Weekly Letter from the Provost—May 15 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
Newman Center 2026-2027 Season Reveal Party
For nearly 25 years, the Newman Center for the Performing Arts has been the home for creative expression on DU’s campus: on Monday night, I had the privilege of participating in the Center’s 2026-2027 season reveal. It was a beautiful night, full of vibrant examples of what the Newman Center does best: live performances in leading class facilities for the benefit of our community. I would encourage you to explore season ticket offerings as they go on sale to the public on May 31. Thank you to executive director, Aisha Ahmad-Post, and the Newman Center team for hosting this wonderful event and for the programming they have in store for next year.
DU Employee Town Hall
On Tuesday, Chancellor Haefner and I, along with members of the chancellor's cabinet and leadership teams, answered questions pertaining most heavily to DU’s academic and operational transformation initiatives. Thank you to all who attended and to Sarah Watamura, Faculty Senate president, and Abigail Girard, Staff Senate president, for facilitating the Q&A session.
For those who have not yet had the opportunity, I encourage you to watch the chancellor’s video that was sent out last week in advance of the town hall. While it has been an exciting yet very challenging year, I remain as inspired and convinced today about DU’s bright future as I was last summer during my interview process. This is in no small part because of the commitment I see lived out every day in faculty and staff who provide our students with a unique, personal, and impactful experience. Thank you for your contributions toward that student-centered goal and for your commitment to preserving it for future generations.
DU Welcomes New University Registrar
I am delighted to announce that Dr. Charlie Couch will be joining the University of Denver as our new university registrar on July 15. Charlie comes to DU from the University of Northern Colorado, where he has served as university registrar since 2011. Over the course of his tenure, he has championed a student-centered philosophy, leading initiatives that have meaningfully strengthened registrar services and operations. He brings to DU a deep expertise in policy, compliance, and regulatory environments, along with a collaborative spirit and a proven ability to build strong partnerships across campus.
Beyond his work at UNC, Charlie has contributed to the broader higher education community through leadership and consulting roles with the Colorado Department of Education, the Rocky Mountain Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (RMACRAO), and the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO).
I would like to thank the search committee: Kristy Firebaugh (chair), Andrea Stanton, Nicholas Ormes, Michael Grebenc, Sarah Buenavidez, Gohar Tovbis, and John Maly for a job done incredibly well. Please join me in giving Charlie a warm DU welcome!
Reminder: Global Accessibility Awareness Day
Mark your calendars for Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD)! This important day is dedicated to fostering conversations about digital access and inclusion for everyone. This engaging, daylong event will feature two guest speakers, a dynamic DU student panel sharing their experiences, and interactive breakout sessions which explore various aspects of accessibility. Participants will learn more about the impact of accessibility, including digital accessibility, and will gain practical knowledge on how to take meaningful action to promote inclusion in your work. Lunch will be provided for all attendees.Register here.
To ensure a welcoming and supportive environment for all attendees, we will provide live captioning, generously offered by VZP Digital, to enhance communication access. Additionally, a sensory room will be available for those who may need a moment of calm or a break from the event’s activities.
Goal 1: Shape Enrollment and Improve Retention and Graduation Rates
Fall 2026 Enrollment Update
We have made the decision to revise DU’s goal of new first-time, first-year students for fall 2026 down from 1,250 to 1,050 students. As of today, we have received 1,177 deposits. While the Admission team remains committed to and focused on welcoming all of these students to campus next fall, historical trends indicate that we can anticipate losing at least some portion of this prospective student population in the coming months. Working with the deans, we are determining the best approach to address this revenue decrease while meeting our 35.8% operating margin target for Academic Affairs and net zero budget for FY27.
Thank you to the Admission team, and the faculty and staff within the colleges and schools, for their significant efforts to recruit and yield our next DU cohort.
DU Breaks Institutional Record for Boren Awardees
DU's Office of Scholar Development & Fellowship Advising is thrilled to announce that the University has nine Boren Award recipients and five alternates this year. Not only is this a new institutional record, but it also marks the highest number of awards received by any institution in 2025.
We are very proud of these students and their hard work through the rigorous application process:
- Gillian Dunn, Boren Fellowship in Mandarin
- Anna Hixson, Boren Scholarship in Vietnamese
- Olivier Kanyanduga, Boren Scholarship in French (Senegal)
- Izzy Knaus, Boren Fellowship in Arabic
- Manny Prodan, Boren Fellowship in Mandarin
- Zayra Saucedo, Boren Scholarship in Brazilian Portuguese
- Madalyn Shircliff, Boren Fellowship in Korean
- Sammy Ventimiglia, Boren Fellowship in Arabic
- Ariana Vigil, Boren Fellowship in Swahili
You can learn more about our Boren Awardees—and keep an eye out for more good news—on DU’s Instagram and LinkedIn channels.
Deepening Our Commitment to Student Mental Health
Over the past several years, the University of Denver has taken meaningful steps to strengthen how we support student mental health and prevent suicide. Building on our 18-month JED campus partnership which was completed in 2023, we convened the University of Denver’s Working Group on Suicide Prevention and Early Intervention this winter to help us move from assessment to sustained action. This work builds on the broader framework and resources developed by the Jed Foundation and through its JED campus initiative.
This interdisciplinary group included students, faculty in academic leadership, and staff from the Health and Counseling Center, Student Affairs, Campus Safety, Student Outreach and Support, Health Promotion, and University Relations. The group was charged with translating JED’s findings into a focused set of recommendations for DU, and I am deeply grateful for its thoughtful, evidence-informed work and clear call for us to leverage our strengths as a learning community to better care for our students. I encourage you to read the working group’s report here.
I want to recognize and thank the members of the University of Denver’s Working Group on Suicide Prevention and Early Intervention for their service, expertise, and unwavering commitment to our students. Their recommendations provide a clear roadmap for the next phase of this work, and we will move forward with implementation planning, including identifying priorities, allocating resources, and establishing appropriate accountability structures.
In the months ahead, you will hear more about mental health first aid and related training opportunities that are available to faculty, staff, and student leaders. Through this work, we can continue building an even stronger and more caring environment for all DU students.
Goal 2: Improve Career Outcomes and Better Prepare Our Students to Succeed and Lead in an AI-transformed Workforce
Reminder: Teaching with AI Showcase
The Office of Teaching and Learning is hosting its annual Teaching with AI Showcase. This event will showcase faculty from the Thriving with AI Faculty Learning Community and will include mini presentations and the opportunity to ask questions to each faculty presenter. Join us on May 27, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in AAC 290. Registration is encouraged.
Goal 3: Strengthen Academic Excellence
Spark 2026: Day of Free Expression and Pluralism
On May 20, the University of Denver will host Spark 2026, the University’s fourth annual Day of Free Expression and Pluralism, in Maglione Hall at the Sie Complex. The program includes three extended panel sessions: “(Un)civil Discourse: Religious and Ideological Pluralism,” “Collaborative Problem Solving: Viewpoint Diversity as a Civic and Workplace Skill,” and “Navigating Information: AI, Digital Media, and Misinformation,” featuring DU faculty alongside colleagues from across the Front Range.
The day will begin with opening remarks from Chancellor Jeremy Haefner, and the University community is invited to engage in thoughtful dialogue on issues central to higher education and democratic life.
Reminder: Entrepreneurship Week 2026
Entrepreneurship Week returns to campus from May 17-22. Join Entrepreneurship@DU for a week of events focused on innovation, creativity, and real-world problem solving. Featured events include the student-led innovation festival, a Pop-up Palooza, the Entrepreneurial Challenge, and a live panel exploring how global systems shape markets, capital, and opportunity. All DU students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the Denver community are welcome. All events are free to attend. Learn more and sign up now.
Wealth Reimagined: Rethinking Capitalism for an Interconnected World
As part of the University of Denver’s strategic partnership with the University of Glasgow, Entrepreneurship Week will present, “Wealth Reimagined: Rethinking Capitalism for an Interconnected World.” This panel will feature Graeme Roy, Deputy Head of the College of Social Sciences, alongside University of Denver Deans Naomi Boyd (Daniels College of Business), Fritz Mayer (Korbel School), and Bruce Smith (Sturm College of Law). In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the publication of Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations, the first panel will explore how global leadership, institutions, and geopolitics continue to shape markets, opportunity, and society. Building on that, the second panel will focus on how local ecosystems respond to global systems that shape access to capital, value, and risk. Register now.
Thank you all for your dedication, time, and commitment to the University of Denver and our campus community.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth G. Loboa
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor