The University of Colorado (CU) completed its 2025 Presidential Outreach Tour with visits to Mesa and Montrose counties on the Western Slope. President Todd Saliman, Regent Ray Scott, and other system administration leaders met with educators, business leaders, nonprofit organizations, and residents in Grand Junction and Montrose as part of an effort to strengthen relationships statewide.
During the two-day tour, CU officials highlighted their focus on affordability, access, and opportunity in higher education. The group visited the newly built Grand Junction High School, a $144.5 million facility funded by a bond measure approved by local voters in 2024.
The tour included an outdoor recreation manufacturing roundtable where industry representatives discussed CU Denver’s Outside Lab and explored ways to support the region’s growing outdoor sector. Representatives from Colorado Mesa University also participated to emphasize collaboration between institutions.
President Saliman said, “At the University of Colorado, we know there is a place at one of our four campuses for every student from the Western Slope who wants to pursue a degree. We’re focused on ensuring that cost and culture are never a barrier to anyone looking for their educational path to success. Our visit this summer – and our ongoing work with community leaders – are all about growing our existing partnerships and exploring new ways we can align with community-identified needs.”
CU leaders toured the CU Boulder/Colorado Mesa University Engineering Partnership Program at Colorado Mesa University. This program allows students to complete their first two years at CMU before finishing engineering coursework with CU Boulder faculty based on the Western Slope.
In Montrose, officials learned about Montrose High School’s Career and College Readiness Program for grades 6-12. The program offers hands-on learning through career pathways, technical education, concurrent enrollment for college credit, and industry credentials at no cost. The visit aimed to expand concurrent enrollment opportunities that prepare students for teaching careers through Montrose’s Teaching and Learning Academy model.
A business roundtable in Montrose brought together CU leadership with local business owners and civic leaders to discuss economic needs and explore stronger partnerships between higher education and industry. Opportunities were highlighted for collaboration through CU’s three business schools as well as internships, capstone projects, and applied research.
Saliman stated: “I want to make sure that CU is connected to Colorado and that we’re doing things that are relevant for our state. What I see in meetings like that is that the answer is that we are.”
He added: “It’s through those kinds of partnerships where we can provide added value to the business community or to families or to students. That’s what we’re all about.”
The tour ended with a Community Info Night in Montrose where residents could meet admissions staff from all four CU campuses—Boulder, UCCS, Denver, Anschutz—and learn about affordability initiatives such as CU Promise and the Boulder Tuition Guarantee as well as transfer options within programs like the engineering partnership.
“In Colorado, it’s affordable,” Saliman said. “There are ways to go to college in Colorado. People need to pursue post-secondary education. We’re making it easier to transfer credits. We have lots of financial aid options. We’re making it cheaper to go to college and people need to check it out.”
