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Strategic Plan Summary and Progress Designing Our Future

Explore our plan and progress

Our 2024-2025 CHHS Profile video outlines milestones, progress, and work toward our goals:

Scroll and click to learn about the College of Health and Human Sciences Strategic Plan 2023-2027 — our goals to BUILD, PROMOTE, INCLUDE, and GROW — and the stories that demonstrate how our faculty, staff, donors, partners, and students are achieving them.

Goal 1: BUILD

BUILD programs of excellence and establish leadership in four interdisciplinary thematic areas reflective of CHHS’s mission, expertise, and opportunities for academic growth and meaningful impact: a. mental and behavioral health; b. design and build; c. workforce development to address shortages in critical areas including health/public health, nursing, education, and infrastructure systems; and d. human-centered leadership in CSU’s OneHealth initiative.

Explore stories about our progress toward Goal 1: BUILD.

Students in Construction Management classes, November 16, 2017

Kiewit Corp. leads $6.6 million investment to create new CSU construction engineering program

The interdisciplinary degree, launched in 2025, teaches students to design, manage, and build significant construction projects from start to finish. The new program was developed in partnership with industry and will be taught by top faculty in two highly recognized departments: the Department of Construction Management, in the College of Health and Human Sciences, and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in the Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering.

New $6M center at CSU will expand state’s behavioral health workforce

CSU’s School of Social Work has been selected by the state to develop the Colorado System of Care Workforce Capacity Center. The new center is being funded by two state agencies, the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing and the Colorado Behavioral Health Administration with a two-year, $6 million investment that will expand Colorado’s behavioral health workforce.

CSU launches first-of-its-kind joint nursing degree to tackle Colorado’s critical workforce shortage

The Colorado State University System is set to launch a first-of-its-kind program that will combine the resources of its Fort Collins and Pueblo campuses to help address a shortfall of thousands of registered nurses in Colorado. The College of Health and Human Sciences is leading the way, with three existing majors offering pre-nursing concentrations that will lead to a new 3+2 Dual Degree Nursing Program.

CSU’s occupational therapy program ranked best in the nation

For the first time, the Occupational Therapy doctoral program at Colorado State University is ranked No. 1 in the country by U.S. News & World Report – a signal of the program’s standing as an international leader in preparing highly trained practitioners to help people navigate challenges in their daily lives.

Goal 2: PROMOTE

PROMOTE excellence and innovation in teaching, research, service, outreach, and engagement consistent with CSU’s land-grant mission and its status as an R1 institution, and link investments to support these expectations.

Explore successes in the area of Goal 2: PROMOTE.

Researchers at Colorado State University's Human Performance Clinical/Research Lab studying healthy aging. July 12, 2017

$21.3 million in new research funding awarded in 2024-2025

CHHS researchers garner investments and partnerships from federal funds to foundations in areas spanning healthy aging, mental and physical health across the lifespan, gut biome, neuroscience, physical and cognitive disabilities, and biology of cardiometabolic diseases, among others.

7th Annual CHHS Research Day elevates science storytelling

Researchers across CHHS demonstrated the impact of their work during the poster session; keynote speaker Dr. Amy Pugh Bernard discussed the importance of sharing science with broad audiences beyond academia; and Lightning Talk presenters from every unit presented brief overviews of their research.

CHHS hosts 2nd Annual Teaching Colloquium

With goals of supporting professional growth for faculty and promoting student success, educators from around CHHS gathered to share innovative teaching initiatives and create dialogue around evidence-based teaching practices. This year’s Colloquium focused on three major themes: AI and Technology, Feedback and Assessment, and Community Building for Classroom Climate.  

Goal 3: INCLUDE

INCLUDE and welcome all individuals and communities and support a culture of access and success in alignment with Colorado State University’s land-grant mission.

Explore successes in the area of Goal 3: INCLUDE.

PreCon 102 Construction Management students compete in the management and construction of small scale team project to discover which team statagies work on a consistent basis, November 21, 2019.

Dandelions Rising

Supported by the Colorado Health Foundation and in partnership with The BIPOC Alliance, Dandelions Rising is a youth leadership and liberation program that guides 7-18-year-old Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and children of color to understand who they are and how they exist as gendered, racialized beings in their respective communities.

RAM Scholars Program

Designed for adults with intellectual disabilities who want to explore academic opportunities and build career-related skills, the RAM Scholars Program partners participants with CSU student mentors. CHHS partners with the College of Agricultural Sciences to  create hands-on learning experiences.

Celebrating first-generation College of Health and Human Sciences students

With many faculty and staff who were the first in their families to earn a bachelor’s degree, CHHS proudly supports first-generation students across our majors in alignment with CSU’s Land-grant mission.

$800,000+ awarded in CHHS scholarships in 2025-2026

Alumni, industry partners, and friends make scholarships possible with their generosity. Meet some of the students who are making the most of their CSU experience, empowered by scholarships and other student-focused funds.

School of Education opens Student Success Center in Christina Hong Paguyo’s memory

After years of ideation, applications for funding, location changes, and construction, the School of Education at Colorado State University opened the doors for their Student Success Center.

Dean's Ambassadors Program

The College of Health and Human Sciences Dean’s Ambassadors Program fosters student success, engagement, service, and leadership among our students. This program empowers students to represent CHHS and CSU, recruiting prospective students, advancing philanthropy, and more.

Goal 4: GROW

GROW the impactful work that is carried out by each academic unit by ensuring solid operational foundations in the core essential services (budget and financials, human resources, development, communications, information technology, and facilities) that support the college and its units.

Explore successes in the area of Goal 4: GROW.

A teacher reads a book with two students in the Early Childhood Center Library

CHHS Dean’s Office redesign powered by students and state-of-the-art research technologies

In a collaborative, interdisciplinary project, students applied the participatory neurodesign framework to improve wayfinding and visual appeal in L.L. Gibbons Building, home to CSU’s College of Health and Human Sciences Dean’s Office.

Body composition imaging tool for nutrition science students, researchers made possible by alumna gift

With the generosity of Karen Morris-Fine, the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition has enhanced research capabilities for faculty and students.

CHHS SharePoint

Operations, human resources, information technology, and communications teams created CHHS SharePoint — a resource-rich intranet for faculty, staff, and students in the college featuring internal news, tools, contacts, and more. This site creates efficiencies through digital workflows, toolboxes, knowledge bases, and connections across CHHS. With the flexibility to add new hubs, such as research, teaching, and more, CHHS SharePoint will continue to grow with the college.

Facilities upgrades

The CHHS Operations Team works closely with academic units and CSU Facilities to enhance physical spaces. Recent and current projects include:

  • Janet J. Else Education Center
  • Preconstruction Center computer lab updates
  • Gifford Building Renovations
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