacking the “No Sabo Kid” Trope 

Join the Bulter Center and Dr. Jessica Sanches Flores for dinner and a critical conversation to unpack the “No Sabo kid” trope within the Latinx/e community. 

Wednesday, Oct. 8 from 12:30–2 p.m. in Worner Campus Center, Room 215 

Block 2 Queer Connect Faculty and Staff Lunch Hour  
Bring your lunch to an informal gathering created to foster community, connection, and conversation among LGBTQIA+ faculty and staff. Hosted by the Butler Center. More information and registration here. 

Wednesday, Oct. 8 from 12:30–2 p.m. in Worner Campus Center, Gaylord Hall 

Sabor! A Taste of Latin America 

Empanadas, Tamales, and Reggaeton! All CC students, faculty, staff, and CC affiliates welcome. 

Monday, Oct. 13 from 4:30–6:30 p.m. in Sacred Grounds 

Indigenous Peoples Day 

Frybread and frybread tacos in collaboration with NASU. CC community is invited. 

Friday, Oct. 15 from 10 a.m.–noon in the Loo Family Gallery, FAC Museum 

Destination Rest by Ashley Cornelius 

Destination Rest is a community nap that invites participants to rest, relax, and replenish, in the community and the arts… The program runs around two hours and includes a custom tea blend to support sleep, collaborative affirmation poetry, and a healing sound bath.  

Throughout the Block, there are many cultural and religious observances. Please visit our website to learn about the many ways you can engage and support these observances on campus and in the community. 

Don’t forget the upcoming Work of the College Series event on Wednesday, Sep. 24, from 2–3 p.m. in Gaylord Hall.

As a reminder, this session was originally titled Elevating CC: Our Brand, Our Story. Based on the overwhelming interest and feedback we’ve received, the event has been refocused as the first session of our Brand Refresh Miniseries and is now called: CC’s Visual Expression. For more information on the change to this session and the new way forward in sharing the brand refresh work, please reference the message sent Monday, Sep. 22 from Johanna Blickenstaff, Vice President for Strategic Communications and Marketing.

This session will highlight the visual elements of CC’s refreshed brand—the first pieces rolling out this year. Built from months of conversations and feedback across the CC community, these updates reflect how we live, talk about, and share the CC experience. You’ll get a first look at these new brand elements, learn how they connect to our institutional priorities, and discover how you can engage with the brand and OCM throughout the year.

We look forward to seeing you there as we celebrate and elevate the Colorado College story together.

The Work of the College Series is a year-long program of events with four goals: (1) clarify organizational structures and decision-making processes; (2) offer campus constituencies the opportunity to dialogue with leadership about campus affairs; (3) increase decision-making transparency in hope of building trust; and (4) build community.

The Work of the College Series consists of: