Colorado Mesa University
Colorado Mesa University is a public university in Grand Junction, Colorado, United States. Originally established in 1925 as Grand Junction Junior College, the school was renamed to Mesa College in 1940. The college began offering bachelor's degrees in 1974, and in 1988, changed its name to Mesa State College to reflect its growing educational programs. In 2011, the school officially attained university status and adopted its current name.
CMU's main campus sits on in central Grand Junction. CMU's branch campuses include CMU Tech in northwestern Grand Junction and a CMU regional campus in Montrose, about southeast of Grand Junction. The university offers over 100 undergraduate programs and 11 postgraduate programs across 14 academic departments. Colorado Mesa University enrolled 9,785 students in fall 2024, making it the largest university in western Colorado, as well as the largest university in the state outside of the Front Range Urban Corridor.
Colorado Mesa's athletic teams, known as the Mavericks, compete at the NCAA Division II level as members of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. The Mavericks have won 70 RMAC regular season titles across the school's 26 NCAA sports.
History
Grand Junction Junior College (1925–1937)
, was officially founded in 1883; by the 1920 United States Census, the county's population had more than quintupled to over 22,000 residents, with the city of Grand Junction alone having more than 9,000 residents. As the population of the area continued to rise, the need for education facilities became apparent. Many students in the region had to travel long distances for college; the majority of the state's higher education institutions were along the Front Range Urban Corridor, well over 200 miles from Grand Junction. Even the closest institution, Western State College of Colorado, was located in Gunnison, over 120 miles to the southeast. To meet the growing demand for education, in 1925, Colorado Governor Clarence Morley signed Senate Bill 262 into law, which established Grand Junction Junior College. GJJC welcomed its inaugural class of 39 students the same year. At the time of its founding, the college offered seven courses, with tuition at $8 per class.Mesa College (1937–1988)
After a brief stint being known as Mesa County Junior College, the school was renamed to Mesa College in 1940. By this time, enrollment had increased to nearly 300 students. The school's selection of community college programs continued to increase as well, with enrollment surpassing 1,000 students in 1961, and a vocational school being added in 1967.In 1972, Governor John Arthur Love signed Senate Bill 16 authorizing Mesa College to begin offering bachelor's degrees, effective fall 1974. Due to this expansion of programs, by 1979, enrollment had increased to 3,891 students, nearly tripling since 1963.
Mesa State College (1988–2011)
In 1988, the school was renamed Mesa State College, as it began transitioning from a junior college into a four-year state college. In 1994, the Colorado legislature authorized Mesa State College to begin offering select graduate programs, as the need for higher education in western Colorado began to increase. In 1996, Mesa State began offering its first graduate program, a Master of Business Administration program. With the addition of this program, Mesa State College became the only four-year institution in Colorado to offer a full range of undergraduate degrees along with graduate programs.Prior to 2003, all four of Colorado's state colleges were governed under a single governing board, the Consortium of State Colleges in Colorado. However, in 2003, the CSCC was abolished; each school was granted its own governing board, and the Colorado General Assembly assigned Mesa State to be the designated higher education provider for 14 counties in western Colorado: Delta, Eagle, Garfield, Grand, Jackson, Mesa, Moffat, Montrose, Ouray, Pitkin, Rio Blanco, Routt, San Miguel, and Summit counties. In 2005, the school officially opened Western Colorado Community College, which would serve as the school's two-year, open admission division.
Colorado Mesa University (2011–Present)
In 2011, Mesa State College officially attained university status and its name was changed to Colorado Mesa University. During the name change process, strong contenders for the school's new moniker were "Mesa State University" and "Grand Mesa University", but the college's then-Executive Director of Marketing and Recruitment Rick Taggart felt that the new name should include "Colorado". An effort was also made to rename North Avenue–the principal street on which the university is located and a major street in Grand Junction–to "University Boulevard"; this effort was ultimately unsuccessful.Colorado Mesa University was officially established as a university under Colorado state law in 2012, with its role and mission to be a regional education provider of bachelor's and master's degrees, as well as associate's degrees and technical certificates.
Campus
Asteria Theatre
Completed in 2024, the 860-seat Asteria Theatre serves as the newest venue for CMU's performing arts departments, as well as a venue for public speakers, debates, and other notable events. The theatre features the largest stage in western Colorado, and was built with help from a $39 million grant from the Colorado General Assembly, the largest state grant ever received by CMU. The theatre has played host to several notable speakers and performers, including astronomer Neil deGrasse Tyson, singer Kalani Pe'a, and Colorado Governor Jared Polis.Confluence Hall
Built in 2018, the Confluence Hall on the west end of campus is home to CMU's Department of Computer Science & Engineering. The hall also houses the EUREKA! McConnell Science Museum, a non-profit museum which features many interactive exhibits.Dominguez Hall
Dominguez Hall was built in 2011 and is home to the Davis School of Business and the Center for Teacher Education. This building has several classrooms, including four large semi-circle lecture rooms, computer labs, small study rooms, study open spaces, faculty offices, a coffee shop, and a boardroom. Dominguez Hall is named after the Dominguez Canyon Wilderness located southeast of Grand Junction.Escalante Hall
The three-story, Escalante Hall houses CMU's Department of Languages, Literature & Mass Communication. Built in 2014, Escalante Hall notably features a third-floor foyer with attached outdoor terraces, which provide panoramic views of the campus and broader Grand Valley. The hall takes its name from the Escalante Canyon, located in the Dominguez–Escalante National Conservation Area southeast of Grand Junction.Forensic Investigation Research Station
Known by the acronym "FIRS", this facility consisting of a laboratory building and a fenced-in body farm is located just south of Grand Junction, near the community of Whitewater. As of January 2018, the decomposition of 11 bodies was under investigation with a focus on identification of microbial clocks, collections of microorganisms that appear and change in a predictable manner during the course of human body decomposition.Health Sciences Building
Formerly the home of Community Hospital, the Health Sciences Building is now home to the Department of Health Sciences and the Moss School of Nursing, featuring classrooms, laboratory space, and a simulation center for students studying in health-related fields. The building also houses CMU's chapter of Sigma Theta Tau, an international nursing honor society.Houston Hall
Houston Hall has the reputation of being the first building on campus. Built in 1940, it is named for the college's first president, Dr. Clifford G. Houston. Before its construction, the college had occupied an abandoned school building in the city's downtown area. During the 2011 expansion and renovation project, delicate care was taken to match the new wing's ornamental brick facade with that of the original building. Houston Hall houses the university's Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences, as well as many general education classes.Kephart Fine Arts Building
Built in 2002, the hall was renamed the Kephart Fine Arts Building in 2021 in honor of Jac Kephart, a local artist and alumnus of Mesa State College. This building houses CMU's Department of Art & Design, and comes complete with art studios, covered outdoor areas for kilns, and a bronze foundry. The hall also features a television studio, which is used by the Mass Communication program, and is home to KRMJ-TV, Grand Junction's affiliate of Rocky Mountain PBS.Lowell Heiny Hall
Originally built in 1967 to house the college library, previously located in Houston Hall, Lowell Heiny Hall now houses University Authorities offices, Registrar's Office, President's Office, HR, Marketing, and faculty offices.Maverick Center and Foster Field House
Formerly known as Saunders Field House, the Maverick Center houses all athletic facilities in one building, except for football and baseball. Additionally, this center houses CMU's Department of Kinesiology. Facilities include the Brownson Arena, El Pomar Natatorium, Hamilton Recreation Center, and Monfort Family Human Performance Lab. Adjacent to the Maverick Center are the Community Hospital Unity field soccer and lacrosse stadium, Elliot Tennis Complex, Bergman Softball Field, and the Maverick Pavilion.The Foster Field House is home to a climbing wall, a cycling training room, an athletic training lab used by the Department of Kinesiology, and several different athletic courts.