Join us for the next Work of the College Series event, “The Evolution of the Office of Communications and Marketing” on Tuesday, Sep. 9, from 1:30–2:30 p.m. in Bemis Great Hall.

We’re excited to share how the Office of Communications and Marketing (OCM) has evolved—with a new structure, new roles, and a new approach to our work! We’re shifting from being primarily service providers to becoming true strategic partners across campus. At this session, you’ll learn how we’re leveraging our team in new ways to collaborate with divisions, develop communications strategies, build impactful plans, and launch campaigns that not only move your mission forward but also strengthen the mission of the College as a whole.

As stewards of the CC brand, we’ll also share how we’re championing our refreshed brand positioning to enhance visibility, strengthen reputation, and ensure our community speaks with one clear, compelling voice.

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 hopes of building trust; and (4) build community.

The Work of the College Series consists of:

Pack your sleeping bags, Tigers—it’s time for CC’s second annual Campus Sleep-Out on Friday, Sep. 5 at 6 p.m.!

Don’t have a sleeping bag? Outdoor Education’s got you covered. Head over to the Outdoor Ed station, which will be located on Tava Quad near Shove Chapel, to pick up a loaner. Snag your spot on the lawn, then join your friends for a game of pickleball or hamster soccer — or get creative at the Arts and Crafts station! At 7 p.m., head to Washburn Field to cheer on the Men’s Soccer team as they take on Cal Lutheran in our 75th Anniversary of Men’s Soccer!  

Spend the rest of the evening with your friends dancing to the music of student bands Shop Dog and Jabbawocky, swapping ghost stories by the fire pits, making s’mores, getting a henna tattoo, or playing video games or glow golf. Then settle in for an outdoor movie under the stars around 9 p.m. When the credits roll, gather with friends for an after-hours breakfast bash on the Quad before heading back to the constellations (or your pillow).  

Visit the website for a schedule of activites. We are looking for staff and faculty volunteers. Contact events@coloradocollege.edu“> Brenda Soto to sign up.

Don’t miss out on the fun — can’t wait to see you there! 

Click on the links below to learn more about an event, register, or RSVP. 

Block 1 Week 2

Semester Study Away Fair

Wednesday, Sep. 3 | Noon-2 p.m. Worner Campus Center

Students can learn about 150+ CC faculty-led and partner-led semester and year away programs. 

Build a Block Away Workshop

Thursday, Sep. 4 | 2-4 p.m.

This 2-hour, hands-on workshop will help you turn an idea for an Off-Campus Block into a draft proposal. RSVP to Allen Bertsche by Monday, Sep. 1.  

Block 1 Week 3

Liberal Arts in Correctional Facilities (LACF) Info Session and Lunch

Friday, Sep. 12 | 12:15-1:30 p.m.  Palmer 217 (Barton Seminar Room)

Block 1 Week 4

CO Water Tour During Block Break 1

Wednesday, Sep. 17, 1:30 p.m. – Friday, Sep. 19, 6 p.m. 

Join the Office of Sustainability’s 3-day CO Water Tour to explore the water system with lodging at Cottonwood Hot Springs. Register on Summit by Wednesday, Sep. 10.

If you need funding for a field trip that is above and beyond an amount that can be covered by your department or other sources, you can apply for Fall Semester courses by Thursday, Sep. 11. Apply for Spring Semester courses by Friday, Dec. 5. 

Connect to a community partner to co-create community-engaged classroom projects for a Spring 2026 course through the PEAK Project. Submit an Educator Interest Form by the end of Block 1 (preferred deadline: Sunday, Sep. 21) or the end of Block 2 (final deadline: Sunday, Oct. 19). Matched partner/faculty pairs are eligible for grant-funded project development stipends ($500 each), available until funds are exhausted.   

Summit course proposals for Summer 2026 and AY 2026-27 Off-Campus Blocks are due this fall: Tuesday, Sep. 29 for summer, Thursday, Oct. 23 for AY 2026-27. If you would like assistance putting together your proposal, contact Allen Bertsche in Global Education.  

The priority deadline for all Spring Semester Away student applications is Wednesday, Oct. 1. Earlier application is recommended as many programs will fill and close before the deadline. Later application may be possible, but program approval is not guaranteed.

The LACF Initiative is currently seeking educators to teach courses in the 2026-27 Academic Year and beyond. If interested, please join us for an info session and lunch on Friday, Sep. 12, 12:15-1:30 p.m. in Palmer 217 (Barton Seminar Room), fill out this brief form, 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.

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 1 or 2. 

Did you know CC employees get free access to PikeRide, Colorado Springs’ bike share system (those purple and white bikes around campus)? Sign up with your CC email to enjoy 30 minutes of free riding every day.

Did you know as a CC employee you are granted up to four days (32 hours) of paid time to volunteer in the community each year? Explore ways to engage off campus and get directly connected to our community partners on our volunteer opportunities page, or explore our community partner list. Learn more about the Staff Volunteering Policy here. 

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

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Don’t miss the The Work of the College Series event with College leadership! Please join us tomorrow, Thursday, Aug. 28, from 2:30–4 p.m. in South Hall Commons to Meet the Cabinet. Members of Cabinet will be facilitating roundtable discussions about their leadership and the work in their divisions. Come learn more about the different administrative divisions on campus and the work they do to support CC every day. Please register for this event in advance. 

The Work of the College Series aims to build community and connection; increase decision-making transparency; clarify structures and decision-making; and offer campus community members the opportunity to dialogue with leadership. 

The Work of the College Series consists of:

It was a joy to spend last week with our newest colleagues during New Faculty Orientation. This energizing start aligned beautifully with the arrival of the Class of 2029 to our campus community. That convergence of new ideas, fresh perspectives, and shared curiosity is a powerful reminder of the distinctive teaching and learning we pursue together on the Block Plan.

While the block structure offers a familiar rhythm, we know the what and when of our needs as educators often vary. With that in mind, the Crown Center team has spent the summer creating clearer, more flexible points of access to our offerings.

Our newly redesigned newsletter will now arrive every block with brief, timely updates and opportunities. Below, you’ll find highlights from our refreshed Crown Center website, our Crown Canvas page of CC-specific teaching resources, and a new Block teaching guide designed for those new to our campus, but of value to the rest of us as well.

We’re also excited to debut a new format for our Crown Lunch Workshops: each session will now include pre-circulated materials, an option to join via Zoom, and asynchronous resources for those who can’t attend in real time.

Keep an eye on your campus mailbox—a poster featuring all our events for the year is headed your way.

Sincerely,

Ryan Raul Bañagale

Director of the Crown Center for Teaching

We are excited to announce a new and improved Crown website. This remains the best place to find information about our eight formal Crown programs, hopefully now in a more streamlined way. Return regularly to see our “Happening this Block” feature as well as to find information and registration for our workshops. We’ll also continue to add to the Teaching Resources page which now includes our partner resources.

We have created a resource for new-to-the-Block instructors in mind. The Guide offers tips for constructing and running an engaged and successful Block class, including information on course design and suggestions for classroom strategies. It is also a valuable refresher for those of us who have been here a while: a touchpoint for (re)thinking routines, (re)discovering resources, or simply finding inspiration as we do what we do best. Review the Block Teaching Guide or visit the Teaching Resources page on the Crown website.

CC classes have special access to all three programming areas of the FAC: Museum, Theatre, and Art School. Curious how a visual, performing, or hands-on art experience could support your teaching? FAC staff can help identify meaningful connections to your course content. Contact Blair Huff, FAC Academic Engagement Manager, to explore the possibilities. 

The distinctive structure of the Block Plan continues to attract international interest and attention. Our colleagues at Victoria University are conducting a research study to explore its pedagogical impact, specifically considering how block teaching enhances learning in ways that differ from traditional semester models. By contributing, you can help articulate the unique benefits of our approach and ensure that CC’s experiences inform the global conversation about innovative teaching. Please complete the questionnaire by Friday, Sept. 6, 2025.

The full schedule of workshops is available on the Crown website and the C&I website. Paper copies of the combined schedule have been distributed to all campus departments. If you did not receive a paper copy and would like one, please contact Crown and C&I Program Coordinator Evelina Fisher.

Tuesday, Sep. 2, noon – 1:30 p.m. Crown Center workshop: “Inclusive Participation,” by Ryan Bañagale and Jessica Hunter. Workshop information and registration

Thursday, Sep. 11, noon – 1:45 p.m. C&I workshop: “Responding Creatively to our Surroundings,” by Jessica Hunter. Workshop information and registration.

PEAK (Publicly Engaged Actionable Knowledge) Project

Faculty are invited to partner with a community organization to co-create a project for your Spring 2026 course. Read for more information.

Liberal Arts in Correctional Facilities (LACF) Initiative

The LACF Initiative is currently seeking educators to teach courses in the 2026-27 Academic Year and beyond. Read for more information.

As we step into a new school year, one filled with possibility, energy, and purpose, I am thrilled to share exciting updates about the Division of Institutional Equity and Belonging (IEB) and our plans for the year ahead. 

At CC, our mission reminds us that everything we do begins and ends with our students. With that in mind, I am overjoyed to announce that the Butler Center, International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS), and our Elder in Residence will now be part of IEB. This transition reflects national best practices and deepens our collective commitment to ensuring that student diversity, equity, and belonging are embraced as core academic and institutional priorities.  

These offices play a vital role in providing programming, advocacy, and support for students from historically marginalized communities. Connecting directly with the College Diversity Officer gives the voices, needs, and aspirations of these students a straightforward pathway to influence the systems and structures of our college. Importantly, this move does not change the focus, partnerships, or programming of these areas. Instead, it strengthens their capacity for impact by fostering deeper cross-divisional collaboration. “While our colleagues in these areas will no longer be officially within Student Life, they remain key partners in supporting student success. Our daily collaboration will not only continue but will grow stronger as we center IEB in our shared work” says Dean of Students, Lacy Karpilo.  

This realignment is not just restructuring; it’s a reunion and revitalization of previously connected efforts, now united under a shared umbrella of support. Please join me in welcoming the Butler Center, ISSS, and the Elder in Residence to the IEB. Together, let us embark on this year with a renewed commitment to antiracism, equity, and belonging at CC. 

In solidarity, 

Rosalie 

As we continue to monitor the national landscape and its constant changes, we can take a moment to breathe in some relief as a federal court in Maryland has ruled against the Department of Education’s anti-DEI memo from Feb. 14, 2025. You can read more about this decision on National Public Radio  or in the Chronicle of Higher Education. 

At the same time, we remain vigilant to protect those in the crosshairs of increased immigration enforcement rife with stereotyping. We remind you that if at any point you see someone you believe to be targeting members of our campus community, or entering buildings or programs uninvited, immediately reach out to Campus Safety for assistance. Full guidance for interacting with immigration enforcement can be found on the IEB website.

In 2025-26, IDEAL will become a standing operational governance group with the formerly temporary operational group, International People and Practices (IPP), becoming a permanent subcommittee of that group. 

This year we will open opportunities for IDEAL to review policies and procedures from across campus using an ADEI lens, collaborating on programming, and generating guidance that can help provide consistency around accessibility, access, and equity.  

We are excited to announce this year’s Antiracist Book Club selections – Nuclear Nuevomexico: Colonialism and the Effects of the Nuclear Industrial Complex on Nuevomexicanos by Myrriah Gómez is our Fall selection and Noor by Nnedi Okorafor is our Spring Selection. Both books are available at the CC Bookstore and can be picked up with your CC ID.

In the past, IEB has selected three or four books each year to enrich our campus community’s knowledge of antiracism, social justice, and liberation. This year we are focusing on two books so that we can create more engagement opportunities throughout the academic year.   

Nuclear Nuevo Mexico is our Sense of Place selection. Gomez, a Nuevomexicana from the Pojoaque Valley, began this investigation “as a mapping of inchoate narratives to contribute to decolonizing the modern account of New Mexico atomic history and U.S. national myth…[and] has since evolved to examine the nuclear industrial complex through New Mexico, beginning with Site Y of the Manhattan Project.” Through research and storytelling, Gomez reveals the impact of nuclear weapons, science, and research on the people, communities, and land of New Mexico. Myrriah Gomez is an assistant professor in the Honors College at the University of New Mexico. 

Noor is a science fiction novel set in near future Nigeria. Through characters, time, and setting Okorafor, born in the United States to Nigerian immigrant parents, creates a world in which biotechnology, disability, gender, and capitalism converge and allows the reader to reflect on humanity and our collective future. Nnedi Okorafor is an award-winning New York Times Bestselling writer of science fiction and fantasy for both children and adults. The more specific terms for her works are africanfuturism and africanjujuism. 

Please join the Antiracist Book Club MS Team to receive quickest communication and updates about upcoming ABC programming. And please connect with Nancy at nrios@coloradocollege.edu if you have proposals or ideas for programming.  

The IEB leadership team recognizes the need to support and promote educational opportunities beyond our current capacity. Many programs, activities, and events that embody antiracism, diversity, equity, and inclusion (ADEI) offer valuable professional development. To ensure budget constraints do not hinder those interested in furthering our mission and personal growth, we offer an IEB grant program to help offset some of the costs associated with participating, attending, or creating ADEI programming.    

The process is simple. Complete this form describing your funding needs. If you are requesting funds for Fall 2025, applications must be completed by October 1, 2025; if you are requesting funds for Spring 2026, applications must be complete by March 1, 2026. As grant request review and decision will require a minimum of two weeks, we firmly recommend submission at least one month in advance of the activity. The IEB leadership team will review your request, evaluating alignment with our mission and vision. You will be notified via email within two weeks about your award status or if additional information is needed. The grant will be open until all funds have been exhausted, at which time we will notify the campus ending that it has closed. We aim to offer the ACE grant annually to support ongoing engagement from staff, faculty, and students, as long as funding allows. 

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

The Division of Institutional Equity and Belonging (IEB) provides financial co-sponsorship for campus events and activities that advance equity and justice initiatives. Academic departments or programs, administrative offices, student organizations, and athletic teams are all eligible to apply for this funding support. 

Co-sponsorship awards are available up to a maximum of $250. Applications are reviewed in the order they are received. Interested applicants should complete the co-sponsorship request form and submit it with all required documentation. 

The IEB team will review applications and notify applicants of funding decisions within two weeks of submission. Organizations that receive co-sponsorship funding are required to acknowledge this support by including “The Office of Institutional Equity and Belonging” in all event communications and displaying the IEB logo on promotional materials, flyers, and event programs. 

For questions about eligibility requirements or the application process, please belonging@coloradocollege.edu“> contact IEB directly.

Friday, Aug. 28, 2025, 12:15 – 12:45 p.m. Tava Quad

Smudge Circle with Elder Debbie

Please join our Elder in Residence, Debbie Howell, for a Smudge Circle to start the new academic year.  Smudge circles are open to all campus community members, regardless of faith, identity, and beliefs.

Sep. 8, 2025, 10:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Location TBD 

Making Medicine  

Sep. 16, 2025, 10:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Location TBD 

Food as Medicine

Join Professor Santiago Guerra’s SW259: Ritual and Medicine of the Southwest for an engaging exploration that builds on last year’s Antiracist Book Club selection, Eating the Landscape by Enrique Salmón. Students in this course will host two learning events open to students, faculty, staff, and community members. These events will focus on Indigenous knowledge systems, plant medicine, and traditional foods of the Southwest.

Stay tuned for announcements—and join us if you’re interested in exploring these important topics further.

Save the Date:  

Block 1 Block Break 

Sense of Place Field Engagement.  
Join IEB, the FAC Museum, and the Hulbert Center for Southwest Studies for an overnight service trip to Taos, NM, at the historic Duran Family Talpa Chapel. In preparation, we will offer learning opportunities about the FAC’s Talpa Chapel santos collection, the chapel’s current condition, and the FAC’s ongoing reparative efforts with the Duran Family. Details and a signup link will be shared soon in Today at CC. This trip is open to students, staff, and faculty.   

Blocks 2, 4, 6, and 8 

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.

Block 3

July 26 marked the 35th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. This incredible civil rights law, which was also amended in 2008, protects individuals with disabilities. CC is excited to celebrate people with disabilities being included in our campus community and we look forward to more celebrations in Block 3—stay tuned! 

More information about campus access, creating accessible college events, and general information about the ADA can be found on the ADA/504 Coordinator website or by reaching out to Sara Rotunno at srotunno@coloradocollege.edu.   

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.