Colorado native Tilman “Tillie” Bishop or is one of the 11 Colorado Mesa University trustees. Bishop has been on the board for five years now.
“I was appointed by Governor Hickenlooper,” Bishop said.
Prior to joining the university board Bishop served six years on the University of Colorado Board of Regents. This year he takes on a role as a trustee to work with the foundation. The foundation is an organization that communicates stays in touch with and schedules events for past students and graduates.
The foundation has also raised money and has recently been part of the expansion of CMU by buying the houses that have been destroyed to expand.
“[The foundation] is looking at some events meetings in California and Denver,” Bishop said. “Outreaches to our graduates.”
Bishop was born in Colorado Springs and received his bachelor of arts and masters of arts degrees in education at Northern Colorado University, Greeley, Colorado. He spent seven years teaching in public schools and 31 years as a college administrator at Mesa State College, now CMU. He retired in 1994. UNC conferred an Honorary Doctorate Degree upon Bishop in 1999.
He has been very active with boards and organizations. Lions Club, Chamber of Commerce and Western Center for the Arts are only a few that he participated in. He was a founding member and served on boards of directors for the Great Outdoors Colorado Trust, Rocky Mountain Public Broadcasting Network and Colorado Duck Stamp Selection Committee are just a few to name.
In 1970, he served four years in the House of Representatives. Bishop was the state senator in 1974 and served 24 years. In 1988 he was pushed out by the term limit. He will remain the longest serving Senator from Western Colorado because of the term limit.
Bishop’s involvement in many committees and organization could fill an entire page. He has been highly active in Western Colorado.
On the board of trustees at CMU he explains that they have many duties, but the most important are hiring the president. He explained how there are tons of applications, more than 150.
“This is such a fantastic university,” Bishop said. “Almost everything on this campus is new. We have a vision, a good vision.”
Bishop explained that this board of trustees is great because of the diversity, intelligence, and work ethic.
“[Tim] Foster is very visionary, Betty Bechtel is visionary, and I like to think that I am visionary,” Bishop said. “The whole board is and that is why it is such a great board to serve on.”
With the board and CMU President Tim Foster expanding the university is part of the vision. BIshop explained that new land was recently purchased. How it is to be used is still up to debate. But possibly, the Little Mavericks center will be moved to the church which is on the land the university purchased.
Another major important aspect of the board that Bishop mentioned is their creating policies that are set for student conduct and behavior on and off campus. Bishop remembered how when he worked at Mesa State College there was a curfew. He joked how it did not really keep students apart. With these policies, it is also important to hear and incorporate what the students and faculty tell us.
“Part of our responsibilities is to make sure we remind ourselves and faculty the only reason we are here is for the students,” Bishop said. “We are responsible for the taxpayers as to what we do, responsible to the parents, the students and to make sure when they finish their degree here that they did receive a good education.”
With the importance of giving students, a good education Bishop mentioned how it is important to keep up to date with programs and job opportunities.
“We work to get the accreditation and meets certain stands so that when our students graduate they are not short of anything,” Bishop said. “We don’t want programs that are ‘name only’ that students take classes in and find that there are no jobs out there.”
Bishop is striving for the fact that the board is for the students. He believes student voices need to be heard. He wants the students to know who runs the ship, works in the galleys, and who runs the sails.
“I think of CMU as my fountain of youth,” Bishop said. “I feel so young looking at the students and how enthusiastic and energy and fun they have. At the same time not really knowing what is ahead of them. This is an opportunity they [students] should really cherish.
