In the United States, a fragile social contract has long bound those who inherit wealth, networks and power with those who do not. The American promise of opportunity for all was that humble handshake: grit and resilience could propel anyone toward a better life, regardless of background. But that contract is broken, nowhere more evidently than in higher education.
How do we know? Gallup polls, among the nation’s most trusted barometers of public opinion, show deepening distrust in colleges and universities over the past decades. Beyond the data, headlines from major national publications — echoed across numerous media outlets — dissect the outsized role of privilege and socioeconomic status in accessing elite institutions. Social media amplifies these concerns: Families decry skyrocketing costs, irrelevant curricula, out-of-touch administrators and campuses that don’t prioritize critical thinking.
Higher education, once a ladder to upward mobility, now feels to many like a locked gate for middle America. At Colorado Mesa University (CMU), we’re confronting this crisis head-on. Why? Because the work we’re doing to provide an affordable, relevant education to Colorado kids who are the first in their family to receive that opportunity couldn’t be more different than the elite, private and big-monied universities with endowments larger than many state budgets, and fired football coaches’ buyouts larger than our entire annual state appropriation. The chasm between the haves and have-nots is growing. Things are off track and it’s time we have an honest conversation about it.
A first of its kind campaign in higher education, CMU recently launched, “Welcome to Featherstone.” This fictional world (Featherstone University) satirizes the absurdity of privilege-driven admissions — where who you know trumps who you are — while spotlighting CMU’s commitment to students’ values and character over family wealth or connections. And we’re not the only ones. Under-privileged, under-resourced, underdog institutions across this state are right along with us providing opportunities to those who need them most.
As CMU celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, it’s time for a new handshake between higher education and Colorado families — one resilient enough for the challenges ahead. We must renew the bond between hardworking dreamers and the institutions designed to fuel their ascent. CMU is uniquely equipped to lead this renewal, guided by a contrarian approach that’s already yielding results.
Four years ago, we unveiled a strategic plan anchored in seven core values: love, dignity, resilience, humility, courage, curiosity and power. These aren’t buzzwords; they are our North Star, clearly defined and lived out daily by our community. From them flow three unyielding commitments: providing every student with an opportunity for a better life through education; striving for radical affordability; and teaching students how to think, not what to believe.
We’ve turned these values into action. While other institutions hiked tuition, CMU slashed costs for trade and certificate programs and launched CMU Tech, our two-year division elevating skilled trades. Enrollment there has surged over the past two years, up 35% year over year. Last year, I visited 14 underserved rural and urban high schools across Colorado to deliver the CMU Promise: 100% tuition coverage for families earning $70,000 or less.
When the federal government bungled the 2023 FAFSA redesign, delaying aid and disproportionately harming Latino, low-income and first-generation students, CMU didn’t wait. As a first-generation-serving institution, we issued guaranteed financial aid offers early — a calculated risk to support students who needed it most.
The payoff? In 2024, we welcomed our largest incoming class ever, an increase of 34% from the prior fall.
This past year, when Colorado university presidents signed a routine letter to legislators urging unified higher education funding, the letter was meant to advocate for more funds for higher ed, essentially sustaining the status quo with how state funds are allocated to Colorado public universities.
CMU broke ranks with our colleagues because the status quo leaves our university the lowest funded in the state, an unenviable position we have held for years. We refused to sign the annual letter to Colorado’ Joint Budget Committee because the current system disadvantages our students — many of them first-generation and low-income. Instead, we’re advocating for a fairer investment strategy that prioritizes a level playing field for our students and families.
Over the past six months, I’ve spoken bluntly about higher education’s elitism and unearned privilege to anyone who will listen: the Colorado Commission on Higher Education, the General Assembly, the Colorado Business Roundtable and other leaders. My message aligns with our Featherstone campaign: If you’re seeking authenticity, come to CMU, where we value who you are, not who you know. This isn’t mere marketing — it’s a pledge to rebuild trust.
Higher education must reclaim its role as an engine of opportunity, not a bastion of exclusion. By embracing humility, affordability and grit, CMU is extending that new handshake to Colorado families.
John Marshall, of Grand Junction, is president of Colorado Mesa University.
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