Colleges throughout the U.S. are formulating responses to moves from Washington that imperil the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

Pikes Peak State College President Dr. Lance Bolton talks about what this means for our college.

Dear PPSC students,

The news on Tuesday that the White House planned to unravel the tremendously successful Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program has rippled through colleges everywhere and has deeply disturbed us at Pikes Peak State College, and our sister colleges throughout the Colorado Community College System.

I can only imagine the fear and uncertainty this has caused for so many of our students.

Know that PPSC and the Colorado Community College System continue to support our DACA students, and we hope that our national leaders will find a way to continue policies that allow these dedicated students to continue their studies here. DACA students are so valuable to us at PPSC. On the one hand, they exemplify our mission to provide educational access to everyone in our community. Education can be a gateway from one country to another, a gateway to economic success, to community engagement, and a life of self-fulfillment.

DACA students also provide an essential diversity to our campus, broadening our cultural landscape in ways that make us better at what we do. Their international perspectives, experiences, backgrounds, and customs open our way of thinking to new ideas and new ways of approaching our challenges ahead. We would be a poorer place without them.

I understand that many questions remain about what these decisions at the federal level will mean for our school and our students, and we are working with our system office to hammer out those details. I expect to provide detailed information about how we can support DACA Students within the next 24 hours.

In the meantime, you can direct questions to Yuri Grijalva-Perry at Yuri.Grijalva-Perry@pikespeak.edu or 719-502-2673. If you’d like to talk and learn more about issues surrounding DACA, I invite you to join one of our Global Village Roundtables. You can find them:

Yuri.Grijalva-Perry@pikespeak.edu

Tuesdays at 12:30 pm, Rampart Campus, Atrium

Wednesdays at 12:30 pm, Downtown Campus, Tables by S215

Thursdays at 12:30 pm, Centennial Campus, The Grove 

To our DACA students, please know that you are not alone and I will be an advocate for you.

Sincerely,

Lance Bolton, Ph.D.

President, Pikes Peak State College