DEAR FRIENDS,

We are proud to present Colorado College’s Year in Review, a collection of stories from the last academic year that showcase our amazing students and alumni and demonstrate the impact of your generosity at CC.   

We are continually in awe of the things our community can achieve when we come together. This year, with your support, the college exceeded its goal of $20 million in new commitments. We celebrated a $3 million gift from Inasmuch Foundation in honor of recently retired Senior Vice President Mike Edmonds in support of student success and well-being. The college also received a $2 million gift from two anonymous alumni donors to establish the Manya Whitaker Professorship in Education, the first endowed professorship in CC’s Education Department.  

Collective giving from donors at every level continues to benefit students in profound ways. The Mike Edmonds Legacy Fund, established during the 2022-23 academic year, will provide financial freedom and flexibility for all students to access the full breadth of the CC experience. In total, more than $5 million has been committed in Mike’s honor for this fund and other impactful purposes. Donors to the Antiracism at CC Fund have enabled the college to take powerful steps forward in its Antiracism Implementation Plan, and the Mental Health Promotion Fund was formed to help elevate mental health and wellbeing as a critical priority.    

We achieved these things amid a rapidly changing higher education landscape. In the process, we helped shape the path forward for liberal arts colleges nationwide.  

In February, CC made a bold statement with our decision to pull out of the U.S. News & World Report “Best Colleges” rankings, as they reward criteria and incentivize actions that are antithetical to our values and aspirational goals. In doing so, we reinforced our commitment to creating a more just world. We also positioned Colorado College as a leader in the conversation about equity in higher education. Since that time, three more undergraduate schools have announced similar plans.    

There is so much to celebrate from the year behind us — and yet, so much more opportunity ahead. In the 2023-24 academic year, much of our work will be centered around four major priorities: expanding access to Colorado College, improving equity to the full CC experience, preparing students for post-graduate success, and creating thriving campus, alumni, and regional communities.   

As we navigate the impact of the June 2023 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court to limit race-based admissions practices at U.S. colleges and universities, our commitment to building a diverse campus has not changed. We will lean into the many ways we can identify prospective students who will shine at CC and be strong additions to our community. For that, we will look in part to our remarkable alumni, parents, and friends who serve as ambassadors for the college around the world.   

Thank you, as always, for your passion and commitment to Colorado College. We are grateful. 

With gratitude,  

Jeff Keller ’91, P’2 , Chair of the Board of Trustee 

L. Song Richardson , President