Weekly Letter from the Provost—Feb. 6 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:
- 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
Chair Advisory Board (CAB) Fireside Chat
On Monday, the CAB invited me to their winter fireside chat. During that meeting, I answered questions across a broad range of topics, including this year’s budget process, DU’s efforts toward academic transformation, and the role of chairs and directors in supporting student application yield. I appreciated this group’s efforts to develop a better understanding through transparent conversation about the challenges DU is facing; this dialogue helps ensure we are best positioned to bring forward solutions that will benefit the University in the short and long term.
Staff of Color Association (SOCA) Meeting Recap
On Tuesday, Chancellor Jeremy Haefner and I participated in February’s SOCA meeting to answer questions and engage in conversation about some of the group’s areas of greatest concern, which included insights from last week’s Board of Trustees meetings, the Cable Center purchase, engagement opportunities with my three Academic Affairs committees, and a status update on the potential merger between Morgridge and either the Graduate School of Social Work (GSSW), or the Graduate School of Professional Psychology (GSPP).
Teacher-Scholar Celebration
On Tuesday night, I, along with over 70 faculty and staff members, came together for the 10th Teacher-Scholar lecture to celebrate the achievements of teacher-scholars at the University of Denver. This year’s honoree and invited lecturer was Frédérique “Sister Fred” Chevillot, and I could think of no finer example of the teacher-scholar ideal that makes DU such a special place. Drawing on more than 35 years of teaching, Sister Fred’s talk considered the ways education and scholarship, particularly in the arts and humanities, call us to take the risk of shaping students’ intellectual, emotional, moral, and professional lives without fully knowing the outcomes. In this spirit, she invited us to explore why we tell ourselves stories, and how those stories help us understand the meaning and impact of our work.
- Roberto Corrada, professor and chair of modern learning and law
- Frédérique Chevillot, professor of French and Francophone studies
- Julie Morris, teaching professor of biological sciences
- Deb Ortega, professor of social work and director, University of Denver Latino Center for Community Engagement and Scholarship
Introducing Our New Name: Office for Faculty Success
Save the Date: DU Employee Town Hall
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 committee reviewed progress across subgroups and affirmed strong forward momentum. Updates highlighted ongoing work to strengthen undergraduate and graduate student recruitment, expand partnerships and pathways, improve student retention through enhanced orientation, advising consistency, degree planning, and targeted support infrastructure. Members also discussed opportunities to close remaining gaps, including better coordination across committees, clearer graduate marketing and progression strategies, and potential structural enhancements within graduate education to support retention and revenue goals, while preserving program diversity.
My continued thanks to committee chairs Corinne Lengsfeld, Todd Rinehart, and the entire Goal 1 Committee for their efforts.
DU’s Online Programs Receive High Marks from U.S. News & World Report Rankings
The College of Professional Studies earned several top rankings, including #32 for its bachelor’s degree in business, #38 for its bachelor degree completion program (#22 for veterans), and #53 for its master’s in information technology (#25 for veterans).
The Daniels College of Business’ online MBA program ranked #93. For veterans who can enroll tuition-free through the Yellow Ribbon program, it ranked #56.
U.S. News has been publishing school rankings for online degree programs since 2013. For 2026, they evaluated 1,850 undergraduate and graduate programs for several general categories, including student engagement, faculty credentials and training, peer assessment, services and technologies, and student excellence. To view the complete rankings, click here.
Goal 2: Improve Career Outcomes and Better Prepare Our Students to Succeed and Lead in an AI-transformed Workforce
Goal 2 Committee Updates
This week, the committee has been working diligently to complete the discovery and benchmarking phase. The information gathered on career outcomes, AI workforce trends, student experiences with AI, and exemplar academic AI initiatives has been reviewed and synthesized to inform strategic recommendations and related key performance indicators (KPIs).
I offer continued thanks to committee chairs Liz Lierman, Lorenzo Patelli, and the entire Goal 2 Committee for their efforts.
Goal 3: Strengthen Academic Excellence
Goal 3 Committee Updates
The Goal 3 Subcommittees are meeting weekly in February to review data, finalize criteria, and develop preliminary recommendations. Parallel meetings with deans, chairs, directors, and associate deans have clarified the committee’s charge, focus, and timeline. Using an iterative approach, the Goal 3 Committee will engage potentially affected academic units before and after sharing recommendations in the May 1 report. The report will propose strategies to strengthen academic programs, identify opportunities for growth or restructuring, and consider programs for potential closure, all following University policy processes.
I express continued thanks to committee chairs Leslie Hasche, Jennifer Karas, and the entire Goal 3 Committee for their efforts.
Lamont Director Elected President of the College Music Society
University of Denver–Denver Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation Partnership Selected as 2026 Weaver Awards Community Host
The Weaver Awards are part of a constellation of activities designed to celebrate and support weavers—everyday neighbors who are building relationships, strengthening belonging, and developing trust into the social fabric of their communities.
The partnership between CCESL & INC, called the Denver Civic COLab, is matching DU students with neighborhood-identified projects and priorities through the INC. Through Signature Work projects, students integrate and apply their learning to benefit neighborhoods, with faculty mentorship provided by Stefan Chavez-Norgaard, a teaching assistant professor of public policy in the Korbel School’s Douglas and Mary Scrivner Institute of Public Policy.
As a community host for the Weaver Awards, the partnership has received $225,000 in startup funding, along with training, tools, technical assistance, and ongoing support from Weave. This partnership represents a four-year commitment to the Denver and DU community, signaling the Aspen Institute’s belief in the strength, creativity, and leadership already alive here. The first cycle of Weaver Awards launches in fall 2026.
Academic Freedom and Freedom of Expression at DU: Policies and Practices
Panelists:
- 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
DU Faculty Member Wins a Grammy!
Join Me for Lunch
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
Sincerely,
Elizabeth G. Loboa
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor