A New Work of the College

Over the last year, we’ve made intentional efforts to increase transparency about how CC is evolving and the decisions that shape our work. We’ve also heard from faculty and staff that transparency needs to be paired with clarity: information needs to be easier to find and understand, and ideally available in one place. And community voices need a place to consistently contribute to advancing the College. 

This is the thinking behind the remodeled Work of the College (WOTC) ecosystem.

WOTC has traditionally been a place to find details on operational governance, policies, and events. We’ve broadened it to become your go-to resource for understanding institutional priorities and changes happening across the College.

A revamped and comprehensive internal website (behind SSO), this newsletter, and the Work of the College Series events will work together to provide timely updates and opportunities for dialogue and campus engagement.

Our goal is for you to feel empowered in your day-to-day roles and able to confidently answer:

Please make Work of the College part of how you stay informed and engaged. And if you have ideas for improving College communication and operations, share them through the new feedback form.

This is a year of change and opportunity for Colorado College. We hope the new WOTC hub serves as a consistent place to find what you need with a clearer view of how the pieces fit together.

Watch for more enhancements to our internal communications in the coming months.

Sincerely,

Pedro de Araujo
Chief Operating Officer

Johanna Blickenstaff
Vice President of Strategic Communications & Marketing

Work of the College is now one connected communication system, and each part has a distinct role:

What this means for you: one place to find institutional insights and updates, less email overload, and a clearer view of how your work connects to the College’s priorities.

We’re simplifying how the College shares information, so you spend less time searching and more time finding answers. The website now lives behind single sign-on for faculty and staff, enabling greater transparency and clarity than would be possible with a public-facing site. The Work of the College website is your first stop:

The revamped Work of the College newsletter will continue to arrive once per block, on the second Wednesday. Each issue will highlight recent changes and strategic milestones. You’ll find action items front-and-center, with links to go deeper and clear ways to engage. As more institutional updates move here, you’ll see fewer one-off emails in your inbox.

What do you want to know about how Colorado College is changing? Ask Manya is a new Q&A series in which President Manya Whitaker answers questions from the CC community.

Here’s one to get us started:

How are Claim Our Space, the divisional plans, the Institutional Review, and the operational groups related? 

Claim Our Space is the outcome of multiple years of community feedback and input about who we are and who we want to become as a liberal arts institution. As our institutional strategic plan, it is the synthesized version of the divisional strategic plans (i.e. 12 plans synthesized into 1 larger plan). Operational groups are how we achieve the goals indicated in Claim Our Space, informed by findings from the Institutional Review that provided insight into where our daily practices are strong and where we would benefit from enhanced coordination, documentation, and communication. 

Have a question of your own? Use the form below to ask about all things institutional trajectory, from decision-making processes to the implementation of Claim Our Space. 

The Institutional Review identified several areas where CC can improve. Now, cross-divisional groups of faculty and staff are meeting to help shape how the College acts on those findings. Through shared governance, their input guides the decisions and actions ahead. All faculty and staff are invited to join.

Want to get involved?

Questions? Email operationalgovernance@coloradocollege.edu.

Next Event: Colorado College’s Endowment
Tuesday, Oct. 27, 3-4 p.m. | Gaylord Hall

How can CC have a significant endowment and still face budget challenges?

Lori Seager, Vice President of Finance & Administration and Chief Financial Officer, and Jen Smithwick, Associate Vice President for Finance, will explain how the endowment works, why many funds are restricted by donor intent, and why it can’t simply cover budget gaps.

All faculty, staff, and students are welcome.

Coming up in November:

Board of Trustees Town Hall with President Whitaker and Board of Trustees Chair Kyle Samuel ’92 

Thursday, Nov. 12, 2-3 p.m. | Virtual: REGISTER

See the full 2026-2027 event schedule.

Can’t find what you’re looking for? Have an idea for something we should add? Your feedback will shape how Work of the College grows.

14 E. Cache La Poudre St.
Colorado Springs, CO 80903