Academic Times Magazine April 2024

With graduation right around the corner, it is a time of celebration for our students. Graduation reminds us that each student has a story, whether they are still on their FLC journey or walking across the stage. As with previous ATM issues, you will find student stories that truly demonstrate how important our work is at FLC.

Student stories also remind us of the dedication, work, and commitment of FLC faculty and staff. While this year has been one of successes and challenges, I am most appreciative of the grace you have extended to your students and to me as we “learn forward” together through these experiences.

I am excited for the coming year, as we lean into our strategic planning process, continue with reconciliation and DEI work under the capable leadership of Diversity Affairs, develop additional partnerships with our incredible advancement team, and support Steve Schwartz as he leads us into 2024-25! Our work also entails looking for opportunities for FLC to serve as a leader on mission oriented topics, as we did for the Four Corners Climate Summit.

As usual, in this issue you will find Academic Affairs information and updates, as well as our anonymous feedback form. If there is anything on your mind, I hope you will submit feedback or contact me so we may visit.

Best wishes for a safe and relaxing summer!

Mario Martinez Provost and Vice President

DRIVEN BY HER LOVE FOR FAMILY & LANGUAGE

Terri Lynn Scott (Education, Spring 2025) grew up in a multi-generational household, but wasn’t able to communicate fully with her beloved great-grandmother who spoke fluent Navajo and limited English. Despite the language barrier, Scott cites her great-grandmother as one of the people who have pushed her in her education and in her work to learn and preserve the Navajo language.

“I started the language work because of my greatgrandmother and about her wanting me to learn the language, and I never got the opportunity to say I love you to her in Navajo. So I’ve been wanting to really push that, especially for our younger generation since the time’s coming where many of our fluent speakers are passing away,” she said.

“The language work is where I found myself closest to my great-grandmother. I think it’s really pushed me not only as a student, but, going to teaching because it’s always been you go back to your community and you help them, you don’t just like leave them high and dry,” explains Scott.

In the School of Education, Scott has built personal connections with faculty and found opportunities to apply what she is learning in her work as an All Our Kin Student Fellow, at the Cambell Center, and completing hours at Riverview Elementary.

“The concept of bilingualism and how to add a new language in the classroom, the methods and techniques to help students attain it. I feel like that has really been very prominent in me wanting to use Diné in my own classroom and it has been very beneficial too, since I run the conversational circle here,” she said.

Professor Lorien Chambers Schuldt says of Scott, “Terri Lynn is extremely thoughtful and intentional about instructional design and student experiences in different learning environments, from early childhood settings to Navajo language development with her peers on campus.”

Scott says that previous school experiences had made her feel like just a number, but that her experience at FLC has been that faculty make students feel seen, encourage, and push them to do their best.

“Lorien Chambers Schuldt really puts her students first. Where you fall short, she helps you. She aids you. She’s interested in who you are as a person instead of just like, ‘oh, you’re just my student,’” she said. “It has made an impact on me in realizing I’m more than just a student.”

In addition to the support she received from Chambers Schuldt, Scott says that Janine Fitzgerald made an impact on her as a student.

“She holds a safe space for Indigenous students. She’s really respectful to the language. She’s like, ‘I want to hear it. What’s your connection with it? Can you explain it?’ She’s the protector of languages in some way here,” describes Scott.

As she wraps up her third year at FLC, Scott says she’s proud to look back on the resiliency she’s shown in college and her drive to become a teacher.

“It’s my family connections and my language that really pushes me to keep doing this,” she said.

Terri Lynn Scott (Early Childhood Education, Spring 2025) co-facilitates the weekly Bila’ Ashdla’ii Ya’at’eeh (Navajo Conversation Circle).

“We hold a space for Indigenous or Diné people to come and have a safe space with their peers so they have a support system. We talk about a variety of topics- cultural, along with the language, or even just how to de-stress.”

CREATING MORE INCLUSIVE OUTDOOR EXPERIENCES

In AE 475 Program Planning & Development, students bridge the gap between theory and practice as they dive into the art of program planning and development, designing innovative outdoor, experiential, or adventure education programs. In particular, three student final projects embraced these ideas to create programs that showcase the inclusive instructional practices they’ve learned to build community and expand access to a wider population.

Students: Thomas She (Adventure Education, Spring 2025) and William Maniss (Adventure Education, Fall 2024)

Program Developed: Climb Limitless a community-driven initiative that makes rock climbing accessible to individuals of all abilities.

When students Thomas She and William Maniss came to Durango they saw a gap in adaptive climbing experiences and realized by partnering up on a semester-long project they could fill that gap.

“It’s been a dream of mine to have an adaptive climbing program. I got to work with adaptive climbing in Seattle and I had the blast of a lifetime,” says Maniss. “Just getting to see so many people being able to accomplish their dreams or do things they thought were impossible. So when we had the opportunity to create a program I wanted to start with something like rock climbing and allowing multiple individuals to enjoy it.”

Thomas She first became aware of adaptive climbing when his sister, who has cerebral palsy, suggested they do something together like rock climbing at a local climbing gym where they lived. He says, “And once I got it to it, I was just like in it. I not only worked with my sister, but I volunteered with and worked with a few other people.”

“Our goal with the program is to increase the number of venues around town where people of different abilities can access the outdoors, so working with local outdoor businesses like Gravity Labs to have more accessible features so that we can get more people climbing regardless of ability,” said She.

Their vision for Climb Limitless extends beyond the Durango community. As Maniss explains, “I’d love to be able to just walk into any climbing gym around the U.S. and be able to bring my friends who have any kind of disability and just hang out with them, build community through a sport they love.”

Students: Danielle Friedenson (Adventure Education and Psychology, Spring 2025) and Emily Coates (Adventure Education, Spring 2024)

Program Developed: Expanding outdoor community and mentorship offered at Lifeways to include programming designed specifically for women and LGBTQ+ students in La Plata County.

When Lifeways Conscious Wilderness Institute presented to the wilderness therapy class, Danielle Friedenson and Emily Coates saw an opportunity to partner with the organization to expand their offerings and create a program for LGBTQ+ and young women.

“They’re a brand new program and they have three male identifying guides and only serve adolescent boys. And we thought so many more youth could benefit from this experience and we want to promote equity and inclusion. So we connected with the founder, Chris Brown, and he gave us the freedom to develop a curriculum and a program that would work for a larger population,” said Friedenson.

Coates says the conversation on inclusivity in the outdoors began in her very first Adventure Education course and then understanding of creating inclusive outdoor experiences took off during the development of their program for Lifeways.

“I like trying to apply all the practices we’ve learned about creating inclusive spaces and how it can look a bit different outside. Being able to navigate that has helped me apply what we’re developing as a program,” said Coates.

“The reason I’m in the outdoors today is because of the women leaders who were in my life when I was a teen. They were so inspiring to me and I want to be able to provide that same thing to teens... to help them use the outdoors to their advantage and build that general connectivity between themselves, their community and then the environment,” said Friedenson.

When Becca Ray started their project for AE 475 Program Planning & Development, Ray saw an opportunity to give back to their Pueblo of Acoma community. Ray designed the Mount Taylor Adventures program to rekindle connections to past knowledge, foster community engagement, and adventure.

“After high school, they want us to go out and pursue a college degree in whatever that we are interested in and then bring that knowledge back home to our own people,” Ray said. “So that’s what I want to do, help our new coming generations reconnect with lost knowledge or knowledge that was forgotten. I also want to expand on a teaching that my community teaches. We are taught to expand on our education.”

Ray says that Adventure Education courses reinforced ideas of creating community in all places, whether that is on the river or in the backcountry.

“I really like how my program connects adventure education- it’s just the communities at the center of it. And we’re building off of that prior knowledge that my people have,” Ray explains.

The Mountain Taylor Adventure program that Ray designed aims to instill confidence in participants through activities and a mentorship program that pairs youth, young adults, and elders in the Acoma Pueblo.

“In adventure education, they use community to foster empowerment and encourage confidence in everyone. That’s what I feel like I’ve gained from being in adventure education- a lot of confidence, support, and encouragement from both my staff and peers,” describes Ray. “Along with elders and anyone interested in sharing knowledge with the youth in our community. And with this community engagement, it’ll tackle the reconnecting of cultural identity.”

Student: Becca Ray (Adventure Education, Spring 2024)

Program Developed: Mount Taylor Adventures a developmental program designed to build a thriving Acoma community through challenging adventure experiences, self-discovery, and service learning.

DONDRE BARKER: FINDING OPPORTUNITY & COMMUNITY

“Everything started skyrocketing once I came to Fort Lewis College,” says Dondre Barker (Accounting, Fall 2024) when he describes how attending FLC has changed his life. Barker faced challenges as a teenage father working multiple jobs, but his tenacity and willingness to step out of his comfort zone to seize opportunities makes the future look bright.

Barker, who has a 12-year-old son with his wife and fellow FLC student Dovanna Barker, found the opportunities that FLC provides helped open doors for him and his family. Whether it was taking advantage of the Outdoor Pursuits equipment rentals to learn how to snowboard with his son or networking with Denver accounting firms through Beta Alpha Psi, Barker says, “Fort Lewis College has given me multiple opportunities that I never thought I would receive.”

In particular, he cites joining the American Indigenous Business Leaders (AIBL) and Beta Alpha Psi with preparing him for job interviews, public speaking, and helping him secure internships in the accounting field where he is gaining hands on experience. His tax season internships with Fredrick Zink and Associates and Eide Bailly as well as an internship at Lockheed Martin allowed him to regularly apply what he has learned in class. Barker says these internships, “Really make your textbook come to life.”

“Fort Lewis has been a great experience, and it really does get you ready for the outside world, especially in the

accounting department,” he explained. “Chris Lyon really encouraged me in my accounting major. She opened my eyes to the opportunities out there.”

In addition to the encouragement from Professor Lyon, Barker said the supportive community he has found here is something unique to the FLC experience. From Lacey Donley helping him understand an accounting concept, to Michael Valdez providing advice, and Carma Claw sharing her office with him so he had a quiet place to join a Zoom interview, he says, “Professors here really support you through it all. It feels like a team effort.”

“There’s such a community feel to campus. You know all your classmates and they know you, and you have this sense that we’re all in this together,” he says, “We created a group chat for our accounting class so if anybody is struggling with homework they’ll pop into the group chat and we’ll all text each other and help each other out.”

It wasn’t just his classmates and professors in the Katz School of Business that Barker says helped him find success at FLC. He received interview advice from administrative assistant Patrick Flores and Dean Steve Elias regularly gives him fist bumps when he sees him in the halls.

“Fort Lewis in general it really does give you just a sense of belonging and home,” he says.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE PROVOST FELLOWS

The Provost Fellows program draws on faculty expertise to assist Academic Affairs with major priorities and strengthen connections with our various campus partners. Their work has contributed to the college in a variety of ways including collaborating with faculty, collecting feedback, and building infrastructure to seamlessly offer workforce credential programs. We asked the Provost Fellows to share just one of their many accomplishments during the past year as a fellow.

Melissa Knight-Maloney, Workforce Fellow

The highlight was working with Kate Hartzell to get the Medical Assistant Certification program set up and going. This initial program has about 20 students with a combination of campus and community students. We have learned a lot from this initial experience and have already been contacted by employers who want to hire our students once they have completed the course.

Lorien Chambers Schuldt, Workforce Fellow

This year I’ve worked with Adventure Education and FLOW (Fort Lewis on the Water) to create the first Educators on the Water course- a four-day rafting trip on the San Juan River for current educators that focuses on developing the knowledge and skills for experiential and place-based education. This unique course will be led by FLC Adventure Education’s Eli Shostack and will take place June 17-21st. It has been wonderful to see the response from educators around the region who are excited about this opportunity.

Carolina Alonso, Diversity Fellow

As the DEI fellow I worked in close collaboration with faculty members and initiatives to enhance the connection between Academic Affairs and the Diversity Affairs Office. I have been working on a DEI report that will incorporate data sourced from a campus climate survey I oversaw. The report, scheduled for release in June, also showcases the work carried out by the FLC community in relation to DEI efforts. In partnership with fellow FLC leaders, I am also working on a mentorship program for faculty and staff of color.

Justin McBrayer, Data Fellow

As the data fellow, my work focused on helping the provost examine how Academic Affairs has changed in recent years, how our money is spent, how our personnel are deployed, and how our classes are offered. I tracked budget and staffing changes over time, compared FLC to other public, West Slope schools, analyzed shifts in our LAC offerings, and measured changes in class sizes over time. A highlight was working through an online course with Gray’s Associates to get a handle on the data relevant for strategic decision making at FLC.

Michael Drake, Center for Southwest Studies Fellow

I worked with the Provost’s Office, Environmental Center, Environment & Sustainability Department, Fort Lewis College Foundation, and Advancement to integrate the Center for Southwest Studies (CSWS) newest exhibit into the Four Corners Climate Summit. Developing this summit has been a large, collaborative undertaking which I believe will culminate in one of FLC’s iconic events of the year. CSWS’s exhibit exists at the intersection of scientific understandings and artistic representations of climate change in Colorado, and brings the work of scientists and artists from Boulder to audiences in Durango.

ACCOM P LISHING P R OVOSTOFFICE PRIORIT I E S

In our first edition of ATM, we shared with you the priorities of the Provost Office. As we wrap up this academic year, we take a look back at the steps we’ve taken to accomplish these priorities. Below you’ll find a few highlights from the year’s work as we strive to accomplish these goals.

Equitable Student Success

• First-Year Launch redesign with common content aligned to the FLC mission, career readiness, and student success.

• Develop metrics to address gaps in retention, graduation, and DFW to achieve equitable outcomes

Career & Workforce Strategy

• $900,000 for Workforce and Career Readiness from Durango Industrial Development Foundation

• Workforce certificate development (Medical Assistant, 20 students; Principles of Leadership, May 2024; Educators on the Water, June 2024)

• Career Services partnership with Arizona State on Work+ to help student employees in skill development

Data-Informed Decision Making and Facilitating Systems for Success

• Institutional and program analysis to guide 2024 Academic Affairs budget balancing and projections

• Build budget processes for sustainability and accountability

• 2025 HLC reaffirmation assessment work

Additional Highlights

• Partner with USDA and Advancement on inaugural Climate Summit

• Streamlining academic processes: curriculum production/approval; course scheduling; policy revisions

• Partnership with University of California Merced for summer undergraduate research programs, faculty mentor programs and with Indiana University to further develop and enhance our international curriculum and programming

• Department of Colorado Higher Education initiatives: Credit for Prior Learning, Retroactive Associate degree awards

• Enhancements to Behavioral Intervention Team and Academic Care (BIT/ACT) services and responsivity

ACADEMIC AFFAIRS NEWS BRIEFS

FLC Celebrates a Successful Year of Grant Funding

Fiscal Year 2024 has been successful and with FLC seeing new funding awarded to establish programs in areas that had seen limited external support before:

In October 2023, it was confirmed that the Department of Energy, Office of Legacy Management, would award up to $6 million over 5 years. This grant focuses on developing an Environmental Science and Justice Laboratory with lab equipment that students can use to analyze the consequences of metal mining and pollution on environmental systems. Support also includes internship funding and housing scholarships for historically underserved/underrepresented and non-traditional students.

In August 2023, we received an award from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of $199,809 over three years for a campus program of Suicide and Substance Use Prevention. The project will support trainings and increase the capacity of the FLC Counseling Center to best serve a diverse student population and meet demand for increasing higher acuity of behavioral health needs.

Fort Lewis College also received funding from the Department of Education for a cooperative development project with San Juan College (SJC) and the Southwest Colorado Education Collaborative. Up to $3.3 million of support over 5 years will create culturally responsive cohorts to leverage strengths in student communities and foster social, academic, and identity-safe belonging. FLC and SJC will develop innovative curricular and co-curricular structures to empower students to explore careers paths that align with their values and develop skills to contribute to their communities.

FLC @ Work

FLC’s new workforce initiative has an official name, mission, and website! Visit FLC @ Work to learn more about our goals to address critical workforce skill gaps in the Four Corners community. From Leadership Development to Educators on the Water, FLC is supporting regional workforce needs through nimble, responsive, and community-informed education.

FLC Hosts Inaugural Four Corners Climate Summit

On April 27, Fort Lewis College (FLC) held its inaugural Four Corners Climate Summit, attracting over 400 attendees. The summit showcased FLC’s commitment to leading critical environmental discussions and included a diverse program ranging from scientific presentations to artistic exhibitions. Highlighted by a keynote from renowned conservationist Terry Tempest Williams, the event emphasized the influential role of students in driving climate action. The summit was a result of collaborative efforts between the Provost and Advancement Offices and the USDA Southwest Climate Hub, with additional support from the Department of Energy and other donors. The involvement of faculty, staff, students, and administrators, along with trustee and foundation board members, underscored the FLC community’s deep engagement with climate issues. The planning and execution of the summit were made possible by the dedicated efforts of the summit planning committee and special members.

We’d love to hear your feedback or any thoughts you’d like to share with us. If there is anything specific that you’ve read in the ATM please also give us your feedback. As always, you can share your thoughts with us in our feedback form