Student/faculty research is taking off. Our goal is to give our students distinctly memorable and valuable learning experiences during their time at UCCS. Last year, over $50,000 was committed to students working one-on-one with faculty on research projects and creative activities. This coming year, we will commit even more.
Student internships are off and running. Sandy Wurtele and Margie Oldham are spearheading our college’s efforts to give LAS students an opportunity to work with an agency or company in his/her discipline. Nowadays, it’s tougher to find meaningful employment after college. Student internships bolster resumes and amplify what we teach our students: core communication skills, creative thinking, and tough analytical reasoning.
These two initiatives above – what we’re calling
- will serve to distinguish our students, graduates, and our university.
It’s hard to write anything about our college without mentioning the new Compass Curriculum. We’ve made it to the crossroads – our university is “going live” this fall! Our students are the true gainers. Besides the thank-you’s to so many faculty and staff, I’d like to extend a special thank you to David Weiss for leading the final efforts to implement the program and to Christina Jimenez for leading the foundational efforts.
The new Academic Office Building is open!
The Departments of Economics and Political Science are now on the second floor
The Sociology Department and the Women’s and Ethnic Studies Program are together on the fourth floor.
The Communication Department is on the fifth floor.
Theatreworks has another exciting season before us ( Theatreworks )
The University is cresting over 11,000 students this fall – Exciting!
UCCS is celebrating its 50 th
anniversary this year. Check the UCCS calendar for college events!

Jackie Berning, Professor of Biology and Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation Award winner, has moved across campus to become the chairperson of the Health Sciences program in the Beth-El College. A loss for us, but our university’s gain.
Department websites are being updated, providing thoughtful detail and practical links, to communicate more clearly with future and current students, and we’re adding more information for our alumni and community members. Please see the new Philosophy and Biology websites for a preview.
We have two new chairpersons: Dr. Bob Carlson is taking over for Dr. Greg Morrow in Mathematics, and Dr. Mike
Kisley is taking over for Dr. Edie Greene in Psychology.
UCCS Psychology Department received a $325,000 federal graduate student training grant (8/11/14). Read more
Sara Qualls, Kramer Family Professor of Aging Studies, Department of Psychology, received the American
Psychological Association’s Committee on Aging CONA award. Read more
Tom Napierkowski, Professor in the Department of English, received the Knights Cross of the Order of Merit of the
Republic of Poland. Read more
Robert von Dassanowsky, Professor in the Department of Languages and Cultures, and Visual and Performing Arts, recently received a Dietrich W. Botstiber Foundation’s Institute for Austrian-American Studies grant. Read more
Cerian Gibbes, Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, was recently selected to participate in a Fulbright Regional Network for Applied Research Program, NEXUS. Read more
I am really pleased to share some of the exciting things happening in the college. The sense of moving forward is palpable in our dedicated staff, in our faculty, and in our students who will soon energize the campus with the advent of the new semester.