Executive voice after tragedy
Welcome to “Reflections,” a new newsletter I will be sending to the DU community to share my thoughts on timely issues and highlight success stories from the chancellor's point of view. I hope you find these thoughts helpful and illuminating.
Why did I title this newsletter “Reflections”? We spend so much of our time—too much, perhaps—thinking forward without reflecting in order to learn and grow, as individuals and as a community. Yet, a great liberal education embodies the practice of reflection—an integral part of the 4D Experience.
Given the events of this past week, I have found myself, both personally and professionally, in deep reflection. Enduring these difficult times is really, really hard. But I found solace when I spent the past weekend up at the Kennedy Mountain Campus with 115 first-year students for their First Ascent experience. I heard from many students how the shootings of last week hit hard, and they mentioned how they initially felt scared. But they referred to our resources such as the Health and Counseling Center for helping them cope with these events. I’m so proud of how the campus comes together to help and care for each other. It is truly a differentiating feature of DU.
The continued school shootings and the marked increase in political violence in the United States is distressing and incredibly dangerous. I worry about our ability to be a functional democracy when the stakes of disagreement get raised to the point of mortality.
Higher education is not a place that teaches students what to think, but rather how to think. And that freedom and fundamental principle is what’s at stake with deeper polarization and radicalization. Now more than ever, the value of what we do inside and outside the classroom cannot be overstated—we truly are preparing a generation to lead us out of the dark valley of severe division to higher ground and, importantly, understanding. Let us not forget this noble mission.
Particularly in moments like these, my responsibility is to acknowledge the very real challenges we face and guide us forward with empathy, resolve, and a commitment to our shared values. It is my belief that thoughtful reflection combined with practical solutions can help us address challenges. Together.