Each week, Communique will be highlighting a series of campus wins, accomplishments and accolades. Please explore the list below to check out what other teams are up to, and help celebrate their good work!

Have something to add? Please reach out to University Communications with your submission!

College of Public Service

• CPS faculty Jessica Berrett and Regina Winters worked with Jeff Scholes, Professor and chair of the Department of Philosophy, to develop an innovative interdisciplinary certificate for undergraduate students interested in making a meaningful impact in the nonprofit sector. Nonprofit organizations need talented, compassionate, ethical and resilient managers and leaders versed in the unique management challenges of the nonprofit sector. This fall, the new Religion and Nonprofits Certificate equips undergraduates with the knowledge and skills to navigate and thrive in nonprofit work.

• CPS has created a new Welcoming Committee comprised of faculty and staff with student input to ensure that everyone feels welcome at the table and to enhance morale within the College.

• Johanna Creswell Baez, Assistant Professor & MSW Director, edited Issues of Equity: Key Concepts in Qualitative Methods, a new book that  covers a wide range of topics and gives practical and theoretical tools to promote equity in qualitative research. 

• Dr. Baez collaborated with MSW student Camille Dysart and others on the article I Don’t Understand It, but Okay: An Empirical Study of Mental Health Practitioners’ Readiness to Use Large Language Models, which explores how mental health professionals perceive and prepare to engage with emerging AI technologies in practice.

• CPS Assistant Professors Dr. Baez and Dr. Tae Kyung Park (Social Work), together with collaborator Jonathan B. Singer, recently published Technologies to Improve Social Work Practice and Education, a thoughtful and timely overview of the digital tools transforming Social Work.

• The Commission on Peer Review and Accreditation has accepted the 2024 Annual Accreditation Maintenance Report for the Master Of Public Administration program at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. By maintaining accreditation your program has demonstrated a commitment to quality public service education. The Commission thanks you for your attention to this report and commends you on your commitment to ongoing improvement.

Enrollment Management and Student Affairs

• IVC-EMSA hosted six student focus group lunches between Fall 2025 and Spring 2026. The EMSA leadership alongside guests (other VCs and campus leaders) hosted a free lunch with student focus groups to provide a safe space for open discussion. The hope was to have a productive session focused on questions and discussion topics from both campus leadership and UCCS students. The Focus Groups Consisted of; Students of Color, LGBTQ+ identifying students, housing students, 1^st gen students, graduate students, non-traditional students, military affiliated students, and commuter students.

• The UCCS SEP Rolled out on Monday, April 14 to the campus and broader community.