Colorado Mesa University

The Maverick : Fall 2017

The Maverick magazine is a great way to stay in touch with current events at your alma mater, old classmates and the bright future of Colorado Mesa University.

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Colorado Mesa University was born from an audacious idea: that our region's citizens deserve access to the highest-quality education without the burden of relocating to Colorado's Front Range. Today that idea may seem less than audacious but, at the time, it was bold. Boldness is still what distinguishes Colorado Mesa University from other institutions of higher learning. The pioneering spirit of community members, scholars, educators, alumni and students has propelled CMU forward for decades. Just six short years ago, we further solidified that boldness of vision by renaming our school to reflect the university it had become. That renaming was the dream of those who supported Mesa decades ago, people like John Tomlinson, Ray Kieft, Carl Wahlberg, Ted Albers, Tillie Bishop, and untold others. As we start to close-in on our centennial, we must ask ourselves what boldness of vision will drive CMU and the region it serves onward. The most recent almanac of The Chronicle of Higher Education recognized Colorado Mesa University as the fourth fastest growing university in the nation from 2005-2015. Recently there has been much talk about continued growth among the CMU community. At the same time, local community leaders have stepped up with a new campaign to rally 5,000 supporters, driven with the same boldness of spirit, to assist our continuing development as one of the region's most important economic drivers. Our focus in this new endeavor is to grow in a thoughtful, sustainable way to 15,000 students. You may have heard about the CMU20000 initiative. That's where the name came from – 15,000 students plus 5,000 CMU supporters from the community. In partnership with faculty leaders, we are discussing how and when we can get to that audacious goal of 15,000 students. But those measures are far less important than why we believe it's the right goal. Our successes have been many during the past years yet our local economy has sputtered to rebound from the Great Recession. A key element in our economic underperformance is the reality that our region continues to lag behind the statewide average in college-educated people. This gap is true at every level from associate degree holders to bachelor's degrees to graduate or professional degrees. While we have made progress over time, western Colorado will not realize its potential until we are the home of the most educated population in Colorado. To realize that potential, we have to attract, retain and help more students complete a credential. Simple math says that the path forward, given the number of students from western Colorado who choose CMU combined with the number of our graduates who want to live here, is a student population of 15,000 at CMU. We're not a perfect university. Building anything great comes with follies and failures. Yet our missteps are our greatest teachers. The path to 15,000 students includes unforeseen challenges, consternation and naysayers. It will require dedication, hard work, tough decisions and laser-focus on our goals. Fortunately, these are all things for which Mavericks are known. As always, we will rise to the occasion. Not because growing to 15,000 students should be a self-fulfilling prophesy, but because our mission demands it of us. Our region deserves it. We - and those who come after us - will be better because of it. I invite you to join us in focusing on the future. Personally, I look forward to the dialogue with you as we embark on our bold path forward. Sincerely, Tim Foster FALL 2017 VOLUME 7.1 Editor Katlin Birdsall Art Director Jeremy Smith Graphic Artist Lisa Smith Copy Editors Dana Nunn Kim Williams President Tim Foster Executive Director of Marketing and Communications Michael Mansheim Director of Alumni Relations Jared Meier Board of Trustees Betty Bechtel, Chair • Tilman Bishop Kelly Brough • Kathleen Eck Jose D.L. Marquez Ray Martinez • Doug Quimby David Reed, Vice-Chair • Joan Ringel Dan Robinson • Robert Wilson Chad Middleton, Faculty Trustee Beau Flores, Student Trustee C o p y r i g h t © 2 0 1 7 T h e M av er ic k All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without express written permission is strictly prohibited. C o l o r a d o M e s a U n i v e r s i t y 1 1 0 0 N o r t h Av e n u e G r a n d J u n c t i o n , C O 8 1 5 0 1 - 3 1 2 2 9 7 0 . 2 4 8 . 1 2 7 7 c o l o r a d o m e s a . e d u / m a v e r i c k m a v e r i c k @ c o l o r a d o m e s a . e d u STATE OF THE UNIVERSITY

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