Investing in Higher Education and Equity for Colorado

By Martha Snyder, HCM Strategists

In Colorado, eleven companies land on the Fortune 500 list of the most valuable companies, nationally - companies like Arrow Electronics, DaVita and Dish Network. That is why when the terms equity and finance are co-mingled, the first thing one conjures is “assets” or shares held in a company.

On the other hand, in the sphere of your role as trustees of Colorado’s public colleges and universities, equity usually means impartial or fair. You apply these terms to oversight for the institutions’ policies, approval of tenure and promote policies, and the annual review of your college president.

I suggest that the triple pandemics this state and nation face - racism, the economy and public health - necessitate thinking about postsecondary finance from a student-centered equity lens. This means committing and targeting resources in ways that support more equitable access and success for populations traditionally underserved by postsecondary education.