{"id":142988,"date":"2022-09-29T14:07:13","date_gmt":"2022-09-29T20:07:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/communique.uccs.edu\/?p=142988"},"modified":"2022-09-29T14:32:00","modified_gmt":"2022-09-29T20:32:00","slug":"2022-state-of-the-campus-address-this-year-feels-like-a-new-beginning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/communique.uccs.edu\/?p=142988","title":{"rendered":"2022 State of the Campus address: &#8220;This year feels like a new beginning&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"740\" height=\"417\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/qrb1udae4bI?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For the first time in UCCS history, the best word to describe the annual State of the Campus address was \u201ccozy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Sep. 28, Chancellor Venkat Reddy pulled up a comfortable armchair and settled in for a talk about the state of the UCCS campus in 2022. Held in Berger Hall and attended by live and virtual audiences, the address covered the progress made over the past year at UCCS, the current moment at the university and dreams for its future. The event also gave an opportunity to introduce new cabinet members at a personal level to the campus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Chancellor Reddy welcomed participants with remarks reflecting a feeling of a \u201cnew beginning\u201d at UCCS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cEach year, I stand before you to deliver this address. This year feels different from any year before,\u201d Reddy said. \u201cI have spent 31 years at UCCS. And more than any other year, 2022 feels like a new beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/communique.uccs.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/IMG_3385-900x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-143008\" width=\"350\" srcset=\"https:\/\/communique.uccs.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/IMG_3385-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/communique.uccs.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/IMG_3385-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/communique.uccs.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/IMG_3385-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/communique.uccs.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/IMG_3385-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><figcaption>Venkat Reddy, Chancellor of UCCS, opened the 2022 State of the Campus Address with remarks reflecting a feeling of a &#8220;new beginning&#8221; at UCC.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis past year has brought in both challenges and opportunities,\u201d Reddy continued. \u201cWe have worked so hard to take the lessons we learned from the pandemic and use them to make UCCS a better place. Now we are seeing the fruits of our labor. I am so excited, and proud, to share what we have accomplished.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Reddy sat down with Chris Valentine, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Marketing and Communications, to review the past year\u2019s successes. Reddy and Valentine discussed the return to pre-pandemic levels of activity of community-facing programs, like those at the Ent Center for the Arts and UCCS Downtown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then the conversation turned to the present moment at UCCS. Reddy reviewed the ongoing construction of the Anschutz Engineering Center and the university\u2019s new incentive-based budget model. He also discussed the continued impact of the Great Resignation at universities like UCCS \u2014 and the many institutional changes the university has implemented to address it. Those include six flexible work arrangements, wellness breaks, flex time, meeting-free times on Mondays and Fridays, an institutional compensation analysis, merit increases and one-time bonuses in January 2022, and an upcoming merit pool and bonus for regular faculty and university staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A burst of applause greeted Reddy\u2019s reminder of free parking for faculty and staff during the 2022\u201323 academic year, which UCCS funded with the help of the University of Colorado Board of Regents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finally, Reddy turned the focus of the conversation to the future of UCCS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis campus is good at dreaming, and then making those dreams happen,\u201d he remarked. Those dreams include a new nursing and health sciences building, a \u201cwellness village\u201d on North Nevada Avenue, new partnerships with regional community colleges collaborations with fellow CU campuses.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/communique.uccs.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/IMG_3414-900x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-143012\" width=\"350\" srcset=\"https:\/\/communique.uccs.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/IMG_3414-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/communique.uccs.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/IMG_3414-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/communique.uccs.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/IMG_3414-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/communique.uccs.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/IMG_3414-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><figcaption>Rame Hanna, Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Nancy Marchand-Martella, Provost, shared their visions for UCCS.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Next, Nancy Marchand-Martella, UCCS\u2019 new Provost, and Rame Hanna, UCCS\u2019 inaugural Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, took the stage to share their visions for academic affairs and diversity and inclusion at UCCS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;The spirit of collaboration on this campus is unparalleled,\u201d Hanna said. \u201cWhat I love about UCCS is that all of our efforts are guided by our North Star: everything we do is in service of students, and increasing access and equitable opportunity is central to our university\u2019s core mission and values.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hanna\u2019s vision for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at UCCS, they shared, \u201cis one that is collaborative, innovative, intersectional, dynamic and sustainable. A big part of that is working in partnership to foster a culture of compassion and care for one another \u2014 where people feel seen, heard, valued, and feel a strong sense of belonging.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On her vision for academic affairs at UCCS, Marchand-Martella spoke to the role of the Office of the Provost in leading positive change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI would like the Provost\u2019s Office to be a resource for the rest of campus,\u201d Marchand-Martella said. \u201cWe\u2019re zooming in on faculty development. We\u2019re partnering with the Faculty Resource Center to ensure that our faculty, both IRC and tenure-track, are getting support in the area of teaching, so that we can make a difference in the lives of our students. We also want to zoom in on hiring faculty from diverse backgrounds. We want to make sure we\u2019re supporting our tenure-track faculty with differentiated workloads. So, we\u2019re deeply invested in trying to be as supportive and proactive as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The program then transitioned to answer questions from the audience.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/communique.uccs.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/IMG_3419-900x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-143013\" width=\"350\" srcset=\"https:\/\/communique.uccs.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/IMG_3419-900x600.jpg 900w, https:\/\/communique.uccs.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/IMG_3419-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/communique.uccs.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/IMG_3419-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/communique.uccs.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/IMG_3419-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><figcaption>Reddy closed the address with heartfelt remarks: &#8220;I believe that the UCCS spirit is strong, and that light continues to guide us.&#8221; <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A number of questions centered on UCCS\u2019 enrollments, which, like most colleges and universities across the country, dipped in 2022. Reddy shared that although overall enrollment was down, the ratio of UCCS\u2019 in-state and out-of-state and international students was highly favorable, resulting in a positive budget for the academic year. Reddy emphasized that student retention and a strong presence of out-of-state students \u2014 up to a 70\/30 split between in-state and out-of-state students \u2014 will be the key to the university\u2019s continued success, even as the university continues to prioritize access and affordability for Colorado students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Reddy also spoke to new collaborations between UCCS and regional community colleges, like Pikes Peak State College and Southern Colorado&#8217;s two-year institutions. Over the past two years, Reddy has been hard at work creating new transfer agreements and advertising partnerships between UCCS and those institutions. \u201cWe need to continue to help our state prosper through collaboration,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Reddy closed with heartfelt thanks to the UCCS community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFrom the bottom of my heart, thank you,\u201d he said. \u201cI believe that the UCCS spirit is strong, and that light continues to guide us. There are great times ahead for our campus. Thank you for your dedication. Thank you for your talent. And let\u2019s go, Mountain Lions!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">About the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS)&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The University of Colorado\u202fColorado\u202fSprings (UCCS) offers 55 bachelor\u2019s, 24 master\u2019s and eight doctoral degree programs and enrolls about 12,000 students annually. Located in the heart of Colorado Springs, UCCS has a strong student focus and access mission, with a goal of transforming lives for the better. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uccs.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Learn more about UCCS<\/strong><\/a> at uccs.edu.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>On Sep. 28, Chancellor Venkat Reddy pulled up a comfortable armchair and settled in for a talk about the state of the UCCS campus in 2022.  <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/communique.uccs.edu\/?p=142988\" title=\"2022 State of the Campus address: &#8220;This year feels like a new beginning&#8221;\">(More)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":143022,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1,49,12],"tags":[53,331,379,51],"class_list":["post-142988","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all","category-campus-announcements","category-events","tag-academic-affairs","tag-campus-announcements","tag-dei","tag-featured"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/communique.uccs.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Communique-Newsletter-A-Story-Doubled-1200-x-634-px-1.png","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1mBpJ-Bcg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/communique.uccs.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/142988","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/communique.uccs.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/communique.uccs.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/communique.uccs.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/27"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/communique.uccs.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=142988"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/communique.uccs.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/142988\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":143019,"href":"https:\/\/communique.uccs.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/142988\/revisions\/143019"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/communique.uccs.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/143022"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/communique.uccs.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=142988"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/communique.uccs.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=142988"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/communique.uccs.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=142988"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}