University Design Institute launches fourth Design Accelerator with Colorado State University System

The Colorado State University System has launched a grant-funded partnership with the University Design Institute at Arizona State University to find innovative pathways to strengthen rural communities across Colorado.

This initiative brings together 36 extension agents, professors, program managers and others from CSU’s Fort Collins, Pueblo, Global and Spur campuses. The cohort, which one participant referred to as “the Avengers of CSU,” will form four teams and work alongside members of the internationally recognized UDI to develop actionable prototypes for rural outreach that could receive System funding in the future.

“This work represents an extraordinary opportunity for the CSU System,” CSU System Chancellor Tony Frank said. “With UDI’s expertise and our statewide reach, we are well-positioned to design new models of rural learning and community partnership that could benefit Colorado and serve as national models.”

The program will last roughly five months, and a core component of the process is participation in three two-day, in-person Design Studios, where UDI mentors facilitate discussions on how participants can use their expertise to develop innovative solutions in rural workforce development, health and wellbeing, community leadership and lifelong learning.

The University Design Institute has worked with more than 140 institutions in 26 countries. It aims to transform higher education in the face of rapid and unprecedented social, technological and economic changes.

“We are honored to bring the fourth iteration of our Design Accelerator to the Colorado State University System to support its objectives as the state’s land-grant system to become more responsive to the evolving economic, demographic and technological shifts throughout the state,” said Minu Ipe, Vice Chair and Managing Director of ASU’s University Design Institute. “The Design Accelerator will further empower the CSU System to prototype new models aimed at strengthening rural resilience, expanding access to education and training, and supporting lifelong learning and civic and economic renewal across Colorado.”

Ipe added: “UDI is committed to redesigning the traditional higher education model to ensure that university systems are accessible, relevant and responsive to the communities they serve. This partnership with the CSU System will develop a scalable blueprint for how higher education can serve as the primary engine for regional prosperity across the United States.”

The CSU System’s work with the UDI is a continuation of its longstanding mission to serve as a partner and resource to rural communities across the state. In 2021, the CSU System Board of Governors voted to invest $8.58 million over three years to support rural students and communities through everything from expanded access to mental health care to pioneering innovative technology to help farmers fight weeds.

In addition, CSU Extension has agents in all 64 of Colorado’s counties, ensuring that everyone in the state has access to the University’s research and educational offerings.

Roze Hentschell, the chief academic officer for the CSU System and leader of this project, said she hopes the UDI partnership will only allow this already impressive footprint to grow.

“The CSU System has a long history of partnering with communities across Colorado, and this initiative allows us to amplify that impact,” she said. “By bringing together the expertise, relationships and creativity that exist across our campuses, we can accomplish far more collectively than any one institution could alone and develop new approaches that help rural communities thrive.”

This article is also available on Colorado State University's website.