ADAMS STATE UNIVERSITY

Adams State University (ASU) is a small, state-supported liberal arts university in Alamosa, Colorado, U.S., in the San Luis Valley, home to the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. ASU offers undergraduate programs in physical and social sciences, in fine arts, business and nursing, and specializes in educator curricula in several disciplines. ASU also offers graduate degrees in, among others, history, art, business (MBA), and educator programs, including counselor education. There is also a postgraduate (PhD) program in counselor education. The University has an active athletic program, both in participatory sports and in athletics educator training; the Adams State Grizzlies intramural teams compete under the auspices of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.

History
ASU was founded in 1921 as a teacher’s college. Billy Adams, a Colorado legislator who would later become a three-term governor of Colorado, worked for three decades before obtaining the authorization to found Adams State Normal School in 1921, to provide higher education opportunities for teachers from remote and rural areas of Colorado, such as the San Luis Valley, and see them work in those same areas.
In 1926, Harriet Dalzell Hester became the university’s first graduate. She became the school’s first librarian and an Alamosa County school superintendent.
On May 22, 2012, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper signed a bill changing the name from Adams State College to Adams State University. The change became official on August 7, 2012.

Hispanic Serving Institution
Adams State was Colorado’s first higher education institution to be federally designated a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). Since 2000, the university has been awarded a total of $14.1 million in Title V grants designed to strengthen HSIs. Two five-year grants totaling $6.1 million are currently underway.

Regional Education Provider
As the Regional Education Provider for southern Colorado, Adams State is crucial to enhancing the area’s educational opportunity, economic development, and cultural enrichment. Adams State emphasizes its historic commitment to under-served populations, including underrepresented minorities, first-generation, and low-income students.