DU Forward | University of Denver

What's DU Forward?

As we near the end of IMPACT 2025, DU’s 10-year strategic plan, working with campus partners university leadership has launched DU Forward, the University’s strategic roadmap for the years ahead.

DU Forward is a strategic roadmap to bridge the gap between DU IMPACT 2025 and the creation of a new, full-blown strategic plan around 2030. For now, we need a strategic framework that builds on the momentum of IMPACT 2025, supports the university during this time of change and uncertainty, and best positions all of DU for ongoing success for decades to come.

Higher education faces significant challenges, including financial pressures, lower trust, the impending enrollment cliff, and a higher percentage of college-age people choosing not to pursue a four-year degree. DU must adapt to remain relevant, competitive, and financially strong. At the same time, we know we have more to do to advance the beneficial vision and goals of DU IMPACT 2025. Under DU IMPACT 2025, we achieved significant milestones: improved retention and graduation rates, increased student and faculty diversity, earned R1 status, and launched the 4D Experience, which has become a cornerstone to the DU experience, and much more. DU Forward builds on and adds to this success in addressing the headwinds we’re facing.

Because of the work of our community in accomplishing so much under Impact 2025, unlike many universities, we are well positioned to build on this success and ensure DU has a long, enduring future.

DU Forward will guide us through the next five years, helping us to not only survive the changing landscape but emerge thriving. This innovative plan offers time to reflect on previous accomplishments, build on those successes, and create a shared strategy for accomplishing our strategic vision.

DU Forward is our collective opportunity to secure ongoing, long-term success. Together, we'll empower DU to move forward in ways that highlight the incredible value and impact of a DU education—and the contributions our students, faculty, research, and programs have on public good and on the world. We will drive enrollment demand and set the stage for our university to thrive for generations to come.

We Want to Hear From You

Please send us your thoughts and feedback about DU Forward.

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The History of DU Forward

University leadership has been working for months to gather feedback from deans and shared governance groups to inform the creation of DU Forward.

The challenges facing the University of Denver today have arisen from both expected and unexpected forces. Some, such as the enrollment cliff and the need to enhance competitiveness and demand, were anticipated and are being addressed through initiatives like IMPACT 2025, Denver Advantage, and the 4D Experience. Others, including shifting social and political sentiment and growing skepticism about the value of higher education, were foreseen but have had a faster and more significant impact than expected.

Additionally, unforeseen factors—such as the lasting effects of the pandemic, shifts in graduate enrollment, and complications with the FAFSA rollout—have added complexity.

The University of Denver is not alone in facing these expected and unexpected challenges. However, based on the success of IMPACT 2025 and the opportunities with DU Forward, we are well positioned to address and overcome these challenges and emerge even stronger.

DU Forward Key Areas of Focus

Drive Academic, Research, and Institutional Excellence

Embrace Bold Innovation

Elevate DU’s Differentiation and Distinctiveness

Defined Outcomes of DU Forward

Bend the enrollment curve and achieve a stable student population of 12,500 students.
Double down on our commitment to student success by achieving a retention rate at low to mid 90% for both undergraduates and graduates.
Amplify our reputation as a liberal education university with a strong career focus by increasing student career outcomes rates to the mid-90% and longitudinal alumni satisfaction.
Advance the commitment to holistic education by completing the rollout of the 4D Experience and demonstrate the value with data.
Reaffirm One DU by increasing DU faculty and staff engagement and satisfaction.
Expand our research impact and maintain R1 status.
Strengthen our reputation in Denver and across the nation.
Raise $1B during The Denver Difference Campaign to ensure our ability to meet our aspirations and ambitions.

Campus Engagement

To move DU Forward, we are focused on key initiatives that build on our strengths and encourage interdisciplinary collaboration. Here are some ways we are engaging the DU community:

Gather feedback through a community-wide survey on key areas of focus.
Empower a steering committee to guide the process.
Leverage expertise in Colleges and Schools to obtain compelling proposals within and across academic areas and disciplines.
Draw on community expertise through curated conversations about our desired outcomes.
Turn ideas into proposals that will be vetted by the steering committee and presented back to the community for feedback.

Academic Unit Engagement

We have been working closely with leadership within DU’s colleges and schools to gather ideas from their communities. Faculty and staff are encouraged to participate in these efforts through their academic units. Each college and school is developing and proposing ideas to be included in the DU Forward strategic framework.

Proposals do not need to be net new ideas and can build on current strengths by adding to curricula, programming, or other investments we’re already making. Ideas also can be multi-disciplinary or interdisciplinary.

Curated Conversations

University experts are hosting conversations about key topics to develop ideas to be part of the DU Forward Strategic Framework. The following topics are being discussed to help drive idea curation and spark innovation.

4D

Hosted by the 4D team
KMC

Hosted by Stu Halsall
Free Speech and Pluralism

Hosted by Derigan Silver
Student Jobs/Careers

Hosted by Liz Lehrman
Study Abroad/Internationalization

Hosted by Uttiyo Raychaudhuri
Elevating DU’s Reputation in Denver and Beyond

Hosted by Stephanie O’Malley
Student Retention and Success

Hosted by Kristy Firebaugh
Enrollment

Hosted by University Admissions
Research Diversity and Expansion

Hosted by Corrine Lengsfeld
Community Outreach and Engagement and the Public Good

Hosted by Anne DePrince
Culture and Employee Engagement

Hosted by Jeff Banks and Jenn Bellamy
Enabling Evolution, Adaptation, and Continuous Improvement at the University

Hosted by Julia Richman, Rohini Ananthakrishnan, and Elizabeth Bullock
Disruption/Trends

Hosted by Mary Clark, Naomi Boyd, and Michael McGuire

Steering Committee

DU Forward will be overseen by a steering committee representative of shared governance.

The committee will oversee the process for developing the framework and provide direction for selection of initiatives proposed by the community.

Chairs

Anne DePrince
Brad Bohlander

Faculty

Joshua Ross
John Sebesta
Anne DePrince
Joe Walsh
Carl Raschke
Nic Ormes
Starla Sieveke-Pearson

Deans

Michelle Sabick
Naomi Boyd
Torrey Wilson

Senior Admin

Brad Bohlander

Staff

Maggie Heyduk
Isabel Salvatore
Paul Riola
Kristy Firebaugh
Amanda Young Stewart
Leslie Cramblet Alvarez
Jeremy Wu
Anthony Molieri

Students

Micah DenBraber
Tyler Miller
Rosepetal Van de Graaf
Shivani Naraharishetty

DU Forward Timeline

January

Finalize shared governance structure

February

Launch Campus Engagement

Winter/Spring

Campus Engagement Framework Development

Summer

Revise and Finalize

Fall

Publish

Operational Excellence

The Operational Excellence initiative focuses on generating improvements to our administrative operations to enhance operations, improving efficiency, identifying ways to maximize resources, and strengthening DU’s financial position. We gathered 570 ideas from our community and formed 17 working groups with 230 volunteers. Those groups evaluated and vetted ideas, and individuals from those groups stepped up to develop business cases for the most promising ideas. Those business cases are currently being vetted by the steering committee, and the top opportunities will move to final selection by the chancellor and the provost. More than a dozen ideas are undergoing additional vetting or are being put directly into work by the division that most closely relates to the type of work. Once submitted, leadership will identify the ideas with the greatest potential and move forward on next steps.