DU Forward: Major Initiatives

DU Forward is the University of Denver’s long-term framework for strengthening what makes DU distinctive: a personalized, outcomes-focused student experience. Advancing this vision requires concentrated effort across the institution.

The initiatives below represent cornerstone investments in DU’s future. Together, they support all aspects of the DU experience. From academic excellence to student success, national reputation to long-term sustainability, we are moving DU Forward in some important ways.

The Major Initiatives Driving DU Forward

Integrative Life Sciences

DU is building a more integrated and visible life sciences ecosystem that brings together teaching, research, and real-world impact. This initiative connects faculty and students across disciplines such as biology, engineering, data science, psychology, and health-related fields to address complex challenges in human health, sustainability, and technology.
Key goals include expanding interdisciplinary degree pathways, strengthening research partnerships, and positioning DU as a leader in applied, student-centered life sciences education.
Learn More About Integrative Life Sciences
The DU Welcome Center
When the University of Denver purchased the building formerly known as “The Cable Center,” it was with one primary goal – to reimagine the space as a dynamic Welcome Center for campus. The forthcoming transformation will support recruitment, enrollment, alumni engagement, and major campus events by providing a highly visible and flexible front door to the university.
Ultimately, our vision for the space has three primary objectives:
- Welcome Center: The facility will provide an additional “front door” to our campus, welcoming visitors, prospective students, and more. We plan to create a welcoming environment for prospective students and their families, strengthen enrollment efforts, and showcase DU’s vibrant community.
- Academic Use: This facility will help us build on our preeminent student experience through our academic enterprise, creating opportunities for rethinking how space is utilized across campus.
- Event and Rental Opportunities: The building will also serve as a venue for University functions and provide rental revenue, allowing it to remain an asset for both DU and the broader community.
This strategic step reflects our commitment to advancing DU’s academic mission and enhancing the experience for our faculty, staff, future students, and community.
West Coast Conference Membership

DU’s move to the West Coast Conference represents a major step forward in aligning athletics with institutional values and academic priorities. This transition enhances national visibility, strengthens competitive excellence, and supports an athletics program that integrates fully with the student experience.
Conference membership also expands geographic reach and strengthens connections to alumni, partners, and prospective students across key regions.
“The excellence of schools that are part of the West Coast Conference is a perfect complement to DU and will help us continue to recruit the very best students and faculty.”
- Chancellor Jeremy Haefner
Read More About West Coast Conference Membership
DU 4D Experience

The DU 4D Experience is central to the DU Forward framework. It "systematizes" DU’s signature approach to education by helping students intentionally integrate learning, exploration, well-being, and purpose.
Through mentorship, reflection, and experiential learning, 4D empowers students to design an education that prepares them not just for their first job, but for lifelong adaptability and fulfillment.
Learn More About 4D
Kennedy Mountain Campus (KMC)

The Kennedy Mountain Campus is a signature DU asset that enables immersive, experiential learning in a unique alpine setting. Through credit-bearing programs, professional education, and community engagement, KMC supports DU Forward priorities in experiential education, sustainability, and alternative learning models.
KMC initiatives increasingly serve both traditional students and broader learner audiences.
Learn More About KMC
Web and Digital Transformation

DU Forward includes rethinking how the university communicates and delivers services in a digital-first environment. This initiative focuses on modernizing DU’s web presence, improving usability and accessibility, and ensuring digital platforms clearly communicate DU’s value proposition.
Denver Art Museum Partnership

The University of Denver and the Denver Art Museum have expanded their partnership to bring world-class art directly to campus. Through this collaboration, the Denver Art Museum is contributing a collection of major sculptures that will be installed across DU’s campus over multiple phases.
The Denver Art Museum Sculpture Collection at the University of Denver enhances the campus as a living cultural landscape, creating new opportunities for teaching, learning, and community engagement. Several of the works will be on public view in Colorado for the first time, while others are returning to prominence in a highly accessible, community-centered setting.
This initiative reinforces DU Forward’s commitment to experiential education, the arts, and public good by positioning campus spaces as points of connection between students, faculty, and the broader Denver community.
Sustainability & the Pivot Energy Partnership

Sustainability is a core priority within DU Forward, shaping how the university stewards its resources, prepares students for a changing world, and lives its values. Through a combination of strategic partnerships, operational improvements, and academic integration, DU is advancing a more sustainable and resilient future.
A key component of this work is DU’s partnership with Pivot Energy, which supports the university’s transition to cleaner, renewable energy sources. This effort advances DU’s climate and energy goals while delivering long-term financial and environmental benefits.
Beyond energy generation, DU’s sustainability efforts span campus operations, curriculum, research, and student engagement.
Additional Initiatives

DU Forward is an evolving framework. This page will continue to evolve as initiatives mature and new efforts are launched in support of DU Forward.

Looking Ahead

The path from strategy to results is a marathon, not a sprint. While these early outcomes are promising, they represent early signals, not finished targets. As DU Forward continues to mature:

More data will emerge across retention, enrollment, institutional resilience, research, and innovation.
Additional impact stories will unfold in classrooms, labs, and Denver neighborhoods.

Check back often to see DU Forward’s progress and the lasting impact it’s creating.

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