by Wonder Wachara
For the past 91 years, Colorado Mesa University has been the leading provider of higher education in the region, equipping businesses in the Western Slope with the skilled labor force for a growing economy.
A regional impact study released by the university last week reported that “approximately 55 percent of CMU undergraduates come from one of the 14 statutorily-defined counties comprising CMU’s service region, an area that spans nearly 30,000 square miles or approximately 30 percent of the state of Colorado.”
The study also noted that in the past year alone, the university awarded 1,842 degrees and certificates to meet the state’s human capital and workforce needs – a 63.7 percent increase over the number of awards made five years earlier.
One of the university’s primary goals as an institution is to raise the educational attainment of Western Coloradans at all degree levels. Though the university has been largely successful in its efforts, the success did not come without its challenges.
When asked what about the challenges to achieving this goal as an institution, CMU President Tim Foster pointed to location as one of the main obstacles. “I think location is a strength and a weakness. We all want to be here; students come because it’s beautiful, but when you go to travel elsewhere or try to get anywhere it takes a little bit of effort.”
Although the college has indeed established its presence, many in the community and CMU students are unaware of the full extent of the positive university impact, educational and otherwise. The regional impact study provides community members and those at CMU with a comprehensive insight into the school’s significance within the Grand Valley.
“I think it helps us with the community,” Foster said. “For some folks, just the acknowledgment that you’re educating people is the most important thing, but for folks who aren’t really satisfied with that, [the report] is quantitative and presents the hard impact of having a university in town.”
For more details and information, the study can be found on the university’s website at http://www.coloradomesa.edu/news/2017/02/cmu-making-a-difference-.html#.WJU6pbYrIyk
