Thank you to all our Fort Lewis College alumni and friends in the community for a great fall semester. Your support of FLC is an investment in the lives of our students. We could not do what we do without your help.
I would like to take this opportunity to mention a few of the past semester’s highlights, as well as initiatives that we are working on for the future.
In 2008, Fort Lewis College received a five-year, nearly $2 million Title III grant aimed at improving the college’s student success rates in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). In September 2013, the Title III grant ran its course, and I am pleased to report success in the goals it was designed to achieve. I won’t list all of the accomplishments, but a few of the highlights include the following:
18 percent improvement in student success in college mathematics courses.
35 percent improvement in student success in elementary statistics courses.
21 percent increase in STEM program enrollment.
8.8 percent increase in STEM program retention.
43 percent increase in graduation rates for STEM programs.
The Faculty Senate Credit Task Force has completed its report, and the Faculty Senate accepted it. The Board of Trustees discussed the report at the Dec. 6 meeting and requested a specific recommendation at its next meeting on Feb. 7.
In music, you may have read in the Dec. 8 Herald a story titled “From Overture to Coda.” The story highlighted the work our own Dr. Jonathan Latta and his students, along with Music in the Mountains, do in the community. To have the chance to play for and teach at local elementary schools is an enriching experience for Fort Lewis College students. This kind of hands-on learning, as well as the chance to serve others, is an important part of a Fort Lewis College education.
In business, congratulations go to Tino Sonora for being named the 2013-14 Fort Lewis College featured scholar. Sonora is a great ambassador for the college as a well-known financial expert, researcher and teacher, both locally and internationally. He is frequently sought after by media outlets for his insights and has appeared in publications from the Four Corners Business Journal to Mexico’s Impacto and Croatia’s JutarnjiList.
Fall 2013 also marked a enrollment milestone for Fort Lewis College. For the first time in nearly a decade, we enrolled more than 4,000 students. The total undergraduate enrollment – both on and off campus – is 4,028. The college’s new Master of Arts in Education program adds another 37 graduate students, making Fort Lewis College’s total enrollment for this year 4,065 – an increase of 174 students or 4.5 percent.
In the community, the Durango Welcome Center is seeing more and more college activity. This past semester, we held a number of athletic rallies there, which were great opportunities to show off our superb drum line. We also know several current Fort Lewis College students’ first contact with the college came at the Welcome Center.
Turning to athletics, I want to congratulate the Fort Lewis College cycling team on winning the USA Cycling Collegiate Mountain Bike Nationals for the eighth consecutive year! That is nothing short of phenomenal! We are very fortunate to live in this area, which attracts some of the best cyclists in the world to help the Skyhawk cycling team stay atop the world of collegiate cycling.
Continuing with sports, I wish to highlight the great seasons our fall sports had this year. First, NCAA success: Our women’s soccer team reached the NCAA Tournament after a great year and a run in the RMAC championship. I also want to congratulate Fort Lewis College cross country runner Christian Gering for earning a spot in the NCAA national championships.
The FLC Women’s volleyball team reached the postseason in 2013, the first time they had accomplished that since 2010. The men’s soccer team also enjoyed some postseason success, winning their first round game in the RMAC tournament. Last but not least, football showed improvement as the team went from 0-10 last year to 4-7, including a win over rival Adams State in one of the most exciting football games I have ever seen.
Come and join us for a women’s and men’s basketball game as their seasons have just begun, and the teams are doing well.
Thank you again for all of your hard work making Fort Lewis College the kind of school that can bring such a positive change into the lives of our students and for making Durango such a wonderful place to live. This was a good year for this institution, and I expect that 2014 will be even better.
Dene Thomas is president of Fort Lewis College. Reach her at thomas_d@fortlewis.edu.
