Weekly Letter from the Provost—Feb. 13 Edition
Dear colleagues,
This weekly newsletter will serve as one of many tools my office will use to keep you informed and engaged as we make progress toward our three goals for Academic Affairs. We are grateful for your interest and support. Previous newsletters can be found on the provost’s communication center on the University’s website.
If you have suggestions for what we should include in future communications, please submit your ideas or stories here. Suggestions received before noon on Monday will be reviewed and considered for publication in that week’s newsletter. Others will be held for consideration until the following week.
Today’s update falls into four categories:
This weekly newsletter will serve as one of many tools my office will use to keep you informed and engaged as we make progress toward our three goals for Academic Affairs. We are grateful for your interest and support. Previous newsletters can be found on the provost’s communication center on the University’s website.
If you have suggestions for what we should include in future communications, please submit your ideas or stories here. Suggestions received before noon on Monday will be reviewed and considered for publication in that week’s newsletter. Others will be held for consideration until the following week.
Today’s update falls into four categories:
- Campus news and happenings
- Goal 1: Shape enrollment and improve retention and graduation rates for all students
- Goal 2: Improve career outcomes and better prepare our students to succeed and lead in an AI-transformed workforce
- Goal 3: Strengthen academic excellence
Campus News and Happenings
Faculty and Staff Well-being Seminar Series
Registration is now open for the Faculty & Staff Well-being Speaker Series! With travel limited this year, we hope these speakers will provide our community with opportunities for on-campus personal and professional development.
Registration for all events is available through Crimson Connect (search “Well-Being Speaker Series”) and includes in-person and virtual participation options. The February and March sessions also include options for those who cannot attend. Detailed session descriptions are available online or in each of the Crimson Connect events.
For each date, lunch will be provided from 11:30 a.m.-noon, and the speaker will present from noon-1 p.m. Lunch will be a time for community building and is sponsored by Cigna and Kaiser Permanente.
Registration for all events is available through Crimson Connect (search “Well-Being Speaker Series”) and includes in-person and virtual participation options. The February and March sessions also include options for those who cannot attend. Detailed session descriptions are available online or in each of the Crimson Connect events.
For each date, lunch will be provided from 11:30 a.m.-noon, and the speaker will present from noon-1 p.m. Lunch will be a time for community building and is sponsored by Cigna and Kaiser Permanente.
Save the Date: DU Employee Town Hall
Please join us on Wednesday, Feb. 18, from 2-3 p.m. in Anderson Academic Commons 290 or join virtually via Zoom.
Preceding the town hall, University leadership will share key updates via video and email about budget updates, enrollment trends, services for community support and engagement, cabinet committees, and current capital projects. To maximize time for questions, a recap of these presentations will not be provided at the beginning of the town hall event.
Preceding the town hall, University leadership will share key updates via video and email about budget updates, enrollment trends, services for community support and engagement, cabinet committees, and current capital projects. To maximize time for questions, a recap of these presentations will not be provided at the beginning of the town hall event.
Goal 1: Shape Enrollment and Improve Retention and Graduation Rates
Updates from the Goal 1 Committee
The Goal 1 Committee has established three subcommittees, with subcommittee co-chairs, which will inform their efforts: you can review the revised committee and subcommittee assignments on the Provost Office website.
The Goal 1 Subcommittee on student success, belonging, and retention is examining factors affecting student retention beyond the first year, including FAFSA completion, financial aid changes, and improved degree planning support. The group is exploring ways to strengthen students’ sense of belonging through signature events and by enhancing advising alignment and transfer student onboarding. These ideas are preliminary and ongoing, with additional discussions underway on graduate student support, onboarding, and advising infrastructure.
My continued thanks to committee chairs Corinne Lengsfeld, Todd Rinehart, and the entire Goal 1 Committee for their efforts.
The Goal 1 Subcommittee on student success, belonging, and retention is examining factors affecting student retention beyond the first year, including FAFSA completion, financial aid changes, and improved degree planning support. The group is exploring ways to strengthen students’ sense of belonging through signature events and by enhancing advising alignment and transfer student onboarding. These ideas are preliminary and ongoing, with additional discussions underway on graduate student support, onboarding, and advising infrastructure.
My continued thanks to committee chairs Corinne Lengsfeld, Todd Rinehart, and the entire Goal 1 Committee for their efforts.
Faculty Needed: Recruiting Future Generations of DU Students
Faculty who will travel to key cities in the coming months are encouraged to connect with our Admissions team by emailing Craig Dionne, director of recruitment, ahead of time. When schedules allow, we may be able to arrange brief coffee conversations with prospective students and their families. These small moments can make a surprisingly meaningful difference in helping future students envision themselves at DU.
4D in the Classroom: Language Faculty Collaborate on Peer Observation Model
Seven faculty members in the CAHSS Center for World Languages and Cultures—Kate Rice, Virginie Cassidy, Andie Anderson, Polina Maksimovich, Quint Kopper, Rocio Rubio Moiron, and Silvia Comuzzi-Sexton—have developed a new peer observation plan grounded in the 4D Experience taxonomy.
During the 2025 fall quarter, these seven faculty from four language programs formed a teaching circle to explore how daily instruction in DU’s first-year language courses aligns with the four dimensions. Their collaboration aimed to further identify and elevate the ways these courses foster students’ holistic growth. Faculty noted that the experience was both enriching and energizing, strengthening their shared sense of purpose and commitment to 4D-centered learning. To learn more about 4D in the classroom, you can read this article.
During the 2025 fall quarter, these seven faculty from four language programs formed a teaching circle to explore how daily instruction in DU’s first-year language courses aligns with the four dimensions. Their collaboration aimed to further identify and elevate the ways these courses foster students’ holistic growth. Faculty noted that the experience was both enriching and energizing, strengthening their shared sense of purpose and commitment to 4D-centered learning. To learn more about 4D in the classroom, you can read this article.
Goal 2: Improve Career Outcomes and Better Prepare Our Students to Succeed and Lead in an AI-transformed Workforce
Goal 2 Committee Updates
The Goal 2 Committee has established three subcommittees, with subcommittee co-chairs, which will inform their efforts: you can review the revised committee and subcommittee assignments on the Provost Office website.
This week, the three subcommittees prepared summary reports from the discovery phase, identifying major themes emerging from their analysis of career outcomes data, employer feedback, and the student AI experience. Among the key themes are AI literacy frameworks, responsible and human-centered AI, experiential learning, and evolving career value propositions. These themes will be discussed by the full committee next week as we move toward formulating recommendations and related key performance indicators (KPIs) in the next phase.
I offer continued thanks to committee chairs Liz Lierman, Lorenzo Patelli, and the entire Goal 2 Committee for their efforts.
This week, the three subcommittees prepared summary reports from the discovery phase, identifying major themes emerging from their analysis of career outcomes data, employer feedback, and the student AI experience. Among the key themes are AI literacy frameworks, responsible and human-centered AI, experiential learning, and evolving career value propositions. These themes will be discussed by the full committee next week as we move toward formulating recommendations and related key performance indicators (KPIs) in the next phase.
I offer continued thanks to committee chairs Liz Lierman, Lorenzo Patelli, and the entire Goal 2 Committee for their efforts.
Applied AI and Society: A New Interdisciplinary Minor in CAHSS
The College of Arts, Humanities, & Social Sciences has launched a new applied AI and society minor, an interdisciplinary program drawing on courses from across CAHSS and the broader University. Grounded in the liberal arts, the minor invites students to explore artificial intelligence through the lenses of ethics, identity, culture, public policy, and social impact. This minor offers students an opportunity to pair technological literacy with the deep humanistic inquiry that defines a DU education.
AI in Teaching and Learning: Upcoming Faculty Symposium
The University Writing Program, the Center for Ethical Generative Artificial Intelligence Applications (CEGAIA), and the Office of Teaching and Learning are cohosting a one day symposium for DU faculty, which will focus on multidisciplinary perspectives on AI in teaching and learning. The event will take place on Friday, Feb. 20 from 9 a.m.–3 p.m. in AAC 290 (Kvistad Room). Faculty are encouraged to RSVP here.
Goal 3: Strengthen Academic Excellence
Goal 3 Committee Updates
As a reminder, the Goal 3 Committee has established three subcommittees, with subcommittee co-chairs, which will inform their efforts: you can review the revised committee and subcommittee assignments on the Provost Office website.
While the subcommittees are dedicating time to gathering and refining data and criteria to inform their recommendations, the co-chairs are focused on aligning goal 3’s timeline with faculty shared governance procedures. Jennifer Karas and Leslie Hasche reviewed shared governance procedures required by DU’s appointment, promotion, and tenure (APT) policy (Section 6.4) with the provost and deans during their most recent meeting. They discussed the goal 3 charge, subcommittees, timeline, and need for Faculty Senate involvement at today’s Faculty Senate meeting. You can review this presentation here.
I express continued thanks to committee chairs Leslie Hasche, Jennifer Karas, and the entire Goal 3 Committee for their efforts.
While the subcommittees are dedicating time to gathering and refining data and criteria to inform their recommendations, the co-chairs are focused on aligning goal 3’s timeline with faculty shared governance procedures. Jennifer Karas and Leslie Hasche reviewed shared governance procedures required by DU’s appointment, promotion, and tenure (APT) policy (Section 6.4) with the provost and deans during their most recent meeting. They discussed the goal 3 charge, subcommittees, timeline, and need for Faculty Senate involvement at today’s Faculty Senate meeting. You can review this presentation here.
I express continued thanks to committee chairs Leslie Hasche, Jennifer Karas, and the entire Goal 3 Committee for their efforts.
Korbel Public Events Advancing Career Preparation and Leadership in Service of the Public Good
Throughout January, the Josef Korbel School of Global and Public Affairs hosted a series of public events that prepare students for leadership and policy-relevant careers:
- Trump’s Second Term: Policy and Global Implications: Four DU faculty members examined the first year of President Trump’s second presidency, addressing democracy, security, trade, and U.S. politics. Moderated by Professor Rachel Epstein, the discussion drew more than 200 attendees, including students, faculty, staff, and community members.
- U.S. Intervention in Venezuela—What’s Happening Now and What’s Next?:National and regional experts explored the lead-up to the U.S. intervention and its likely aftermath. The event attracted more than 400 registrants across in-person and online participation, including members of Denver’s Venezuelan community.
- Leadership in a Turbulent World—A Conversation with Congressman Jason Crow: Congressman Jason Crow and Korbel Dean Fritz Mayer discussed public leadership, congressional authority, and governing amid polarization before a nearly full audience of 300 individuals. Students had the opportunity to ask Representative Crow questions.
Collectively, these events connect students to real-world policy debates, expose them to diverse public leaders and perspectives, and reinforce Korbel’s role as a convening space that advances leadership development in service of the public good.
For a full listing of previous and upcoming Korbel public events please visit the following website.
For a full listing of previous and upcoming Korbel public events please visit the following website.
Reminder: Academic Freedom and Freedom of Expression at DU: Policies and Practices
Academic freedom and freedom of expression are similar concepts, but with key distinctions: academic freedom is a narrower, specialized concept focused on protecting faculty research and teaching in a faculty member’s area of expertise. This panel will address the challenges associated with free speech at a private university, the rights of faculty at DU to teach and research in their disciplines, and the purpose of protecting scholarly inquiry from interference.
Panelists include:
Panelists include:
- Alan Chen, Thompson G. Marsh Law Alumni professor
- Michael Todd, associate vice chancellor, Office of Civil Rights and Equal Opportunity
- Derigan Silver, faculty director and chair, Freedom of Expression and Pluralism Initiatives
- Sarah Watamura, professor of psychology and president, University of Denver Faculty Senate
Register here for this event which will take place on March 3, from 12:30-2 p.m. in the Grand Forum of Community Commons.
Join Me for Lunch
Please join me in the faculty lounge (Community Commons 2800) from noon-1 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 16 for our “First and Third Mondays” lunch. Bring your food, questions, and ideas—I look forward to engaging with you.
For reference, here are the dates reserved for lunches for the remainder of the winter and spring quarters:
For reference, here are the dates reserved for lunches for the remainder of the winter and spring quarters:
- Feb. 16
- March 2
- March 16
- April 6
- April 20
- May 6 (due to travel on May 4)
- May 18
- June 1
Thank you all for your dedication and commitment to the University of Denver’s educational mission. With your support, we can chart a bright future together for our campus community.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth G. Loboa
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor
Sincerely,
Elizabeth G. Loboa
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor