The working session brought together department chairs and faculty from both institutions to revise agreements that had not been updated in years. The goal: ensure community college credits transfer smoothly and reduce the time and cost required for students to complete a bachelor’s degree.
“We definitely need to dust off our agreements,” said Jenny Sherman, Pueblo Community College’s vice president for academics. “My hope is that those of you who don’t know your counterparts can start building relationships.”
Both institutions described the effort as part of a shared commitment to student success. Lost or unaccepted credits can delay graduation and force students to repeat coursework, an expense that can quickly add up as tuition costs rise.
“It’s important for students to know that our academic colleagues are united in wanting their credits to count and in helping them finish a bachelor’s degree,” Kristyn White Davis, CSU Pueblo’s vice president of enrollment management and extended studies said.
Faculty emphasized that articulation agreements only work when instructors understand one another’s curriculum. Several departments had already begun informal conversations before Monday’s event to align coursework across disciplines.
The session also highlighted instructional creativity on both campuses. Pueblo Community College mathematics professor and department chair Michael Payne shared how he uses pop culture to engage students in advanced calculus. In one “Game of Thrones”-themed lab, students used vector calculus to determine the safest escape route off a mountain for a Lannister character and calculate the correct angle for firing cannonballs.
“My students were pretty engaged,” Payne said. “Doing something like that is nice because it’s outside the box.”
Administrators encouraged PCC students to connect early with CSU Pueblo faculty advisors early to establish advising relationships before the transfer process begins.
“It’s our job to support those students,” one participant said.
The updated agreements finalized Monday outline which PCC courses transfer to CSU Pueblo and how they apply toward bachelor’s degrees. The clarity is expected to help students plan coursework, manage budgets and balance academic demands with work and family responsibilities.
Faculty left the session with revised agreements and, organizers said, new professional relationships that will shape future collaboration.
