Western president lays out strategic plan for county

Commissioners love the focus on community and liberal arts

By Mark Reaman

The Western Colorado University (WCU) board of trustees will this week consider adopting a new strategic plan for the school. WCU president Brad Baca presented a summary of the plan to the Gunnison County commissioners on Tuesday, June 20, and representatives of both the university and county expressed enthusiasm for the strategic direction that embraces the community more than it has in the recent past. 

The development of the plan started about a year ago during a retreat in Crested Butte in July of 2022. Baca said that since then, task force teams comprised of students, faculty and administration have all participated in the plan’s development. The plan includes four main goals with the first centered on enriching the Western experience while ensuring the well-being of the students and enhancing a positive culture.

“That means developing a sense of belonging and having a welcoming community where everyone, students, faculty and staff, all feel comfortable and have a sense of well-being,” explained Baca. “That also includes addressing issues of mental health and providing the right resources that people can use when needed. We want a culture of value and support. That also includes giving people a strong voice and providing adequate compensation for where we live. Housing needs are part of that goal, and it is exciting to see local housing developments in the county starting to take root. We too are looking at how to potentially build more needed projects on campus.”

The second goal deals with improving student affordability and access. “As a first-generation college graduate this is something near and dear to my heart,” said Baca. “I understand the benefit of higher education, so we are looking at potential cost reduction measures at Western. Our fees are high in the state due to needed infrastructure improvements we had to make, but we are looking at the state for help in reducing our costs. We also want to expand our scholarship resources. That is something that appeals to donors.” Baca said it is important for students to also understand all that is out there for them through Western.

Goal three is focused on advancing relationships within the local and Western community. 

The idea is to connect students with occupational pathways through alumni relationships. That should help drive success for WCU students. 

Western also wants to move back into embracing the elements of a liberal arts education foundation and not just focus on specific majors. The idea is that liberal arts can help with things like communication and critical thinking no matter what path a student eventually chooses. In the same vein, giving faculty the most modern, up-to-date training opportunities are important in the strategic plan.

The fourth major goal is, of course, centered on finances. Baca said for everything to work and the mission to be strengthened, the financial resources to accommodate the goals must be there. That ultimately ties into enrollment and marketing. “Attracting students throughout the state and nation is important for us,” he said. “The five guiding principles for the plan include financial stewardship, a focus on DEIJ+ (diversity, equity, inclusion, justice), providing a sense of place and understanding that our location is an asset for us, preparing our students for a global existence and being sustainable. Western is located at the headwaters and in an arid west and that is something we need to be aware of.”

County commission chair and Western alum Jonathan Houck was excited with the new strategic plan. “What I learned occurred both in and out of the classroom, so I am happy to see that the community is part of the education experience in this plan. The community has huge impacts on the education experience,” he said. “It is a challenging place to live, and a resiliency piece comes with that. I appreciate that providing the outdoor experiences available here, especially to communities that perhaps haven’t had that opportunity, is a good thing. Leveraging our location is important and leaning into that is important. I appreciate that and that hasn’t always been the case in some recent years.”

Houck also touted the refocus on liberal arts education at Western. “Providing that liberal arts foundation is also important and can be a good foundation for any degree,” he said. “Our community excels at problem solving and I believe that is in part because so many here have a liberal arts education foundation that helps with critical thinking and communication.”

Houck also said he appreciated how Western had not shied away from supporting broad community efforts and was not focused just on the insular campus community. “The goals of this plan are reflective of many of the other strategic plans coming out throughout the county,” he noted.

Commissioner Laura Puckett Daniels agreed that not straying from the liberal arts education foundation was a good part of the new plan. “I believe profoundly in such an educational foundation,” she said. “I am glad to hear that it is being celebrated at Western. As a coach of high school kids, I know that many are weighing the costs associated with higher education. And while going to university isn’t necessarily for everyone, kids thinking about it need to understand the value of education and I think that it is good to include a focus on the liberal arts.”

Puckett Daniels said she was pleased to hear that the voice of the faculty was being elevated with improved training and compensation. “Relationships with satisfied professors is important to students,” she said noting she still remains in contact with some of her former professors. “So is access to mental health assistance. That too is an important part of a strategic plan as I listen to the kids.”

Houck said he also appreciated the efforts of Western “to unlock the dilemma of providing housing opportunities on the campus. And I think it is important for the community to understand how the county and Western communicate a lot over a number of things. Western is part of the identity of Gunnison County. The relationship with Western is very important.”

The WCU board of trustees will be meeting in Crested Butte this week and will be considering whether to adopt the strategic plan.