News

CSU System "C" logo.
  • All
  • Board of Governors
  • Colorado Futures Center
  • Colorado Water Center
  • CSU Fort Collins
  • CSU Global
  • CSU Pueblo
  • CSU Spur
  • CSU Todos Santos
  • First Amendment
  • First Degree
  • International agriculture
  • NAAAN
  • Salazar Center
  • Sturm Collaboration Campus
  • Together We Grow
  • Tony Frank
  • Water in the West
  • Wiz Kid
All
  • All
  • Board of Governors
  • Colorado Futures Center
  • Colorado Water Center
  • CSU Fort Collins
  • CSU Global
  • CSU Pueblo
  • CSU Spur
  • CSU Todos Santos
  • First Amendment
  • First Degree
  • International agriculture
  • NAAAN
  • Salazar Center
  • Sturm Collaboration Campus
  • Together We Grow
  • Tony Frank
  • Water in the West
  • Wiz Kid
Pen on lined paper
Tony Frank: On times of uncertainty
With no shortage of economic challenges, state budgets are under increasing pressure, providing a gloomy forecast for funding of public higher education. At the same time, a narrative of the “failure” of the higher education system that has been around for some time seems to be surging. Ideologically based clashes roil campus communities, creating issues of public safety. External political pressures for greater control/accountability threaten the independence of America’s colleges and universities. Turns out the 1930s were a tough time for universities. One of the leading critics of American higher education then was Maynard Hutchins, the president of the University ...
Read More →
Ashley Magee in camo, holding a replica weapon.
Warrior mentality: First-generation CSU student excels as ROTC leader
Ashley Magee is the subject of the newest video in a CSU System documentary film series called “First Degree,” which traces the personal and academic journeys of first-generation university students and young alumni as they realize the benefits of higher education. She is a junior studying health and exercise science on a full-ride ROTC scholarship.
Read More →
CSU System "c"
CSU System Board approves budget and tuition
The Board of Governors of the Colorado State University System approved budgets for its campuses this week that keep tuition levels low and preserve fiscal strength in the face of budget challenges and uncertainty related to the changing federal landscape. Facing a more than $1.2 billion state budget deficit, state general fund appropriations to higher education in Colorado increased by only 2.5% this year. By comparison, state legislators approved a 9% increase in funding for public higher education last fiscal year.
Read More →
Wiz Kid learns about pollinators.
The latest buzz: CSU Spur’s Wiz Kid has the scoop on all things pollinators
Colorado State University Spur’s Wiz Kid is back for a second season! Join CSU’s perpetually curious educational host as she showcases the wonders of science alongside researchers from Spur, the main campus in Fort Collins, and partners from across the state. The first episode focuses on the importance of pollinators.
Read More →
Vida building facade with horse artwork and a CSU Spur sign.
CSU Spur Start will allow students to complete first year in Denver
Starting in fall 2025, there will be another pathway for students to start their CSU education thanks to CSU Spur Start, a program that will bring a cohort of first-year students to the University’s innovative campus just north of downtown Denver at the National Western Center and allow them to complete the first year of their CSU degree at the satellite campus before completing the rest of their bachelor’s at the flagship Fort Collins campus.
Read More →
Group photo on a spiral staircase.
Photos: Colorado GROW Youth Institute empowers local students to solve world’s greatest problems
Dozens of high school students came to CSU Spur for the Colorado GROW Youth Institute on April 8. Now in its second year, the event empowers Colorado students to propose solutions to problems involving food insecurity in the countries of their choice. Their ensuing research papers are eligible for scholarships from the CSU College of Agricultural Sciences, and the top students have the opportunity to represent Colorado in Des Moines, Iowa, at the World Food Prize’s Global Youth Institute.
Read More →
CSU System "c"
CSU System Board of Governors welcomes Wirth, reconfirms Fischer
Accomplished business executive and leader with a strong sense of civic service and responsibility to serve community, Andrew (Andy) Wirth, has been named the newest member of the Colorado State University System Board of Governors, following a Colorado General Assembly appointment on April 7.
Read More →
CSU System "c"
A message regarding the executive order to dissolve the U.S. Department of Education
Colleagues — President Trump issued an Executive Order this afternoon directing his Secretary of Education to take all necessary steps permitted by law to dissolve the U.S. Department of Education. In announcing this move, President Trump noted specifically that Pell Grants, Title I funding, and resources for special education will be preserved, with responsibility for those transferred to other departments.
Read More →
CSU System "c"
A message from Chancellor Tony Frank to the CSU System campuses
Colleagues – by now I imagine that most of you are aware of the Dear Colleague letter from the Department of Education concerning what it terms “illegal” DEI activities.  The Department has promised more guidance in the days ahead, and while we’ll see what that holds, the 2-week time frame referenced in the letter has been driving us to think through options to remain in compliance with the new interpretation of federal law.
Read More →
Justina Slim in front of the agricultural sciences building.
Going home: Cattlewoman applies first-gen education on the Navajo Nation
Justina Slim grew up in the heart of the largest Native American reservation in the United States, where her family raises a herd of about 150 Angus crossbred cattle. Her path from CSU back to the Navajo Nation is the subject of the newest video in a CSU System docuseries, called First Degree, which traces the personal and academic journeys of first-generation college students and young alumni as they realize the benefits of higher education.
Read More →
Secretary Tom Vilsack speaks into a microphone on a stage.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack plans CSU course on helping small farms survive, thrive
During his first stint with CSU, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack played a central role envisioning CSU Spur as a new kind of university campus that would engage learners of all ages in problem solving and discovery related to food, water, and human and animal health. Now Vilsack is returning to CSU, this time to establish a unique course that will provide students with insight and experience to counter a challenge he knows well from his time as Agriculture Secretary: the steady disappearance of small to mid-size farms.
Read More →
CSU System "c"
CSU Pueblo president resigns; Board asks Rico Munn to serve as interim
The Board of Governors of the Colorado State University System has accepted the resignation of CSU Pueblo President Armando Valdez, effective immediately. Following an independent investigation, Mr. Valdez was found to have violated a university policy. While Mr. Valdez disagrees with the conclusions of that investigation, he recognizes that it has caused him to lose the confidence of the Board of Governors and CSU System leadership. As a result, to allow the university to move forward, he resigned his role.  
Read More →
Hands holding a pen
Tony Frank: On the National Western Stock Show
The National Western Stock Show kicked off its 119th year last weekend with a record opening day, welcoming the world to Denver for 16 days of livestock, entertainment, exhibits, and a full-throttle celebration of American agriculture. Even with the cold temperatures outside, there’s no warmer place to be in January than at the National Western Center for this greatest of Colorado traditions.
Read More →
Jesse Vido in front of a CSU Pueblo Thunderwolves sign.
‘Just keep trying’: First-generation student musters grit to graduate
Jesse Vido's family faced financial hardship in Pueblo, yet Vido made it to CSU Pueblo to study cybersecurity and compete on the nationally dominant CyberWolves team. He is active in student government, works on campus, and aims to be a role model for his five younger siblings.
Read More →
Yasmine Hernandez.
Sprinting into a nursing career: CSU Pueblo alumna embodies first-generation success
Yasmine Hernandez is a standout student-athlete from CSU Pueblo who is on a fast track in her early nursing career while competing in national middle-distance races as a post-collegiate runner. She has earned two national track-and-field titles and is graduating at the very top of her class – with three degrees.
Read More →
Typewriter.
Tony Frank: On the work ahead
I’ve been thinking lately about a photograph. It’s the only photo on the desk in my office. It’s small, faded, and black and white. It’s a kid in his baseball uniform sitting dejectedly on first base, looking straight ahead across an empty ball field backed by flat cornfields as far as the eye can see. It’s a pretty depressing photo, actually, but perhaps I read more into it because I was the subject. We’d just lost our final game of an epic Little League season (or so I remember it) on an error I had committed, and my dad snapped ...
Read More →
Conference attendees listen to a keynote talk entitled, "Teaming with Intention."
4 takeaways from the 2024 Water in the West Symposium
The 2024 Water in the West at CSU Spur brought together more than 150 stakeholders representing everything from the state and federal government to academia and tribal nations. One common theme rang through: progress through collaboration isn’t always easy, but it is possible. Here are some other key takeaways.
Read More →
Group photo in front of a large globe that says "World Food Prize Foundation."
Colorado GROW Youth Institute Q&A: insights and lessons from a global food summit
In April, the CSU System’s international agriculture team hosted the first-ever Colorado GROW Youth Institute to engage high school students from across the state in studying and proposing solutions to global food security challenges. Thirty students gathered at CSU Spur for the one-day event, presenting research on a country and global food issue of their choosing while interacting with experts from the community and from academia.
Read More →
Robert Lamm with his black guide dog, Fletcher.
Turning the tides: First-generation student overcomes adversity to earn college degree
Robert Lamm, a CSU senior studying environmental engineering with a minor in sustainable water management, is featured in a new video released today as part of a CSU System docuseries called First Degree, which highlights first-generation students as they pursue higher education and its benefits.
Read More →
Amy Parsons headshot.
A revolutionary program for first-generation students
CSU President Amy Parsons reflects on first-generation students, who make up about 25% of CSU's undergraduate population, and their legacy.
Read More →
Chocolate samples in metal dishes.
In good taste
Helping entrepreneurs develop products and find markets is among the ways that CSU Spur supports innovation and drives economic development. The Food Innovation Center, based in CSU Spur’s Terra building, includes the Ardent Mills Teaching and Culinary Center commercial kitchen, a sensory testing lab, the soon-to-open Leprino Foods Dairy Innovation Center, and other multi-purpose labs.
Read More →
Fountain pen
Tony Frank: On the dreams of a new generation
I’ve written in this space before about first-generation students – those who are the first in their families to earn a college degree. But nothing I’ve said captures the importance of the first-generation journey better than the simple observation I’ve shared above from one of our first-year students at CSU in Fort Collins. First-generation students are the foundation of the Morrill Act of 1862 and what it means to be a land-grant university.
Read More →
Three panel image showing the Fort Collins Oval, the Pueblo wolf statue, and woman on a laptop.
Reaching new heights
The Colorado State University System’s role promoting educational access and opportunity through its three degree-granting campuses and related activities and initiatives is among the central themes highlighted in the 2024 Impact Report, released by the System this month.
Read More →
Overhead shot of Rebekah Buena working on a drawing.
First degree
A new documentary film series called First Degree illuminates the personal and academic journeys of first-generation students at CSU System campuses. The series portrays the doubts and challenges first-generation students face in college, the benefits they hope to realize for themselves and their communities, and the ties between first-generation student success and Colorado State’s land-grant mission.
Read More →
CSU System "c"
CSU System enrollment increases include growth in Colorado residents, first generation, and graduate education
All three Colorado State University campuses saw enrollment increases this year, with a notable jump in enrollment by students from rural areas. Colorado State University in Fort Collins celebrated its second largest incoming class ever this fall, with an 8% increase in Colorado first-year student enrollment and record enrollment numbers for female students, students from rural areas, and students who identify as racially minoritized.
Read More →
Pen on lined paper
On the harvest
Fall on the Midwest farm where I grew up meant pulling a 2-row corn picker with an ancient John Deere M. We kids groaned at it. We lusted after the new Uniharvester, or at least a tractor with a cab! Fall meant running the cattle and hogs in the corn stalks, digging the potatoes out of the garden, getting the apples into the cellar, eating the last watermelon right before the first frost, and the chance for a pheasant dinner with a side of #4 shot.
Read More →
Mary Sweitzer headshot.
Congratulations to magazine designer Mary Sweitzer on her retirement
Mary Sweitzer, the beloved designer of STATE magazine, will retire on Sept. 30 after more than 10 years serving CSU and the CSU System producing high-impact communications materials. She has been a constant source of vision, talent, and witty banter.
Read More →
CSU System "c"
Chancellor’s message on fair campaign practices
As we head into the final stretch of this election season, I want to take the opportunity to remind everyone within the CSU System of the responsibilities we have as members of a public university community when it comes to free speech, elections, and campaigning. As public employees, there are also some fundamental rules we all need to keep in mind when it comes to election season. There are a few specific points I want to highlight for our CSU System community.
Read More →
Details of the front facade of CSU Spur Hydro.
The New York Times: ‘The Yellowstone effect’: Cities cash in on cowboy culture
This summer, 1.5 million fans attended the Calgary Stampede to experience the annual rodeo show filled with concerts, cattle and circus performers. Those 10 days were a record turnout for the Canadian city’s marquee event, and officials are trying to emulate that vibrancy for the other 355 days of the year. Similar moves are taking place in other cities known for their cowboy culture including Denver, Houston and Kansas City, Mo.
Read More →
Hands holding a pen
Tony Frank: On election season
Almost half the people on our shared planet will partake in elections this year. Many have done so. It’s a fascinating thing, really – that we, at least in theory, have rejected the idea that either divine or earthly “power” should direct our course into the future. We have chosen instead to rely on an imperfect collective process where – again, at least in theory – we listen, think, share our opinion, then collectively agree to abide with the majority.
Read More →
Students gather around another student operating a drone remote.
Drone camp at CSU Spur supports lofty career ambitions
Sumer drone camp, offered for free to Colorado high school students and select educators, is designed to reach a broad audience while exposing young people to careers ranging from drone-assisted research or photography to commercial aviation. The week-long program mixes intensive flying lessons and a behind-the-scenes airport visit with finely tuned test-prep sessions focused on the Federal Aviation Administration’s Part 107 exam, which must be passed by those wishing to receive compensation for operating a drone.
Read More →
Group photo in lab coats.
‘Eye-opening’ research experience at CSU Spur provides more than a taste of lab work
Eleven CSU System undergraduate students joined a summer research program at the CSU Spur campus in Denver, offered through CSU’s Office for Undergraduate Research and Artistry, or OURA. After an initial two-week immersion in lab techniques from Gram staining to pipetting, the students, representing a range of majors and two campuses, spent six weeks embedded in one of the labs at Spur.
Read More →
Typewriter.
Tony Frank: On perceptions
In my last newsletter, I wrote about the widespread misconceptions about the cost of public higher education. I asked, at the end of my column, for your ideas on how we can better communicate the straight facts … and I want to thank everyone who responded with such thoughtful ideas and comments. Clearly, this issue hits close to home for a lot of us.
Read More →
Cara Neth headshot.
The write way: Veteran CSU communications leader Cara Neth retires
Cara Neth recently retired from her role as director of executive communications for the CSU System. During a career spanning 35 years at CSU, this alumna helped shape the voice and the values of the institution through her work with CSU System chancellors Albert C. Yates and Tony Frank and her work with CSU presidents Yates, Frank and Larry Penley.
Read More →
Four icons symbolizing academic and social factors contributing to economic success.
Classroom churn, school funding and more affect student success, study finds
The CSU System commissioned aimed at analyzing how social factors encompassing everything from income to employment opportunity to housing impact student success. The research is unique in that rather than following a cohort of students like many other studies of educational achievement, it uses local geography as a unit of analysis.
Read More →
Stephon Fitzpatrick headshot.
Together We Grow announces new executive director
Stephon Fitzpatrick, a long-time champion for underrepresented populations in agriculture, was announced today as the executive director of Together We Grow. Fitzpatrick currently serves as the national president of MANRRS (Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences).
Read More →
Fountain pen
Tony Frank: On the price tag
This week and next, our flagship campus will start sending out financial aid awards to returning students. This is happening later than usual at CSU and every other campus because of the revamping of the federal FAFSA forms – and we know that students and families are anxious to learn what kind of support they’ll receive in paying next year’s college costs.
Read More →
Aerial view of the CSU Spur campus with downtown Denver in the background.
Administrative management of Spur shifts to CSU campus
The CSU System Board of Governors has voted to transfer operational oversight of CSU Spur from the CSU System Office to the flagship campus in Fort Collins, with continued funding by the CSU System. The administrative shift will have minimal impact on Spur’s core mission and day-to-day operations. It also will not impact salaries and reporting lines for Spur staff.
Read More →
CSU System C logo.
CSU System Board approves budget and tuition
The Board of Governors of the Colorado State University System approved budgets for its campuses this week that keep tuition levels low and maintain each institution’s strong value proposition and positive trajectory. CSU System leadership thanked state legislators, particularly the Joint Budget Committee, for providing continued support to Colorado’s public higher education system.
Read More →
Pen on lined paper
Tony Frank: On time
I’ve been thinking lately about time, and how we spend it. There are 8,760 hours in a year. By some estimates, the average lifespan for a person in the US is around 76 years, or 665,760 hours. Of course, many of us won’t make it to 76, and others live much longer.
Read More →
Wiz Kid walks down a flight of stairs while being filmed.
The Denver Post: CSU’s “Wiz Kid” brings children’s educational programming to YouTube with Bill-Nye-meets-Taylor-Swift energy
CSU this month launched a new YouTube series, Wiz Kid, based out of the Spur campus near the National Western Complex. In the series, Wiz Kid explores the free, interactive educational center and questions in-house experts and researchers on kid-friendly topics.
Read More →
Wiz Kid with an orange bandana.
From at-home chemistry to wildflower seed spheres, 6 new Wiz Kid videos showcase the wonders of science at CSU Spur
Wiz Kid, in addition to being a fan of bedazzled lab coats and colorful bandanas, is the host of six new YouTube videos aimed at connecting kids – and the young at heart – with the wonders of science. These episodes dropped on April 4 and feature a variety of at-home science experiments and activities for everyone, furthering CSU Spur’s mission to break down barriers and provide inclusive, accessible education for future generations.
Read More →
Hands holding a pen
Tony Frank: On National Agriculture Day
For more than 50 years in the United States we’ve designated March 19 as National Agriculture Day. It’s one of those “holidays” that most people don’t realize exists, which is why I want to draw some attention to it and why it matters.
Read More →
Group photo in front of a blue wall.
A taste for food innovation
Twelve full-time students started the Agribusiness and Food Innovation Management masters program in the fall of 2023, taking classes on food innovation, marketing, and accounting on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights.
Read More →
Typewriter.
Tony Frank: On preserving what others have built
In early January, I had a chance to speak before the Joint Budget Committee of the Colorado General Assembly. This was the 16th year I’ve had the privilege of joining my fellow higher-education CEOs to share thoughts on the state of Colorado higher education and our hopes for the future with these state legislators, as they figure out how to structure the state’s budget for the coming year.
Read More →
U.S. Capitol building.
Apply now: A behind-the-scenes trip to Capitol Hill this summer
Applications are now open for civic and business leaders to join a Colorado delegation visiting Washington, D.C., to meet informally with federal lawmakers June 11-13. The bipartisan conference will be made up of 100 Coloradans, who will have an opportunity to hear from and interact with our nation’s leaders from both sides of the aisle in an informal setting.
Read More →
Group photo in front of block letters that spell out Todos Santos.
Spanish immersion program inspires understanding of more than language
Since 2019, the CSU Todos Santos Center in Baja California Sur, Mexico, has hosted an innovative Spanish and culture immersion program. Available to CSU staff, faculty, friends, family and the public, the Spanish and Culture Immersion has seen more than 150 participants from around the globe — from Fort Collins to Canada — all in the interest of fostering a deep connection between language and culture.
Read More →
Three students studying together.
CSU System receives federal grant for a system-wide student success initiative
The CSU System has been awarded a USDE grant for nearly $8 million to coordinate and enhance student success efforts across the System. The multi-year initiative will centralize the collection and analysis of student data while creating a system-wide advising network and expanding use of a powerful learning platform, developed at CSU in Fort Collins, to CSU Pueblo and CSU Global.
Read More →