Since UCCS’s founding some 60 years ago, Colorado Springs has been integral to its success.  Over those 60 years, UCCS has repaid the community by driving growth in the Pikes Peak region.   

Today, UCCS serves more than 11,000 students and employs more than 1,500 dedicated faculty and staff.  Among its other contributions, the campus is integral in educating our workforce and responding to the needs of business and citizens to ensure we have the tools to thrive in an ever-changing and competitive world. 

The reality is that 80 percent of UCCS graduates stay in Colorado and contribute directly to our state.  The economic impact of UCCS exceeds more than $560 mollion annually.  The ties that bind are too numerous to capture here, so let’s just agree that we depend upon each other to be great.  

Fast forward to this moment.  Almost daily, there is a newspaper article or media story about colleges across the country cutting programs and jobs due to lower enrollment and higher costs.  Each institution has its reasons resulting in some schools merging or even closing its doors entirely.  Often there is a comment regretting the failure to take action sooner.  

If you have been following the recent UCCS announcements, you know the campus is working to address a $27.7 million shortfall over the next five years. Like other institutions, declining enrollment trends, rising operational costs, reduced state support and unfunded regulatory mandates are major factors.  

Facing these facts, this spring, UCCS Chancellor Jennifer Sobanet, campus leaders, faculty, and staff made the difficult decision to act now.  Their five-year approach allows for immediate reductions as well as efforts to strategically identify future reductions.    For the past six months, we have observed their work to diligently reduce the current year planned $11.7 million reduction down to $10.3 million. Real progress like this means , for the moment , virtually no job losses. Some administrative staff have taken pay cuts and reduced overhead, and even the state of Colorado provided welcome relief by restoring some state funding. We appreciate and support Chancellor Sobanet’s leadership during this time.  

With this breathing room, the leadership – partnering with faculty and staff – can thoughtfully and strategically review the programs and have hard discussions about what is no longer in demand or is not core to being a regional research campus.  Doing this work now aligns resources and strengthens the foundation of the campus to ensure long-term sustainability and investment in future growth.    

Moving the campus towards a sustainable size and structure will mean that our UCCS campus will continue to provide vital opportunities to traditional and non-traditional students alike.  

This is where the Colorado Springs community can come alongside the campus as partners:  

• Support the university leadership when they have to make impossible decisions 

• Engage students as paid interns or employees  

• Mentor students and staff and partner with faculty  

• Donate to support scholarships or other student-focused efforts that help students stay in school and complete their degree 

• Help find new jobs for those whose positions are eliminated  

At a recent meeting of the CU Trustees on the UCCS campus we were reminded of all the good happening there. UCCS has been named a First Generation-Serving Institution for the second year in a row. An Air Force ROTC Operating Location will launch at UCCS this fall, acknowledging again that nearly 30 percent of students who attend are military-affiliated. The UCCS Center for Student Research supported more than 330 student researchers across every college, underscoring the campus’ Carnegie R2 research designation. UCCS Mountain Lion athletics continue to shine ranking number one in the NCAA Division II for overall athletic success. 

While some faculty have made their opposition to change public, doing nothing now will not change the facts.  The university must face the financial gaps while also focusing on meeting the needs of students and employers to strengthen what a regional comprehensive university can be.  We don’t have the answers to the hard questions, but we believe working as partners will generate the best outcome for all of us.   

Becky Medved is a retired business executive serving as Board Chair of the University of Colorado Foundation is, a UCCS MBA, and a university donor and volunteer. John Suthers is the Former Mayor of Colorado Springs and lifelong resident of the city. Johnna Reeder Kleymeyer is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Colorado Springs Chamber & EDC.