Ward Churchill case: Did he really only want $1 in lawsuit against CU?

Update below: Earlier this week, we wrote about the Colorado Supreme Court’s ruling against Ward Churchill, despite an earlier verdict in which a jury agreed CU-Boulder had violated the controversial ex-professor’s rights by firing him. Of course, the jury only awarded Churchill a dollar, but his lawyer said that’s all…

CU-Boulder allows guns in family housing units, CSU says no

As CU-Boulder continues to get attention for its new rule allowing concealed-carry-permit holders to have guns in some family housing units, Colorado State University in Fort Collins is sticking with a stricter policy. At CSU, guns aren’t allowed in any dormitories or apartments, period. And officials say they have no…

Metro tuition deal for undocumented students gets NYT story

Metro started classes yesterday, with a new name — Metropolitan State University of Denver — as well as new buildings (including a hotel filled with art by Metro students, faculty and alums), new programs and a controversial new tuition structure for undocumented students. That Metro move earned the school a…

Great Education Colorado wants to make 2013 Year of the Student

When District Judge Sheila Rappaport handed down her (now appealed) decision in Lobato vs. Colorado, the word she used to describe Colorado’s education-finance system was “unconscionable.” That harsh description is backed by stats provided by Great Education Colorado, a nonprofit that describes itself as “a statewide, nonpartisan, grassroots organization that…

Iraqi Student Project sending first student to Colorado

The war in Iraq has forced many Iraqi students to abandon their hopes of an education. Some fled the country and had to put their education on hold, while others found their schools destroyed. Recognizing these problems, the Iraqi Student Project, a St. Louis-based organization that has volunteers and support…

BoldLeaders trip to Kenya postponed, but the explorations continue

After months of planning and fundraising, this year’s BoldLeaders trip to Kenya has been grounded, thanks to threats of violence from the Somali militant group, Al-Shabaab. The Denver-based group had flights arranged and was within a week of departure when the U.S. Department of State and its embassy in Kenya…

National campaign to improve third-grade reading launches in Denver

Here’s the problem: In Denver, 56 percent of public school fourth graders are not proficient in reading — a measurement that experts say is closely linked to dropout rates, graduation rates and possibly even incarceration. It’s an alarming trend that is much worse for minority and low-income students. And it’s…