A Refreshed 2030 Strategic Plan
CU Denver's 2030 strategic plan, initially launched in 2021, expresses CU Denver's vision to make education work for all. We built this plan as a community, and have made amazing progress toward that vision. But fast-changing dynamics in education, workforce, demographics, and technology warrant refinements in our strategic plan, so that we meet our public service obligation—to students, to communities, to Colorado—moving forward.
In February 2026, we reintroduced this strategic plan to the community, with an updated set of core principles, as well as a set of success measures we will use to gauge our success going forward.
Coming Soon: Video of Feb. 18 refresh launch event
Strategic Plan Core Principles
(introduced Feb. 18, 2026)
CU Denver will fulfill its responsibility as the Denver metro area's anchor higher education partner.
To achieve this, we will:
Learner Success
Make education work for all through access, equity, opportunity, and meaningful outcomes.
CU Denver provides career-aligned learning experiences that maximize learner potential from high school to retirement. As a primary educator of Denver metro area professionals, we will increase affordability and access to equip our region's workforce for excellence. We welcome all and meet learners where they are, providing opportunities to uplift everyone who entrusts us with their dreams, whether through the transformative power of a traditional degree, or through career advancement fueled by a certificate or other credential. Our success will be measured by the outcomes that matter most: how well our learners persist, graduate, and thrive in their careers.
Discovery and Impact
Prioritize discovery and innovation through research and creative works that address community needs and contribute to the public good.
Our ideas and entrepreneurial spirit combine with our vibrant, inquiry-driven academic culture to generate new knowledge, spark positive change, and instill in learners a sense of wonder and purpose. As a public urban research university, we must ensure that our discovery and innovation efforts serve the public good and have impact in clear and measurable ways--seen and felt by residents, industry partners, and civic leaders--across and beyond the Denver metro area.
Organizational Excellence and Innovation
Cultivate a campuswide innovation ecosystem that enhances our excellence, efficiency, resiliency, and ability to achieve goals in support of our students and employees.
We will continue to innovate and evolve how we educate and support our learners, and how we operate as a university. By maximizing the effectiveness of academic and administrative processes, systems, and services our learners and employees depend on, we can better adapt to changing conditions and create excellent and efficient approaches that support the success of our people. We will invest in opportunities that will yield greatest impact and collaborate in seamless and integrated ways to help learners, faculty, and staff access resources and find solutions. By empowering our employees to grow and do their best, we strengthen and enable our learners to do the same.
Belonging and Meaningful Work
Foster an inclusive community where belonging, meaningful work, and public service support the flourishing of all.
CU Denver is more than just a place to work: it's a community in which we celebrate each other and hold one another to high standards. We challenge one another to generate positive momentum, and we work together to build an environment that fosters growth and excellence in all we do. Anchored in a culture of equity, belonging, empathy, and support, we recognize our responsibility as stewards of a public-serving institution, and we work to create a university that others strive to emulate. We are confident that when CU Denver achieves its ambitions, we will increase opportunities, pride, and impact for all.
Assessing Our Progress
As CU Denver refreshed its 2030 Strategic Plan in early 2026, it also developed a series of measures to help us gauge our success in key areas.
2030 Strategic Plan Origins
CU Denver's refreshed 2030 Strategic Plan stays true to the initial principles and goals of the original 2030 Strategic Plan launched in 2021. Community input has been integral to this process since the plan's inception, as CU Denver continues to pursue a vision to make education work for all.
Our Work So Far
Since the 2021 launch of CU Denver's 2030 Strategic Plan, we have made great progress, remaining accountable to our community through publication of annual Progress Roadmaps that can be viewed here.
Project Resources
The Strategic Plan Operations Team (SPOT) provides documents and resources to guide strategic dialogues at local levels:
- Guide to Local Conversations: Leaders of unit-level dialogues should download and save this document locally, to use in their conversations.
- Responses to Chancellor Forum poll questions: For reference in strategic dialogues
- Link to video of Sept. 16 Chancellor Forum where the process was introduced
Community Viewpoints from Oct 21-24 Campus Conversations
Please click or tap any image to see a larger, more legible version of the image.
Project Timeline
October
Early Oct.
Introduce project to community
Oct. 21-22
Community Conversation with Staff and Faculty
Mid-Oct to Late-Nov
Strategic Dialogues at Local Levels
Early Dec.
Analysis of input from campus conversations and Qualtrics submissions
Mid Dec.-Early Jan.
Integrate inputs into new draft of strategic plan language, including proposed milestones and success measures
Late Jan.-Early Feb.
Update language, solidify milestones and metrics based on input from key constituents
Mid-Feb.
Share refreshed strategic plan with milestones and success measures