Letter from the President

Dear Parents,

As president of Colorado College, I welcome you to the Colorado College community as your student begins to explore our unique intellectual adventure. Here is some of what lies ahead for her or him:

Intimate Learning Environment

At Colorado College, teaching and learning are at the heart of what we do. Your student will never sit in a lecture hall with 99, or 199, other students. With fewer than 2,000 students, she/he will really get to know accomplished faculty members who teach first and foremost – all in seminar-style classes. Students may choose to work on a student/faculty collaborative research project, or create their own independent study. They certainly will begin the process of shaping their own direction and destiny.

Intensity, Creativity, and Flexibility

Under our unique and intensive Block Plan, students take one course at a time for three and a half weeks. During a block, they are immersed in environmental science or chemistry, Chinese or Spanish, poetry or medieval history. Or they might delve into a community-based learning project for sociology, study the Renaissance in Paris, or learn economics with a visiting Nobel Laureate.

Sense of Place

Colorado College is the only liberal arts college in the Rocky Mountains, a stunning backdrop for our campus. Faculty and students take full advantage of our Southwestern location, some studying geology in the Grand Canyon or anthropology in Anasazi ruins and nearly all taking off during block breaks (four well-deserved free days between blocks) to rock-climb, mountain-bike, ski, build a Habitat for Humanity house or tutor local school children.

This college was founded in 1874 with an adventurous spirit. The people who decided Colorado needed a first-rate, East Coast-style liberal arts college were visionary mavericks. They came to the foot of Pikes Peak and created a distinctive city and a unique college. Colorado College people are still adventurers – trying new ideas for courses, exploring classical ideas from fresh angles, and venturing out into the community, the wilderness, and the world.

I have had an exciting career in public service and leadership, with the privilege of serving as governor of Ohio, director of the Peace Corps, and U.S. Ambassador to India. Yet being president of Colorado College has been the most exhilarating challenge I have undertaken yet. Since July 2002, I have been honored to lead this remarkable institution as its 12th president and still consider it a privilege each and every day. The 2010-11 academic year will be my final one, and I am approaching it with the same enthusiasm and dedication I have invested over the past eight years.

I firmly believe a liberal arts education at Colorado College provides an enduring foundation for your child’s personal, professional, and civic growth. Thank you for entrusting your student to Colorado College.

Sincerely,
Richard F. Celeste
President of Colorado College