San Luis Valley's Adams College: A determined college loves a challenge

BY DAVID SVALDI

Adams State College is the four-year college of opportunity for citizens of the San Luis Valley. It is also the prime economic driver for Alamosa and the surrounding communities.

A recent economic impact study determined that the college stimulates a $70 million impact to this area, modest by Front Range standards, but huge for the communities of south-central Colorado. The San Luis Valley is the size of two average New England states, with a sparse population that wouldn’t even fill the stadium at Coors Field.

The history of Adams State College reflects on-going resilience and determination. Since its founding in 1921, Adams State has continuously provided college opportunities for high school graduates from the San Luis Valley, as well as for other qualified but low-income Colorado students.

The college is inextricably linked to Alamosa. In the early days, appropriation of the college’s operating budget was stalled by political opponents (including the Ku Klux Klan) of Gov. Billy Adams, for whom the college is named. The good citizens of Alamosa stepped up and donated crops, particularly potatoes, that were sold to provide funds so the college could open its doors.

Adams State has survived attempts to close it, including one proposal to transform the campus into a state training farm for boys and consolidate it with Western State College in Gunnison.

It has survived numerous reorganizations of higher education in Colorado and remains the only state college with significant graduate programs.

It has thrived under some exceptional leadership, and also managed to survive less effective management. As one state official described the college, "ASC is a hardscrabble institution" and enrolls students that, in all probability, "would never survive at either a larger or more distant institution and adds value to those students."

The college’s history as a "second chance institution" reveals highly successful alumni who initially enrolled at other, more prestigious institutions, became disillusioned, then came to ASC, where the personal attention of professors transformed their lives.

Alumnus William Porter, founder of E*Trade and generous donor to the college, has repeatedly said that if it weren’t for the opportunity he had at ASC, he does not know how his life might have turned out.

Mike Ware, chief of staff for Idaho Sen. Larry Craig, managed his first political campaign while at ASC, a successful run for president of the student body. He was brought to ASC by his father, chief of staff for Colorado Sen. Gordon Allott, so that Mike could focus on his studies.

Even in those days, students complained of little to do in Alamosa, but some parents have found the lack of distractions enabled their children to focus and succeed. (Alamosa does not have a mall or some of the other amenities that urban kids desire. We do have a Starbucks and virtually every fast food franchise known to mankind.) Mr. Ware and Mr. Porter did succeed, their experience at ASC transforming both their lives and the lives of their families.

What our students tend to have in common are limited income, diversity and the potential to succeed. The average family income of our fall 2005 students who applied for financial aid was $19,600. Additionally, Adams State is the most highly diverse four-year college in Colorado by percentages, with nearly 36 percent of our student population diverse students. We graduate double the percentage of diverse teachers of most other institutions in Colorado.

While this is significant, we nevertheless do not yet reflect the diversity of the San Luis Valley, where nearly 50 percent of the population is Hispanic or Native American.

The majority of our freshman class is qualified to attend other, more selective Colorado institutions, and nearly a quarter qualify to attend highly selective institutions. Additionally, 41 percent of our students are the first generation to attend college. This increases to 65 percent among Hispanic students.

As a new college president but a long-time resident of the San Luis Valley and a native Coloradan, access and increased diversity are two of my primary goals. I intend to invite every San Luis Valley high school graduate to attend ASC.

Another priority is to continue diversification of our faculty and administration so that our campus looks more like our surrounding communities. Each ASC student deserves a supportive environment with excellent learning opportunities provided by a faculty with whom they can identify. We are well on our way.

Our faculty has grown in diversity to 18 percent from 4 percent since my appointment as vice president in 1997. Our current staff is more than 60 percent diverse, and our percentage of female administrators has increased 200 percent in the last decade.

There are those who believe that Adams State is overfunded. It is true that our state funding is the second highest state reimbursement rate per student in Colorado. However, it is important to understand that the majority of the student population we serve is either female, of color, and/or with limited family income. This is the very same population from San Luis Valley high schools, which have the state’s highest rate of free or reduced lunches.

Moreover, 96 percent of our funding is based upon student enrollment only, while other institutions receive significant federal funds from grants and contracts. They also enroll thousands of out-of-state students who bring millions of dollars with them. ASC is a Hispanic Serving Institution, and nationally, Hispanic Serving Institutions receive only half the federal funds funneled to non-Hispanic serving institutions.

Only a small percentage of ASC students are from out of state, and most are also low income. Our focus is upon teaching. The limited grant writing and government contract work we do participate in targets effective instruction. Reducing our state funding would directly result in higher tuition for low-income, female, and Hispanic students: those who can least afford to pay.

Adams State College continues to defend itself against all threats. We champion the underserved of Colorado - deserving students who can achieve much with the opportunity we provide. I know that Billy Adams would be proud.