Weekly Letter from the Provost—Nov. 7
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. Thank you for your interest and support.
If you have suggestions for what we should include in future communications, please submit your ideas or story 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:
If you have suggestions for what we should include in future communications, please submit your ideas or story 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
State of the University Address Recap
Thank you to everyone who joined us for Chancellor Jeremy Haefner’s State of the University address last week. If you were unable to attend, you can watch the recording here. While the higher education sector is facing challenges, the chancellor’s address made clear the differentiators the University of Denver has in our favor that will move DU Forward.
Town Hall Invitation
If you have not done so, I encourage you to review the videos on budget and enrollment, as well as DU Forward, that came out in preparation for next week’s DU town hall , which is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 10, in Anderson Academic Commons, room 290 from 3:30-4 p.m. For those unable to attend the town hall in person, you can participate via Zoom.
Henrika McCoy to Continue as Acting Dean of the Morgridge College of Education (MCE)
I am pleased to announce that Henrika McCoy, dean of the Graduate School of Social Work, will continue in her role as acting dean of the MCE as we determine the most effective leadership and operational structure for the school moving forward.
Last week, I hosted meetings with MCE leadership and faculty to review two high-level proposals that would result in MCE’s merger with either the Graduate School of Social Work (GSSW) or the Graduate School of Professional Psychology (GSPP).
Coming out of last week’s conversation with MCE faculty, we agreed that MCE will engage—both internally and with faculty in both the GSSW and GSPP—to gather input and submit a report to me by March 30, 2026, which will evaluate the strengths and challenges involved with a potential merger with either of the schools.
This week, I had a similar meeting with GSSW faculty to explain the decision to pursue a merger as the best approach to putting both the MCE and the merging school on a strong foundation for current and future success. A key goal is to increase operational efficiencies between units and consolidate dean-level leadership, with one dean serving both units. Also shared with the MCE faculty, this new direction is not intended to result in a change to academic units’ names, degree programs, or faculty lines unless faculty and leadership in the new unit desire such changes. I look forward to a similar conversation next week with GSPP faculty.
Shortly following receipt of the March 30, 2026, report, I will decide which school to move forward with a merger, and this decision will go through approval processes with the chancellor and the Board of Trustees. Faculty from the two schools, academic leadership, and the provost’s office will use spring and summer 2026 to implement changes and plan an announcement of the new merged college and operations before the start of the 2026-2027 academic year.
Last week, I hosted meetings with MCE leadership and faculty to review two high-level proposals that would result in MCE’s merger with either the Graduate School of Social Work (GSSW) or the Graduate School of Professional Psychology (GSPP).
Coming out of last week’s conversation with MCE faculty, we agreed that MCE will engage—both internally and with faculty in both the GSSW and GSPP—to gather input and submit a report to me by March 30, 2026, which will evaluate the strengths and challenges involved with a potential merger with either of the schools.
This week, I had a similar meeting with GSSW faculty to explain the decision to pursue a merger as the best approach to putting both the MCE and the merging school on a strong foundation for current and future success. A key goal is to increase operational efficiencies between units and consolidate dean-level leadership, with one dean serving both units. Also shared with the MCE faculty, this new direction is not intended to result in a change to academic units’ names, degree programs, or faculty lines unless faculty and leadership in the new unit desire such changes. I look forward to a similar conversation next week with GSPP faculty.
Shortly following receipt of the March 30, 2026, report, I will decide which school to move forward with a merger, and this decision will go through approval processes with the chancellor and the Board of Trustees. Faculty from the two schools, academic leadership, and the provost’s office will use spring and summer 2026 to implement changes and plan an announcement of the new merged college and operations before the start of the 2026-2027 academic year.
WCC Announcement and Impact on Academics
As announced last week, the University of Denver will join the West Coast Conference (WCC) in the 2026-2027 academic year, a move that will involve a transition for several athletic programs, including basketball, golf, soccer, tennis, and volleyball. Plans for swimming and diving will follow at a later point.
This move aligns DU with academically strong institutions and expands opportunities for collaboration, recruitment, and national visibility—especially through the WCC’s partnership with ESPN and ESPN+, media platforms to which we have never had access. It also strengthens DU’s academic reputation by associating with higher-ranked peer universities. The average ranking for universities in the WCC is 68 while the average for the Summit League is 211. This move was made possible through the enthusiastic and philanthropic support of DU’s Board of Trustees, and we are not using current or future tuition dollars to cover any exit fees from our current conference or entrance fees into the WCC.
I will reach out to new colleagues in the WCC to establish an academic consortium of provosts, through which we can exchange ideas and promote greater inter-university collaboration. We had a similar structure when my previous institution transitioned into the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), and I can speak firsthand about the benefits that come from being in conversation with academic peers.
This move aligns DU with academically strong institutions and expands opportunities for collaboration, recruitment, and national visibility—especially through the WCC’s partnership with ESPN and ESPN+, media platforms to which we have never had access. It also strengthens DU’s academic reputation by associating with higher-ranked peer universities. The average ranking for universities in the WCC is 68 while the average for the Summit League is 211. This move was made possible through the enthusiastic and philanthropic support of DU’s Board of Trustees, and we are not using current or future tuition dollars to cover any exit fees from our current conference or entrance fees into the WCC.
I will reach out to new colleagues in the WCC to establish an academic consortium of provosts, through which we can exchange ideas and promote greater inter-university collaboration. We had a similar structure when my previous institution transitioned into the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), and I can speak firsthand about the benefits that come from being in conversation with academic peers.
Deadline Extended: Employee Engagement Survey
As DU employees, you have the opportunity to share your voice and experiences in this year’s Faculty and Staff Employee Engagement Survey. The survey is 10-15 minutes long and requires a login for basic demographic information to help us identify trends and ensure no group is represented by fewer than a handful of responses, protecting individual identities while enabling meaningful analysis. However, responses are confidential.
Your feedback is essential in helping us understand what’s working well, where improvements are needed, and how we can continue to strengthen our workplace community.
There are just a few days left to participate with the deadline extension of Nov. 17. If you have not done so already, please take a moment to complete the survey and encourage your colleagues to do the same.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Andrea Groth, manager of employee engagement and well-being, Human Resources and Inclusive Community.
Thank you for your continued commitment to making DU a great place to work.
Your feedback is essential in helping us understand what’s working well, where improvements are needed, and how we can continue to strengthen our workplace community.
There are just a few days left to participate with the deadline extension of Nov. 17. If you have not done so already, please take a moment to complete the survey and encourage your colleagues to do the same.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Andrea Groth, manager of employee engagement and well-being, Human Resources and Inclusive Community.
Thank you for your continued commitment to making DU a great place to work.
Halloween Social and Baking Competition Highlights
The Halloween Social, hosted in collaboration with the Staff of Color Association (SOCA), Queer University Employees (QUE), and Women’s Leadership Council (WLC), was a festive success and featured pumpkin painting, great conversation, and a spirited baking competition. Thank you to everyone who joined and helped make it such a memorable gathering. I was fortunate enough to receive and share Rachel Lim’s beautiful cookies at our DU Executive Committee meeting Tuesday morning and can attest they are delicious, edible art! Congratulations to the following baking competition winners across three delicious categories:
- Yummiest Baked Good
- Winner: Laurel Taylor
- Dessert: Basque Cheesecake
- Most Original Baked Good
- Winner: Elise Goss-Alexander
- Dessert: Lemon Raspberry Cake
- Best Presentation
- Winner: Rachel Lim
- Dessert: Decorated Cookies
This was the first event organized by Marylu Hernandez, academic records and scheduling coordinator for the Sturm College of Law, and social and recruitment chair for SOCA. She was supported by a dedicated planning committee: Marissa Ronquillo (SOCA), Laurel Taylor (QUE), Savannah Pine (QUE), Kathy Aliaga (WLC), and Linda Quintanar (SOCA). Thank you all for helping bring this event to life!
Goal 1: Shape Enrollment and Improve Retention and Graduation Rates
Reminder: Introducing the Campus-wide Goal 1 Committee
Last week, I announced the committee members. Thank you to all who agreed to serve and to Corinne Lengsfeld and Todd Rinehart for serving as co-chairs. I look forward to our first committee meeting in the coming weeks to convey important KPIs and charge the group.
Update on Efforts to Recruit the Fall 2026 Undergraduate Class
DU’s Nov. 1 early action and decision deadline has now passed, and we are pleased to announce that our University set a new application record, surpassing 16,000 applications for the first time in our history by this stage of the recruitment cycle. This is an exciting 28% yearly increase in applications.
Kudos and congratulations to Todd Rinehart and his team for implementing a number of new strategies to drive these record-breaking results. Now, as my leadership team and I discuss regularly, all of us need to focus on positive, active engagement with these recruited students and increasing yield. Thank you for all you are doing to help us bring in an amazing fall 2026 class.
Kudos and congratulations to Todd Rinehart and his team for implementing a number of new strategies to drive these record-breaking results. Now, as my leadership team and I discuss regularly, all of us need to focus on positive, active engagement with these recruited students and increasing yield. Thank you for all you are doing to help us bring in an amazing fall 2026 class.
Goal 2: Improve Career Outcomes and Better Prepare Our Students to Succeed and Lead in an AI-transformed Workforce
Reminder: Introducing the Campus-wide Goal 2 Committee
The names of goal 2 committee members were announced last week, and I wish to thank them for their service. I would also like to say thank you to Liz Lierman and Lorenzo Patelli for serving as co-chairs of this important committee.
New AI-Focused Courses at Sturm College of Law (Spring 2026)
The Sturm College of Law is introducing several new courses that explore the legal implications of artificial intelligence. These offerings are part of the Intellectual Property and Technology Law Program and the Law and Emerging Technologies Program. Registration for law students interested in these important and timely topics opened earlier today. If interested, registration can be completed at this link.
- AI and the Future of the Legal Profession
- Professor John Bliss
- Investigates how AI is reshaping legal practice, professional roles, and the future of legal work.
- AI, Privacy, and Emerging Technologies
- Professor Bernard Chao
- Examines legal challenges related to privacy, data protection, and the regulation of AI technologies.
- Reimagining Justice: AI, Disruption, and the Future Legal Leader
- Adjunct Professor Maritza Braswell
- Explores how courts, lawyers, and litigants can adapt to and leverage AI tools to improve legal processes and access to justice.
- Comparative AI Governance
- Professor Zahra Takhshid
- Offers a global perspective on how different jurisdictions approach the governance and regulation of AI.
These courses reflect Sturm’s commitment to preparing students for leadership in a rapidly evolving legal and technological landscape.
Language Teaching and AI Symposium
The Center for World Languages and Cultures (CWLC) and the Department of Spanish Language, Literary, and Cultural Studies (SLLCS) cordially invites you to the first symposium on language teaching and AI, “Breaking Barriers: AI in Language Teaching.”
As artificial intelligence reshapes communication, creativity, and learning, language educators face both urgent challenges and new possibilities. This gathering invites faculty and colleagues across language programs to come together to engage the immediacy of AI’s impact, build community across languages and disciplines, and collaboratively act to ensure these technologies promote inclusive, human-centered education. Join us as we explore the future of language learning at DU.
The symposium will take place on Jan. 23 from noon-3 p.m. in the Chambers Garden Room, Chambers Center. Please let us know if you will be coming by RSVPing by Nov. 12.
As artificial intelligence reshapes communication, creativity, and learning, language educators face both urgent challenges and new possibilities. This gathering invites faculty and colleagues across language programs to come together to engage the immediacy of AI’s impact, build community across languages and disciplines, and collaboratively act to ensure these technologies promote inclusive, human-centered education. Join us as we explore the future of language learning at DU.
The symposium will take place on Jan. 23 from noon-3 p.m. in the Chambers Garden Room, Chambers Center. Please let us know if you will be coming by RSVPing by Nov. 12.
Shape the Future of AI at DU—Join the Center for Ethical Generative AI Applications (CEGAIA)!
The University of Denver is launching CEGAIA, an interdisciplinary hub integrating AI and ethics across teaching, research, and community projects. We are inviting faculty, staff, and collaborators from all disciplines to get involved, whether you are already using AI or are curious to explore it. CEGAIA will:
- Support AI-focused teaching and curriculum innovation
- Collaborate on AI research
- Offer interdisciplinary programming
- Lead community efforts in AI policy and ethics
Get involved as:
- Faculty developing AI courses
- Researchers using AI in their work
- Staff with ideas on tools or infrastructure
- Fellows, advisory board members, or collaborators
Pilot projects start in 2025—you can help shape this transformative initiative by completing this form.
Reminder: Access DU’s New Career Outcomes Dashboard
As I have shared in previous newsletters, DU released a new public-facing dashboard to display career outcomes for graduates as a new and transparent way to share the University’s compelling story. The dashboard is best viewed on a desktop computer.
The dashboard displays program-specific outcomes data (starting salaries, placements) at the undergraduate, masters/professional, and doctoral levels, which is easily parsed by college/school for 2022, 2023, and 2024. We will update the dashboard after summer commencement when we have had time to collect and gather survey data from our 2025 graduates.
As a reminder, Sturm College of Law tracks its outcomes separately in line with accreditation standards.
The dashboard displays program-specific outcomes data (starting salaries, placements) at the undergraduate, masters/professional, and doctoral levels, which is easily parsed by college/school for 2022, 2023, and 2024. We will update the dashboard after summer commencement when we have had time to collect and gather survey data from our 2025 graduates.
As a reminder, Sturm College of Law tracks its outcomes separately in line with accreditation standards.
Goal 3: Strengthen Academic Excellence
Reminder: Introducing the Campus-wide Goal 3 Committee
Please review the list of individuals who agreed to serve on the goal 3 committee. I am very grateful to all of these members for accepting my request. Thank you as well to Leslie Hasche and Jennifer Karas for serving as co-chairs.
Celebrating Research and Creative Excellence
The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP) is pleased to introduce the Research, Scholarship, and Creative Works (RSCW) Awards, honoring faculty whose unique accomplishments make a meaningful impact. These annual awards recognize excellence across career stages and disciplines. Nominations are open now through Dec. 1, 2025. Community members can explore the award categories and consider nominating a colleague whose work embodies the spirit of discovery and creativity.
DU Professor Reflects on Collaborative Learning Pedagogy
Paul Kosempel, director of Leadership Studies, recently wrote a reflection on his experience teaching using the Collaborative International Online Learning (COIL) pedagogy with a colleague at the Technological University of Dublin. COIL is a type of virtual exchange in the classroom where DU students and faculty work with peers at another university abroad to deepen and expand their learning in a global context. This high-impact practice gives students access to new, diverse perspectives, as well as tangible experience working in international teams that address complex problems across borders. Read more about how to get involved.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth G. Loboa
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor
Sincerely,
Elizabeth G. Loboa
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor