Latest News | Fort Lewis College | Durango, CO

Lee Bitsóí, associate vice president for Diversity Affairs and special advisor for Indigenous affairs, was named as a higher education leader for the 2021 Millennium Leadership Initiative by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. In their press release, AASCU said, “With the selection of this class, we are hoping to reflect the diversity of this nation and the institutions that our protégés serve."

The year-long PIVOT: Skateboard Deck Art Exhibit in the Center of Southwest Studies celebrated the commonality of traditions in Native American cultures and provided a way to commemorate the differences among tribal traditions. PIVOT represented the quick transitions that people make between traditional culture and contemporary day-to-day lives, and though the exhibit is no longer displayed, its impact remains.

In light of a new bill proposing in-state tuition for all Native American students from tribes with historic ties to Colorado, FLC advised other institutions on how best to serve and support Native students.

SmartAsset ranked Fort Lewis College at #10 on their list of Best Value Colleges in Colorado.

Fort Lewis College hopes to open "rural connectivity centers" in Colorado and on the Navajo Nation, with the goal of driving better engagement in distance learning and reducing barriers for rural students. FLC received a $950,060 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development program to facilitate this project.

Fort Lewis College's Psychology degree is #48 on Study.com's list for Best Bachelor's Degrees in Psychology.

Lee Bitsóí, associate vice president for diversity affairs at Fort Lewis College, and Ernest House Jr., chairman of the FLC Board of Trustees, have been named to Governor Polis' Water Equity Task Force.

According to Gigi Richard, director of the Four Corners Water Center at FLC, climate change is the biggest issue facing Durango's water supply. The City of Durango is updating its water plans to reflect residents' concerns and determine how to improve the resilience and reliability of the water supply.

A bill currently under consideration in the Colorado Senate would provide in-state tuition to any Native student with historic ties to the state. With this news, President Tom Stritikus urged all Colorado schools to also consider the needs of Indigenous students and their many diverse cultural perspectives.

"We can emerge stronger from the pandemic than when we went in," says President Stritikus. This year, the College is in one of the strongest fiscal positions it has been in recent years and is reporting steady enrollment.