thedenverpost--2020-07-05--Why Sonny Lubick’s player-first CSU coaching style proved ahead of its time

Editor ’ s note : Fourth in five-part series profiling Colorado football icons .
Floyd Little , Darian Hagan and Andy Lowry were previously profiled .
As Sonny Lubick reached the pinnacle of football success at Colorado State , calls from major college programs like Miami and Southern California began rolling in .
Their pitch : Higher pay , nicer facilities and better recruits .
In the late-1990s , on Christmas Eve , another one of those high-profile schools offered Lubick their head coaching job .
But he couldn ’ t wait .
The school told Lubick : We want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ else will take it .
“ He would have won some national titles , ” said Dan Hammerschmidt , a former CSU assistant coach ( 1996-2007 ) under Lubick .
“ If you asked anybody on the staff from those years , if he was at one of those big places , he would have won a couple of national titles.
” He told the courting school : I can ’ t do that now .
We ’ ve got a bowl game to play .
“ In the coaching business , when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s the best place in the world .
You hate to leave it , ” Lubick told The Denver Post last week .
“ That ’ s what happened when we were winning .
There were a lot of ( job ) opportunities .
But the coaches and players were happy.
” A stunning display of loyalty that is totally foreign in the college football world today .
Lubick , 83 , hasn ’ t changed a bit .
Forget about his 108 career CSU victories , nine bowl appearances , six conference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still bleeds green-and-gold .
Just ask his students .
For the past decade , Lubick has helped teach leadership courses at CSU ’ s business school .
“ There ’ s nothing like a real team victory , ” Lubick said .
“ But there ’ s also nothing like the end of a semester in our class when students write you a note : Thank you , coach , for sharing your experiences with us.
” Many factors contribute to Lubick ’ s place among Colorado ’ s greatest football icons , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ players-first coaching philosophy .
Lubick was handed the keys to CSU football in 1993 , and starting with small changes , he allowed the Rams to drive their own team .
“ When I first came in here , they had rules for everything , like where you sat when you ate , ” Lubick said .
“ When you treat your players as human beings , you find out that they ’ re pretty damn sharp .
What I found over my career of 50 years of coaching is that when you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to reach further to help you out .
“ I can remember telling our staff all the time : ‘ No lying , stealing or cheating.
’ We hold them accountable for that.
” Adrian Ross is a former Rams linebacker ( 1994-97 ) with 22.5 career sacks .
At a time when old-school militaristic coaching was the norm , Ross said Lubick was a breath of fresh air .
Like in the winter of 1996 , when Ross and his teammates decided they wanted a fresh look .
“ I told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wanted new uniforms .
He says : ‘ OK , you come back early on your Christmas break and we ’ ll get it done , ’ ” Ross said .
“ I came back to see the equipment guy and Sonny had already relayed it to him .
That ’ s why in ’ 97 , we had green pants , white shirts and gold numbers.
” Lubick laughed and added : “ Adrian made me earn my money.
” Kevin McDougal , a former CSU running back ( 1996-99 ) , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ best to grab lunch with Lubick about once a month .
McDougal cherishes his senior year victory against Colorado — CSU ’ s first against CU in 13 years — but for reasons beyond the final score .
“ You see the replay of us all the time dumping the Gatorade on ( Lubick ) , ” McDougal said .
“ I was able to have a quick moment with him right as the game ended .
I ’ ll never forget it .
He really was that father figure for a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He remained firm on how he wanted things run , but he gave you leeway to learn and make mistakes .
You have to find yourself as a football player , but as a college student as well.
” Lubick is well-known for deflecting credit to players and assistant coaches for reaching program heights the Rams hadn ’ t seen before or since his firing in 2007 .
So , he doesn ’ t mind when many new CSU business students are not familiar with his football legacy when they step into his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ People don ’ t know me as much as they used to , ” Lubick said .
“ You have to be a certain age.
” But Lubick has been around long enough to know the pillars of good coaching will never change .
He ’ s encouraged by the rise in student-athletes using their platform to make a difference .
Lubick said : “ I hope that Black Lives Matter and the people stand for what they believe in .
We ’ re all in this together .
Everybody.
” And Lubick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those still willing to listen .
“ I will continue on at CSU as long as I feel like I ’ m being helpful and being youthful , ” Lubick said .
“ With God ’ s help , I still have good health and everything .
Otherwise , what else would I do ?
”

Editor’s note: Fourth in five-part series profiling Colorado football icons. Floyd Little, Darian Hagan and Andy Lowry were previously profiled.
As Sonny Lubick reached the pinnacle of football success at Colorado State, calls from major college programs like Miami and Southern California began rolling in.
Their pitch: Higher pay, nicer facilities and better recruits. In the late-1990s, on Christmas Eve, another one of those high-profile schools offered Lubick their head coaching job. But he couldn’t wait. The school told Lubick: We want you down here next week or someone else will take it.
“He would have won some national titles,” said Dan Hammerschmidt, a former CSU assistant coach (1996-2007) under Lubick. “If you asked anybody on the staff from those years, if he was at one of those big places, he would have won a couple of national titles.”
Lubick’s football priorities, however, were non-negotiable.
He told the courting school: I can’t do that now. We’ve got a bowl game to play.
“In the coaching business, when things are going good, it’s the best place in the world. You hate to leave it,” Lubick told The Denver Post last week. “That’s what happened when we were winning. There were a lot of (job) opportunities. But the coaches and players were happy.”
A stunning display of loyalty that is totally foreign in the college football world today.
Lubick, 83, hasn’t changed a bit. Forget about his 108 career CSU victories, nine bowl appearances, six conference titles and five All-Americans — and he still bleeds green-and-gold. Just ask his students. For the past decade, Lubick has helped teach leadership courses at CSU’s business school.
“There’s nothing like a real team victory,” Lubick said. “But there’s also nothing like the end of a semester in our class when students write you a note: Thank you, coach, for sharing your experiences with us.”
Many factors contribute to Lubick’s place among Colorado’s greatest football icons, but nothing resonates more today than his players-first coaching philosophy. Lubick was handed the keys to CSU football in 1993, and starting with small changes, he allowed the Rams to drive their own team.
“When I first came in here, they had rules for everything, like where you sat when you ate,” Lubick said. “When you treat your players as human beings, you find out that they’re pretty damn sharp. What I found over my career of 50 years of coaching is that when you treat them right, they’re going to reach further to help you out.
“I can remember telling our staff all the time: ‘No lying, stealing or cheating.’ We hold them accountable for that.”
Adrian Ross is a former Rams linebacker (1994-97) with 22.5 career sacks. At a time when old-school militaristic coaching was the norm, Ross said Lubick was a breath of fresh air. Like in the winter of 1996, when Ross and his teammates decided they wanted a fresh look.
“I told (Lubick) that all the players wanted new uniforms. He says: ‘OK, you come back early on your Christmas break and we’ll get it done,’” Ross said. “I came back to see the equipment guy and Sonny had already relayed it to him. That’s why in ’97, we had green pants, white shirts and gold numbers.”
Lubick laughed and added: “Adrian made me earn my money.”
Kevin McDougal, a former CSU running back (1996-99), lives in Fort Collins and does his best to grab lunch with Lubick about once a month. McDougal cherishes his senior year victory against Colorado — CSU’s first against CU in 13 years — but for reasons beyond the final score.
“You see the replay of us all the time dumping the Gatorade on (Lubick),” McDougal said. “I was able to have a quick moment with him right as the game ended. I’ll never forget it. He really was that father figure for a lot of guys coming into the program. He remained firm on how he wanted things run, but he gave you leeway to learn and make mistakes. You have to find yourself as a football player, but as a college student as well.”
Lubick is well-known for deflecting credit to players and assistant coaches for reaching program heights the Rams hadn’t seen before or since his firing in 2007. So, he doesn’t mind when many new CSU business students are not familiar with his football legacy when they step into his class for the first time.
“People don’t know me as much as they used to,” Lubick said. “You have to be a certain age.”
But Lubick has been around long enough to know the pillars of good coaching will never change. He’s encouraged by the rise in student-athletes using their platform to make a difference. Lubick said: “I hope that Black Lives Matter and the people stand for what they believe in. We’re all in this together. Everybody.”
And Lubick is not done imparting his wisdom on those still willing to listen.
“I will continue on at CSU as long as I feel like I’m being helpful and being youthful,” Lubick said. “With God’s help, I still have good health and everything. Otherwise, what else would I do?”


thedenverpost--2020-07-05--Broncos fans: What’s the fairest way to determine who attends games at Mile High this fall?

He ’ ll sign anything John Elway puts in front of him , so long as it ’ s not in blood .
Mask ?
Sure .
Waiver ?
Groovy .
Where ’ s the pen ?
“ If you want to go whitewater rafting , you sign a release , ” said Steve Huffman , a self-described Broncos lifer and former president of the Broncos Quarterback Club .
“ Before you go axe-throwing , you sign a release .
You ’ d have the same deal ( here ) , where you ’ d have to sign a release @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not being a doctor .
That ’ s another thing : Do you waive your rights ?
” Huffman figures he will this fall , if it comes to that .
And it very well might .
Whether that ’ s at Empower Field at Mile High or the other 31 NFL venues , a coronavirus liability waiver for fans feels like a near-certainty in a league run by lawyers trying to protect their backsides and wallets simultaneously .
“ The first thing I thought about was my mother and father , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get to thinking about football , it ’ s such a conundrum .
No matter what the answer is , someone is going to be upset.
” And there ’ s the rub .
COVID-19 cases are surging like it ’ s April all over again , training camp looms later this month , and it ’ s the Broncos ’ turn to make uncomfortable and unprecedented business decisions when it comes to their fans — and their fans ’ safety .
The primo seats along the lower level , as per league @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sold as advertising space , killing two birds with one stone : separating fans from fans and players/coaches/sideline personnel from fans , while also creating a new revenue stream .
But what happens to those Broncos faithful who find themselves displaced ?
And what ’ s the ripple effect on the paying customers sitting behind them ?
( If fans are allowed at the games ) .
Coronavirus is forcing every level of organized football , from the pros to preps , to go from plans in stone to plans in pencil .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ which is also believed to be on the table , what ’ s the fairest way to decide which Broncos fans get in to Mile High — and which ones don ’ t ?
“ Man , that is a tough question , ” noted Tom Jacobsen , the current president of the Broncos Quarterback Club .
“ First and foremost , it has to be mapped out , obviously , so you get as many people in the stands as you can safely .
That is priority No .
1.
” Jacobsen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dozen Broncos games over the past 22 years .
Huffman said he ’ s been absent for five , total , since 1977 .
The season-ender against the Raiders last December was contest No .
432 , home or away .
On this , they agree : Season-ticket seniority should be the first consideration for Empower Field attendees in 2020 , whether capacity is reduced to 40,000 ( roughly half ) , 20,000 ( roughly a quarter ) or fewer come September .
“ It ’ s seniority , ” Jacobsen offered .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It all depends on what ’ s the number of fans .
Let ’ s say ( capacity ) was 20,000 .
( Tell ) the first season-ticket priority numbers , they get to pick three games of their choice .
And you go to the next 20,000 , and they get to pick their three games.
” Few Broncos fans go farther back , continuously , than Tim Larison , a Quarterback Club member who ’ s had season tickets since 1968 , when he snapped them up at the age @ @ @ @ @ @ @ season ticket-holder , ( tenure preference ) would benefit me , ” Larison said .
“ But it would also exclude a lot of more recent fans .
So I don ’ t know if that ’ s totally fair.
” Huffman concurred , suggesting that some seats , if possible , be put into a general lottery pool for newer season-ticket holders or the general public .
“ If you ’ re supposed to look at somebody fairly , priority numbers are probably the most fair , in terms of long-term support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you want to be egalitarian , what makes the most sense is a lottery system .
How they do that , I don ’ t know .
“ Even if they cut ( capacity ) by half , I think it would certainly be a chore .
And I could just imagine what type of algorithm or calculus they would need to use to make sure we ’ re 6 feet away from everybody.
” The Broncos have already done a lot of that math .
The franchise ’ s chief commercial officer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Ryan O ’ Halloran in mid-June that they ’ ve conducted computer simulations for how to seat fans in any social-distancing circumstance , adding that the franchise is “ certainly preparing if we need to pivot.
” The questions on that pivot are how quickly , how often , and how far .
The Saints announced late last month that fans affected by the tarps along the first eight rows will have several options , including a credit or a refund for 2020 entirely if they choose to bail , all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s tricky : While COVID is a global issue , the virus is being combated provincially in the United States .
And when it comes to kicking the can , the NFL is fast running out of road .
The fan experience at Mile High was already setting up to be very different before the late June coronavirus spike forced states , including Colorado , to roll back its re-opening phases .
It ’ s not hard to picture masks being mandatory , lines slowed by temperature checks at every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 6-foot gaps extending the queues for everything from souvenirs to restrooms .
And if July follows the same script as last month , those inconveniences could shape up to be a best-case scenario .
“ The bottom line is the football — just get football back and , again , safely , and not at the expense of anybody ’ s well-being , ” Jacobsen said .
“ It ’ s still a diversion .
You ’ ve got to realize that , if you can get it back safely , no matter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it ’ s just the lifeblood of the community and the country , frankly … I ’ m hoping they can figure it out.
” That goes double for Huffman , who last missed a Broncos tilt about two decades ago .
He had a good excuse , mind you .
And an ironic one in the current climate , having rolled out of bed one game day with a 104-degree temperature .
“ My wife said , ‘ There ’ s no ( expletive ) way .
You ’ re not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Huffman recalled .
“ I had to give my tickets to one of my friends .
And he had to tear them out of my hands .
”

He’ll sign anything John Elway puts in front of him, so long as it’s not in blood. Mask? Sure. Waiver? Groovy. Where’s the pen?
“If you want to go whitewater rafting, you sign a release,” said Steve Huffman, a self-described Broncos lifer and former president of the Broncos Quarterback Club. “Before you go axe-throwing, you sign a release. You’d have the same deal (here), where you’d have to sign a release. I don’t know, not being a doctor. That’s another thing: Do you waive your rights?”
Huffman figures he will this fall, if it comes to that. And it very well might. Whether that’s at Empower Field at Mile High or the other 31 NFL venues, a coronavirus liability waiver for fans feels like a near-certainty in a league run by lawyers trying to protect their backsides and wallets simultaneously.
“The first thing I thought about was my mother and father,” Huffman said. “But when I get to thinking about football, it’s such a conundrum. No matter what the answer is, someone is going to be upset.”
And there’s the rub. COVID-19 cases are surging like it’s April all over again, training camp looms later this month, and it’s the Broncos’ turn to make uncomfortable and unprecedented business decisions when it comes to their fans — and their fans’ safety.
The primo seats along the lower level, as per league policy, will be tarped off and sold as advertising space, killing two birds with one stone: separating fans from fans and players/coaches/sideline personnel from the fans, while also creating a new revenue stream.
But what happens to those Broncos faithful who find themselves displaced? And what’s the ripple effect on the paying customers, assuming they’re allowed in, stuck sitting behind them?
Coronavirus is forcing every level of organized football, from the pros to preps, to go from plans in stone to plans in pencil. If the NFL mandates socially-distant seating, which is also believed to be on the table, what’s the fairest way to decide which Broncos fans get in to Mile High — and which ones don’t?
“Man, that is a tough question,” noted Tom Jacobsen, the current president of the Broncos Quarterback Club. “First and foremost, it has to be mapped out, obviously, so you get as many people in the stands as you can safely. That is priority No. 1.”
“I don’t know if that’s totally fair”
Jacobsen’s missed no more than a dozen Broncos games over the past 22 years. Huffman said he’s been absent for five, total, since 1977. The season-ender against the Raiders last December was contest No. 432, home or away.
On this, they agree: Season-ticket seniority should be the first consideration for Empower Field attendees in 2020, whether capacity is reduced to 40,000 (roughly half), 20,000 (roughly a quarter) or fewer come September.
“It’s seniority,” Jacobsen offered. “They get to pick three games. It all depends on what’s the number of fans. Let’s say (capacity) was 20,000. (Tell) the first season-ticket priority numbers, they get to pick three games of their choice. And you go to the next 20,000, and they get to pick their three games.”
Few Broncos fans go farther back, continuously, than Tim Larison, a Quarterback Club member who’s had season tickets since 1968, when he snapped them up at the age of 12.
“As a longtime season ticket-holder, (tenure preference) would benefit me,” Larison said. “But it would also exclude a lot of more recent fans. So I don’t know if that’s totally fair.”
Huffman concurred, suggesting that some seats, if possible, be put into a general lottery pool for newer season-ticket holders or the general public.
“If you’re supposed to look at somebody fairly, priority numbers are probably the most fair, in terms of long-term support,” Huffman said. “If you want to be egalitarian, what makes the most sense is a lottery system. How they do that, I don’t know.
“Even if they cut (capacity) by half, I think it would certainly be a chore. And I could just imagine what type of algorithm or calculus they would need to use to make sure we’re 6 feet away from everybody.”
The Broncos have already done a lot of that math. The franchise’s chief commercial officer, Mac Freeman, told the Post’s Ryan O’Halloran in mid-June that they’ve conducted computer simulations for how to seat fans in any social-distancing circumstance, adding that the franchise is “certainly preparing if we need to pivot.”
“The bottom line is the football”
The questions on that pivot are how quickly, how often, and how far. The Saints announced late last month that fans affected by the tarps along the first eight rows will have several options, including a credit or a refund for 2020 entirely if they choose to bail, all without losing a year of season-ticket tenure. The Packers notified their season-ticket holders of similar arrangements at Lambeau Field a few days ago.
It’s tricky: While COVID is a global issue, the virus is being combated provincially in the United States. And when it comes to kicking the can, the NFL is fast running out of road.
The fan experience at Mile High was already setting up to be very different before the late June coronavirus spike forced states, including Colorado, to roll back its re-opening phases.
It’s not hard to picture masks being mandatory, lines slowed by temperature checks at every entrance, changes in concession offerings and 6-foot gaps extending the queues for everything from souvenirs to restrooms.
And if July follows the same script as last month, those inconveniences could shape up to be a best-case scenario.
“The bottom line is the football — just get football back and, again, safely, and not at the expense of anybody’s well-being,” Jacobsen said. “It’s still a diversion. You’ve got to realize that, if you can get it back safely, no matter what you’ve got to do, it’s just the lifeblood of the community and the country, frankly … I’m hoping they can figure it out.”
That goes double for Huffman, who last missed a Broncos tilt about two decades ago. He had a good excuse, mind you. And an ironic one in the current climate, having rolled out of bed one game day with a 104-degree temperature.
“My wife said, ‘There’s no (expletive) way. You’re not going to the game,’” Huffman recalled. “I had to give my tickets to one of my friends. And he had to tear them out of my hands.”


thedenverpost--2020-07-05--Coronavirus pandemic gives Colorado Gov. Jared Polis unprecedented power

Something unusual happened last week : The authority of Colorado Gov .
Jared Polis was overridden .
Polis had issued an executive order allowing petition signatures for proposed ballot measures to be collected remotely — a lifeline to issue campaigns staring down the prospect of not being able to qualify for the November ballot due to pandemic precautions .
On Monday , the Colorado Supreme Court unanimously ruled that no , Polis didn ’ t have the authority to do that .
It was the first major check on the governor ’ s power since March 10 , when Polis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the media to his office and declared a state of emergency in Colorado .
Polis made clear through actions , if not words , early in the pandemic that he ’ d be the face of the state ’ s pandemic response , holding frequent press conferences — he rarely does so during normal times — that , for a period , were must-see TV broadcast throughout the state .
He spoke for close to two hours at a time at various points , explaining data and strategy at length , attempting to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take precautions .
Since that March emergency declaration , the governor has had sweeping authority to control Colorado ’ s pandemic response path .
He has issued more than 100 executive orders , according to a state tally , and led what at many points has been Colorado ’ s only fully functioning branch of government : The court system has dramatically scaled back proceedings , and the General Assembly has been in recess since mid-March except for a little over three weeks when lawmakers returned to finish their top priorities .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ largely to one man and his advisers .
Which businesses can stay open ?
Who might face eviction , and when ?
Which freedoms and social norms are on pause ?
And , for a while , anyway : Which ballot measures might have a chance to qualify for November ?
With the state legislature having closed up shop for the year but the pandemic still far from over , that dynamic is likely to hold for months to come , with fewer checks and balances than exist in normal times .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said Thad Kousser , a political science professor at the University of California San Diego who has examined governors ’ roles during the pandemic .
“ I don ’ t think we ’ ve ever seen all governors playing a role this prominent , ” Kousser said .
“ What we see is a natural disaster hits a state , or another crisis , and suddenly a governor is elevated and appears on the national stage .
What we ’ re seeing now is essentially a hurricane hitting every state at once @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ A year ago , the story everybody was writing is why governors have disappeared from the national stage .
I think the explanation was : They ’ re boring .
They ’ re not polarizing .
They ’ re not mobilizing .
… The extent to which they have now risen above legislatures in prominence , and have risen above the president in approval ratings , is unprecedented.
” Polis ’ empowerment reflects not only the national trend but also that his most potent would-be antagonists in Colorado have mostly stepped aside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they sometimes clash over policy , Polis and the Democrats who control Colorado ’ s state legislature generally share a common vision , and interviews with more than a dozen lawmakers show generally strong reviews for his pandemic response .
Lawmakers closed the Capitol from March 14 to May 26 , then reconvened for a few weeks , passed a slew of laws that Polis supports , and ended their session .
Democrats were unsuccessful in their few efforts to take policy in a different direction than the governor wished .
They couldn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Colorado ’ s eviction moratorium , so they left it to Polis to deliver lesser protection .
They backed down on a bill to eliminate business tax breaks , compromising with Polis for a much less ambitious package .
And then lawmakers went home .
“ Our job is to pass laws , change laws , pass a budget .
And his job is to enact those , ” said Senate Majority Leader Steve Fenberg , D-Boulder .
“ And in an emergency , our laws that we have passed give him certain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we want to enrich him with more power .
It ’ s because we want one person in charge of ensuring basic safety for all Coloradans .
… If you have 100 cooks in the kitchen , it ’ s hard to move the state forward.
” Lawmakers have complained at various points that they ’ ve felt not only excluded from the kitchen , but from the whole house .
A number of them have told The Denver Post they ’ ve learned of some executive orders through press releases and media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the pandemic , the governor ’ s office wouldn ’ t tell lawmakers much more than it told journalists .
“ I do think there are bruised egos , the feeling of a diminished level of consideration for the legislative role , legislative authority .
That absolutely exists , ” said state Sen. Dominick Moreno , D-Commerce City , who noted that he does not personally feel that way .
The frustration was reflected in the passage of a bill , HB-1426 , that requires the governor ’ s office to hold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ writers and the legislature ’ s executive committee .
The bill also requires the General Assembly to “ promptly ” receive notice of any executive order issued “ in connection with the disaster emergency.
” “ Republicans kept talking about curtailing the governor ’ s authority , ” said House Speaker KC Becker , D-Boulder .
“ That was not something I was interested in .
But having conversations publicly about what ’ s going on , where it ’ s not just happening through the press , but where legislators who represent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think that ’ s important.
” Polis took feedback and has since changed how he runs briefings with the legislature , lawmakers said , though the passage of HB-1426 indicates they felt some need to ensure continued transparency .
“ With this , as with all things , the legislature want to make sure they ’ re being consulted .
That ’ s something I would urge going forward , ” said Becker , who is term-limited from seeking re-election .
In other senses , though , lawmakers and the governor seem @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some reports to the contrary .
For example , in May , Polis took some blowback for allocating about $ 1.7 billion in federal CARES Act money himself , when he had previously said he ’ d leave “ the power of the purse ” to lawmakers .
Suggestions of a Polis power grab turned out to have been greatly exaggerated ; he , in fact , had consulted closely with Democratic leaders on how the money would be spent , and most of them were comfortable letting him take charge .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , in that manner , just to get it out the door as soon as possible , ” Fenberg said .
“ He didn ’ t usurp us.
” Becker called it “ an absolutely fair and appropriate way to do it.
” Republicans , unsurprisingly , do not share that view .
There ’ s just not much they can do to alter the course , given their lack of power at the Capitol .
“ I think Gov .
Polis and his people are good people , and they ’ ve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s budget committee colleague , state Sen. Bob Rankin , R-Carbondale .
“ But the legislature ’ s not involved .
Everything you read is , ‘ the governor decides this ’ or ‘ the governor decides that , ’ and it doesn ’ t look right to me.
” Polis has faced a lot of that criticism from Republicans during the pandemic .
Many have accused him of “ draconian ” leadership , and one GOP leader famously compared his stay-at-home order to Nazism .
He has also taken heat from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they care about — including coronavirus outbreaks in jails and prisons , the looming eviction crisis , and Black Lives Matter protests — have been insufficient .
But Coloradans mostly think Polis is doing a good job , according to polling that shows his approval rating rose from 50 % last June to roughly two-thirds this May .
He was one of the country ’ s first governors to begin reopening the economy , and Colorado has had relative success in containing the spread of the virus , even as surrounding states and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plunging back into crisis mode .
It ’ s a good thing they ’ re mostly satisfied with the product , because it ’ s what they ’ re likely to get — for the rest of this year , at least .
The legislature isn ’ t due to return to the Capitol until January .
That ’ s not ideal , said Kousser , of UC San Diego .
“ It ’ s is an arrangement and a style of governance that works in an emergency , ” he said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the districts that elected Republican legislators .
It ’ s not providing the checks and balances inherent in the American system .
And while we have laws that empower governors specifically in states of emergency , the long-term reaction , the rebuilding , that ’ s going to require three branches of government .
”

Something unusual happened last week: The authority of Colorado Gov. Jared Polis was overridden.
Polis had issued an executive order allowing petition signatures for proposed ballot measures to be collected remotely — a lifeline to issue campaigns staring down the prospect of not being able to qualify for the November ballot due to pandemic precautions. On Monday, the Colorado Supreme Court unanimously ruled that no, Polis didn’t have the authority to do that.
It was the first major check on the governor’s power since March 10, when Polis, flanked by cabinet members, called the media to his office and declared a state of emergency in Colorado. Polis made clear through actions, if not words, early in the pandemic that he’d be the face of the state’s pandemic response, holding frequent press conferences — he rarely does so during normal times — that, for a period, were must-see TV broadcast throughout the state. He spoke for close to two hours at a time at various points, explaining data and strategy at length, attempting to convey optimism but also persuade residents to take precautions.
Since that March emergency declaration, the governor has had sweeping authority to control Colorado’s pandemic response path. He has issued more than 100 executive orders, according to a state tally, and led what at many points has been Colorado’s only fully functioning branch of government: The court system has dramatically scaled back proceedings, and the General Assembly has been in recess since mid-March except for a little over three weeks when lawmakers returned to finish their top priorities.
That has meant that enormous decisions have fallen largely to one man and his advisers. Which businesses can stay open? Who might face eviction, and when? Which freedoms and social norms are on pause? And, for a while, anyway: Which ballot measures might have a chance to qualify for November? With the state legislature having closed up shop for the year but the pandemic still far from over, that dynamic is likely to hold for months to come, with fewer checks and balances than exist in normal times.
It’s not atypical among the states, said Thad Kousser, a political science professor at the University of California San Diego who has examined governors’ roles during the pandemic.
“I don’t think we’ve ever seen all governors playing a role this prominent,” Kousser said. “What we see is a natural disaster hits a state, or another crisis, and suddenly a governor is elevated and appears on the national stage. What we’re seeing now is essentially a hurricane hitting every state at once, and that has elevated governors.
“A year ago, the story everybody was writing is why governors have disappeared from the national stage. I think the explanation was: They’re boring. They’re not polarizing. They’re not mobilizing. … The extent to which they have now risen above legislatures in prominence, and have risen above the president in approval ratings, is unprecedented.”
Polis’ empowerment reflects not only the national trend but also that his most potent would-be antagonists in Colorado have mostly stepped aside or concurred with his approach. Though they sometimes clash over policy, Polis and the Democrats who control Colorado’s state legislature generally share a common vision, and interviews with more than a dozen lawmakers show generally strong reviews for his pandemic response.
Lawmakers closed the Capitol from March 14 to May 26, then reconvened for a few weeks, passed a slew of laws that Polis supports, and ended their session. Democrats were unsuccessful in their few efforts to take policy in a different direction than the governor wished. They couldn’t get majority support to extend Colorado’s eviction moratorium, so they left it to Polis to deliver lesser protection. They backed down on a bill to eliminate business tax breaks, compromising with Polis for a much less ambitious package.
And then lawmakers went home.
“Our job is to pass laws, change laws, pass a budget. And his job is to enact those,” said Senate Majority Leader Steve Fenberg, D-Boulder. “And in an emergency, our laws that we have passed give him certain powers. It’s not because we want to enrich him with more power. It’s because we want one person in charge of ensuring basic safety for all Coloradans. … If you have 100 cooks in the kitchen, it’s hard to move the state forward.”
Lawmakers have complained at various points that they’ve felt not only excluded from the kitchen, but from the whole house. A number of them have told The Denver Post they’ve learned of some executive orders through press releases and media reports, and that particularly early on in the pandemic, the governor’s office wouldn’t tell lawmakers much more than it told journalists.
“I do think there are bruised egos, the feeling of a diminished level of consideration for the legislative role, legislative authority. That absolutely exists,” said state Sen. Dominick Moreno, D-Commerce City, who noted that he does not personally feel that way.
The frustration was reflected in the passage of a bill, HB-1426, that requires the governor’s office to hold three public briefings every year with budget writers and the legislature’s executive committee. The bill also requires the General Assembly to “promptly” receive notice of any executive order issued “in connection with the disaster emergency.”
“Republicans kept talking about curtailing the governor’s authority,” said House Speaker KC Becker, D-Boulder. “That was not something I was interested in. But having conversations publicly about what’s going on, where it’s not just happening through the press, but where legislators who represent entire communities can get more information — I think that’s important.”
Polis took feedback and has since changed how he runs briefings with the legislature, lawmakers said, though the passage of HB-1426 indicates they felt some need to ensure continued transparency.
“With this, as with all things, the legislature want to make sure they’re being consulted. That’s something I would urge going forward,” said Becker, who is term-limited from seeking re-election.
In other senses, though, lawmakers and the governor seem to be working in harmony, despite some reports to the contrary. For example, in May, Polis took some blowback for allocating about $1.7 billion in federal CARES Act money himself, when he had previously said he’d leave “the power of the purse” to lawmakers. Suggestions of a Polis power grab turned out to have been greatly exaggerated; he, in fact, had consulted closely with Democratic leaders on how the money would be spent, and most of them were comfortable letting him take charge.
“The money was spent on that timeline, in that manner, just to get it out the door as soon as possible,” Fenberg said. “He didn’t usurp us.”
Becker called it “an absolutely fair and appropriate way to do it.”
Republicans, unsurprisingly, do not share that view. There’s just not much they can do to alter the course, given their lack of power at the Capitol.
“I think Gov. Polis and his people are good people, and they’ve worked really hard,” said Moreno’s budget committee colleague, state Sen. Bob Rankin, R-Carbondale. “But the legislature’s not involved. Everything you read is, ‘the governor decides this’ or ‘the governor decides that,’ and it doesn’t look right to me.”
Polis has faced a lot of that criticism from Republicans during the pandemic. Many have accused him of “draconian” leadership, and one GOP leader famously compared his stay-at-home order to Nazism. He has also taken heat from progressives who say his responses to issues they care about — including coronavirus outbreaks in jails and prisons, the looming eviction crisis, and Black Lives Matter protests — have been insufficient.
But Coloradans mostly think Polis is doing a good job, according to polling that shows his approval rating rose from 50% last June to roughly two-thirds this May. He was one of the country’s first governors to begin reopening the economy, and Colorado has had relative success in containing the spread of the virus, even as surrounding states and others around the country are spiking and plunging back into crisis mode.
It’s a good thing they’re mostly satisfied with the product, because it’s what they’re likely to get — for the rest of this year, at least. The legislature isn’t due to return to the Capitol until January.
That’s not ideal, said Kousser, of UC San Diego.
“It’s is an arrangement and a style of governance that works in an emergency,” he said, “but it’s not empowering the districts that elected Republican legislators. It’s not providing the checks and balances inherent in the American system. And while we have laws that empower governors specifically in states of emergency, the long-term reaction, the rebuilding, that’s going to require three branches of government.”


thedenverpost--2020-07-05--From pandemic to recession, a “cacophony of crises” threatens Colorado’s higher education institutio

From pandemic to recession, a “cacophony of crises” threatens Colorado’s higher education institutions

Angie Paccione , fresh off a weekly call with university presidents across Colorado , summed up the state of higher education in the midst of a pandemic , an economic recession and a reckoning with lifetimes worth of racial inequities : It ’ s a “ cacophony of crises.
” Colorado university leaders are trying to plan for a safe return to campus later this summer amid a public health crisis that demands their proposals receive constant reevaluation , all while knowing enrollment is likely to decline , unexpected pandemic-related costs will climb and the state ’ s famously low @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Will students and staff returning to Colorado ’ s colleges and universities spread the virus at a rate that forces campuses to close their classrooms as they did in the spring ?
Will employees — many facing pay cuts , furloughs and their own fears of contracting the coronavirus — be able to deliver a college experience that students consider worthy of their tuition dollars ?
Unknowns abound , but a looming worry plagues Paccione , the executive director of the Colorado Department of Higher Education .
Next year will be even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taking this year will pale in terms of next year , ” Paccione said .
“ This year , we were able to get a significant amount of support from the federal government… and that really saved higher ed in Colorado .
Without that influx of dollars… there would have been no way for us to survive .
We don ’ t know if we ’ re going to have that kind of assistance next year .
We ’ re begging for it.
” The COVID-19 pandemic is wreaking havoc on Colorado ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long been one of the first on the chopping block when the state cuts budgets .
Trying to rectify a $ 3.3 billion coronavirus-shaped hole in the state budget , legislators shaved $ 493 million from the upcoming year ’ s higher ed budget .
Gov .
Jared Polis sutured that wound with $ 450 million of federal CARES Act money that he issued to public colleges and universities , to be used for pandemic-associated costs .
University leaders and higher ed experts agonize over how long the stitches will hold and what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bust .
“ The cuts… will particularly affect the institutions with the lowest wealth , and I ’ m talking about community colleges and public regional universities , ” said Tom Harnisch , vice president for government relations of the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association .
“ Those institutions are absolutely critical portals of opportunity for a first-generation student , low income students and students of color.
” Joe Garcia , chancellor of the Colorado Community College System , oversees 13 colleges with 40 campus locations spread across the state .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % enrollment decrease this year as students waffle over paying for an education that looks vastly different from the campus brochure .
The community colleges will spend an estimated $ 9.6 million on COVID-related costs by the end of this fiscal year .
Garcia called the state funding hit paired with the projected enrollment loss “ the double whammy ” — a force powerful enough to alter higher education in Colorado for years to come without financial intervention .
“ The cut in state funding and the loss in tuition revenue would potentially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Garcia said .
“ If you look at some of our very small schools , our small community colleges , losing even 50 students is huge .
What it really means is they can ’ t close the doors without the state saying they can .
But they would have to so dramatically curtail the programs and services they offer that it would be hard for them to be effective.
” If state revenues and enrollments don ’ t bounce back dramatically by next year , Garcia said , the community college system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , particularly impacting employees .
Cuts to the system ’ s budget could mean less financial aid for the neediest students , fewer student support services like tutoring and , potentially , a reduction in courses offered , Garcia said .
Kelly Shanley , 31 , found the Community College of Denver through the nonprofit organization Warren Village after a divorce left her a single mother of two struggling to pay the rent .
The opportunity to earn a degree , Shanley said , has been life-changing .
“ CCD has become my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who earned a degree in communications and is now finishing an associate of science degree .
“ The support the faculty and students provide to students is phenomenal .
That ’ s what scares me .
Any support services that might lose funding — the ones that support students like me — worries me the most .
What about the students just starting now who need those like I did ?
Because I made the choice to commit to CCD , and to myself and my future , I am finally on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be on.
” One bright spot for Colorado college students : most public universities in the state are keeping tuition flat for the 2020-2021 academic year in response to pandemic-related economic hardships , according to a University of Colorado budget presentation .
Community College of Denver ’ s tuition and fees for 30 credit hours increased about 3 % from last year , from $ 5,615 to $ 5,795 .
The Denver community college is one of the most inexpensive options for a secondary degree in the state .
Comparatively , CU @ @ @ @ @ @ @ almost unchanged from last year , hovering near $ 12,500 for the same amount of credit hours .
CU ’ s systemwide budget for the next academic year is taking a $ 250 million hit from last year , dipping from $ 4.79 billion to $ 4.54 billion for its four campuses , largely due to the financial impacts of the new coronavirus .
“ If you know you ’ re in a recession and things are likely going to be bad for a time that ’ s one thing , but when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ uncertainties in terms of what the whole higher ed experience is going to look like , it ’ s doubly difficult , ” said Ken McConnellogue , CU system spokesman .
To help offset the financial strain , all campuses and the CU system office are subject to employee furloughs , hiring delays and leaving open positions unfilled .
More than 7,700 employees across the CU system will be affected , saving more than $ 104.8 million .
Todd Saliman , CU ’ s chief financial officer , said managing this year ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his career .
“ The budget , on paper , is just a spreadsheet , but it ’ s really people and programs and it pays for what we do , ” Saliman said .
“ We are very sensitive to the fact that when we talk about budget options , what we ’ re really talking about are programs for students and jobs for our faculty and students and compensation and benefits and deferred maintenance and all those things .
The choices might sound easy on a spreadsheet , but when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ students impacted , you have to think really carefully , which is what we ’ re doing.
” In November , Polis admitted tuition costs in Colorado have “ spiraled out of control.
” Twenty years ago , Colorado covered 68 % of the cost of a student ’ s higher education , with the student responsible for 32 % of the bill .
By 2012 , following the Great Recession , those percentages had flipped , leaving students and families footing two-thirds of the cost of their higher education and the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a 2019 report from the Colorado Department of Higher Education .
Paccione is concerned another recession will further shift that burden onto students , hindering college access to those who may most benefit from it .
But some Coloradans argue higher education decision-makers are not without fault for the mess they ’ re in now .
Jessica Peck , who has advised statewide political campaigns on higher education finance issues , said one of the biggest problems within Colorado ’ s higher education system is a lack of cohesive statewide strategy , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ status , students and money .
“ All these institutions are out there vying for their own with their own lobbyists , PR teams and a lot of money wasted within that advocacy for dollars , ” Peck said .
“ What we ’ re seeing increasingly is each institution is staffed by ambitious , intelligent people who want their institution to be the very best in the state , and that is admirable , but there is no statewide gut-check that says when these institutions look in the mirror , is this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be playing ?
” Tom Lucero , who served on CU ’ s elected Board of Regents from 1999 to 2011 , said institutions have been increasing tuition for years , escalating expenses for building construction and fostering competition among higher education institutions resulting in overlapping programs to attract students .
“ As the old saying in politics goes , never let a good crisis pass , ” Lucero said .
“ Right now , there are huge opportunities in reform and restructuring .
Now would be the time to move quickly and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look back 20 years later to realize we missed a huge opportunity because higher education doesn ’ t like to talk about significant , meaningful reform.
” Reform could be on the horizon .
Polis recently signed a new bill into law , expected to go into effect for the 2021-2022 school year , that shifts the state higher education funding allocation model from primarily doling out money based on enrollment to also considering how well an institution serves its students , according to Chalkbeat Colorado .
Adams State University touts being the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with in-state undergraduate tuition and fees just below $ 4,800 for 2020-2021 — a 1 % increase from the prior year .
Adams State guarantees all qualified students who graduate from a San Luis Valley high school or from one in 14 southern Colorado counties will receive grants to cover their tuition and fees .
Adams State President Cheryl Lovell has been tracking the unexpected costs incurred due to the pandemic , but she said her notepad was running out of space .
Costs such as massive hand-sanitizing stations spread throughout campus and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 5 million , Lovell said .
Not to mention , many Colorado universities are finding remote learning actually costs more to pull off , despite conceptions to the contrary .
“ There are increased technology costs , ” Garcia of CCCS said .
“ We ’ ve spent lots and lots and lots of money training faculty on online instruction .
You still want faculty to be able to interact with students , so you have to try to keep classes the same .
Plus , our buildings and our campuses are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ costs .
We aren ’ t seeing savings.
” Adams State has been steadily climbing out of financial turmoil from years past , only to face a new beast .
“ We know we ’ ll survive , ” Lovell said .
“ We have to .
Our valley , our region depends on us .
We ’ re an economic driver for some 9,000 square miles .
We know there are students in the region where it ’ s not a case of ‘ Do I come to Adams State ?
’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If I don ’ t go to Adams , I won ’ t go to college at all.
’ ” Vanessa Thong , 20 , grew up in Alamosa and considered going elsewhere for college , but a full ride to Adams State was too convincing to pass up .
“ I made the right decision , ” said Thong , a psychology major who wants to become a counselor .
“ They ’ ve built a community here .
They support local businesses .
Because it ’ s not a school in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these events and make this smaller , more rural school a fun place to go , and it just feels very connected to the valley .
But I am scared for Adams State , knowing the budget cuts and everything.
” Smaller institutions like Adams State lack the hefty endowments of larger flagship universities — CU Boulder ’ s is $ 1.8 billion — and often don ’ t have as many wealthy alumni who donate massive gifts to their alma maters , Lovell said .
To help balance the budget , Lovell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 18 campus positions and plans to merge certain academic programs that once stood on their own .
Adams State is looking into adjusting the percentage of cost it covers for employee health insurance premiums and implementing a two-year temporary reduction in its contribution to employee non-PERA pension plans , among other cost-cutting initiatives .
“ We serve the students many universities overlook , and we serve them well , ” Lovell said .
“ We ’ re the epicenter for activity in the valley .
Adams State ’ s fiscal outlook is going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for any institution in this crisis , but we will belt tighten .
We will rethink the way we spend money .
Our community depends on us .
”

Angie Paccione, fresh off a weekly call with university presidents across Colorado, summed up the state of higher education in the midst of a pandemic, an economic recession and a reckoning with lifetimes worth of racial inequities: It’s a “cacophony of crises.”
Colorado university leaders are trying to plan for a safe return to campus later this summer amid a public health crisis that demands their proposals receive constant reevaluation, all while knowing enrollment is likely to decline, unexpected pandemic-related costs will climb and the state’s famously low higher-education funding has been slashed — again.
Will students and staff returning to Colorado’s colleges and universities spread the virus at a rate that forces campuses to close their classrooms as they did in the spring? Will employees — many facing pay cuts, furloughs and their own fears of contracting the coronavirus — be able to deliver a college experience that students consider worthy of their tuition dollars?
Unknowns abound, but a looming worry plagues Paccione, the executive director of the Colorado Department of Higher Education.
Next year will be even worse.
“The hit we are taking this year will pale in terms of next year,” Paccione said. “This year, we were able to get a significant amount of support from the federal government… and that really saved higher ed in Colorado. Without that influx of dollars… there would have been no way for us to survive. We don’t know if we’re going to have that kind of assistance next year. We’re begging for it.”
The COVID-19 pandemic is wreaking havoc on Colorado’s higher education system, which has long been one of the first on the chopping block when the state cuts budgets. Trying to rectify a $3.3 billion coronavirus-shaped hole in the state budget, legislators shaved $493 million from the upcoming year’s higher ed budget. Gov. Jared Polis sutured that wound with $450 million of federal CARES Act money that he issued to public colleges and universities, to be used for pandemic-associated costs.
University leaders and higher ed experts agonize over how long the stitches will hold and what will become of academic institutions if they bust.
“The cuts… will particularly affect the institutions with the lowest wealth, and I’m talking about community colleges and public regional universities,” said Tom Harnisch, vice president for government relations of the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association. “Those institutions are absolutely critical portals of opportunity for a first-generation student, low income students and students of color.”
“Potentially cripple our institutions”
Joe Garcia, chancellor of the Colorado Community College System, oversees 13 colleges with 40 campus locations spread across the state. The system is bracing for an overall 8.7% enrollment decrease this year as students waffle over paying for an education that looks vastly different from the campus brochure.
The community colleges will spend an estimated $9.6 million on COVID-related costs by the end of this fiscal year.
Garcia called the state funding hit paired with the projected enrollment loss “the double whammy” — a force powerful enough to alter higher education in Colorado for years to come without financial intervention.
“The cut in state funding and the loss in tuition revenue would potentially cripple our institutions in Colorado,” Garcia said. “If you look at some of our very small schools, our small community colleges, losing even 50 students is huge. What it really means is they can’t close the doors without the state saying they can. But they would have to so dramatically curtail the programs and services they offer that it would be hard for them to be effective.”
If state revenues and enrollments don’t bounce back dramatically by next year, Garcia said, the community college system will start looking at significant budget cuts, particularly impacting employees.
Cuts to the system’s budget could mean less financial aid for the neediest students, fewer student support services like tutoring and, potentially, a reduction in courses offered, Garcia said.
Kelly Shanley, 31, found the Community College of Denver through the nonprofit organization Warren Village after a divorce left her a single mother of two struggling to pay the rent. The opportunity to earn a degree, Shanley said, has been life-changing.
“CCD has become my second home,” said Shanley, who earned a degree in communications and is now finishing an associate of science degree. “The support the faculty and students provide to students is phenomenal. That’s what scares me. Any support services that might lose funding — the ones that support students like me — worries me the most. What about the students just starting now who need those like I did? Because I made the choice to commit to CCD, and to myself and my future, I am finally on the path that I’m truly meant to be on.”
One bright spot for Colorado college students: most public universities in the state are keeping tuition flat for the 2020-2021 academic year in response to pandemic-related economic hardships, according to a University of Colorado budget presentation.
Community College of Denver’s tuition and fees for 30 credit hours increased about 3% from last year, from $5,615 to $5,795. The Denver community college is one of the most inexpensive options for a secondary degree in the state. Comparatively, CU Boulder’s tuition and fees remained almost unchanged from last year, hovering near $12,500 for the same amount of credit hours.
CU’s systemwide budget for the next academic year is taking a $250 million hit from last year, dipping from $4.79 billion to $4.54 billion for its four campuses, largely due to the financial impacts of the new coronavirus.
“If you know you’re in a recession and things are likely going to be bad for a time that’s one thing, but when you have budget difficulties coupled with massive uncertainties in terms of what the whole higher ed experience is going to look like, it’s doubly difficult,” said Ken McConnellogue, CU system spokesman.
To help offset the financial strain, all campuses and the CU system office are subject to employee furloughs, hiring delays and leaving open positions unfilled. More than 7,700 employees across the CU system will be affected, saving more than $104.8 million.
Todd Saliman, CU’s chief financial officer, said managing this year’s budget has been the most difficult of his career.
“The budget, on paper, is just a spreadsheet, but it’s really people and programs and it pays for what we do,” Saliman said. “We are very sensitive to the fact that when we talk about budget options, what we’re really talking about are programs for students and jobs for our faculty and students and compensation and benefits and deferred maintenance and all those things. The choices might sound easy on a spreadsheet, but when you start talking about the people and students impacted, you have to think really carefully, which is what we’re doing.”
“Never let a good crisis pass”
In November, Polis admitted tuition costs in Colorado have “spiraled out of control.”
Twenty years ago, Colorado covered 68% of the cost of a student’s higher education, with the student responsible for 32% of the bill. By 2012, following the Great Recession, those percentages had flipped, leaving students and families footing two-thirds of the cost of their higher education and the state chipping in a third, according to a 2019 report from the Colorado Department of Higher Education.
Paccione is concerned another recession will further shift that burden onto students, hindering college access to those who may most benefit from it.
But some Coloradans argue higher education decision-makers are not without fault for the mess they’re in now.
Jessica Peck, who has advised statewide political campaigns on higher education finance issues, said one of the biggest problems within Colorado’s higher education system is a lack of cohesive statewide strategy, which leaves colleges and universities to compete for status, students and money.
“All these institutions are out there vying for their own with their own lobbyists, PR teams and a lot of money wasted within that advocacy for dollars,” Peck said. “What we’re seeing increasingly is each institution is staffed by ambitious, intelligent people who want their institution to be the very best in the state, and that is admirable, but there is no statewide gut-check that says when these institutions look in the mirror, is this the role you’re supposed to be playing?”
Tom Lucero, who served on CU’s elected Board of Regents from 1999 to 2011, said institutions have been increasing tuition for years, escalating expenses for building construction and fostering competition among higher education institutions resulting in overlapping programs to attract students.
“As the old saying in politics goes, never let a good crisis pass,” Lucero said. “Right now, there are huge opportunities in reform and restructuring. Now would be the time to move quickly and not just muddle through this and then look back 20 years later to realize we missed a huge opportunity because higher education doesn’t like to talk about significant, meaningful reform.”
Reform could be on the horizon. Polis recently signed a new bill into law, expected to go into effect for the 2021-2022 school year, that shifts the state higher education funding allocation model from primarily doling out money based on enrollment to also considering how well an institution serves its students, according to Chalkbeat Colorado.
“We know we’ll survive”
Adams State University touts being the most affordable residential degree in Colorado, with in-state undergraduate tuition and fees just below $4,800 for 2020-2021 — a 1% increase from the prior year. Adams State guarantees all qualified students who graduate from a San Luis Valley high school or from one in 14 southern Colorado counties will receive grants to cover their tuition and fees.
Adams State President Cheryl Lovell has been tracking the unexpected costs incurred due to the pandemic, but she said her notepad was running out of space.
Costs such as massive hand-sanitizing stations spread throughout campus and COVID-19 testing are estimated to total around $5 million, Lovell said. Not to mention, many Colorado universities are finding remote learning actually costs more to pull off, despite conceptions to the contrary.
“There are increased technology costs,” Garcia of CCCS said. “We’ve spent lots and lots and lots of money training faculty on online instruction. You still want faculty to be able to interact with students, so you have to try to keep classes the same. Plus, our buildings and our campuses are still there, so there are fixed costs. We aren’t seeing savings.”
Adams State has been steadily climbing out of financial turmoil from years past, only to face a new beast.
“We know we’ll survive,” Lovell said. “We have to. Our valley, our region depends on us. We’re an economic driver for some 9,000 square miles. We know there are students in the region where it’s not a case of ‘Do I come to Adams State?’ For some, it’s ‘If I don’t go to Adams, I won’t go to college at all.’ ”
Vanessa Thong, 20, grew up in Alamosa and considered going elsewhere for college, but a full ride to Adams State was too convincing to pass up.
“I made the right decision,” said Thong, a psychology major who wants to become a counselor. “They’ve built a community here. They support local businesses. Because it’s not a school in the big city, they put on these events and make this smaller, more rural school a fun place to go, and it just feels very connected to the valley. But I am scared for Adams State, knowing the budget cuts and everything.”
Smaller institutions like Adams State lack the hefty endowments of larger flagship universities — CU Boulder’s is $1.8 billion — and often don’t have as many wealthy alumni who donate massive gifts to their alma maters, Lovell said.
To help balance the budget, Lovell said Adams State will not be filling 18 campus positions and plans to merge certain academic programs that once stood on their own. Adams State is looking into adjusting the percentage of cost it covers for employee health insurance premiums and implementing a two-year temporary reduction in its contribution to employee non-PERA pension plans, among other cost-cutting initiatives.
“We serve the students many universities overlook, and we serve them well,” Lovell said. “We’re the epicenter for activity in the valley. Adams State’s fiscal outlook is going to be a struggle as it is for any institution in this crisis, but we will belt tighten. We will rethink the way we spend money. Our community depends on us.”


thedenverpost--2020-07-05--Ask Amy: COVID-panicked neighbor might get a moonrise

Dear Amy : I need advice on how to handle a neighbor situation .
The elderly lady across the street , who has always been a little crotchety , has now utterly lost it .
She prowls the neighborhood , looking for “ COVID violations.
” Two neighbors talking from opposite sides of the street get 10 minutes of screaming profanities because , in her mind , social distancing means not socializing at all .
She has called the police on another neighbor so many times that she ’ s forbidden to do it again .
The reason ?
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He has his daughter ’ s family staying with him , which she considers “ a party.
” My parents came over for my father ’ s birthday and she called the police on us , reporting an “ unsafe large gathering spreading the virus.
” The four of us , all healthy , were sitting inside eating cake .
( And anyway , in our area , gatherings of 10 or less are considered fine . )
She has also called the police on lone joggers without a mask and gloves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t wear them .
She has now set up video cameras conspicuously around her lawn , one of which is pointing directly at our house .
She has commented that she can see in our windows and has berated us for not wearing a mask and gloves… in our own home !
My husband has suggested that we start mooning out the window .
I would prefer a solution that doesn ’ t involve her having photos of our naked backsides .
I also don ’ t want to be forced to keep @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reason with the unreasonable ?
Dear Fishbowl : The answer is : You can not reason with the unreasonable .
So don ’ t try .
You might be able to get that camera off of your house , however .
You should research state laws regarding privacy and video .
You don ’ t necessarily have an expectation of privacy while in your yard or driveway , but you do have a reasonable expectation of privacy inside your own home .
You should contact a lawyer regarding your legal remedies .
Based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seems to have gone round the bend .
The pandemic has proved a trigger for various mental illnesses , and if she has dementia ( for instance ) , she may be fixated on the risks she irrationally believes surround her .
Live your life .
Do not “ moon ” her .
Stay calm and polite if forced to interact with her .
Imagine what it must feel like to be in such a state of rage over things you can not control .
Avoid her and ( if possible ) feel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ My son has always come to our summer cottage many times during the summer months .
This year , his girlfriend has a large dog .
We have always had a rule that no dogs are allowed .
Now my son and his girlfriend say that they will not come , because we don ’ t allow dogs at the cottage .
This dog is noisy , sheds , and leaves messes everywhere .
Thus , we are sticking to our set rules .
However , I love my son and am so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dog than our Father/Son relationship .
We are only at the cottage four months during the summer , and live in Florida the rest of the year .
We sure would like to see my son more often .
What do you suggest ?
Dear Confused : I doubt your son cares more about the dog than you , but I think it ’ s a safe bet that he is more invested in his girlfriend ’ s happiness than yours .
You and your son both seem to have laid down non-negotiables @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visit you solo , but he doesn ’ t sound willing to do that .
You can offer to let them visit with the dog one time to see if you are able to tolerate having it there .
Otherwise , you will need to accept that for many people , girlfriends and dogs are full-on family members , despite the challenges they present to actual family members .
Dear Amy : You missed an important point to “ Bi-Curious ” in your response about bisexuality .
Sexual orientation doesn ’ t end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as bi/pan , even though I have been in a seemingly straight relationship with my husband for more than 20 years .
It is part of who I am and doesn ’ t go away with a ring on my finger .
Claiming my whole identity helps others , yes , but it also helps me .
— Rena Dubin ( use my name — it ’ s pride month ! )
Dear Rena : Thank you ( and every month is Pride Month ! )

Dear Amy: I need advice on how to handle a neighbor situation. The elderly lady across the street, who has always been a little crotchety, has now utterly lost it. She prowls the neighborhood, looking for “COVID violations.”
Two neighbors talking from opposite sides of the street get 10 minutes of screaming profanities because, in her mind, social distancing means not socializing at all.
She has called the police on another neighbor so many times that she’s forbidden to do it again. The reason? There were three cars parked in his driveway. He has his daughter’s family staying with him, which she considers “a party.”
My parents came over for my father’s birthday and she called the police on us, reporting an “unsafe large gathering spreading the virus.”
The four of us, all healthy, were sitting inside eating cake. (And anyway, in our area, gatherings of 10 or less are considered fine.) She has also called the police on lone joggers without a mask and gloves, even though she herself doesn’t wear them.
She has now set up video cameras conspicuously around her lawn, one of which is pointing directly at our house. She has commented that she can see in our windows and has berated us for not wearing a mask and gloves… in our own home!
My husband has suggested that we start mooning out the window. I would prefer a solution that doesn’t involve her having photos of our naked backsides. I also don’t want to be forced to keep the curtains closed.
How can we reason with the unreasonable?
— COVID Fishbowl
Dear Fishbowl: The answer is: You cannot reason with the unreasonable. So don’t try. You might be able to get that camera off of your house, however.
You should research state laws regarding privacy and video. You don’t necessarily have an expectation of privacy while in your yard or driveway, but you do have a reasonable expectation of privacy inside your own home. You should contact a lawyer regarding your legal remedies.
Based on what you describe, this neighbor seems to have gone round the bend. The pandemic has proved a trigger for various mental illnesses, and if she has dementia (for instance), she may be fixated on the risks she irrationally believes surround her.
Live your life. Do not “moon” her. Stay calm and polite if forced to interact with her. Imagine what it must feel like to be in such a state of rage over things you cannot control. Avoid her and (if possible) feel sorry for her.
Dear Amy, My son has always come to our summer cottage many times during the summer months.
This year, his girlfriend has a large dog.
We have always had a rule that no dogs are allowed.
Now my son and his girlfriend say that they will not come, because we don’t allow dogs at the cottage. This dog is noisy, sheds, and leaves messes everywhere. Thus, we are sticking to our set rules. However, I love my son and am so stressed that they care more about the dog than our Father/Son relationship.
We are only at the cottage four months during the summer, and live in Florida the rest of the year. We sure would like to see my son more often.
What do you suggest?
— Confused Father
Dear Confused: I doubt your son cares more about the dog than you, but I think it’s a safe bet that he is more invested in his girlfriend’s happiness than yours.
You and your son both seem to have laid down non-negotiables. Of course, your son could visit you solo, but he doesn’t sound willing to do that. You can offer to let them visit with the dog one time to see if you are able to tolerate having it there. Otherwise, you will need to accept that for many people, girlfriends and dogs are full-on family members, despite the challenges they present to actual family members.
Dear Amy: You missed an important point to “Bi-Curious” in your response about bisexuality. Sexual orientation doesn’t end with marriage.
I have come out as bi/pan, even though I have been in a seemingly straight relationship with my husband for more than 20 years. It is part of who I am and doesn’t go away with a ring on my finger.
Claiming my whole identity helps others, yes, but it also helps me.
— Rena Dubin (use my name — it’s pride month!)
Dear Rena: Thank you (and every month is Pride Month!)
(You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.)


thedenverpost--2020-07-05--Work on Pikes Peak Summit Complex progresses at 14,115 feet

COLORADO SPRINGS , Colo. — Upon arriving at the top of Pikes Peak , visitors might not expect to see a bustling construction site in the middle of the breathtaking views they came for .
Sometimes they pass by workers clad in hard hats and neon vests , like the site ’ s project manager Rob Clough , and ask , “ What are you guys doing up here ?
” The answer is impossible to miss .
A crew of 100 from GE Johnson spend each day working on the $ 60 million structure that will soon be the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Guests can feel how hard it is to breathe up here , ” Clough said on a recent morning atop the 1,4115-foot ( 4,302-meter ) mountain .
“ They ’ re so impressed seeing the amount of work going on.
” Halfway into 2020 , he said work is about 50 % done on the new visitor ’ s center , which , at 38,000 square feet ( 3,530 square meters ) , will be more than twice the size of the current Summit House , built in 1963 .
The complex is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a date that is months behind the previous plan of this fall .
Since beginning in 2018 , construction has hit delays mostly because of occasional bursts of cold and blustery weather such as 65 mph ( 104 kph ) winds , lightning , snow and hail , Clough said .
“ Last week was rough with these afternoon lightning storms , ” he said .
“ By 1 o ’ clock every day , it killed our ability to continue working.
” When that happens , workers are back by 5:30 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up America ’ s Mountain and keep working .
“ I tell them every day to be proud of this , ” Clough said .
“ It ’ s once in a lifetime.
” The coronavirus outbreak hasn ’ t affected progress , Clough said , as construction was deemed an essential activity .
Much of 2019 was spent on getting the facility ’ s primary structure up .
Now , Clough said the goal within the next few months is to complete the exterior of the building , including installing glass windows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rosa and beyond .
The glass being used has been tested to withstand 240 mph ( 386 kph ) winds .
“ This year , we ’ re very energized and focused on closing up the building , ” he said .
“ And then we ’ ll be able to get more into the final touches.
” The top floor of the Summit House will house the kitchen , dining areas , retail center and open-air decks .
The building will also feature interactive displays and exhibits pertaining to the history of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to plan , the building will be LEED certified as well as up to standards of the Living Building Challenge , described on its website as “ the most rigorous green building standard ever.
” A concrete walkway system , following ADA regulations , will connect guests to the Summit House as well as north , east and west overlooks .
It will also connect to the Pikes Peak Cog Railway , which is currently closed and under repair .
Throughout the complex , crews have used rustic-looking steel and concrete that matches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rocks and boulders .
“ It ’ s important to maintain the natural beauty , ” Clough said .
“ We want it to look almost the same as when we started.
” A short walk away from the power tools and heavy machinery , visitors were taking photos in front of the popular Pikes Peak Summit sign and carrying bags of doughnuts out of the existing Summit House , which is about 12,000 square feet ( 1,115 square meters ) .
“ The building was built in the ’ 60s and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Jack Glavan , manager of Pikes Peak America ’ s Mountain , an enterprise of Colorado Springs .
“ It has exceeded its life.
” The new complex will be an upgrade in more ways than one , said Glavan .
It will offer more space and activities for visitors .
And it will offer , most important , spectacular views .
“ You don ’ t want to out-mountain the mountain , ” he said .
“ Pikes Peak is iconic .
The building is just going to enhance @ @ @

By Amanda Hancock, The Gazette
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Upon arriving at the top of Pikes Peak, visitors might not expect to see a bustling construction site in the middle of the breathtaking views they came for.
Sometimes they pass by workers clad in hard hats and neon vests, like the site’s project manager Rob Clough, and ask, “What are you guys doing up here?”
The answer is impossible to miss. A crew of 100 from GE Johnson spend each day working on the $60 million structure that will soon be the new Pikes Peak Summit Complex.
“Guests can feel how hard it is to breathe up here,” Clough said on a recent morning atop the 1,4115-foot (4,302-meter) mountain. “They’re so impressed seeing the amount of work going on.”
Halfway into 2020, he said work is about 50% done on the new visitor’s center, which, at 38,000 square feet (3,530 square meters), will be more than twice the size of the current Summit House, built in 1963. The complex is expected to open by spring of 2021, a date that is months behind the previous plan of this fall.
Since beginning in 2018, construction has hit delays mostly because of occasional bursts of cold and blustery weather such as 65 mph (104 kph) winds, lightning, snow and hail, Clough said.
“Last week was rough with these afternoon lightning storms,” he said. “By 1 o’ clock every day, it killed our ability to continue working.”
When that happens, workers are back by 5:30 a.m. the next day to be shuttled up America’s Mountain and keep working.
“I tell them every day to be proud of this,” Clough said. “It’s once in a lifetime.”
The coronavirus outbreak hasn’t affected progress, Clough said, as construction was deemed an essential activity.
Much of 2019 was spent on getting the facility’s primary structure up.
Now, Clough said the goal within the next few months is to complete the exterior of the building, including installing glass windows that will provide unobstructed views of Mount Rosa and beyond. The glass being used has been tested to withstand 240 mph (386 kph) winds.
“This year, we’re very energized and focused on closing up the building,” he said. “And then we’ll be able to get more into the final touches.”
The top floor of the Summit House will house the kitchen, dining areas, retail center and open-air decks. The building will also feature interactive displays and exhibits pertaining to the history of Pikes Peak.
If all goes according to plan, the building will be LEED certified as well as up to standards of the Living Building Challenge, described on its website as “the most rigorous green building standard ever.”
A concrete walkway system, following ADA regulations, will connect guests to the Summit House as well as north, east and west overlooks. It will also connect to the Pikes Peak Cog Railway, which is currently closed and under repair.
Throughout the complex, crews have used rustic-looking steel and concrete that matches the color of Pikes Peak’s rocks and boulders.
“It’s important to maintain the natural beauty,” Clough said. “We want it to look almost the same as when we started.”
A short walk away from the power tools and heavy machinery, visitors were taking photos in front of the popular Pikes Peak Summit sign and carrying bags of doughnuts out of the existing Summit House, which is about 12,000 square feet (1,115 square meters).
“The building was built in the ’60s and it has served its purpose over that time,” said Jack Glavan, manager of Pikes Peak America’s Mountain, an enterprise of Colorado Springs. “It has exceeded its life.”
The new complex will be an upgrade in more ways than one, said Glavan. It will offer more space and activities for visitors. And it will offer, most important, spectacular views.
“You don’t want to out-mountain the mountain,” he said. “Pikes Peak is iconic. The building is just going to enhance it.”