Click on the text below to go directly to that section. 

Block 7 Week 2

Get on Board! Community Event through El Pomar 

Tuesday, Apr. 1 | 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Penrose House Garden Pavilion

The El Pomar Foundation is hosting an event where attendees can connect with nonprofit organizations and government boards showcasing service opportunities.

Block 8 Week 1

Celebrate Earth Week 2025

Apr. 21-25 | Varying Times and Locations

Join us, along with various offices, departments, and clubs, for a week of Earth Week fun and awareness. Check out the Calls to Action section to learn more.  

CCE’s Annual Senior Symposium 

Tuesday, Apr. 22 | 3-5 p.m.
Tutt Library 2nd Floor 

Graduating seniors from our civic leadership programs and Newman Civic Fellows present their community engagement and Capstone projects. See the Calls to Action section to learn more!

Are you interested in transitioning a course you are teaching this fall to community-engaged learning, but need community connections? If so, you are invited to participate in the Publicly Engaged Actionable Knowledge (PEAK) Project by filling out this brief interest form by the priority deadline at the end of Block 7 (Sunday, Apr. 20) with a final deadline at the end of Block 8 (Sunday, May 18). The PEAK Project bridges campus knowledge to community impact by connecting CC educators to nonprofit partners for community-engaged learning classroom projects.  

For a limited time, those who participate in the PEAK Project and are successfully “matched” will be eligible to receive project development stipends ($500 each for faculty and community partners) to honor the time, capacity, and thought-work that goes into developing new community-engaged learning projects. This funding is generously provided through the Bonner Foundation’s Community-Engaged Learning Initiative, through which the CCE received a grant. Funds will be offered until grant funding is exhausted. 

An October deadline for a Block Away Proposal may seem far off, but it will be here sooner than you think. Proposals for both Summer 2026 and Academic Year 2026-27 courses will be due in October, and with the summer quickly approaching, the time is now to meet with Global Education, flesh out your course plan, start developing a draft budget, and communicate with potential on-site partners. Global Education & Field Study is happy to help with this process. The deadline for all 2026 Summer Block Away Proposals on Summit is Friday, Oct. 3. The deadline for initial proposals for 2026-27 academic year Off-Campus Blocks is Friday, Oct. 31. 

CC Votes would like to remind all eligible voters that today, Apr. 1 is election day for the Colorado Springs General Municipal Election. This election will decide who will represent you on City Council. Ballots must be dropped in a Ballot Drop Box by 7 p.m. today. CC has a Ballot Drop box located outside of the Boettcher Center, near Loomis Hall. For more information on this election please visit the CC Votes page. 

The LACF initiative is currently seeking educators to teach courses in the 2025-26 academic year and beyond. The mission of the program is to address inequities in higher education by expanding access for incarcerated persons. Through the LACF, CC faculty and qualified staff offer 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. Students receive credit through Pueblo Community College (PCC), and courses are guaranteed to transfer as degree requirements at any Colorado public institution of higher learning. CC faculty or qualified staff receive a grant-funded stipend to teach evening courses (typically twice a week) over the course of a semester. Please visit the CCE website to express interest, or email Jordan Radke with questions. 

Global Education & Field Study continues to update and improve our online resources for faculty interested in taking students off campus. For faculty interested in developing an off-campus block (domestic or international) there is the Canvas course “Building a Block Away”, which focuses on the idea-to-proposal process, including CC policy and practice on course design, budgeting, and use of partner organizations or OPA (Off-Campus Program Assistants).  

For faculty with planned field experiences, Blocks away, or longer study away programs, there is also the Canvas course “Taking Academic Courses Off-Campus”, which is designed for faculty already scheduled for off-campus travel with their class. This course is required of all faculty who are leading students outside of El Paso County and contains policy, guidelines and advice around safety, health, risk management, and your role as a faculty leader of off-campus experiences. It must be completed before you lead your course off-campus, but is valid for the entire year. In addition to these resources, both Drew Cavin (Field & Domestic Travel) and Allen Bertsche (Block Away & International Travel) are happy to walk through the travel plan development process, review college requirements and expectations, or just help you brainstorm about ways to maximize the experiential education potential of your course and its off-campus components.  

If you have already taken the course, please note that there are two important updates related to developments in laws and regulations related to domestic travel (I.D. requirements, etc.). Please check the latest update in the course for the Accessibility and Risk Assessment sections.  

Every year, graduating seniors from some of our civic leadership programs and our Newman Civic Fellow present their Presentations of Learning to reflect on their community engaged experiences and Capstone projects in a conference style event on the 2nd floor of the Tutt Library. Here’s a sneak peak of this year’s presentation schedule. We hope that you can join us.

Get ready to celebrate Earth Week! Planned is a full schedule of events, kicking off on Monday, Apr. 21, and running throughout the week. Visit the Earth Week webpage to learn more about each event. Below are some event highlights, with more details to come throughout Block 7. 

Student Information
We encourage you to review the student newsletter and pass along opportunities that align with your students’ interests and goals. Thank you for your continued support of CC students!

In less than 50 days, we’ll come together to honor the achievements of the Class of 2025! This milestone isn’t just about the graduates—it’s a celebration of our entire campus community and the role we all play in their journey.

Take note of the key dates below and keep an eye on your inbox and the Commencement 2025 webpage for details on how you can participate in this special time of year.

Sunday, May 18, 8:30 a.m., Ed Robson Arena 

Doors open at 7 a.m. for general admission seating.

Commencement Speaker Spotlight: Mike Shum ’07

Award-winning filmmaker and journalist Mike Shum ’07 will return to campus to deliver the 2025 Commencement Address. From covering global conflicts and climate issues for The New York Times, National Geographic, and PBS Frontline to earning Emmy and NAACP Image Award nominations, Shum’s career has been defined by storytelling that informs and inspires.

We look forward to the insights he will share with our graduates.

Each year, CC awards Honorary Degrees to individuals whose remarkable achievements and contributions inspire our community. Whether through professional, scholarly, or artistic achievements, these honorees embody the values of curiosity, creativity, and leadership. This year, we are proud to recognize three outstanding individuals whose work has made a lasting impact.

Ben Sturgulewski ’08
Filmmaker Ben “Sturge” Sturgulewski has built an award-winning career capturing the world’s wild places and the people who inhabit them. He has directed, filmed, and edited acclaimed content for clients such as Patagonia, Arcteryx, YETI, Rivian, NFL Films, and Red Bull. Ben has also produced a library of Vimeo Staff Picks, and his ski film, Valhalla, was recently named “The Greatest Ski Film of All Time” by Outside magazine. Sturgulewski splits his time between Anchorage, AK, and Boulder, CO. Read more about Sturgulewski.

Jeff Bieri
Jeff Bieri dedicated 35 years to KRCC, shaping Colorado Public Radio’s Colorado Springs station as a host, music director, and later, station manager. During his time, he solidified the station’s vital place in Southern Colorado, leading over 100 membership drives, helped to merge KRCC with CPR, and enriched the region’s culture through live music programming and festivals like Blues Under the Bridge and MeadowGrass Music Festival. A champion of public radio and community engagement, Bieri retired in January of this year, leaving a lasting legacy in Southern Colorado. Read more about Bieri.

Steve Wood ’84
Steve graduated from CC in 1984 and has worked in Colorado Springs on a variety of community projects since then, including community work with at-risk teens through Workout Ltd., outdoor experiential education with the Colorado Outward Bound School, and art education with CC’s Bemis School of Art.

In 2003, Steve co-founded the non-profit Concrete Couch where he still works today. The organization’s mission is creative community building, set in a CC block structure. “The Couch” has served thousands of people in the area through free programming that connects and improves our community. The CC community (from students to faculty to staff, retired staff, and alumni) is actively involved in Couch programming. Read more about Wood.

In addition to Commencement, other related events and festivities include:

Tuesday, May 6, 11 a.m., Shove Memorial Chapel
Honors Convocation is our opportunity to honor outstanding students and faculty. The annual program includes departmental awards, all-college awards, faculty teaching and professorships, and awards from the CC Student Government Association. All members of the campus community are welcome to attend and a livestream of the ceremony will be available online.

Saturday, May 17, 3 p.m., Shove Memorial Chapel
Baccalaureate is a centuries-old graduation tradition, providing an opportunity to reflect on this rite of passage, hear from a faculty member, and celebrate our talented students.

Students and their invited guests may attend in person (two guests per student). Seniors who have applied to graduate will receive an email as we get closer to the ceremony with instructions for how to claim tickets to the Baccalaureate ceremony through Ticketmaster. A livestream of the ceremony will also be available online.

Students, faculty, and staff are invited to share their well wishes and words of celebration for graduates as part of this special Colorado College tradition. Together, these messages form a communal blessing, sharing both individual and collective love and hope for the graduates as they journey forth from CC. Baccalaureate Blessings are shared digitally. Submitted messages will be displayed on the jumbotron in Ed Robson Arena during Commencement on May 18, as well as online. Read more for instructions and ideas for how to submit a message.

Eric Popkin, Associate Professor of Sociology, has been nominated by this year’s senior class to deliver the 2025 Baccalaureate Address. Popkin has extensive experience teaching and designing community-engaged courses and programs focused on Colorado Springs to the American Southwest, the U.S.-Mexican border, and Latin America. He is the founding director of the Colorado College Social Action Institute, which has placed approximately 100 students in social action internships working on immigrant rights, community and labor organizing, and environmental justice. He was also co-founder and initial director of the Collaborative for Community Engagement, which has helped hundreds of students become more socially aware and equipped to improve the lives of those around them.

In their nominations, students recognized Popkin’s ability to convey the realities of global inequity with compassion and understanding. They also appreciated his meaningful support outside of academic settings, as an advisor for Jewish Voice for Peace, and an advocate for students of color, undocumented or minimally documented students and families, queer students, and other marginalized groups.

Popkin’s research focus is on Central American immigration, while his teaching is rooted in high-impact practices and community-based learning in liberal arts education. Read more about Popkin.

Faculty must register in advance to march in the Commencement 2025 events, including the Honors Convocation, Baccalaureate, and Commencement ceremonies. Please use this link to register to march. For questions, reach out to Sarah Nurmi, Assistant Director of College Events.

Want to get involved and be a part of the Commencement excitement? Please consider signing up to volunteer. To learn more or sign up, please contact Jenna Malone on the College Events team at jmalone2024@coloradocollege.edu or (719) 389-6935.

A limited number of standing-room-only tickets will be available for staff and faculty who are not marching. Stay tuned for more information on how to claim a ticket. Livestreaming will also be available online for Commencement, Honors Convocation, and Baccalaureate.

Again, thank you CC community for all you do each day to contribute to our thriving campus, and for welcoming the hundreds of friends and family members visiting campus for these special celebrations.

You’re less than 50 days away from crossing the Commencement stage and stepping into your next adventure!

Keep a close eye on your inbox and the Commencement 2025 webpage to ensure you have all the information you need to plan for this important occasion. 

First things first – Don’t forget to apply to graduate! Eligible seniors must submit their application to graduate by Friday, Apr. 18 in order to walk in the ceremony this spring. IMPORTANT: You will not be able to claim guest tickets for Commencement or Baccalaureate ceremonies until you complete the registration process.

If eligible, you will find the link to the application on your student menu in Banner SSB. It only takes a few minutes to opt in to the ceremony, provide height information for a gown, and confirm other important details. Please also record your name in Canvas to ensure proper pronunciation at the ceremony.

Sunday, May 18, 8:30 a.m., Ed Robson Arena 

Doors open at 7 a.m. for general admission seating.

Commencement Speaker Spotlight: Mike Shum ’07
Award-winning filmmaker and journalist Mike Shum ’07 will return to campus to deliver the 2025 Commencement Address. From covering global conflicts and climate issues for The New York Times, National Geographic, and PBS Frontline to earning Emmy and NAACP Image Award nominations, Shum’s career has been defined by storytelling that informs and inspires. We look forward to the insights he will share with you.

Each year, CC awards Honorary Degrees to individuals whose remarkable achievements and contributions inspire our community. Whether through professional, scholarly, or artistic achievements, these honorees embody the values of curiosity, creativity, and leadership. This year, we are proud to recognize three outstanding individuals whose work has made a lasting impact.

Ben Sturgulewski ’08
Filmmaker Ben “Sturge” Sturgulewski has built an award-winning career capturing the world’s wild places and the people who inhabit them. He has directed, filmed, and edited acclaimed content for clients such as Patagonia, Arcteryx, YETI, Rivian, NFL Films, and Red Bull. Ben has also produced a library of Vimeo Staff Picks, and his ski film Valhalla was recently named “The Greatest Ski Film of All Time” by Outside magazine. Sturgulewski splits his time between Anchorage, AK, and Boulder, CO. Read more about Sturgulewski.

Jeff Bieri
Jeff Bieri dedicated 35 years to KRCC, shaping Colorado Public Radio’s Colorado Springs station as a host, music director, and later, station manager. During his time, he solidified the station’s vital place in Southern Colorado, leading over 100 membership drives, helped to merge KRCC with CPR, and enriched the region’s culture through live music programming and festivals like Blues Under the Bridge and MeadowGrass Music Festival. A champion of public radio and community engagement, Bieri retired in January of this year, leaving a lasting legacy in Southern Colorado. Read more about Bieri.

Steve Wood ’84
Steve graduated from CC in 1984 and has worked in Colorado Springs on a variety of community projects since then, including community work with at-risk teens through Workout Ltd., outdoor experiential education with the Colorado Outward Bound School, and art education with CC’s Bemis School of Art.

In 2003, Steve co-founded the non-profit Concrete Couch where he still works today. The organization’s mission is creative community building, set in a CC block structure. “The Couch” has served thousands of people in the area through free programming that connects and improves our community. The CC community (from students to faculty to staff, retired staff, and alumni) is actively involved in Couch programming. Read more about Wood.

In addition to Commencement, other related events and festivities include:

Tuesday, May 6, 11 a.m., Shove Memorial Chapel
This is CC’s opportunity to honor outstanding students and faculty. The annual program includes departmental awards, all-college awards, faculty teaching and professorships, and awards from the CC Student Government Association. All members of the campus community are welcome to attend and a livestream of the ceremony will be available online.

Saturday, May 17, 3 p.m., Shove Memorial Chapel
Baccalaureate is a centuries-old graduation tradition, providing an opportunity to reflect on this rite of passage, hear from a faculty member, and celebrate our talented students. Seniors who have applied to graduate will receive an email as we get closer to the ceremony with instructions for how to claim tickets (up to two guests per student) to the Baccalaureate ceremony through Ticketmaster. A livestream of the ceremony will also be available online.

Share your well wishes and words of celebration for fellow graduates as part of this special CC tradition. Together, these messages form a communal blessing, sharing both individual and collective love and hope for graduates as they journey forth from CC. Baccalaureate Blessings are shared digitally. Submitted messages will be displayed on the jumbotron in Ed Robson Arena during Commencement on May 18, as well as online. See instructions on how to submit a message.

Eric Popkin, Associate Professor of Sociology, has been nominated by this year’s senior class to deliver the 2025 Baccalaureate Address. Popkin has extensive experience teaching and designing community-engaged courses and programs focused on Colorado Springs to the American Southwest, the U.S.-Mexican border, and Latin America. He is the founding director of the Colorado College Social Action Institute, which has placed approximately 100 students in social action internships working on immigrant rights, community and labor organizing, and environmental justice. He was also co-founder and initial director of the Collaborative for Community Engagement, which has helped hundreds of students become more socially aware and equipped to improve the lives of those around them.

In their nominations, students recognized Popkin’s ability to convey the realities of global inequity with compassion and understanding. They also appreciated his meaningful support outside of academic settings, as an advisor for Jewish Voice for Peace, and an advocate for students of color, undocumented or minimally documented students and families, queer students, and other marginalized groups.

Popkin’s research focus is on Central American immigration, while his teaching is rooted in high-impact practices and community-based learning in liberal arts education. Read more about Popkin.

Academic departments typically hold receptions on the Saturday afternoon following Baccalaureate, at locations on and off campus. Stay tuned for more details on the Commencement website and watch for an invitation directly from your academic department.

Each graduate will have an opportunity to claim an anticipated maximum of five seated and two standing-room-only guest tickets for Commencement, subject to availability. After you’ve applied to graduate, eligible students will be able to access these free, general admission guest tickets via your CC Ticketmaster Account Manager at the beginning of May, with specific instructions to come via email. A livestream of the ceremony will also be available online.  

Congratulations Class of 2025! You’re almost there!