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Who We Are

Colorado State University’s Office of Engagement and Extension delivers on its land-grant mission by making the university’s educational programs, services and resources accessible to all, enabling individuals to act as agents of change and together build thriving communities across Colorado and beyond.

We learn and work together across Colorado to exchange, develop and apply knowledge, empowering individuals and communities to thrive.

CSU Office of Engagement and Extension Serves Colorado and Beyond

CSU Extended Campus

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CSU Extension

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Colorado Water Center

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Our Commitment to Colorado

We Provide Access

We connect individuals and communities to the resources of CSU, fulfilling our mission as a land-grant university.

We Enable Co-Creation

We work in partnership and learn together to co-create solutions to ever-changing needs in our communities.

We Inspire Engagement

We inspire engagement with Colorado State University by removing barriers, building trust and innovating in our delivery to reach more people with university resources.

We Empower Action

We empower Coloradans to address important and emerging community challenges by effectively bridging university resources with community needs.

What is a Land-Grant University?

Colorado State University is a land-grant university. Signed into law in 1862, the Morrill Act created public colleges supported by federal grants of public land. These new colleges would teach agriculture, the mechanic arts and military science.

Land-grant universities offered the children of farmers and the working classes – who previously had been excluded – the opportunity to receive a college education and participate in the nation’s economic and social progress. Proceeds generated by the land grants were intended to be invested in a perpetual endowment to support the colleges.

The basis of the land-grant university model as it exists today is focused on teaching, research and outreach. The Hatch Act in 1887 established Agricultural Experiment Stations, and the Smith-Lever Act of 1914 created the Cooperative Extension Service.

The spirit of inclusion and access remain embodied in the core values of the land-grant mission.

Our Commitment to the Land-Grant Mission

To be a land-grant university today means:

Access, Inclusion, and Opportunity

Colorado State University is proud to offer access and opportunity to anyone with the motivation and ability to earn a degree. At CSU, we prize diversity and the rich history that different peoples and populations bring to our academic community – as well as the rich history of the land and region on which our university is built.

Research and Innovation that Transform Our World

CSU ranks among the leading research universities in the country. Our faculty and students engage in purpose-driven research to address some of our world’s most complex and perplexing challenges. Scholarship, discovery, and innovation lead to solutions that improve the quality of life for people in Colorado, across the nation and around the world.

Service and Engagement

CSU’s historic commitment to service and engagement goes back to its origins as a tiny college teaching “scientific agriculture” and irrigation that made coaxing crops out of an arid prairie one of Colorado’s most successful industries. As the birthplace of the Peace Corps, CSU holds a strong belief that innovation can positively impact the quality of life, not just locally, but worldwide. At CSU, local discovery can have global impact. Service to society and our world is among our highest of callings.

The Transformational Power of Education

CSU believes in the transformational power of education to prepare the next generation of scientists, artists, educators, entrepreneurs and more. CSU alumni are using their talents and expertise to meet the challenges of an ever-changing world. Their education is a cornerstone of a prosperous economy. CSU graduates have won Pulitzer Prizes, flown on space shuttle missions, led states and nations, made brilliant scientific discoveries, having profound impacts on impact on communities and industries worldwide.

Excellence Above All

CSU sets a high standard – and aims for excellence in all aspects of our educational, research, and service missions. CSU is a place where students build academic and personal success; where groundbreaking research is conducted and discovery achieved; where innovation is readily deployed to meet local and world demands; and where alumni lead in their chosen fields and careers. We will never hesitate in the pursuit of excellence.