Creativity is “a principled engagement with the unfamiliar and a willingness to approach the familiar in unfamiliar ways.”  

(Glăveanu & Beghetto, 2021)  

C&I offers pathways to build and operationalize creative courage, which provides faculty, staff, and students opportunities to develop the essential building blocks of creativity–both mindsets and practices. 

A full-size version of the image above is available on the C&I website. 

Navigating ambiguity is the mindset that allows us to remain open to different possibilities and options while resisting the urge to prematurely resolve uncertainty from novel, complex settings and experiences. When we become better at navigating ambiguity and staying present in discomfort, we can avoid the tendency to take the first adequate solution and stop looking for more possibilities (Runco, 2023).   

In its September 5, 2025 issue, The Catalyst named cSpace a “gem on campus.” Amongst the building blocks, paints, pastels, fabrics, and felt, it’s the place to be creatively free. Performance and perfection can be put aside. Instead, the space invites you to play, incubate and iterate ideas, fail into something unexpected, and linger in curiosity. On September 15, before Block 1 wrapped up, we celebrated the 100th participation waiver for cSpace signed this academic year! If you have not come by yet, we would love to welcome you in.  

For Everyone (students, faculty, & staff)

Want a quick, creative break?

Drop-ins take place on the second Monday of each block, from 3–4 p.m. Come by the C&I building on the northwest corner of Cache and Weber at any point during this time to explore a creative process. In this block’s session “Feel and Felt,” participants navigated ambiguity in tactile, playful ways.  

Access to cSpace anytime you like? 

By taking a tour and signing our participation waiver, you get Gold Card access to the C&I building where cSpace is located and can come anytime you like. Tours happen every Monday from 4–4:30 p.m. If you cannot make it on Monday afternoons, email Evelina and she will arrange a tour at a time that works for you.    

For Faculty & Staff 

The C&I workshop series introduces a wide range of creativity exercises suitable for anyone teaching a course at CC. At each workshop, participants will practice the exercise, place it in a creativity framework, and discuss how it might be adapted for specific learning outcomes. Please RSVP using the links below for the workshops you want to attend so that we can provide dietary and accessibility accommodations.   

Thursday, Oct. 9: Block 2 Workshop: Flexibility with the Unfamiliar 

Come explore C&I’s definition of creativity as “an engagement with the unfamiliar and a willingness to approach the familiar in unfamiliar ways.” This workshop fosters creative courage for facing challenges by leveraging mindsets to explore the unfamiliar. Utilizing various hands-on exercises and strategies, such as LEGO® bricks, we’ll uncover how to navigate disruption to transform the unfamiliar into opportunities for innovation and discovery. 

Thursday, Nov. 6: Block 3 Workshop: Assessing Creative Assignments 

In this session, we will share examples of assignments in various disciplines that highlight creative processes and present some options for assessment. If you have an assignment or assessment method you would like to share, we welcome your participation in the session. 

For Students 

Come play with ideas through creativity sprints: short, messy, and fun ways to build creative thinking and problem-solving skills. Every second Friday of each block, students in all disciplines can be part of the Creative Courage Community.  Come to one or attend all of them. Sign up today to reserve your spot (limited to 22)! 

Friday, Oct. 31: Block 3 sign up 

Friday, Dec. 5: Block 4 sign up  

“At its core, creative confidence is about believing in your ability to create change in the world around you. It is the conviction that you can achieve what you set out to do. We think this self-assurance, this belief in your creative capacity, lies at the heart of innovation.”   

(Kelley & Kelley, 2013)  

Contact:

efisher2024@coloradocollege.edu“>Evelina Fisher, Program Coordinator

kstanec@coloradocollege.edu“>Kris Stanec, Director

Join Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer Lori Seager on Tuesday, Oct. 21 at 3-4 p.m. in South Hall Commons for an engaging discussion about the financial strategies that keep our college thriving. This session will pull back the curtain on how we approach budgeting, resource allocation, and long-term financial planning in higher education.

Learn about the unique financial challenges facing liberal arts colleges today and how we balance competing priorities—from maintaining academic excellence and supporting student financial aid to investing in campus facilities and faculty development. Seager will share insights into revenue streams, endowment management, and how financial decisions directly impact the educational experience.

Whether you’re curious about budget processes, interested in institutional resources and reserves, or want to understand how tuition and fees translate into campus resources, this session offers a valuable look at the financial foundations that support our academic mission.

Come with your questions about everything from capital projects to financial sustainability. This is your chance to better understand how smart financial planning helps ensure CC’s continued success through institutional strength.

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:

Please find Block 1 In the Loop and Block 2 updates and information from Staff Council below. If you have questions, comments, or feedback, feel free to email us at StaffCouncil@ColoradoCollege.edu“> StaffCouncil@ColoradoCollege.edu.

We appreciate you! 

Make sure to check out the Block 1 In the Loop PowerPoint presentation and recording on the Staff Council website. Topics covered include a welcome from College Diversity Officer Rosalie Rodriguez, updates about campus spaces and the Freedom of Expression Policy, information from ITS about Banner 9, and more.

If you are unable to listen to the recording or read the auto-generated captions, please use the captioning resources provided by the Accessibility Resources Office. 

Staff Council’s Block 2 meeting was held on Tuesday, Sep. 30. Here are some key points for your information. Visit the Staff Council website to read the full meeting minutes.

Freedom of Expression Policy

VP of Student Life and Dean of Students Lacy Karpilo and College Diversity Officer Rosalie Rodriguez shared information about the draft of the Freedom of Expression Policy, which will soon be open for its 30-day review period.

Staff Council encourages staff to read and provide input during the review period. For any concerns or questions that can’t be included in the policy itself, an accompanying FAQs will be provided when the policy is finalized.

Updates from HR

HR is working hard to update materials to help clarify benefits. Please be on the lookout for more information from their office as the year progresses.

Staff Council Meetings

Reminder to staff that Staff Council meetings are open for you to attend! If you ever want to know what Staff Council is working on, feel free to attend an upcoming meeting. Meeting dates are listed on the Staff Council website.

Do you have questions for Staff Council? Submit them to us! You can StaffCouncil@ColoradoCollege.edu“> email us or submit via the Ask Staff Council page on the website. When we get your questions, they are forwarded to Cabinet or other appropriate parties for an answer. Once we have the answer, we post it on the same webpage in the Answers from Cabinet to Recent Questions tab.

You are welcome to ask questions anonymously, but if you do include your name and contact info, we will send the answer we receive directly to you. Check back on the website often to see recent answers to questions!

Your Staff Council Representatives
Visit the Staff Council Webpage or Teams Site for more information.

The Okanagan Charter for Health and Wellness, signed by CC President Manya Whitaker and all members of the CC Cabinet. Photo by Jamie Cotten

By Julia Fennell ’21

In alignment with its mission and values, Colorado College is adopting the Okanagan Charter for Health and Wellness, a framework of the United States Health Promoting Campuses Network, which provides institutions of higher education with common language, principles, and strategies to promote health and well-being throughout the campus community.

“We are honored to join an extensive network of health-promoting institutions of higher education. The Okanagan Charter naturally aligns with CC’s values, and the adoption recommits our resources towards supporting a culture of wellness and a campus of care,” said Associate Vice President of Wellness Janelle Taylor.

READ THE FULL STORY »

Join Associate Vice President of Wellness Janelle Taylor, MSN, on Thursday, Oct. 9, from 3-4 p.m. in Gates Common Room for a Work of the College event about CC’s Health & Wellbeing Strategic Plan. This session will explore the College’s comprehensive wellbeing approach, which recognizes that all aspects of health — physical, intellectual, spiritual, social, environmental, and mental — are interconnected.

Learn how recent successful health and wellbeing initiatives support our strategic plan goals of reinforcing our foundation of wellness, creating enduring programming, and fostering collaboration with campus partners. Come with your questions and engage in meaningful dialogue about wellness resources, mental health support, and how different departments can collaborate to support student success. LEARN MORE AND REGISTER »

The Philosophy Department’s Colloquium Series begins in Block 2, on Thursday, Oct. 9, from 3:30-5 p.m., in Gaylord Hall, with the John Hanwell Riker Lecture. This year, we are delighted to have CC’s own Professor Jonathan Lee deliver the Colloquium Lecture. Light refreshments will be served.

Join us on Friday, Oct. 3, from 7:30-9 p.m. in Cornerstone 108 (Norberg Studio), for What Is War? 

In January 2020, Otake visited Hui in China for a month. The pandemic forced their collaboration to continue across distance, leading to the creation of the award-winning feature-length documentary No Rule Is Our Rule. In that process, the artists began examining the personal memories they carry in their bodies, a practice that eventually brought them together in the U.S.

The result is What Is War? — a commissioned performance work for the Walker Art Center, CAP UCLA, Jacob’s Pillow, and Colorado College’s Theatre & Dance Department. Through a tapestry of language, movement, and video, Hui and Otake share intimate memories tied to war. Their interwoven stories invite the audience to reflect on their own relationship to war, both historically and personally.

Friday, Oct. 3, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

The game is afoot! Join us for Center Stage’s debut pre-theatre show party. Warm up with a themed cocktail, while you dive into a mad libs murder mystery that puts your imagination to the test. Solve the staged crime scene, collect prizes for your most “elementary” guesses, and dabble in a few other mysterious diversions before curtain for Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson, Apt. 2B. This event is 21+.

Themed cocktail: Elementary, My Dear

Students, faculty, staff, and community members attend a screening of SPEAK., a documentary by Guy Mossman ’95 and Jennifer Tiexiera, on Sept. 24 in Celeste Theatre. After the screening, President Manya Whitaker joined the film’s directors on a panel, moderated by Mike Edmonds, former CC Senior Vice President. Photo by Jamie Cotten