“With the overarching goal of supporting the residents of Western Colorado to achieve a higher degree of educational attainment by preparing students to function successfully in the future.” This is the last line in the Colorado Mesa University (CMU) mission statement.
CMU is not an Ivy League and it’s not the university you chose if you’re looking to anonymously skirt through your college career. When you chose CMU, you’re choosing a small college, with professors and faculty that truly care for you as an individual and your success throughout your college career.
“We are a culture that is really built on your name, not a number,” Vice President for Student Services John Marshall said. “That’s what really motivates a lot of the work we do here. The ethic bleeds across the whole institution. We do have the power to do good.”
The majority of the demographic at CMU consists of students that are either the first in their families to go to college or coming from a low-income family. Most of the student body is not coming from families where both parents make over six-figure incomes and both have college degrees such as the likes of the University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder).
“For them [CU Boulder] it’s not a matter of if they will get a degree, but when. For many Mesa students, it’s if,” Marshall said. “What we do here is we’re actually moving the needle, changing the dynamic of our communities. Once you look at that construct, what we do is really meaningful and about figuring out how to change lives and change communities.”
Mesa is more than just a school. It is a whole conglomerate of facility, services and people who truly care about your success; both academically and in everyday life.
“[CMU professors] invested in their student’s lives beyond how did you do on my exam? Yes, the faculty are brilliant thinkers and scholars, but they also care a ton about their students past their classes,” Marshall said.
At CMU, you won’t often see Teaching Assistants giving the lectures and helping students with their homework. Instead, the professors start the semester giving out their email addresses, office hours and in some cases, even their personal phone numbers. All in the hopes that if you are struggling through their class to come to speak with them and to get further assistance. But they can only help those who are willing to help themselves.
Sometimes, the toughest admittance when going through a difficult patch is acknowledging you need help in the first place. At CMU though, you won’t have to wonder whether you’ll be faced with criticism or offered a helping hand.
“If you’ve got a challenge and you come in here, we’re going to bend over backwards to make sure you’re doing okay,” Marshall said.
“Don’t be afraid to ask for it. If you don’t know where to go, talk to your professors or someone in Student Services will guide you. Good to know that when you’re in a time of need, they are there,” Susan Moore, a CMU student working in Career Services and an editor for The Criterion said.
If you are struggling with getting enough food or clothing, Albers Hall outside of the bookstore is specifically set up to assist CMU students in achieving these basic needs. The Student Wellness Center is located on Orchard north of the tennis courts to provide students with accessible, affordable medical services. The Tutorial Learning Center in Houston Hall is offered to all students who need help in a wide range of courses all for free.
If you ask anyone who’s worked with Student Services, you will hear nothing but what an incredible department they are and how they consistently have gone above and beyond to help students in need.
“Last semester, I was purged from classes because I couldn’t pay my tuition. Student Services was actually there to help me out. They were able to work with Financial Aid to get extra grants for me to help bring that amount down to where I only had to pay a small amount to get back into my classes” a graduating senior said.
Last year CMU partnered with HomeLoan to help students who are truly at the end of their rope. If you find yourself in a situation, like a car wreck or a medical problem, and financially no longer able to carry on with school, despite your grades, HomeLoan may be able to help.
“Most people are plenty smart enough to get a college degree, the reality is that with all those barriers, if we can find a way to partner with students, remove some of those barriers or help them over a tough spot, the odds are they will get over the finish line,” Marshall said.
Life happens, and sometimes the unpredictable can be the make or break between finishing your degree and not. “They don’t want to see someone fail to finish their schooling just because of financial issues,” Moore said.
Although CMU cannot give financial help to every student, those who are in trouble and need a helping hand to regain their balance; the staff, professors and even many people outside the college in our community want to be there to give you the chance to succeed. There’s just one catch; you have to pass on the kindness.
“There is a reason why only one in four adults have a college degree, it’s hard. It’s really challenging to string life together, especially if you aren’t coming from a lot of resources or you weren’t academically prepared from a really good high school, or your family doesn’t have that backdrop,” Marshall said. “[Here at CMU] you really are going to get the chance to be successful.”
