I want to thank everyone who participated in the recent Baker Tilly campus visit supporting Colorado College’s Institutional Review. Your thoughtful engagement in interviews, focus groups, and Town Halls helped provide the Baker Tilly team with a comprehensive understanding of our community’s perspectives on resource allocation and our long-term goals. Your willingness to share insights and ask questions adds value to this important process.
The Baker Tilly team received great questions during the Town Halls, and we want to share answers to the most frequently asked questions below:
Who requested the institutional review?
The review was initiated at the request of President Manya Whitaker. During any leadership transition, it is essential to ensure that the College’s operations and trajectory remain aligned with our long-term strategic goals. The Baker Tilly team is working closely with Chief Financial Officer Lori Seager and me on a regular basis as the project progresses.
What’s the next step in the process?
As a part of the review process, Baker Tilly will distribute a survey to all staff and faculty, and a separate survey to students. Participation is completely voluntary, though we strongly encourage you to share your feedback. All responses will remain confidential and will be reviewed solely by the Baker Tilly team. You can expect this survey to arrive in your inbox in early March.
What is the timeline for the final report?
The institutional review process contains several phases, including diagnostic review, analysis, and final reporting. The reporting phase, during which the Baker Tilly team will submit their takeaways and recommendations to College leadership for review, is slated for late spring.
Who will have access to results?
The full report will be delivered to President Whitaker, Lori Seager, and me. We will then engage with appropriate Cabinet members and other campus leaders to determine an appropriate method to share broad thematic takeaways and high-level recommendations with the campus community before beginning the implementation phase. You can expect a summary of the review’s findings to be shared in the fall.
How broad or specific will recommendations be?
Baker Tilly’s recommendations will include both broad, strategic themes and more detailed, actionable guidance. The recommendations will be organized into overarching categories (such as Fiscal Health, Operational Efficiency, and Strategic Enrollment Management). Each category will include specific suggestions to help the College strengthen alignment with our long-term goals.
How is this process engaging students?
While on campus, the Baker Tilly team met with representatives from the CC Student Government Association to gain insight into the student experience as relevant to the institutional review. Students will also have the chance to complete an anonymous survey in the coming weeks to share their opinions and experiences. Finally, Baker Tilly is leveraging data to understand more about the student experience including success studies, results of student withdrawal interviews, and student success metrics like retention and graduation rates. Taken together, these three methods will represent student voices and perspectives throughout the review process.
How will this assessment engage alumni voices?
Alumni who are currently employed by the College as faculty or staff will have the opportunity to participate through the campus-wide survey. In addition, Baker Tilly is reviewing existing institutional records and documentation, which include insights from past alumni experiences. These materials will help ensure that alumni perspectives are appropriately reflected in the assessment.
Which peer institutions are included in this study, and how will that information be used?
Peer institution data will be used to provide meaningful comparisons and identify common practices related to resource allocation, staffing ratios, and operational effectiveness in specific areas. Quantitative benchmarking is just one important component of this review and will be considered alongside other inputs to ensure a balanced and comprehensive assessment.
The College’s existing list of peer institutions, which were selected based on metrics including finances, student population, college reputation, and academic and faculty data, will be included in various aspects of the peer benchmarking process. These include:
