Adams State College received a $280,928 grant from the U.S. Department of Education to prepare leaders of Hispanic Serving Institutions, according to Adams State Provost Michael Mumper.

Hispanics comprise about 20 percent of America's college students, with 54 percent attending Hispanic Serving Institutions - a federal designation for colleges and universities with student enrollment that is least 25 percent Hispanic. Adams State is an HSI, with undergraduate Hispanic enrollment at 29 percent.

"Only about 5 to 6 percent of mid- and senior-level leaders at these colleges is Hispanic. It's a real mismatch. There is no clear path of advancement for Hispanic professionals from entry to senior leadership positions," Mumper said.

Adams State received one of 30 grants totaling $8.2 million from The Fund for Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) in its Special Focus Competition for Graduate Programs at Institutions of Higher Education Serving Hispanic Americans. The grant will support development of and student recruitment for a master's in higher education administration targeted to entry and mid-level professionals at HSIs. Once the program, housed in Adam State's School of Business, is approved, this will bring Adams State's number of graduate programs to seven.

The grant application was a collaboration between Mumper and Dr. Melissa L. Freeman, assistant professor of business, who will direct the program. She holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Ohio University.

Freeman said a five-member external curriculum advisory committee will visit campus in December to help develop the program's goals and curriculum. "This group will share their expertise as academics and practicing administrators from both community colleges and four-year institutions," she added.

"This program will help position Adams State College as a leader among HSIs. Other schools will look to us to find and develop their own leaders," Mumper said. The program will also contribute to increasing enrollment and in developing Adams State's own administrative staff.

In addition to the 36-credit master's degree program will be an 18-credit post-master's certificate program. The majority of coursework will be taught online by senior administrators at HSIs, Freeman said. The program also includes a three-day on campus residency and attendance at a Leadership Summit in Denver.

Plans call for the program to begin in fall 2010 with 40 students between both the degree and certificate programs. Students will take six credit hours (two classes) a semester for two years, with new cohorts beginning each fall. Freeman hopes to submit the program for state approval in late spring. Initially, student recruitment will focus on HSI's in Colorado, Arizona, Texas, New Mexico and California.

More on FIPSE.

The campus had been discussing the merits of changing from a "college" to a "university." Adams State President David Svaldi explained the trustees determined such a change should be considered in light of the college's mission, recruitment goals, and long-term planning.

Borg's poem "when things get back to normal" won first place in "The Talking Stick's" 2008 competition. Her poem "Slowly" won the Grand Prize in the League of Minnesota Poets 25th Annual Poetry Contest. She has also been published in the Minnesota publications "Dust and Fire," "Green Blade," and "Main Channel Voices."

Adams State College is breaking records with the highest enrollment in its 85-year history: 3,159 total students, Adams State Provost Michael Mumper reported to the college trustees at their meeting Aug. 27-28.

"This is a historic year for Adams State - the first time enrollment has exceeded 3,000," he said. "Our enrollment growth, the start of new construction projects, and the success of new academic and sports programs are all creating a lot of excitement."

Total enrollment is up 17.5 percent from the same time last year, with undergraduate enrollment at 2,511 and graduate student enrollment at 648.

"This is our highest graduate enrollment ever, and that number should grow as more students complete registration. Undergraduate enrollment is the second highest in our history," Mumper said. In 1970, the college's total enrollment was 2,978, with an undergraduate population of 2,524.

"We owe this to the fine leadership and planning of Dr. Mumper and Associate Provost for Academic Affairs Frank Novotny," said Adams State President David Svaldi.

Mumper attributed the growth to several factors, particularly improved recruiting and retention. The 2009 freshman class totals 534, a 9.2 percent increase over 2008. "Eric Carpio and his Admissions staff did an incredible job and exceeded our goals," Mumper said. "The past two years we have admitted freshman classes with higher academic profiles, and we are finding now that those students are performing better and are staying in college at a higher rate. There are at least 150 more returning undergraduate students this fall than last year."

The college's Office of Student Engagement and Success, dedicated to helping at-risk students, also contributed to better student retention. New academic programs and the addition of new athletic teams and club sports added to the growth, as well.

Upward trend

Adams State enrollment began an upward trend last spring, with a 6 percent increase in students returning from the fall semester. The growth continued in the summer session, which recorded an undergraduate enrollment increase of almost 19 percent.

"Summer 2009 was successful beyond our wildest dreams," Novotny said. He explained that revision of the course schedule gave students more options and flexibility, allowing them to take more classes.

Among the college's new academic programs is a Master's of Business Administration (MBA), which has 59 students. Overwhelming success of the summer cohort stimulated creation of a second cohort for the fall, according to program director Liz Thomas. A number of students are already committed to beginning in the spring semester, as well.

Adams State recently broke ground on the Residences at Rex, its first new residence hall in over 40 years, and began extensive renovation of existing student housing. The new building will increase the capacity of campus housing by adding apartments for 65 students next fall, according to Dean of Students Ken Marquez. All campus residence halls are currently full, he noted.

"We could well see our highest undergraduate enrollment since 1973, once all students are registered," Mumper said.

As of August 19 data, total enrollment is 2,850, an increase of 19.5 percent over the same time last year. Of those, 2,045 are undergraduates, a 12 percent increase, and 591 are graduate students, an increase over 47 percent. Those figures include Adams State's distance undergraduate programs, which show an increase of almost 30 percent. To date, there is a 15 percent increase in Colorado resident students and a 5 percent increase in non-residents.

Mumper said several factors have contributed to the enrollment growth, particularly the increase in registrations by returning students.

"The past two years we have admitted freshman classes with higher academic profiles, and we are finding now that those students are performing better and are staying in college at a higher rate," Mumper said.

Adams State has also introduced new academic programs and new athletic programs. For example, 46 students are enrolled in the new online Master's of Business Administration program. Intercollegiate teams for men's golf, men's soccer, and women's swimming and diving have also attracted new students. In addition, Adams State is adding club sports for climbing, men's soccer, men's golf, and women's rugby.

"The new sports, the new clubs, the new academic programs, and new construction on campus are building excitement among students. We are expecting a historic year here at ASC," Mumper said.

The college recently broke ground on its first new residence hall in over 40 years, and began extensive renovation of existing student housing.

There is still time to register for the fall semester at Adams State. Students may do so online. The One Stop Student Services Center is open in Adams State's Student Union Building, corner of First St. and Stadium. Questions may be directed to the One Stop toll-free, 866-344-1687, or at 587-7306.

When Wilma Davis became seriously ill, she was most concerned about missing school. "It grieved her to have to take a break from school," said her daughter, Tricia Nunn.

The 58-year-old grandmother was close to finishing her degree at Adams State College when she passed away in January. Adams State President David Svaldi presented a posthumous diploma to her daughters in a small ceremony Aug. 1. Davis was awarded a bachelor's of art in Interdisciplinary Studies with emphases in art and Spanish.

Several of Davis' family members, professors, and friends attended the event, which featured a memorial exhibition of Davis' work. The exhibit included drawings and black and white photography of trains, bridges, and wildlife.

"If I could do anything," Svaldi said, "I'd have more students like her."

Tearfully accepting the diploma, Nunn said, "Mom's the only one in our family who has one of these."

In addition to her love of school and art making, Davis was remembered as a fabulous cook who always made burritos for the art league. "She could make everything taste good. She'd feed anybody, take anybody in," her daughter recalled.

Davis was the youngest in a family of 13 from Antonito, Colo. At least 200 members of her extended family were gathering for a reunion the weekend of the memorial exhibition.