History

What is an Engagement Center (formerly known as a Hub)?

As Colorado’s land-grant university, Colorado State University has a mission to serve Coloradans through research, education and engagement. CSU research - the discovery of new knowledge - serves as a critical ingredient in Colorado’s innovation ecosystem and we continue to bring new ideas to life across the CSU System. We also listen to community needs and work to support interested faculty in pursuing research with those communities to shed new light on complex issues.

We continually seek new ways to help Coloradans access education across a lifetime of learning. In response to Coloradans’ demand for expanded access to education, CSU developed CSU Global, CSU Online and digital badging programs to support both professional advancement and personal growth. Access to education is one of our calls as a land-grant, and we continuously look for ways to connect those motivated to learn to a world-class education.

We launched the Office of Engagement (now Office of Engagement & Extension) from CSU’s main campus in Fort Collins, where we tested the most effective ways to tackle community, economic, business and workforce development challenges when invited to do so. We brought together partnerships with industry and civic shareholders in community, economic, and workforce development to collaborate and connect our resources and assets in innovative ways that support resilient communities. From many years of this work, we’ve learned that Coloradans in all communities are resourceful and resilient, and care deeply about helping their communities thrive. We also learned that there is no substitute for being there. Proximity, face-to-face interaction and a warm hand shake matter.

CSU’s Office of Engagement & Extension is partnering with communities who wish to partner with us, and each other, to develop regional engagement centers.

These centers will serve as a platform for CSU to connect to communities, and for communities to connect to CSU research, education, and opportunities for engagement across the CSU System. Each engagement center will be staffed with CSU Office of Engagement & Extension staff to facilitate connections and work alongside communities on issues related to workforce, economic, business or community development.