ANNUAL REPORT REALIZING OUR VISION A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT AND CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES DEAR FRIENDS, We are optimistic and excited about Colorado College’s future as we continue to invest in our people, place, and program. Through the generosity of alumni, parents, and friends, the college has raised $361.8 million toward our $435 million goal through Building on Originality: The Campaign for Colorado College, as of the end of the fiscal year 2019. We also hope that at least 50 percent of our alumni will participate in the campaign, and so far 42.8 percent of alumni have contributed. Donors are having an impact across the college. Generous gifts are funding scholarships that make Colorado College accessible for high-promise students (read more on page 4). We opened an award-winning library that was designed to support the Block Plan (read more on page 10), and initiated an Our top remaining campaign priorities are building as well as Creativity & Innovation ambitious performing arts program that fundraising for scholarships and supporting at CC will support programming like the is a collaboration between the Fine Arts Innovation at Colorado College. We Risk Project, Innovators in Residence, and Center, Colorado College academic have raised $58.5 million toward our $100 collaborations across the curriculum that departments, and talented alumni and million goal for scholarships as of June 30, foster students’ creative confidence (read students (read more on page 12). 2019. Raising $40 million for an innovation more on page 8). 2 2018-19 MAKING THE PLEDGE attractions. The groundbreaking for recommendations. Then, we drafted the Robson Arena is set for February 2020, college’s Antiracism Implementation At the beginning of the 2019-20 academic with a projected opening in Fall 2021 Plan, with a timeline and metrics for year, we launched the Colorado Pledge, (read more on page 15). measuring our progress. You can follow a pilot financial aid program designed to our progress and stay engaged through ensure that CC is as or more affordable In March 2019, Tigers Hockey swept the the CC website. for Colorado students from low- and University of Denver, winning their first middle-income families than the state’s Gold Pan since 2014. Jaden Schwartz flagship public university. Increasing ’14 returned to CC’s Honnen Arena in REALIZING OUR VISION September to connect and skate with the the percentage of Colorado students We are inspired by all that has been Tigers before his training camp in St. (currently 15 percent) at CC is a critical accomplished through the campaign, objective as the college’s sense of place Louis, and went on to win the Stanley and we know that realizing our vision in the West factors prominently in our Cup with the St. Louis Blues in June. during these final two years requires strategic plan, The Colorado College We are thrilled that Lesley Irvine has support from the entire Colorado Plan: Building on the Block. Our joined the college as vice president and College community. regional commitment is further affirmed director of athletics. She brings a wealth by our alliance with the Colorado We are grateful to every member who of experience as a national champion Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado is moving our vision for Colorado College. student-athlete, coach of conference- College forward through generous championship teams, and administrator commitments to the campaign. We need The college has already received more of Division I and Division III athletics your continued support, through your than $5 million from generous donors programs. Her leadership, vision, and gifts and by encouraging others to join to the Colorado Pledge, including those energy are moving Colorado College the effort. who have joined Susie B’s Challenge, Athletics forward. a $2.5 million challenge announced Thank you for all you are doing to in September 2019 to match new support Colorado College! COMMITTING gifts of $50,000 or more for endowed scholarships. Read more about this TO ANTIRACISM challenge on page 7. Colorado College has developed an Sincerely, Antiracism Implementation Plan to BUILDING A NEW guide CC’s ongoing, long-term goal HOCKEY HOME of becoming an antiracist institution. During the 2018-19 academic year, JILL TIEFENTHALER P’21, P’24 We continue to build excitement about Dr. Roger Worthington of the Center the Edward J. Robson Arena, a multi- for Diversity and Inclusion in Higher purpose, state-of-the-art, sustainable Education led an external review of sports facility to be located on the block racism at CC, and we shared his final SUSAN S. BURGHART ’77 bordering Dale, Tejon, and Cache La report with the campus community in Poudre Streets and Nevada Avenue. May. Over the summer, representatives Through our partnership with Colorado from the faculty, student body, Board Springs’ City for Champions initiative, of Trustees, and administration our arena is one of four venues designed carefully considered the report and its to strengthen and diversify the economic impact of the Pikes Peak Region’s visitor 3 ANNUAL REPORT A COLORADO STUDENT’S PERSPECTIVE EL POMAR SCHOLARSHIP OPENS DOORS TO CC EDUCATION FOR CHLOE BROOKS-KISTLER ’23 WHILE SHE WAS GROWING UP IN COLORADO SPRINGS, CHLOE BROOKS-KISTLER ’23 NEVER THOUGHT SHE COULD AFFORD TO ATTEND COLORADO COLLEGE. As a high school student, she excelled El Pomar Scholarship and was selected. Colorado Pledge, a pilot program the by producing an award-winning citizen The scholarship covers her tuition, room, college launched at the beginning of the journalist documentary about Teen and board for four years at Colorado 2019-20 academic year that aims to make Court, where she served as a student College. CC as affordable as the state’s flagship attorney for cases involving youth university for low- and middle-income offenders. “I’ve known about this scholarship since Colorado families. I was a kid and my mom told me, ‘Chloe, Her work caught the attention of you should go for that scholarship.’” The college also has launched a 91.5 KRCC’s Operations Manager $20 million fundraising initiative to Mike Procell, who offered Brooks- Receiving the scholarship also was a permanently endow the Colorado Kistler a volunteer position that led to relief for Brooks-Kistler and her family. Pledge and extend it beyond the pilot voiceover work for their “Looking Up” phase. With a funding model in place, programming. “I have two younger sisters, so I worried the college hopes to grow attendance for about how our family was going to pay students from Colorado. She also completed an associate’s for college,” she says. “The scholarship degree in political science at Pikes Peak from El Pomar really helps. I don’t “Students who grow up in the Springs Community College. have that stress anymore and now I can don’t think they can get into Colorado Yet, even though she had compiled a completely focus on attending CC and College,” Brooks-Kistler says. “The prolific record of achievement, Brooks- receiving all the opportunities I’ve been Colorado Pledge is going to open up CC Kistler never believed she could attend given.” a lot more to them as a possibility.” her dream school, Colorado College. She believes Colorado College will At Colorado College, she has been Despite hearing from others that CC become more accessible for students selected as a “community engaged was out of her reach, she applied for an from families like hers because of the fellow,” a program that connects students’ 4 ANNUAL REPORT “STUDENTS WHO GROW UP IN THE SPRINGS DON’T THINK coursework with community-based learning through four years THEY CAN GET INTO of service. Students who become community engaged fellows COLORADO COLLEGE. are selected in part for their demonstrated commitment to community service. THE COLORADO She continues to work at KRCC as part of her commitment PLEDGE IS GOING TO with the Community Engaged Fellows Program. Through OPEN UP CC A LOT the program that partners students with local organizations, she also has explored service with other local organizations, MORE TO THEM AS A including Citizens Project, which encourages voter registration, POSSIBILITY.” and Inside Out Youth Services, which works with LGBTQ youth in the Colorado Springs area. Although she is still completing her first semester at Colorado College, Brooks-Kistler says that she already feels comfortable at CC and appreciates the experiences the Block Plan provides, like close interactions with faculty and students, in-depth classroom discussions, and an emphasis of focusing on one class at a time. She plans to major in political science and study abroad, perhaps in Italy, the U.K., and Ireland. “Colorado College is an amazing school and to have this place that provides so many opportunities right in your backyard makes it attractive for Colorado students,” she says. 6 SUSIE B’S CHALLENGE TO MATCH GIFTS FOR THE COLORADO PLEDGE In an effort to help raise funds to permanently endow scholarships for the Colorado Pledge, Board of Trustees Chair Susie Burghart ’77 has generously initiated Susie B’s Challenge. Through the challenge, new gifts of $50,000 and more that are directed to the Colorado Pledge will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $2.5 million. “Our sense of place in the Rocky Mountain West factors In addition to Burghart’s commitment, Alumni Association prominently into the CC experience. As the only liberal arts Council member Susan Burgamy ’66 recently established the college in the region, we need to ensure that Colorado College first scholarship through the Colorado Pledge (see Summer is financially accessible for students from Colorado,” says 2019 Bulletin). Gifts of any amount can be made to the Burghart.