CSU System and NASH RRI Convene Experts to Address Refugee Resettlement Needs in Colorado

Denver, CO – The Colorado State University (CSU) System, in partnership with the National Association of Higher Education Systems’ (NASH) Refugee Resettlement Initiative (RRI), hosted a statewide convening in Denver, CO to assess the needs of refugee resettlement providers and supporters across Colorado and explore how the CSU System might better support their efforts.

On August 28, 2024, key leaders from refugee-serving programs statewide gathered at the CSU Spur campus to discuss the most significant challenges facing refugee service providers in a comprehensive needs assessment. This initiative, supported by the NASH Catalyst Fund, seeks to identify opportunities for the CSU System to collaborate with refugee resettlement stakeholders across Colorado.

“We’re delighted to be able to contribute to this state-wide (and national) effort that will require partnerships across many areas of activity,” said Rick Miranda, Chief Academic Officer, Colorado State University System. “Using our Spur campus as a convening hub is natural for us as the land-grant university in the state, and the entire CSU System, including in critical ways our Extension network, can assist in substantive ways. We’re very grateful to NASH for its support of Colorado’s refugee resettlement efforts and are eager to continue to assist the state in this important work.”

During the gathering, attendees identified the most pressing challenges and needs of refugee service providers and community-based organizations (CBOs) in delivering, evaluating, and scaling services that help their clients achieve socio-economic self-sufficiency. They explored the potential for a partnership with the CSU System to address these challenges and laid the groundwork for a strategic plan to leverage CSU’s resources in meeting these needs.  Notable attendees at the convening included the Director of the Office for New Americans, the Colorado State Refugee Coordinator, as well as representatives of a dozen direct service organizations.

“We are excited to build on the innovative role that CSU has identified to further support refugee resettlement across the great State of Colorado so that it is effective and efficient,” said Colleen Thouez, Founder and Director of NASH RRI. “Drawing on the power and connectivity of the public university system, CSU is poised to serve as a backbone support for local and state partners in welcoming and integrating refugees and other newcomers. It can now count on its technical partners including NASH’s Refugee Resettlement Initiative to assist in preparing newcomers for their new life in Colorado, setting them up to become valuable contributors to their local labor force and active community members.”

“Individuals coming from refugee experiences continue to be essential contributors to Colorado’s workforce and communities,” shared Eric Ishiwata, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the CSU Office of Engagement and Extension. “Their pathways to economic self-sufficiency are made possible by the tireless efforts of these state agencies and nonprofit organizations. If technical assistance from CSU would allow these organizations to free up more time and resources for direct client support, it would feel to me like one of the fullest embodiments of our land-grant mission.”

About the Colorado State University System

The Colorado State University System includes three distinct universities: CSU, the flagship campus, a leading public research university and Colorado’s land-grant institution located in Fort Collins; CSU Pueblo, a regional campus and federally designated Hispanic Serving Institution; and CSU Global, the nation’s first fully accredited, fully online public university. The CSU System’s institutions serve nearly 60,000 students annually. 

About the NASH Refugee Resettlement Initiative

The NASH RRI supports refugee and forcibly displaced students, scholars, and families who have recently arrived in the United States. It leverages the scope and scale of NASH member systems helping to build a national movement to expand the number of welcoming campuses across America. This is done by mobilizing and supporting higher education systems, their institutions, and individual champions using a state-by-state approach. The RRI regularly convenes institutions, systems, and state actors, working with volunteers and staff who may not otherwise have considered themselves as partners in the welcome and resettlement landscape. To learn more, visit https://nash.edu/refugee-resettlement-initiative/. 

About the National Association of Higher Education Systems

Founded in 1979, the National Association of Higher Education Systems (NASH) works to advance the role of multi-campus systems and the concept of systemness to create a more vibrant and sustainable higher education sector. NASH systems are comprised of more than 700 campuses and serve more than 7.5 million students in nearly every state in the United States. To learn more about NASH and its national transformation agenda, the Power of Systems, visit www.nash.edu.