Winter Board Meeting Summary
Dear DU community members,
Last week, the University of Denver’s Board of Trustees met for their regular January meeting. I wish to share a few highlights from the gathering:
Last week, the University of Denver’s Board of Trustees met for their regular January meeting. I wish to share a few highlights from the gathering:
Committee Meetings
During the Advancement Committee session, Corinne Lengsfeld, senior vice provost for research & graduate education, gave a compelling fundraising presentation for our new Integrated Life Science Complex, formerly referred to as the “STEM Horizons” building. The name adjustment was made to reflect the scientific work and education that will take place inside. While many research stories inspired me, one stood out: the work our faculty are doing to better understand how microscopic “conversations” between cells can give rise to advancements in disease treatments like Alzheimer's.
Val Otten, senior vice chancellor for advancement, updated the trustees on our terrific progress in the Denver Difference campaign . We have now exceeded $700M towards our $1B campaign goal, and this year we have already secured more than $60M towards our $75M annual goal. This progress demonstrates the broad and increasing support of our University by many alums and friends of DU. I’m very grateful for the hard work of our faculty and staff toward our collective goals.
In the CLASS (Student Affairs) Committee, we discussed the latest student survey results from the National College Health Assessment. There has been very good progress at DU in several behavioral health areas, but there are still areas for improvement. We heard from a panel of students who are serving as peer mentors for wellness—they described the important role they play in supporting their peers.
Josh Berlo, vice chancellor for athletics, shared the excellent accomplishments of DU Athletics and especially of our student-athletes, though there was also plenty of discussion about the challenges of the current collegiate athletic landscape. In addition, I am proud of our student-athletes and their many successes in and outside of their chosen sport. Currently, the average GPA for DU student-athletes exceeds the University-wide undergraduate GPA.
Val Otten, senior vice chancellor for advancement, updated the trustees on our terrific progress in the Denver Difference campaign . We have now exceeded $700M towards our $1B campaign goal, and this year we have already secured more than $60M towards our $75M annual goal. This progress demonstrates the broad and increasing support of our University by many alums and friends of DU. I’m very grateful for the hard work of our faculty and staff toward our collective goals.
In the CLASS (Student Affairs) Committee, we discussed the latest student survey results from the National College Health Assessment. There has been very good progress at DU in several behavioral health areas, but there are still areas for improvement. We heard from a panel of students who are serving as peer mentors for wellness—they described the important role they play in supporting their peers.
Josh Berlo, vice chancellor for athletics, shared the excellent accomplishments of DU Athletics and especially of our student-athletes, though there was also plenty of discussion about the challenges of the current collegiate athletic landscape. In addition, I am proud of our student-athletes and their many successes in and outside of their chosen sport. Currently, the average GPA for DU student-athletes exceeds the University-wide undergraduate GPA.
Headwinds and Strategic Direction
Provost Loboa gave a presentation with Bobbie Kite, dean of the College of Professional Studies, Jennifer Karas, senior vice provost for academic affairs, and Leslie Hasche, vice provost for faculty affairs, on how the higher education landscape faces declining enrollment, lack of research funding, shifting rules for international students, and fading student loan options. DU Forward is positioning us to build on all we’ve done so far and overcome these challenges together.
Other Highlights
- We introduced Courtney Tassin as our new chief of campus safety.
- Kevin Morris from the Graduate School of Social Work presented his work from the Institute of Human-Animal Connection, which was extremely well received by the trustees.
- Mark DeLorenzo, senior vice chancellor for business and financial affairs, presented on the shared business services project that will improve the effectiveness of our business practices and provided updates on the budget for fiscal years ‘26 and ‘27.
- Provost Loboa and I each gave short reports, which were followed by Faculty Senate President Sarah Watamura.
I want to share how grateful I am for our trustees. They bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to their fiduciary role. More importantly, they care deeply about DU and its future.
Take care everyone and have a wonderful term.
Sincerely,
Jeremy Haefner
Chancellor
Sincerely,
Jeremy Haefner
Chancellor