Higher education finance impacts from the 2020 election
Having been trained as an economist, I was always envious of the famous economists who had theories or maxims named after them.
For members of a university community: take care of who you are
As the national election approached several weeks ago, we saw a surge in mental health, mindfulness, and self-care resources, along with calls across social and traditional media sites to “take care of yourself!”
Understanding must be the new winning
The people have voted. The election is over, but our country remains divided. We remain divided, because we view politics as sport – games with distinct winners and losers.
Moving forward together
This has been a tumultuous year, to say the least. People are stressed, overwhelmed, and simply exhausted.
Looking for wins in a losing campaign
In 1968, I started college at a small liberal arts college in upstate New York. That year, like this year, saw America bitterly divided and in the midst of a presidential race.
“Can I say that in class?”: The answer is complicated — and it should be
Like many public land-grant institutions, especially those in swing states, Colorado State University is a politically contested space. Nationwide, critiques of classroom speech come from both the left and the right, usually drawing on the importance of academic freedom and free speech.
A task not taken alone
As a woman of color, at an early age I learned that the world can be a difficult place, filled with discrimination, hate, racism, and violence. This environment teaches many lessons for survival and living.
We need real social change, not “purified discourse”
The right to speak out, to protest, to make your voice heard to hopefully affect change, without government retribution. This is what we know the First Amendment is supposed to be about.
Getting “straight to the heart”
We are navigating challenging times in this country. Our long history of racial injustices has, once again, brought speakers to the streets, to platforms, and to the airwaves and internet.
The First Amendment in practice in higher education
The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution contains only 45 words. Although brief in length, it is mighty in force. The rights and freedoms that arise from these words — religious freedom, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the right to peaceably assemble, and the right to petition the government — are pillars of our democracy.
Beyond free speech: Why engaged inclusive discourse matters
Free speech matters, but acknowledging an individual’s right to freedom of speech is not enough. In fact, I worry that that the way we discuss the First Amendment and free speech — by focusing primarily on people’s right to speak — does a disservice to universities like CSU, where we are poised to rigorously engage some of the most important questions confronting our nation.
Activism is who we are
Our students have never shied away from activism or issues, but activism looks and feels different at CSU Pueblo. When I interviewed for the Presidency in early 2017, members of our community mentioned to me that activism is not something CSU Pueblo does; activism is what this campus is.