Weekly Letter from the Provost—March 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:
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
Happy Birthday DU!
This year, the University will commemorate its founding over 160 years ago by honoring the commitment and vision of individuals who have made a positive impact on our community.
In March, the chancellor and DU’s Advancement team marked this milestone by holding a Founders event, which recognized donors for their generous gifts with Founders Medals. During the gathering, the chancellor expressed appreciation to the El Pomar Foundation, Margot Gilbert Frank and the late M Allan Frank, and Vicki and Trygve Myhren, whose philanthropy has greatly supported the University. Important donors who were also recognized included long-time faculty members Gareth and Sandra Eaton, who have supported DU for more than 35 years. We are grateful to the individuals and organizations above who are investing in our future.
To learn more about DU’s Founders Medalist honorees and major gift donors, read more on this website.
In March, the chancellor and DU’s Advancement team marked this milestone by holding a Founders event, which recognized donors for their generous gifts with Founders Medals. During the gathering, the chancellor expressed appreciation to the El Pomar Foundation, Margot Gilbert Frank and the late M Allan Frank, and Vicki and Trygve Myhren, whose philanthropy has greatly supported the University. Important donors who were also recognized included long-time faculty members Gareth and Sandra Eaton, who have supported DU for more than 35 years. We are grateful to the individuals and organizations above who are investing in our future.
To learn more about DU’s Founders Medalist honorees and major gift donors, read more on this website.
Miller National Academy Executive Director Search Update
The University of Denver is currently seeking a founding executive director to lead the Miller National Academy for Free Expression and Pluralism, a new initiative dedicated to strengthening civil discourse, pluralism, and free expression in American public life. At a time of profound polarization and declining trust across institutions, the Miller National Academy is designed to connect ideas to action, bringing together leaders from civic, nonprofit, media, business, philanthropic, and educational communities to model how disagreement can be principled, rigorous, and constructive.
I wish to thank members of the search committee who have been hard at work refining and marketing the position advertisement, which resulted in a very strong applicant pool:
I wish to thank members of the search committee who have been hard at work refining and marketing the position advertisement, which resulted in a very strong applicant pool:
- John Miller, chair, Board of Trustees
- Brandon Johnson, Board of Trustees
- Sahara Byrne, dean, CAHSS
- Darrin Hicks, professor, CAHSS
- Sarah Pessin, professor, CAHSS
- Dean Saitta, professor, CAHSS
- Derigan Silver, associate professor, CAHSS
Starting last week and concluding next week, the search committee and I will complete Zoom interviews with eight semifinalists. We hope to invite three to four finalists to campus later this spring for more substantive interviews and engagement opportunities with members of the DU community so that we can identify the inaugural executive director of the Miller National Academy before the end of the spring term.
Provost Office Lunch and Learn: Enrollment
Thank you to Todd Rinehart, vice chancellor for enrollment, and Adrienne Oddi, associate vice chancellor for enrollment, for providing the content for this quarter’s Provost Office Lunch and Learn gathering on March 4. As I have shared in previous newsletters and meetings, we are approaching peak yield season in the student recruiting lifecycle for the fall 2026 class. During Wednesday’s session, Todd shared insights and recommendations on the ways faculty and staff can have a positive influence on DU’s yield rates. We appreciate the unprecedented and incredibly positive ways many of you are leaning into student and parent outreach.
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.
This week, the Goal 1 Committee met with me to review a broad range of preliminary ideas under consideration by the subcommittees for feedback and comment. The meeting’s primary goal was to obtain confirmation that the ideas being developed, even though currently in rough format, are aligned with my charge to the committee. Additionally, this meeting gave the members of the larger committee the opportunity to share their critiques and perspectives on the work being done within the group’s three subcommittees.
My continued thanks to committee chairs Corinne Lengsfeld, Todd Rinehart, and the entire Goal 1 Committee for their efforts.
This week, the Goal 1 Committee met with me to review a broad range of preliminary ideas under consideration by the subcommittees for feedback and comment. The meeting’s primary goal was to obtain confirmation that the ideas being developed, even though currently in rough format, are aligned with my charge to the committee. Additionally, this meeting gave the members of the larger committee the opportunity to share their critiques and perspectives on the work being done within the group’s three subcommittees.
My continued thanks to committee chairs Corinne Lengsfeld, Todd Rinehart, and the entire Goal 1 Committee for their efforts.
The Warren and Judy Self University Writing Program Awards
Thanks to a generous gift from the Hatherly family, the University Writing Program is offering the Warren and Judy Self Diversity, Access, and Inclusion Teaching Awards. These awards are designed to recognize faculty (teaching and/or tenure line) who have demonstrated excellence in creating diverse, accessible, and inclusive undergraduate classrooms through content, materials, writing assignments, and pedagogical practices. They will be awarded to a DU faculty member outside of the Writing Program who teaches undergraduate courses. The winning faculty from teaching and/or tenure lines will be awarded $2,500, and will be featured in publications for the Writing Program and Office of Teaching and Learning.
Nominees should submit application materials by Friday, March 13, 2026 (via this online form). Only completed packets will be considered. Awardees will be announced in late March.
If you have any questions, please direct them to Sheila Carter-Tod (sheila.carter-tod@du.edu), executive director of the University Writing Program, or Amanda Thompson (amanda.thompson@du.edu), program manager of the University Writing Program.
Nominees should submit application materials by Friday, March 13, 2026 (via this online form). Only completed packets will be considered. Awardees will be announced in late March.
If you have any questions, please direct them to Sheila Carter-Tod (sheila.carter-tod@du.edu), executive director of the University Writing Program, or Amanda Thompson (amanda.thompson@du.edu), program manager of the University Writing Program.
Reminder: Celebrate DU Leaders for Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD)
Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) is coming soon! Take a moment to celebrate the people at DU who make our community one where everyone can thrive, regardless of neurotype or disability status. Nominate a student leader, faculty member, and/or staff member who has helped make the spaces, learning experiences, and digital events at DU more accessible. Then come join us at DU’s GAAD event to honor the recipients and engage with the campus community in meaningful conversations about digital access and inclusion.
Please direct any questions to ada.coordinator@du.edu.
Please direct any questions to ada.coordinator@du.edu.
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.
The committee is actively working through the vision and strategy phase, which will run until early in the spring quarter. Following identification of preliminary strategic themes over the past two weeks, the subcommittees are now working on drafting key performance indicators (KPIs) to help measure DU’s progress on career outcomes and student preparedness for ethical AI use in the workforce. Examples of topics currently under discussion include experiential learning, employer engagement, and AI competencies.
I offer continued thanks to committee chairs Liz Lierman, Lorenzo Patelli, and the entire Goal 2 Committee for their efforts.
The committee is actively working through the vision and strategy phase, which will run until early in the spring quarter. Following identification of preliminary strategic themes over the past two weeks, the subcommittees are now working on drafting key performance indicators (KPIs) to help measure DU’s progress on career outcomes and student preparedness for ethical AI use in the workforce. Examples of topics currently under discussion include experiential learning, employer engagement, and AI competencies.
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
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.
The Goal 3 Committee met again this week to refine the initial data tables for academic units and programs, and to identify priorities for investment and revenue growth. Our goal is for deans to review and provide feedback on this data in early March before it is shared with chairs and directors. We appreciate the DU community’s patience as we work carefully to develop meaningful and accurate data indicators for Goal 3. Jennifer Karas and Leslie Hasche are also available to attend meetings across campus to explain the work of the committee—please reach out if that would be helpful.
As a reminder, the committee plans to utilize the following timeline as they develop their recommendations and engage community members before bringing forward their recommendations:
The Goal 3 Committee met again this week to refine the initial data tables for academic units and programs, and to identify priorities for investment and revenue growth. Our goal is for deans to review and provide feedback on this data in early March before it is shared with chairs and directors. We appreciate the DU community’s patience as we work carefully to develop meaningful and accurate data indicators for Goal 3. Jennifer Karas and Leslie Hasche are also available to attend meetings across campus to explain the work of the committee—please reach out if that would be helpful.
As a reminder, the committee plans to utilize the following timeline as they develop their recommendations and engage community members before bringing forward their recommendations:
- Early March: Share with deans their academic unit data tables that will be used to support academic program reviews.
- By March 6: Form APT Review Committees to review potential academic unit closures. Committees will be composed of (as applicable) members from the Faculty Senate, Undergraduate Council, Graduate Council, and faculty from the relevant division(s), school(s), or college(s) that house a potentially impacted unit.
- March to April: Work with deans to share academic unit data with their respective chairs and directors to gather feedback. Collaborate with deans, chairs, and directors to share academic unit data tables with the faculty and staff within each respective academic unit. Meet with academic units to discuss potential unit restructuring or closures with potentially impacted units. As recommendations take shape, involve the APT Review Committees.
- May: The Goal 3 Committee will submit a Recommendations Report to the provost. The provost will share Goal 3 recommendations with the DU community. Additional APT Review Committees will be launched as needed. APT Review Committees will submit their reports to the chancellor, provost, the chair of the Faculty Senate Academic Planning Committee, the chair of the Undergraduate Council, the chair of the Graduate Council, heads of affected unit(s), and deans of affected unit(s)
- June: The chancellor and provost will make final decisions (pending the Board of Trustees’ approval). Impacted units, faculty, and staff will receive notification.
- Implementation Timeline: Over the following 12 months, support faculty relocation as appropriate, prepare and begin to implement teach-out plans, and provide appeal and grievance processes for impacted individuals as provided under applicable policies. Program and academic unit changes will begin in the 2027-2028 academic year. DU is committed to enabling all current students, and those enrolling in fall 2026, to complete the program in which they are enrolled at that time without delay due to programmatic changes. Any program selected for closure will implement a teach-out plan to meet the needs of those students.
I express continued thanks to committee chairs Leslie Hasche, Jennifer Karas, and the entire Goal 3 Committee for their efforts.
Update from the Faculty Senate on the Formation of Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure (APT) Committees
The Faculty Senate, Undergraduate Council, and Graduate Council are currently electing their representatives for the APT Review Committees being formed by Faculty Senate President Sarah Watamura. During this process, any faculty member whose academic unit appears within the preliminary datasets—even while the data is still being refined—for possible closure, consolidation, or restructuring will not be eligible to serve on the APT Review Committees at this time. This precaution is intended to avoid the need to remove a committee member later.
Some units under consideration may not have had volunteers, and additional units may be identified in the future, which could require further adjustments to committee membership. Please remember that all of these steps are preliminary; no decisions have been made about any unit’s status. We will continue to keep you updated as we understand that these early stages bring more questions than answers right now.
Some units under consideration may not have had volunteers, and additional units may be identified in the future, which could require further adjustments to committee membership. Please remember that all of these steps are preliminary; no decisions have been made about any unit’s status. We will continue to keep you updated as we understand that these early stages bring more questions than answers right now.
DU Faculty Publishes Two Best-Selling Ecology Textbooks in 2026
Anna Sher, a professor in the Department of Biological Sciences since 2003, is releasing new editions of both of her best-selling textbooks this year: Ecology: Concepts and Applications (Sher and Molles, McGraw Hill Education), and An Introduction to Conservation Biology (Sher and Gonzalez-Sargas, Oxford University Press). These textbooks are used by thousands of students across the world, helping to shape the next generation of biologists in the fields of ecology and conservation. Each new edition includes dozens of scientific updates, with over 100 new citations. Professor Sher's textbooks are notable for their intentional inclusion of work by diverse scientists, and for content which explores the significant perspectives of Indigenous Peoples.
Korbel Policy Dialogue Advancing Student Engagement and the Public Good
On March 1, the Scrivner Institute for Public Policy at the Josef Korbel School of Global and Public Affairs hosted “Governing Colorado: Policy Challenges and Priorities,” a public dialogue featuring U.S. Senator Michael Bennet and Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser. The event drew approximately 240 students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members for a timely discussion on affordability, federal-state relations, and economic development across Colorado. Students had the opportunity to engage directly with both leaders and ask questions during the event.
Events like this reflect Korbel’s public good mission by convening elected leaders, students, and the broader community to engage in substantive, civil discussion on pressing public policy challenges. A recording of the dialogue is available for those interested in reviewing the discussion.
I wish you all the best and thank you for your dedication and contributions to our community.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth G. Loboa
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor
Editorial correction: In last week’s issue of the Provost Newsletter, Professor Donald Bergh’s name was inadvertently omitted from the list of Research Scholar Awardees-Eminent. We congratulate Professor Bergh on this prestigious DU honor and his outstanding intellectual accomplishments.
Events like this reflect Korbel’s public good mission by convening elected leaders, students, and the broader community to engage in substantive, civil discussion on pressing public policy challenges. A recording of the dialogue is available for those interested in reviewing the discussion.
I wish you all the best and thank you for your dedication and contributions to our community.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth G. Loboa
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor
Editorial correction: In last week’s issue of the Provost Newsletter, Professor Donald Bergh’s name was inadvertently omitted from the list of Research Scholar Awardees-Eminent. We congratulate Professor Bergh on this prestigious DU honor and his outstanding intellectual accomplishments.