The expertise and dedication our staff members bring to Colorado College every day make our mission possible. At the same time, like institutions across higher education, we are navigating a changing landscape that requires us to thoughtfully align our resources with our highest priorities. As we advance our strategic work and implement recommendations from the Institutional Review, we are also taking steps to ensure the College remains financially strong for generations to come.

With these goals in mind, we are offering a one-time Staff Voluntary Retirement Incentive Program for eligible staff members. This option is intended to support employees who may already be considering retirement by providing additional flexibility and financial support, while also creating opportunities for thoughtful workforce transitions.

Participation is completely voluntary. Employees who choose not to apply will not be subject to any adverse employment action as a result of that decision. Choosing not to participate will have no impact on an employee’s position, performance evaluation, or standing with the College. We encourage eligible employees to make the decision that is right for them and their personal circumstances.

Who is eligible?

The program is available to staff members who meet Colorado College’s retirement eligibility requirements as of Aug. 31, 2026:

Employees approved for the program will receive a one-time separation incentive ranging from four to seven months of pay, depending on years of service, along with the retirement benefits already available under College policy.

For complete program details, including the incentive payout structure, view this one-page resource and set of FAQs from Human Resources.

Application Period

The application period opens at 9 a.m. on Friday, July 24, and closes at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 8, providing eligible employees with a 45-day consideration period. To apply, please fill out the Staff Voluntary Retirement Incentive Program Application Form. Note: the form will open for responses at 9 a.m. Mountain Time on Friday, July 24.

Approval is not automatic; applications will be reviewed by Finance & Administration leadership and divisional leaders based on institutional and operational considerations. Approved participants may indicate a preferred retirement date of Sept. 30, Oct. 31, or Nov. 15, with final retirement dates determined by the College through the review process.

Retirement is a significant personal and financial decision. Numerous ways exist for eligible employees to review their benefits and ask questions to help determine what is right for them:

We are grateful for those in our community who have dedicated multiple years of service to the College, and we are committed to caring for our employees while balancing responsible stewardship of the College’s future.

Sincerely,

Vice President of Finance & Administration and Chief Financial Officer

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

College Transition Programs is excited to announce that this year’s CC Common Read is Leanne Betasamosake Simpson’s Theory of Water: Nishnaabe Maps to the Times Ahead. Simpson’s collection of essays shows how situated, embodied knowledge matters, and she illustrates how interdependence—understood through indigenous epistemes about water, snow, ice, and respiration—provide important alternatives to ways of knowing grounded in colonial and capitalist praxis of extraction. Simpson’s work calls for a radical shift in recognizing how we learn and where we learn from.

Theory of Water also helps our CC community think about ways forward in the wake of global violence by encouraging us to situate ourselves more fully at the bodily and local level. At its core, Theory of Water is a reflection on the scale and scope of interdependent resistance and alternative ways of being accountable to each other. Simpson explores how histories, memories, and generational knowledge layer across non-extractive and interdependent relationships with many lifeforms (human and non-human), through grief (loss of her Elder), ecological history (eel migrations moving from the Caribbean to Thunder Bay), and counter-organizing against colonial and capitalist models of extraction.

Alongside CC’s Anti-Racist Book Club selection, Tommy Orange’s Wandering Stars, we hope Simpson’s Theory of Water provides another important node in the larger network of texts prompting critical reflection on CC’s sense of place in the wake of colonial occupation, anti-Native violence, and envisioning/making more equitable futures—especially animated by the power of the liberal arts. 

Copies are available in the CC Bookstore. Show your Gold Card and pick up a free copy! 

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

CC Community,

We were made aware of an issue with access settings in the link to the Baker Tilly Executive Summary in yesterday’s message. This link has now been corrected. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience.

The Board of Trustees met on July 15 to review preliminary findings from the Baker Tilly institutional review and set direction for what comes next.  

Their dialogue centered on four critical areas identified in the report that the College must address in the coming years: Enrollment Strategy, Financial Sustainability and Revenue Diversification, Student Experience, and Organizational Readiness.  

After thoughtful discussion, the Trustees determined four pathways to prioritize in the years ahead:  

1. Rebuild the admitted student experience in key markets to bolster enrollment yield

2. Strengthen student retention and fundraising before pursuing new revenue streams

3. Elevate immersive learning and career outcomes, highlighting the Block Plan as a differentiator that facilitates post-graduate success

4. Build our data and analytics foundation to ground major decisions in reliable, consistent information 

While none of the above represents a new direction, each priority creates additional clarity for our work, building on the commitments and efforts already identified in Claim Our Space and the cascading divisional strategic plans. Stabilizing enrollment and improving data governance are central to Institutional Strength. The Block Plan and a high-touch academic experience are at the heart of Reclaiming the Liberal Arts.  

I will share Baker Tilly’s final report with the campus community in the coming weeks. As a reminder, we will gather as a community for Work of the College sessions on Sept. 1 and 3. This time together will be an opportunity to ask questions, share reactions, and hear from one another as we move into implementation.

Work of the College Series: Institutional Review Updates

I’m grateful for this community’s engagement throughout this process. The review was never about looking backward, but about making sure Colorado College is built to claim its space, deliver on our mission, and thrive for generations of students to come.

Thank you, as always, for your partnership.

Warmly,

President

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

Please save the date for the Welcome Back Lunch (Fall Conference 2026) on Thursday, Aug. 20 from noon-2 p.m. on Tava Quad.

This year, Fall and Spring Conference have swapped formats to make it possible for more faculty and staff to participate in conference sessions. Rather than attending sessions in August, the community can look forward to a full conference program in January.

The August gathering will instead offer an opportunity to share lunch, hear welcoming remarks from Steve Hayward and President Manya Whitaker, and reconnect with colleagues at the start of the academic year.

We hope you’ll save the date and begin the new academic year with colleagues from across the College.

This event is hosted by the Academic Events Committee (AEC) and the Office of the President.

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