How We Got Here

We developed CU Denver's 2030 Strategic Plan together.

​We started in January 2021 with foundational work to refresh our purpose, vision, values, and graduate characteristics. With these statements serving as a “North Star,” 130 CU Denver students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members, deployed across eight teams, developed goals and strategies to strengthen and differentiate CU Denver by 2030. Reports generated by each team were synthesized into a cohesive strategic plan to make education work for all. Prior to launching the plan later in 2021, drafts were shared with hundreds of people for feedback and continued refinement.

After launch, our progress toward our strategic plan goal was tracked and stoked by many champions across CU Denver, including a Strategic Plan Engagement and Advocacy Committee (SPEAC) and a Strategic Plan Implementation Team that has shepherded dozens of strategic initiatives from conception to actualization.

In 2025, we recognized that while we have made outstanding progress toward our 2030 strategic goals, fast-changing dynamics in education, workforce, demographics, and technology warranted refinements in our strategic plan, so that we meet our public service obligation moving forward. So in Sept. 2025, we launched a community-wide engagement process, involving feedback from more than 1,000 faculty, staff, and students, leading to the launch of our refreshed 2030 Strategic Plan in February 2026.