Office of the Chancellor
Speeches
Convocation: Oct. 17, 2012
"As we look ahead to the next decade or so, our objectives are clear: ever-increasing quality, ever-increasing value, ever-increasing impact as we move through an era of unprecedented change in higher education.
"While we are positioned very well to address these kinds of goals in that world, there are some things that are key."
Watch the video.Convocation: Oct. 5, 2011
"DU is incredibly stable right now—financially sound—with the quality of what we're doing rapidly, rapidly ascending. The future is filled with opportunity. The door is open for us; in spite of all of the daunting news about the economy and what's happening in the rest of the world, the door is very clearly open for us.
"We have worked for 20, 25 years or more to bring the University to this place, and the key word right now is 'opportunity.' It's a turning point for us. We're in a very competitive game that I firmly believe that we can win."
Convocation: Oct 26, 2010
"This is a very particular day in the life of the University. This is the day on which we're going to launch the public phase of our campaign for the University. It's entitled 'Ascend: The Campaign for the University of Denver'."
Convocation: Oct. 2, 2009
"We are indeed a very special blend of academic excellence and integrity and inclusion and commitment and action. We are a great private University dedicated to the public good, and we want everyone to know about it."
Convocation: Sept. 26, 2008
"The path ahead is set by our vision to be a great private university dedicated to the public good, by the mission and goals that flow from that vision, and by the seven campaign themes I spoke about at Convocation last year that define particular directions. Looking back over the recent past we?ve accomplished a great deal already."
Convocation: Sept. 28, 2007
"In my mind, our direction is set by a single vision statement established by the University Planning Advisory Council seven years ago and reaffirmed last year: The University of Denver is a great private university dedicated to the public good."
Sustainability Message: June 2007
In June 2007 Chancellor Robert Coombe signed the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment. The University of Denver has pledged: (1) to integrate sustainability into our curriculum; (2) to complete a comprehensive inventory of all University related greenhouse gas emissions and (3) to develop an institutional action plan for becoming climate neutral.
Convocation: Sept., 29 2006
"While we've certainly benefited from stable and enlightened leadership at DU, on many levels, I sometimes think we make too much of it. The truth is that all that was accomplished over the past years, the great resurgence of the University of Denver, was accomplished by you, by your ability, strength, and determination."
PeaceJam Press Conference: September 15, 2006
"I think they were great things for the kids that were involved. They were great things for the DU students that were mentors, participated as mentors, and those things. We're just looking foreword to a truly great weekend."
Inaugural Address: April 20, 2006
"The University of Denver is uniquely poised as well to leverage the forces of globalization and internationalization to create new learning opportunities for our students and research opportunities for our faculty."
Convocation: October 14, 2005
"I believe that the winds of change have shifted in our direction, and that we truly have the opportunity to become one of the great universities in America--we are so close. We can be the leader as higher education develops new definitions of excellence appropriate to the needs of the 21st century."
Acceptance Speech: April 20, 2005
"There are simply no words to express the joy with which I accept the honor of becoming the Chancellor of this truly wonderful university, in this truly wonderful city."