Dear CU Denver community,

Exceptional graduate education is a critical driver of our value as a public urban research university. Here at CU Denver, we educate more than 4,000 graduate students in more than 75 programs. CU Denver graduate students learn from and are mentored by outstanding teachers, researchers, and practitioners, and they work alongside our faculty to power our teaching and research priorities. We owe it to our graduate students to consistently and efficiently deliver our graduate programs, and to seamlessly provide services to enhance their experience.

This past year, we have worked across CU Denver to review our graduate education operations and develop recommendations for updating its governance, structure, and student support. Since September, this activity has been led by a Graduate Education Working Group, which developed a report with recommendations that we share with you today. 

Among the report's significant recommendations are: 

• To establish, by fall 2026, a central Graduate Studies Office for which we will recruit a leader in the coming months. This office's responsibilities and their interrelation with partner units will be clearer than it has been in recent years. The name of this office is a placeholder until we receive broader feedback on its scope. 
• To establish university-wide tuition remission in 2027 to defray costs for graduate students with qualifying academic assistantships.
• To clarity policies for graduate education governance and administration to provide baseline guidance for all graduate programs, while allowing flexibility to allow programs to apply tailored academic standards. 

One important development not included in the working group report is the standardization of CU Denver' graduate admissions review process. The central Graduate Admissions office is working with all schools and colleges to implement a consistent workflow, with a goal of issuing decisions within seven days of a completed application for rolling programs. This effort will ensure greater consistency, efficiency, and a more equitable applicant experience across graduate programs. 

I greatly appreciate the efforts of the working group, which concluded in December, and that of this effort's leaders whose work will continue: Michael Wunder, special assistant to the provost, and faculty fellows Scott Bauer, Jeffrey Jacot, and Gillian Silverman.

I look forward to seeing how these recommendations will strengthen our graduate programs, research enterprise, and the overall success of our university. 

Karen Marrongelle
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs