Unprecedented Times. Uncompromising Focus on Students.
The University of Denver has always focused on helping our students meet the moment, to apply their knowledge, skills, experiences, and passions to build meaningful lives and improve the world.
Right now, this moment, it is one we could never have ever predicted.
And yet, what our students need to thrive in the midst of a global pandemic is what they have always needed—and what DU continues to provide and foster: A world-class education. Dedicated professors. A global focus. Health and wellness. Equity and inclusivity. Resilience. Creativity. Agility.
Without a doubt, today brings unique challenges to our students and to the DU community. As the world navigates the COVID-19 crisis, our students enter into a college experience that doesn’t look quite like the one they had imagined or previously enjoyed. In response, our faculty rise ably to the challenge and reimage their curriculum and research for a largely online world. Our community comes together to build an incredibly detailed and robust plan to create a meaningful on-campus experience that is also safe. And, as COVID-19 changes so much, it also shines a bright light on the most pressing issues in our society. DU is committed to taking big steps forward, weaving diversity, equity and inclusion efforts into our strategy at every level.
Now is complex moment, a historic moment. Now, it’s more vital than ever that DU boldly pursues its vision to serve the public good. The coming year holds many questions, but the importance of this vision—for our students, for our entire community, for the world—is paramount. Together, we can do more than weather, more than endure. We can grow, improve, and build a better future for ourselves and for our students.
Together, we create our future
Strategic Imperatives
Informed by DU IMPACT 2025, our five strategic areas prioritize our grandest ambitions. They align our work with how we want DU and the campus community to grow and evolve so we may continually better serve our students and produce knowledge that improves society.
Leadership
Through a system of shared leadership, the offices of the chancellor and provost, the board of trustees, the chancellor’s cabinet and the deans work together to ensure the institution’s sustainable future and commitment to the university’s mission.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Action Plan
We are moving into the final and most critical stage in our work to address issues of diversity, equity and inclusion on campus. The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Action Plan is our framework. Our goal is to ensure this university is a place where all can belong, contribute and thrive.
“What I believe makes DU stand out is our history of strength and resilience. From our early years until now, this community has never shirked from challenge. In fact, we have always used challenge as opportunity.”
Chanceller Haefner New Student Convocation, 2019
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Creating a diverse and inclusive community isn’t only the right thing to do; it’s critical to the successful implementation of our mission. The greatest challenges facing us in the century ahead are incredibly complex and will require diverse teams who can work collaboratively and innovatively.
We Will DU Better
In January 2020, DU students and alumni bravely began sharing their stories of sexual assault and gender violence. These stories were disturbing, gut-wrenching and deeply impactful. This movement is a call to action. Our culture must change.
University leadership has met with students, faculty experts, external experts and alumni. With their input, we have developed a detailed and comprehensive action plan to help make DU a safe campus—a safe community—for everyone.
It is our responsibility to address the enormous harm caused by sexual assault and gender violence. We start by listening to survivors, and then we take action.
Community + Values
DU is exploring what it means to be an academic community. We will create and participate in collective experiences while striving to understand how best to evolve our culture and systems and re-examine our values.
DU IMPACT 2025
Born from the ideas, aspirations and vision of the entire campus community, DU IMPACT 2025 is our north star, a bold declaration of what we know we can achieve. Through our strategic plan, DU will continue to lead by transforming the student experience, championing cross-discipline collaboration, engaging with partners locally and globally, and coming together as OneDU.
Nineteen
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Messages from Leadership
February 2020
I’m proud to join the campus this year in celebrating Black History Month. For much of American history, the achievements of our black community members have gone unrecognized. This robs far too many of their rightful place in our halls of fame, history books and collective memory. -
Messages from Leadership
January 2020
Over the coming months, which will be busy, I look forward to using this space—my Nineteen newsletter—to keep in touch with you about what I’m thinking, where the University is going, and how you can get involved. -
Messages from Leadership
November 2019
One thing that distinguishes this university from so many others is its strategic plan, DU IMPACT 2025. The plan, and all we have accomplished so far, is a tribute to so many of you who have devoted yourselves to this ambitious, rigorous effort to build on DU’s strengths.