Core Component 4a
The organization demonstrates, through the actions of its board, administrators, students, faculty, and staff, that it values a life of learning.
The university’s board, administration, faculty, staff, and students are dedicated to creating and maintaining a lifelong learning environment in all aspects of the CSU-Pueblo experience. This is accomplished through numerous opportunities to pursue research and scholarship, study and travel abroad, professional development, internships, and a broad range of extracurricular programs both on and off campus. Employees enjoy various opportunities for professional development, including reduced tuition for courses and degree programs at CSU-Pueblo. The institution provides incentives for faculty sabbaticals, travel, teaching and research fellowships, conference attendance, and sharing of research in a variety of venues. Outstanding accomplishments in the pursuit of knowledge and creativity are recognized by annual campus-wide and college-specific awards for scholarly and creative activity. In addition, as detailed under Criterion Five, the institution provides the entire southeastern Colorado region with a host of opportunities to attend presentations, speeches, panels, exhibitions, and concerts in an extensive array of academic, cultural, musical, and artistic gatherings.
The University’s Strategic Plan and Mission Statements Support the Acquisition, Discovery, and Application of Knowledge
The 2006-2011 Strategic Plan specifies the university’s projected support of scholarly and creative activity and the importance of pursuit of broad knowledge, setting goals of enhancing support for scholarship by faculty, staff, and students, and expanding support for professional development of faculty and staff. 159
The university’s mission statements appear and are discussed on pages 12-13 of the 2006-2007 Catalog160 and in Chapter 1. The university’s commitment to scholarly and creative activity is evident there. For example, “research” is featured along with “teaching” and “service” as an area in which the university seeks to set “the standard for regional comprehensive universities” (12). In discussing the learning outcomes sought for students, the catalog asserts, “Students graduate with the knowledge necessary to enter their professions and with the learning skills (e.g., problem solving, critical thinking, research, and communication) required to keep current in those professions into the future” (12). 161
159 See http://www.colostate-pueblo.edu/StrategicPlan/.
160 See http://www.colostate-pueblo.edu/catalog/.
161 A complete account of the mission statements is provided under Criterion One.