VIP Director's Letter / Current News

Director's Letter

During the eighteen year history of VIP, there have been many successes and challenges. As we look ahead we are now poised to undertake new initiatives to strenghten the academic quality of VIP as well as the continual outreach of the Program. As Tracy Kirby, VIP alumnus and current Advisory Board Member eloquently stated at the VIP Luncheon, "VIP and our other life experiences create in many of us a desire to give something back; to use out knowledge and experience to help others in earlier stages of life. Our soon-to-be 100 alumni collectively possess an amazing amount of knowledge. We have the potential to be a very strong network of professionals and quality people who can accomplish great things if we work together."

Collaboratively, the VIP staff with alums and community leaders have led the way to initiate changes in the VIP Program. In 2007 a VIP Advisory Board was formed. The members are Jack Curtin, Barbara Grogan, Tracy Kirby, Angrith Na, Sopheap Na, Gary and Dianne Sears and Nitosha Trujillo. These individuals have been instrumental in providing the VIP Program with new and creative directions as well as their continual participation at VIP events.

Dianne and Gary Sears joined the VIP Advisory Board because of their belief in the value of education, their gratitude for the education they received in Denver and their respect for the University of Denver. Both were first generation college students themselves and find helping young people to achieve the goal of attending college extremely rewarding and meaningful. Dianne and Gary are Lincoln High School alums and Dianne is recently retired from Overland High School where she worked as a school counselor. Gary is currently City Manager for the City of Englewood. In future issues other board members will be highlighted.

In the coming months, the VIP staff will work diligently to enhance the visibility of the VIP Program in schools in the Metro Denver area as well as in the community. In summer 2009, the Office of Special Community Programs and VIP will host the Denver Scholarship Foundation, Rising Senior Summer Workshop and the Goodwill Industries High School Camp. Both programs are designed to prepare students for college, which is a mission of VIP.

—Cathy Grieve

Upcoming Events

Winter Interterm

November 24 - December 24, 2009

Interterm is the period between quarters in which intensive on-campus, on-line and travel courses are offered in intensive formats to provide students with an alternative approach to learning. DU faculty create Interterm classes that are academically challenging and involve an experiential component. Most students who experience Interterm courses return for additional opportunities to enhance their experience. The courses may be taken for credit at current DU tuition rates. There are four Interterms each year, which are scheduled immediately after each quarter.

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