4D, Purpose, and the Power of Play

Dear colleagues, 

Thank you to everyone who helped make last week’s 4D Symposium such a meaningful community event. It was energizing to see the DU community engage with purpose not only as an abstract idea, but as a practice that comes to life in classrooms, advising, mentorship, community engagement, and the many everyday touchpoints that define our students’ experience. 

I would like to share a few highlights: 

• Professors Ileya Grosman and Rolfe Larson discussed how vital relationships are to human health and development and invited attendees to reflect on how we can create learning environments at DU that foster human connection | “Designing Lives of Purpose” Workshop 
• CAHSS faculty shared how they are pairing classroom learning with community and industry experiences to help students build confidence, gain skills, and connect with their purpose and lifelong goals | “4D Fridays: Embedded Career Readiness” Panel 
• Students, faculty, and staff discussed the question, “What if purpose was the purpose of higher education?” | 4D Coffeehouse 
• Public and private sector leaders came to campus to discuss the skills and mindsets that are becoming increasingly important at work | “The Future of Work” Panel 

Student-led Experience on Play  

I also want to dive deeper into one example of how students themselves are helping DU offer a unique, customizable, and holistic learning experience.  

The 4D Play Student Fellows  have been exploring how the act of play can build connection, invite reflection, and create personal clarity around purpose. This work culminated in a play-focused event outside the symposium that invited students to pause, participate, and connect. Beneath the easy-to-dismiss surface of “fun,” play can support cognitive flexibility and emotional regulation, while helping students build skills around navigating uncertainty through trial and error. The success of this experiment makes one wish we could schedule a “recess” in every day.  

These outcomes dovetail directly with the 4D Experience, especially our commitments to character and well-being by developing the inner resources students need to manage stress, build relationships, and lead with curiosity, empathy, and resilience. As we continue to deepen the 4D Experience, I encourage each of us to notice where play already shows up in our work and where we might make more space for it. 

A Note of Gratitude 

Thanks again to everyone who helped with the symposium. From the speakers and facilitators who made these conversations so rich to the Student Fellows whose work made some real fun possible, thank you for a memorable engagement. To the 4D team and all campus partners who are taking holistic learning from the intangible to the very real, very visible impact we see on campus each day, thank you for deeply enhancing the student experience. Our students leave DU with the skillset needed for the modern workplace because of your efforts. 

Sincerely, 

Jeremy Haefner  
Chancellor