Letter From Chancellor Marks

“CU Denver is the essential institution to meet this moment. We’re a pioneer of inclusive learning. We’re young and innovative, embodying the curiosity, kindness, and ambition of the Rocky Mountain spirit. And we believe that redefining the public urban research university is the most important thing we can do for higher education and for the future of America.” –Michelle Marks, PhD

Dear Friends,

I am pleased to present to you our 2030 strategic plan, a profound repositioning of CU Denver to be a public urban research university that works for all: learners of all kinds and at all stages of life, industries and employers that need talent ready to hit the ground running, and communities requiring new solutions and discoveries.

Our world is facing many challenges—climate change, a widening income gap, and racial injustice, to name a few— and how we address them will define the future for our communities. Yet our American system of higher education, historically designed to cater to the privileged few, is no longer working for most. Emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic and addressing the societal vulnerabilities it exposed, America needs a future workforce that is representative of its increasingly diverse population. We need collaborative ways of seeding outside-the-box thinking and research that addresses the complexities of our challenges. And we can’t leave talented people out.

In a time of shifting workforce demands, rapid technological advancement, and changing demographics, CU Denver is poised to seize this moment to build a new model for higher education. We envision providing learners, whatever their background, a high-quality education that fits the reality of their lives and leads to a successful future of their own design. An ivory tower alternative, this education is grounded in experiential learning. It is designed to strengthen our society and economy by building talent pipelines to jobs for the future and partnerships to fuel innovation and growth.

CU Denver is ideally positioned for this bold new vision. Chief among our strengths is our location, in the heart of an internationally connected city with a welcoming, collaborative, and inclusive culture. Denver is consistently ranked nationally among the best places to live and work, with its blend of outdoor adventure, metropolitan sophistication, vibrant arts and culture, and an entrepreneurial business climate that is attracting attention around the world. Being downtown, CU Denver offers ample opportunities for partnerships, internships, and engagement with researchers and entrepreneurs that provide world-expanding experiences for our students and innovative solutions for our community. Another key advantage is our student body which, unlike that of traditional residential colleges, reflects the emerging demographics of our state and our country. Half of our undergraduates are students of color. Half are the first generation in their families to attend college. A third are graduate students, many of whom work while completing graduate degrees and microcredentials. Many of our students have families and jobs and are returning to college to advance their careers. They all exhibit grit, dedication, and talent.

As a public research university, CU Denver offers these remarkable students, the “talented many,” great value: access to leading faculty and nationally ranked programs; incredible opportunities to engage in research, discovery, and creative work; and intellectual heft and networks that last a lifetime. We’re exceptional, not just because of rankings. It’s because, recognizing that although talent abounds, opportunities and social capital are not evenly distributed, we’re in the business of solving our nation’s opportunity gap.

Building on this unique combination of strengths and advantages, over the last six months we created an inclusive grassroots effort that engaged 3,000 participants in our community to develop our plan. In these pages you will find their ideas, passion, and inspiration for how we will deliver value for families, our state, and our society over the next decade.

I invite you to read, support, and participate in our plan. We expect it to be a living document, naturally evolving as it is implemented over the course of the next decade. And through our collective work we will, indeed, remake a CU Denver education to work for all.

With great excitement for our shared future,

Michelle Marks, PhD Chancellor

CU Denver is redefining the model of tomorrow’s public urban research university to lead to a more equitable and innovative society. Many external trends are accelerating the urgent need for action.

Though much debate of late has questioned the value of a bachelor’s degree, there is ample evidence to show that those who have at least a bachelor’s degree have significantly greater lifetime earnings, greater civic engagement, better health outcomes, and higher levels of happiness. They also contribute more to society: they pay more taxes, are more financially independent, and volunteer and donate more.

Yet, in a higher education system originally designed to serve the privileged few, although access and opportunity have significantly increased since the 1990s, education equity gaps are continuing to widen. Steeply increasing income inequality has made college unattainable for many, even more so in the past year due to the pandemic’s disproportionate impacts on low-income students and students of color. Their ability to get a degree will shape the future both for them and for our society.

As the Gates Foundation Postsecondary Value Commission noted in May 2021, “Without explicit attention to racial, socioeconomic, and gender equity, postsecondary education will continue to sustain and exacerbate inequalities, but a more equitable postsecondary education system can build a more just society.”

Changing demographics in the U.S. are leading to a society—and a workforce—that is older and more diverse than ever before. Employers will increasingly seek out diverse talent that enriches the culture and creativity of business and hire people who are equipped to engage with and serve diverse communities. And as people are living longer and switching careers more often, the work of the future will require updating of skills and knowledge education throughout a person’s career, no longer solely at the front end.

At the same time, the pace of new knowledge is quickening, and jobs that require mostly routine tasks are declining. Employers need access to a diverse talent pool with flexible, long-lasting analytical and interpersonal competencies—the “non-routine” skills obtained through a college education.

Today, many college graduates are finding themselves underemployed, with a degree that is not usefully serving their career aims—a trend exacerbated most recently by the COVID-19 pandemic. This makes it more important for universities to work with students and graduates to identify and develop career pathways that meet emerging workforce demands and provide a strong “return on investment,” all in ways that fit in their lives and help them fulfill purpose.

People without a college degree have been the most severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as other global crises in recent history. By some estimates, as many as 25% more workers may need to switch occupations. The pandemic also brought a drop in college enrollment, particularly among students from low-income backgrounds. Their ability to get degrees and credentials will shape the future both for them and for our post-pandemic economy.

In their quick pivot to remote learning in 2020, universities demonstrated the muscle to innovate. A successful future and post-pandemic recovery will require big ideas, innovative solutions, and an educated, adaptable workforce prepared to serve diverse populations. It will require a university that brings high-quality, relevant education to the people who need it most, when and where they need it.

This strategic plan charts a course for CU Denver to be that university by 2030.