I TABLE OF CONTENTS 03 From the President’s Desk FOUNDED IN 1967 05 Alumni, Dr. Marilyn Roossink 06 Faculty, Kristi Strother COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF DENVER 08 Solar Eclipse Viewing on Campus 10 Staff, Dr. Rhonda Epper 13 Call Center Award 14 Swedish Hospital Selects CCD Students 16 Scholarship Recipient, Ericka Jurado 19 Scholarship Recipient, Tania Lopez 20 $3 Million Award Supporting STEM 23 CCD Student Visits NASA 24 CCD Foundation, Making a Difference 24 Concurrent Enrollment Update 24 CCD Foundation Board of Directors 25 Enrollment Statistics 27 Breakfast of Champions 28 CCD Champion Francie Anhut Located on the vibrant Auraria CCD is one of the most diverse 30 Thank You Donors Campus in downtown Denver, postsecondary institutions in metro 32 Financial Report Community College of Denver (CCD) Denver, is federally recognized as a is student-centered and dedicated Hispanic-Serving Institution (since to providing an exceptional 2001) and is a military-friendly CCD ADVISORY COUNCIL education. Our diverse community college. CCD’s international student population represents more than John Brackney of motivated learners is attracted Director, Strategic Community & Public Policy to CCD’s small-class sizes, award- 40 countries. As an open-door Engagement, Webolutions winning professors, extensive institution, CCD is a leading point of advisory and support services, entry for students seeking academic Nathaniel Easley, Ph.D. Founding CEO, Blue School Partners world-class facilities, easy access transfer, career and technical via RTD light rail and affordable education or workforce training. Cara Johnson tuition. To meet the needs of our Human Resources 9,000+ students—the majority of Community College of Denver Jonas Kiken whom attend school part time— Start Here. Go Anywhere! Retired classes are offered during the day, CCD.edu Jamie Lafaro evenings, weekends and online. Principal, Denver Public Schools Brianna Borin Vice President of Teaching, Leadership & Coaching, Snooze 1 FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK PREPARING THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS In July 2017, CCD President Everette Freeman, Ph.D., was published in the American Council on Education, Higher Education Today blog. Included here is a summary of that article. VIEW FULL ARTICLE: CCD.edu/Next-Generation As a first-time community college Gandhi’s leadership style of walking While listening is important, it is also president, I find one of Mahatma your talk is crucial. a powerful tool to give students a Gandhi’s most lasting legacies to be his platform to share their stories—and impact on leadership theory. CCD has put into practice—or they all have powerful stories to tell. revamped—a half dozen support As educators, we tend to rely heavily Gandhi’s lessons are a daily reminder programs to increase student retention on data and surveys for decision- to me that the success of CCD hinges and degree completion. Most recently, making when the source of some of the on our ability to serve at the highest we revised academic advising around greatest insights to enrich our analysis level to those who face the greatest a “one student, one advisor” approach are sitting right across the desk from odds. Many of our students confront and redefined our math pathways so us: the voice of the student. daunting obstacles before they even students can enroll in the college- come through our doors. level math course that best fits their I believe that leadership begins with a educational pathway. simple conversation. As leaders in the Nevertheless, they persevere and community college environment, we succeed. These students are highly Aside from our programs and must initiate a cultural shift that flips the self-motivated, and it doesn’t take services, CCD thrives on open-door script and allows our students a voice long for them to realize that we are communications. Many of our students and share a perspective we might not uniquely positioned to support them as require one-on-one attention, and they have otherwise considered. a learning community. get that attention because faculty and staff open their doors when students A study from the University of need help, regardless of office hours. The community college student is Wisconsin-Madison showed that there unlike most postsecondary learners. are 16 attributes identified to building A college president’s job is to inspire, Most have extraordinary personal and sustaining a learning community. lead and listen. Through the simple stories of perseverance that should Of those, CCD has embraced act of listening, we invite students to be shared and celebrated. Through modeling educators, small group express—often for the first time in their active listening, encouragement, learning, a supportive culture, one- lives—their deepest fears and grandest leading by example and by giving on-one relationships and meaningful aspirations. This act of listening to students a sense of belonging and discussion, all to expand our students’ students is at the heart of the education community, we can create a foundation opportunities and leadership skills. enterprise at CCD because, at its best, to help them become part of the next The basis of this research shows that education is self-discovery. generation of leaders. THE BEST WAY TO FIND YOURSELF IS TO LOSE YOURSELF IN THE SERVICE OF OTHERS. –MAHATMA GANDHI 3 From a young age, Marilyn Roossinck, “If he was not completely sure of an Ph.D., saw her world through a different answer he would tell me he would look it lens than those around her. She up and get back to me—and he always would walk around with a green field did! This helped me to understand that DR. MARILYN notebook, study fox holes and attempt as scientists we cannot guess; we deal ROOSSINCK ON to create fossils. in the truth. I work hard every day to REDIFINING instill this thinking in my students.” WHO YOU ARE After setting off on a road trip to Colorado, Roossinck enrolled at CCD. Today, Dr. Roossinck is a professor at “CCD was a natural choice for several Pennsylvania State University, and is reasons,” she said. “It was easy to considered one of the world’s foremost enroll, it was affordable and it was a experts on infectious diseases. less stressful transition than starting at In 2016, her new book, Virus, an a big school.” Illustrated Guide to 101 Incredible Microbes, was published. Even today when teaching, she thinks of former CCD professor Everett Perkins and emulates his approach to teaching with the hope that she’ll have the same impact on students that he had on her. CCD ALUMNA 1974-76 TRANSFERRED TO CU BOULDER 4 CCD.EDU / CCD-FOUNDATION.ORG 5 FACULTY KRISTI STROTHER NAMED JOURNALISM EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR CCD’s Kristi Strother was named 2017 newspaper and landed her first job Journalism Educator of the Year by out of college working for Gannett in the Society of Professional Journalists Washington State. She then moved to (SPJ) Colorado Pro chapter board. Colorado Springs and worked for The Gazette before becoming a professor Strother is chair of CCD’s journalism at CCD. department, an English professor and faculty advisor for the award- “This is a great honor and I feel so winning The Star, Journal of Excellence, humbled by this acknowledgment,” CCD.edu/Star, which is a student- said Strother. “I have been in the media produced online and print publication. industry since I was a young woman, and it is my passion to now share and Earning her Bachelor of Arts degree introduce it to our students.” from the Journalism College at the University of Oregon (OU), Strother also spent time working at the OU LEADERSHIP AND LEARNING ARE INDISPENSABLE TO EACH OTHER. –JOHN F. KENNEDY 6 CCD.EDU / CCD-FOUNDATION.ORG 7 BUZZ OF In conjunction with NASA viewing sites, South Carolina. This was the first time CCD’s astronomy department set up a total solar eclipse crossed coast-to- AURARIA two telescopes on the Auraria Campus coast since 1918. near the Confluence Building for the solar eclipse on July 21, 2017. Denver experienced a 93 percent partial eclipse of the sun. Students, The spectacular total solar eclipse faculty and staff were stunned and crossed the continental United States overwhelmed by the experience from Salem, Oregon to Charleston, where they gathered in courtyards and rooftops across campus. 8 CCD.EDU / CCD-FOUNDATION.ORG 9 DR. RHONDA EPPER SELECTED FOR ASPEN PRESIDENTIAL FELLOWSHIP CCD’s Vice President for Academic Delivered in collaboration with the Affairs and Provost Rhonda Epper, Stanford Educational Leadership Ph.D., has been accepted into Initiative and top community college the prestigious Aspen Presidential leaders, the year-long fellowship Fellowship for Community College program focuses on a new vision of Excellence, a highly selective leadership and aims to guide new and leadership program aimed at aspiring community college presidents developing a new cadre of outstanding to dramatically change student leaders capable of transforming outcomes in four areas: learning, student success at community colleges completion while in community college across the U.S. and of bachelor’s degrees after transfer, employment and earnings after “I am proud to have been selected graduation, and equitable access and for this class of fellows. It is a privilege success for underrepresented minority to stand with so many other leaders and low-income students. who are committed to improving outcomes in community colleges,” Epper was selected through a rigorous said Epper. process that considered her abilities to take strategic risks, lead strong teams and cultivate partnerships, and focus on results-oriented improvements in student success and access. IF YOUR ACTIONS INSPIRE OTHERS TO DREAM MORE, LEARN MORE, DO MORE AND BECOME MORE, YOU ARE A LEADER. –JOHN QUINCY ADAMS 10 CCD.EDU / CCD-FOUNDATION.ORG 11 SERVICE WITH A SMILE Tucked away in a secluded location In addition to taking live phone calls, on the Auraria campus, the CCD the Call Center handles on average Call Center is an essential part of 4,000 live chat messages each year.