I’ve been traveling around the Third Congressional district recently to hear from community and business leaders, as well as residents, about how the University of Colorado is serving the region’s needs. The listening tours help me in my role on the CU Board of Regents, which governs the university’s four campuses. I’ve been getting a lot of positive responses about the value and impact of CU on our state and nation, but I’ve also gained good insight into the university’s role in communities.
Most people understand that CU’s four campuses – Boulder, Colorado Springs, Denver and the Anschutz Medical Campus – play a vital role in the health of our state. They serve about 65,000 students, some 15,000 of whom graduate annually and provide the foundation for Colorado’s economy, health and communities.
As regent, I’ve been impressed by all CU does, but also surprised that many people around the state are unaware of its activities. Last year, faculty attracted more than $1 billion in research funding, which not only improves lives, saves lives and advances knowledge, but also has a significant ripple effect on the economy. CU’s annual economic impact is $12.8 billion, making it a powerhouse driver of Colorado’s economic prosperity. The effects can be felt in communities around the state.
But the thing I’ve been most heartened to hear is how CU partners with communities large and small throughout Colorado. The university has a strong presence in Durango and southwestern Colorado in areas ranging from pediatric cardiology to water quality testing.
There are many more ways CU serves communities, particularly rural communities. One of the more effective partnerships, which positively affects communities and people in rural and mountain areas, is with Area Health Education Centers. The Southwestern Colorado AHEC has been serving Durango and the surrounding areas quite well. AHEC partners with CU’s schools of Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy, as well as the Physical Therapy and Physician Assistant programs, to address health care and health workforce needs. They provide services and education programs in partnership with CU and other agencies and organizations. Bottom line is they improve Coloradans’ health.
The CU Cancer Center also has established vital relationships around the Third Congressional district to provide oncology care and clinical trials. Importantly, CU doctors partner with local physicians to provide leading-edge care to cancer patients who may not be able to travel to Denver.
CU physicians served some 5,650 patients in western Colorado (including Durango) in 2017.
Other partnerships cover a broad spectrum in their scope and impact. In one, CU scientists and students work locally on water quality testing. In another, the Archaeology in the Classroom project through CU Boulder’s Museum of Natural History provides hands-on teaching kits with real and reproduction artifacts, tools and standards-based curriculum for teachers. It also offers a classroom presentation with hands-on objects and activities focusing on the early people of Colorado and the science of archaeology, as well as a discovery kit focusing on the Ancestral Pueblo people of Colorado.
One of CU’s more valuable partnerships is pre-collegiate programs. They give students – some as early as middle school, but particularly in high school – insight into college application, readiness and success. The programs show students what is possible in higher education and helps them get there. The goal is to get them in college, any college, and the program has a successful track record.
More than 2,000 students from the Third Congressional district attend CU campuses, with an average of 400-plus new freshmen and more than 100 community college transfers.
Many other CU programs serve southwestern Colorado communities. As I traveled the Third Congressional District, people consistently told me they appreciated the value and impact CU has on our state, but they also are excited about the possibilities of working together locally. I’m happy with CU’s progress. We can always do better and do more, but we have a solid foundation and willing partners in communities, colleges and at CU that are moving our citizens and our state forward.
Glen Gallegos represents the Third Congressional District on the University of Colorado Board of Regents.
