Weekly Letter from the Provost—May 29 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
Student Town Hall Recap
On Tuesday, Deans Naomi Boyd, Daniels College of Business, and Sahara Byrne, College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, joined me as panelists for a campuswide student town hall. The event, moderated by leaders from Undergraduate Student Government (USG) and Graduate Student Government (GSG), gave all students an opportunity to ask members of our academic leadership team questions about DU’s academic transformation and other topics of concern or interest. I appreciated the opportunity, together with the deans of Daniels College and CAHSS (our two largest academic units), to share more information with the students who attended in person and online about DU’s academic strategic direction and to affirm our commitment to the student experience, especially during this time of transition.
Announcing Inaugural Executive Director of the Miller National Academy
Chancellor Haefner and I are pleased to announce that Mary Kate Cary will join DU on June 15, 2026, as the inaugural executive director for the John and Sandy Miller National Academy for Free Expression and Pluralism.
Mary Kate will be joining DU from the University of Virginia (UVA), where she serves as assistant vice president and deputy chief of staff. Through a broad range of roles at UVA as well as her prior work in the American political sector, she demonstrates deep expertise in convening conversations across diverse voices coupled with the intellectual leadership and communication skills required to turn a shared vision into impact. I am confident she will advance DU toward becoming a national leader in the realms of free inquiry and viewpoint diversity.
Mary Kate will be joining DU from the University of Virginia (UVA), where she serves as assistant vice president and deputy chief of staff. Through a broad range of roles at UVA as well as her prior work in the American political sector, she demonstrates deep expertise in convening conversations across diverse voices coupled with the intellectual leadership and communication skills required to turn a shared vision into impact. I am confident she will advance DU toward becoming a national leader in the realms of free inquiry and viewpoint diversity.
Invitation to Well-being in the Wilderness at Kennedy Mountain Campus
You can get away to the Kennedy Mountain Campus for a day! You may have seen emails and posts about this fun event on June 18. Consider this your reminder to RSVP by June 1, just a few days away.
By submitting your RSVP, you’ll have the opportunity to visit KMC, enjoy lunch, take in the sights, and relax. Transportation will be provided, or you’re welcome to drive yourself.
Check out the Well-Being in the Wilderness flyer for full details.
By submitting your RSVP, you’ll have the opportunity to visit KMC, enjoy lunch, take in the sights, and relax. Transportation will be provided, or you’re welcome to drive yourself.
Check out the Well-Being in the Wilderness flyer for full details.
Reminder: DU Hosts Gubernatorial Primary Debates
Next week, the University of Denver is excited to host primary debates for both the Republican and Democratic races for Colorado governor. We have partnered with 9NEWS, The Denver Gazette, and Colorado Politics to bring the leading candidates from both parties to campus to hear about the issues we all face in Colorado.
The Republican Party’s debate will take place on Tuesday, June 2, and the Democratic Party debate will occur on Thursday, June 4. Both debates will take place at 6 p.m. in the DU Welcome Center (former Cable Center) and will be moderated by Kyle Clark and Marshall Zelinger from 9NEWS. There are still seats available for faculty and staff who would like to watch the debates in person.
Republican Debate: Faculty/Staff
Democratic Debate: Faculty/Staff
The Republican Party’s debate will take place on Tuesday, June 2, and the Democratic Party debate will occur on Thursday, June 4. Both debates will take place at 6 p.m. in the DU Welcome Center (former Cable Center) and will be moderated by Kyle Clark and Marshall Zelinger from 9NEWS. There are still seats available for faculty and staff who would like to watch the debates in person.
Republican Debate: Faculty/Staff
Democratic Debate: Faculty/Staff
Reminder: Exclusive Accelerated Leadership Experience Cohort
Executive Education is hosting a special session of the Accelerated Leadership Experience (ALX) exclusively for the University of Denver community, and it will be open to all DU faculty and staff.
This tuition waiver-eligible cohort is designed to help DU leaders build self-awareness, strengthen decision-making, and lead teams with greater clarity and confidence. DU cohort dates are Aug. 12-14 and Sept. 9-10.
Spots are limited and participants must register by May 29 to be considered for the DU-only cohort.
Register today.
This tuition waiver-eligible cohort is designed to help DU leaders build self-awareness, strengthen decision-making, and lead teams with greater clarity and confidence. DU cohort dates are Aug. 12-14 and Sept. 9-10.
Spots are limited and participants must register by May 29 to be considered for the DU-only cohort.
Register today.
Goal 1: Shape Enrollment and Improve Retention and Graduation Rates
Glasgow Agreement Renewal
It was an honor to host Professor Graeme Roy, the dean of external engagement at the University of Glasgow, on our campus last week. On May 21, we met to renew our Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), a partnership agreement that reflects DU’s longstanding and impactful relationship with the University of Glasgow. Renewing this partnership conveys our shared commitment to strengthening international educational exchange, collaborative degree programs, and research initiatives between our universities.
Compassionate Connections Mentoring Program: University of Denver and Englewood High School Partnership
The Compassionate Connections Mentoring Program represents a partnership between Englewood High School (EHS) and Heather Martin’s first-year research and writing course. Rooted in research on compassion, belonging, and near-peer mentorship, the program was designed to support college readiness among prospective first-generation and Pell-eligible students through relationship-centered mentoring, while also supporting DU students’ learning in different research traditions.
This year, the program culminated in a campus visit to DU, where EHS students toured academic spaces, met with current students, and experienced campus life firsthand. EHS student reflections highlighted the impact of connecting with first-year DU students, exploring academic programs, and experiencing the university’s sense of community. Notably, two students who participated in the first year of the mentoring program later enrolled at DU, underscoring the program’s impact on college access and belonging.
The Compassionate Connections Mentoring Program aligns closely with the University Writing Program’s goals and DU’s commitment to compassionate leadership, community engagement, and expanding access to higher education through meaningful local partnerships.
This year, the program culminated in a campus visit to DU, where EHS students toured academic spaces, met with current students, and experienced campus life firsthand. EHS student reflections highlighted the impact of connecting with first-year DU students, exploring academic programs, and experiencing the university’s sense of community. Notably, two students who participated in the first year of the mentoring program later enrolled at DU, underscoring the program’s impact on college access and belonging.
The Compassionate Connections Mentoring Program aligns closely with the University Writing Program’s goals and DU’s commitment to compassionate leadership, community engagement, and expanding access to higher education through meaningful local partnerships.
Spring Student Success Forum: Understanding the Non-Returner Experience
Tuesday, June 2, 3-4 p.m., CCOM 1600
As enrollment challenges and budget pressures sharpen our focus on student retention, understanding why students leave DU has never been more important. This forum offers space to engage meaningfully with what we learn from students who leave DU.
Each year, the Office of Student Success produces a Non-Returner Report (currently available in Data Insights), which offers insight into barriers, decision points, and opportunities for improving retention.
At this forum, we will highlight key findings from the report, including trends in student experiences and departure factors, and explore what these patterns mean in our current context. The event will also create space for dialogue and discussion around opportunities to act, whether within your role, your unit, or across the institution.
RSVP today!
As enrollment challenges and budget pressures sharpen our focus on student retention, understanding why students leave DU has never been more important. This forum offers space to engage meaningfully with what we learn from students who leave DU.
Each year, the Office of Student Success produces a Non-Returner Report (currently available in Data Insights), which offers insight into barriers, decision points, and opportunities for improving retention.
At this forum, we will highlight key findings from the report, including trends in student experiences and departure factors, and explore what these patterns mean in our current context. The event will also create space for dialogue and discussion around opportunities to act, whether within your role, your unit, or across the institution.
RSVP today!
Goal 2: Improve Career Outcomes and Better Prepare Students to Succeed and Lead in an AI-transformed Workforce
Recently, several exciting examples of applied AI work have appeared in our community—showing ways that AI tools can augment the research work of our faculty and students. One such example includes the use of AI to help with hip replacement surgeries and provide analysis of the joint—providing data that allows for more precision and speed during surgery. You can read about this story, including how DU alumna Brittany Marshall (MS ’20) has worked on its development, on DU News.
Likewise, Derigan Silver recently led an AI panel with experts from universities across the Front Range at Spark on May 20. You can watch the video if you missed it in person—watch for a link in The Bridge soon.
Likewise, Derigan Silver recently led an AI panel with experts from universities across the Front Range at Spark on May 20. You can watch the video if you missed it in person—watch for a link in The Bridge soon.
Goal 3: Strengthen Academic Excellence
Update on Unit Closures, Mergers, and Rehoming Guidelines for Faculty in Potentially Impacted Units
Last week, two Academic Unit Review Committees (AURCs) provided reports on their recommendations regarding academic unit closures. The chancellor and I are carefully reviewing these reports, along with information provided by deans, the departments, faculty, and the Goal 3 Committee, to make final recommendations regarding these departments. The final decision regarding unit closures, along with any mergers planned for AY 2026-27, will be communicated after the June Board of Trustees meeting. Barring additional deliberation time by the board after its meeting on June 5, we plan to share final decisions, including the Goal 1, 2, and 3 committee reports to the degree they do not reveal proprietary or identifiable information, on Tuesday, June 9.
Although no decisions have yet been made, I have provided the faculty in the units under review with information regarding the rehoming process. To support faculty rehoming efforts in potentially impacted units, I provided guidelines on faculty support, including: 1) dean-initiated accelerated rehoming of faculty member(s) to meet known educational mission or teaching needs, 2) faculty-initiated rehoming during the 2026-2027 academic year, 3) voluntary buyout or retirement agreement that includes immediate or phased separation options over the next one to two years, and 4) tenured-faculty member requests to temporarily rehome for a limited term to a general service teaching unit.
I recognize the stress and difficulty of these reviews—and the wait between task force reports and their communication—for our community and especially for those directly impacted. The chancellor and I are giving these weighty decisions careful attention and will share in as much detail as possible soon.
I wish you all the best in these final two weeks of the spring quarter as we approach commencement before entering the summer season.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth G. Loboa
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor
Although no decisions have yet been made, I have provided the faculty in the units under review with information regarding the rehoming process. To support faculty rehoming efforts in potentially impacted units, I provided guidelines on faculty support, including: 1) dean-initiated accelerated rehoming of faculty member(s) to meet known educational mission or teaching needs, 2) faculty-initiated rehoming during the 2026-2027 academic year, 3) voluntary buyout or retirement agreement that includes immediate or phased separation options over the next one to two years, and 4) tenured-faculty member requests to temporarily rehome for a limited term to a general service teaching unit.
I recognize the stress and difficulty of these reviews—and the wait between task force reports and their communication—for our community and especially for those directly impacted. The chancellor and I are giving these weighty decisions careful attention and will share in as much detail as possible soon.
I wish you all the best in these final two weeks of the spring quarter as we approach commencement before entering the summer season.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth G. Loboa
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor