Weekly Letter from the Provost—May 8 Edition
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
An Evening with Lee Bollinger
Teacher-Scholar Lecture and Reception Featuring Rebecca Galemba and Lisa Martinez
DU hosted the 11th Teacher-Scholar Lecture and Reception on Tuesday evening, which featured Rebecca Galemba and Lisa Martinez, co-directors of the Center for Immigration Policy and Research. In their lecture, “Beyond the Classroom and Courtroom: Student and Community-Centered Immigration Research and Policy Work,” Professors Galemba and Martinez explored how community-engaged learning integrates teaching, scholarship, and public purpose. Thank you to the members of the DU community who were able to attend.
4D Symposium: Future of Work
Yesterday, I had the honor of hosting a panel discussion, which was entitled “The Future of Work,” as a part of DU’s annual 4D Symposium. The panel’s focus was on preparing students for a workforce facing significant disruptions such as the rise of AI, emerging technologies, and shifting workforce expectations. Panelists included:
- Adrina Gibson, executive director, General Services, City of Denver
- Anslem Elumogo-Gardner (MBA ’16), founder and CEO, Mind for Mission
- Betsy Fischer, senior director, Alvarez & Marsal Corporate Performance
- Peter Campbell, founder and managing partner, Education Growth Partners
I express thanks to Laura Perille, executive director of the 4D Experience, for organizing this important and timely conversation for the DU community.
DU Employee Town Hall
Next week, faculty and staff are invited to join the spring term in-person town hall, which will be dedicated to a question-and-answer (Q&A) session.
Employee Town Hall
May 12, from 11 a.m. to noon
Community Commons 1700 or join via Zoom
The chancellor and I, along with members of the chancellor’s cabinet and leadership teams, will be available to answer questions. The full hour will be dedicated to Q&A. You can submit questions live during the event or anonymously via this form.
Global Accessibility Awareness Day
Please join us for Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), which highlights the importance of digital access and inclusion for everyone. The University of Denver will host a hybrid event on May 21, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in CCOM 1700, featuring two guest speakers, a DU student panel sharing lived experiences, and interactive breakout sessions focused on accessibility, including digital accessibility. Attendees will learn about practical strategies for advancing inclusive practices in their work and lunch will be provided. To foster a welcoming and supportive environment, live captioning, generously provided by VZP Digital, will be available, and a sensory room will be offered for those who may benefit from a quiet break. Register here.
Faculty Senate Meeting Recap
Today, chairs of each of the three Academic Affairs committees joined me to provide updates to the Faculty Senate. Having submitted their reports on May 1, today’s meeting provided a natural opportunity to provide updates. My update centered around the process and timeline for implementing the Goal 3 Committee's recommendations around academic unit closures and restructuring (see the Goal 3 section for additional information). As I shared in last week’s newsletter, I look forward to sharing all three committee reports with the DU community following the June Board of Trustees meeting.
Goal 1: Shape Enrollment and Improve Retention and Graduation Rates
Fall 2026 Enrollment Update
As I shared in last week’s newsletter, May 1 was the deposit deadline for DU’s fall 2026 entering class of first-year, first-time students. Our goal for next fall’s entering class is 1,250 students. As of Monday, May 4, we received 1,154 deposits (down 5% from the same day last year). The enrollment team is contacting 56 admitted individuals who received deposit extensions and are opening pipelines for new applicants. We are actively monitoring the status of fall enrollments, and this number changes frequently.
While new graduate enrollments do not have a comparable deposit deadline, we are also actively monitoring their progress relative to DU’s budgeted goal of 1,627 students for fall 2026. We are currently modeling 1,401 new graduate students (86% of the final goal). The Office of Graduate Education is partnering with the colleges and schools to increase yield between now and the start of the summer quarter.
While we have not yet achieved our enrollment goals for the next academic year, I am grateful for the significant efforts across DU’s central and academic unit admission teams to achieve the progress we have made to date in the face of a very challenging enrollment market. We are modeling the budgetary impacts of decreased class sizes to determine the appropriate response and will share more information in subsequent newsletters.
DU Women’s Lacrosse Team Selected for NCAA Tournament
Today, our women's lacrosse team will travel to the Boulder Regional as part of the opening weekend of the NCAA’s national tournament. DU’s program has reached the NCAA tournament for the eighth straight year and the tenth time in program history. They will take on the Florida Gators in the first round in Boulder, Colorado on Friday, May 8 at 7 p.m. (MT). All games in the tournament’s first two rounds will be broadcasted on ESPN+. We wish the team and the coaches great success this weekend and beyond!
Graduate Student Experience Survey Now Open
The Graduate Student Experience Survey is currently underway, and we appreciate your support in encouraging students to participate. Graduate students (excluding the Sturm College of Law and the College of Professional Studies) who started at DU during or before fall 2025 received an email invitation with a link to complete the survey from the Office of Student Success on May 4. Their feedback will help inform improvements to graduate programs, resources, and the overall student experience. Thank you for encouraging eligible students to participate and share their perspectives.
Note: Students who started at DU after fall 2025 will have an opportunity to share their feedback during a future quarter!
Goal 2: Improve Career Outcomes and Better Prepare Our Students to Succeed and Lead in an AI-transformed Workforce
Teaching with AI Showcase
Goal 3: Strengthen Academic Excellence
Process and Timeline Overview for the Goal 3 Committee’s Academic Unit Recommendations
I want to first acknowledge that while the Goal 3 Committee’s work will help make DU a stronger institution, it is not easy, and I encourage folks who have questions about the latest updates to join us next week for the employee town hall.
This week, on the recommendation of the Goal 3 Committee and in consultation with the deans, I submitted two academic departments to the Academic Unit Review Committee (AURC) for evaluation for closure. By May 15, the AURC will submit its reports—with its recommendations regarding unit closure—to me, the chancellor, department heads, deans, the chair of the Faculty Senate Academic Planning Committee, and the chairs of the Graduate and Undergraduate Councils. In June, the chancellor and I will provide final recommendations to the Board of Trustees regarding unit closures and restructurings. The Board will make final decisions based on these recommendations, and those decisions will be communicated to the DU community in June following the meeting. I want to affirm that DU is committed to offering students a pathway to complete their current degree programs, including those joining us this fall. Faculty in closing units will be considered for rehoming in other departments if possible.
The Goal 3 Committee was also charged to evaluate larger, college/school level restructuring opportunities. The chancellor and I will be deliberating on these larger restructuring opportunities this month. This will be a component of what is presented to the Board during the June meeting. Any approved restructures will be communicated in the same timeline as academic unit closures.
I am grateful to the deans and their leadership teams, and to the Academic Affairs committee members and their chairs for the tireless, collaborative work that has brought us to this point. Throughout this work, our North Star remains the same—to deliver an exceptional student experience.
Entrepreneurship Week 2026
Entrepreneurship Week returns to campus on 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, Pop-up Palooza, the Entrepreneurial Challenge, and a live panel exploring how global systems shape markets, capital, and opportunities. All DU students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the Denver community are welcome. All events are free to attend. Learn more and sign up now.
I send my best wishes to you for the spring term.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth G. Loboa
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor