Dear Lynx community,

Last month, more than 300 faculty and staff came together to kick off the refresh of our 2030 Strategic Plan. For me, the day was a defining moment, not only for what it represented, but also for what it revealed: our shared commitment to building a sustainable and thriving future for our university.

During the Sept. 16 forum, I spoke about the power of the abundance mindset and the idea that success is generative. Abundance fuels innovation, sparks imagination, and elevates us all. My hope is that this ethos guides us forward. Our path to reaching a thriving state will be the sum of all the effort and energy our community can contribute.

I’ve been fortunate to serve at institutions in the past where faculty and staff can support students and perform research, freed from budgetary constraints. For so long, you’ve invested in building toward success for our learners. This hits me personally because this campus deserves to know what a thriving state feels like.

The good news is that our shift forward has already begun. After years of declining enrollment, we have recorded growth for the first time since 2021. We also saw record-tying, first-to-second-year retention of more than 76%.

I recognize that change can feel overwhelming and, when you’re not finding the success you’ve been striving for, it can feel unending. But as I shared at the forum, change is also a sign of commitment, strength, and resolve. It reflects investment, and while it does not guarantee growth, meaningful growth almost always requires some degree of change.

As we inch closer to the thriving state that this campus deserves—a community grounded in belonging that is celebrated, rewarded, and supported—my hope is that we come to see change as a necessary disruptor to our current state.

We have a unique opportunity to transform our university into a model, urban-serving research university that others can emulate. But to realize success, I need your buy-in as we adjust our approach.

As we look to 2030 and beyond, our core tenets remain intact. Although structured slightly differently, they reflect the foundational design of the 2030 Strategic Plan that has guided us for the past five years as we pursue our public service obligation to our students, the communities we serve, and all Coloradans. 

1. Make education work for all through access, equity, and student outcomes.
2. Prioritize discovery and innovation through research and creative works that impact our communities.
3. Cultivate a campuswide innovation ecosystem focused on excellence and efficiency in everything we do.
4. Drive toward a flourishing university community rooted in belonging and meaningful work.

Later this month, we’ll hold a set of campus conversations with faculty and staff to gather your perspectives on the core concepts, metrics, and milestones we should employ to guide us forward. There will be opportunities for faculty and staff to participate either in person or online. Please save the date for the following campus conversations and be on the lookout for email invitations later this week.

• Tuesday, Oct. 21: Staff
• Wednesday, Oct. 22: Faculty

Structured campus dialogues will also take place across campus through existing meetings within your schools and colleges, departments, and other subunits.

Before us stands the opportunity to become Denver’s acknowledged higher education partner. No longer a hidden gem, but an honest and recognized force that helps our learners, communities, industry, and civic peers thrive. This lane is open and available to our university and it’s our time to seize it.

My focus from my first day has been on our students—to streamline and enhance their experience and improve outcomes in retention, graduation, and career placement. Our students deserve the very best, but they will not be the sole beneficiaries. With their success will come greater opportunity for all of us to thrive.

We are in the driver’s seat of our destiny.