Launching the new DU Forward website

Dear community members,  

This spring has been filled with contrasts—from the pride of seeing DU's hockey team win an 11th national championship to the responsibility of navigating difficult, necessary changes. Those experiences can feel worlds apart, yet they are connected by our shared purpose and strategic direction: DU Forward. Together, we are moving the University of Denver confidently into its future by building on our strengths, making thoughtful choices, and bolstering our distinctive model for an exceptional student experience in higher education. 

As I shared in last week’s issue, at its core, DU Forward is built on transformation—from our academics and operations to how we make intelligent, future-focused investments that strengthen DU for generations of students. We must build on our excellence, and we must have the courage to honestly examine our most impactful areas for growth and how we strategically ensure DU's ongoing success. 

Learn More on the Newly Launched Site 

I am pleased to announce that we now have an online home for DU Forward. I hope you will take time to explore current projects, track our progress, learn about the principles that guide us, and consider the ways in which your work is having an impact on moving us forward.  

Together, We Are Already Taking DU Forward 

Major, visible investments like the Welcome Center provide critically needed modern, functional space while also opening doors to new income streams and creating spaces for community connection. The Integrative Life Sciences Building will expand our capacity for research and discovery, enhance the learning experience for every single DU undergraduate student, and improve our ability to attract students. 

More than anywhere else, DU Forward comes to life in the inventive, human‑centered work of our faculty and staff. This past year, 19 DU Forward projects received funding. These projects were imagined, designed, and continue to be run by people across our community who see opportunity and act on it. Visit the site to learn more about each project, which includes the following: 

• 4D Fridays in the College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences help students to explore careers and lives of purpose every week of their academic year. 
• Colorado’s first three‑year bachelor’s degrees in the College of Professional Studies offer a more affordable, flexible path for students. 
• Several AI‑related projects that are looking at how we teach AI at DU, how we use it in our work, how we prepare students for an AI-transformed world, and how DU thoughtfully builds and studies this technology. 

DU Forward reflects a university in motion, confident in our strengths, clear about our priorities, and committed to what comes next. It is aspirational and underway, visible across campus, active in our decisions, and built every day by the people who make DU the excellent university that it is. 

Take a look at the new site, and thank you for the ideas, care, and commitment that continue to move the University of Denver forward. 

Sincerely, 

Jeremy Haefner  
Chancellor