Welcome to the Fall 2021 Semester!

Sent: Aug. 23, 2021

Dear Colleagues,

How wonderful it was to welcome students and families during Move-In last week. For starters, the new City Heights Residence Hall and Learning Commons is a beautiful, light-filled space for living and learning. I could feel everyone’s palpable excitement, and it’s an excitement I share. After more than a year of being apart, the start of this academic year— with so many of us being in person for the first time in 18 months—fills me with anticipation for our future together. And that’s because of the strength of this community: your creativity, commitment, and caring.

Just keeping our campus safe and operational through one of the most challenging years we’ve ever had to face was impressive enough. But you didn’t stop there. Instead, you innovated in our classrooms, thought differently about how to meet the needs of our students, reflected on our collective purpose, and created an amazing strategic plan to guide our future.

Here’s a video message that expresses my gratitude for all you did to get us to this point and my optimism for the coming year.

As we’ve been returning to campus over the last few weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to meet, in person, many of you with whom I’d only interacted on Zoom. I can’t tell you how joyous that feels! Even as we continue to take safety precautions, we’re also ready to celebrate our return—safely, of course.

I hope you’ll join me at our block party this Thursday from 11 to 2. Live bands, food trucks, games, giveaways, and Milo—what’s not to love?! I hope to see you there.

We’re planning a virtual town hall on September 2 to introduce the newest members of the CU Denver leadership team and talk about our COVID safety philosophy and what else is in store this semester.  

And we’re planning a larger convening on September 28, likely outdoors, to bring our community together to learn more about how we plan to implement our new campus 2030 strategic plan, celebrate our people, and highlight the good work of our Lynx community. More details to come.

Meanwhile, check out the how terrific Larimer Square looks all decked out in beautiful CU Denver banners. It’s a great way to ring in the new academic year.

 

We all wish COVID were squarely in the rear-view mirror. But we’ve shown that we have the muscle to come together, adapt, and innovate to accomplish great things. Together, we’ve positioned CU Denver for a stronger future. And I know we’ll use that same muscle this year to execute on our big dreams for our students and our institution.

Michelle Marks
Chancellor