Chancellor's Communiqué

CU in the City, 11-4-2016

Dear colleagues,

CU Denver has a singular role as Colorado’s only public urban research university. As I said at the Campus Forum in September, I believe now is the time for us to embrace that role and make our mark as a valued knowledge partner and vital contributor to the civic, cultural and economic future of the greater metropolitan region. That’s why I set the goal for CU Denver to be one of the city’s top assets by our 50th anniversary in 2023.

A critical component of this goal is how we promote CU Denver through our messaging, outreach and advertising. The “Learn with Purpose” brand developed three years ago to tell the CU Denver story has succeeded admirably in raising our profile. Today I am happy to announce the evolution of our brand to specifically underscore our ambition and role in the city we call home.

We are reclaiming the “CU in the City” message that is beloved by many of you and defining it for our campus today. “CU in the City,” I believe, conveys that we offer a high-quality education that takes full advantage of our location in the heart of Denver, and in turn, recognizes the significant social, intellectual and economic benefits we bring to the city and beyond. Our students really do learn with purpose, and that will remain a pillar of our messaging.

Thanks to the speedy and efficient work of the University Communications team, the transition is happening quickly. Below is a new logo that will be part of our “CU in the City” brand. More details about how we can all work to position CU Denver and tell our story using consistent, key messages will be coming in January.

Meanwhile, I want to provide a brief update on progress we are making in related areas. Campus leadership has reviewed the reports that came from the campus-wide summer working groups on student recruitment and success. We have begun considering the larger policy-related issues, such as what our optimal advising model would be, and we are developing the structure to move many of the other recommendations to action. We are also finalizing the process that will be used to refresh our 2008 strategic plan.  We’ll have more details to share about those next steps in the near future. 

One thing I know from talking to so many of you in my first months as chancellor: you are ready to lift this university to the next level. I believe “CU in the City” will help further define CU Denver and propel us toward our goal of being an indisputable asset—to Denver and beyond.

Dorothy Horrell
Chancellor