Administration

CU ��ý�� launches campuswide visioning process for the future of online education

Megan M Rogers — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 14:03:15 +0000

CU ��ý�� launches campuswide visioning process for the future of online education Megan M Rogers Tue, 03/17/2026 - 08:03

CU ��ý�� is launching a campuswide visioning process to define the future of CU ��ý�� Online, an effort designed to bring together the university’s multiple online models into one holistic approach, strengthening support for online students and faculty and positioning CU ��ý�� for long‑term impact locally, nationally and globally.

The visioning effort, directed by Provost Ann Stevens and led by Fernando Rosario‑Ortiz, interim vice chancellor and executive vice provost for academic resource management, builds on leadership changes announced earlier this academic year and marks the next phase of a comprehensive review of the university’s online ecosystem

Get involved

Read the charge for the next phase of CU ��ý�� Online.

Participate in a campuswide survey later this spring.

Stay current; visit the project webpage.

“Through this process, we seek to listen to all campus constituencies as we collectively develop a vision for the future of online education at CU ��ý��. We are focused on enhancing our academic mission of serving students, faculty and staff, while extending the reach and impact of our learning resources locally and internationally,” Rosario‑Ortiz said.

An executive committee, representing key campus constituents has been selected and will participate in the visioning process. This committee includes deans as well as key leaders who are actively involved in advancing online education.

Defining CU ��ý��’s distinct online identity

“At the heart of the process is a fundamental question: How should CU ��ý�� shape the future of online education to reflect its unique academic strengths and serve learners on campus and beyond for the long term?” said Stevens.

The visioning effort will explore where CU ��ý�� can offer a distinct online identity, informed by the university’s research excellence, faculty expertise, creative work and commitment to student success.

“Once we’ve defined that distinct identity, the task will be to scale our programs to serve the specific learning goals of CU ��ý�� students, alumni and learners across the globe, advancing the research, scholarship, creative work and teaching of our faculty all the while,” Rosario-Ortiz said.

Broad engagement, clear timeline

The visioning process is expected to conclude by fall 2026 and will be shaped by multiple sources of input and analysis. Join the conversation by participating in upcoming forums and surveys.

Four open forums for faculty, staff and students, scheduled during a single week at different times to maximize participation.
A survey distributed to several campus constituencies—including students—to establish baseline information and identify gaps in the current online experience.

“These engagement opportunities are intended to ensure the online education vision reflects lived experiences across campus and supports both campus‑based and online learners,” said Rosario-Ortiz.

The visioning process to define the future of CU ��ý�� Online kicks off April 5, with four opportunities for campus input.

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@cuboulderpolice social media handle changing to @CU��ý��DPS

Megan M Rogers — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 16:59:05 +0000

@cuboulderpolice social media handle changing to @CU��ý��DPS Megan M Rogers Fri, 03/13/2026 - 10:59

The Division of Public Safety today launched a process of transitioning its social media channels from CU ��ý�� Police Department (@cuboulderpolice) to CU ��ý�� Division of Public Safety (@CU��ý��DPS).

For more information about DPS and campus safety resources, visit @CU��ý��DPS on social media.

The change reflects DPS’s ongoing work to enhance communication, increase transparency and help the campus community better understand the full range of safety services available at CU ��ý��. It also aligns to the university priority of aligning resources and infrastructure to our mission.

While CUPD has represented the university’s public safety presence on social media for over a decade, the evolution of public safety on campus through DPS drives this change. DPS is an integrated organization that includes CUPD, Public Safety Operations, Security Services, Threat Assessment, Flight Operations and a range of safety education and prevention programs.

“Students and employees interact with DPS in many ways beyond traditional policing,” said Marlon Lynch, vice chancellor for public safety. “This change allows us to communicate more clearly about who we are, what we do and how our various teams work together to support campus.”

The renaming process is taking place across Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and X. While the process for X, Facebook and YouTube are complete, the process for Instagram is still underway because of technical difficulties, with a resolution time potentially being lengthy.

Current followers will automatically remain connected, and the content will remain familiar—including timely information, safety education, community engagement and updates from across the division.

Importantly, emergency alerts will continue to appear on X and Facebook, along with other non-social media channels, ensuring the community maintains uninterrupted access to fast, critical information during urgent situations. The channel names will change, but its role in emergency communication will not.

DPS will introduce a short educational series on the newly named accounts to help the community learn more about its departments and programs. Topics will include how campus building access is managed, how emergency alerts are issued, what the threat assessment team does and what safety tools—such as the CU ��ý�� Safe app—offers students and employees.

The goal of the transition is to make it easier for students, faculty and staff to understand the resources available to them and to strengthen awareness of the teams working behind the scenes every day within DPS.

The CU ��ý�� Police Department’s social media handle is transitioning to @CU��ý��DPS to better reflect the broader work of the Division of Public Safety and its integrated public safety model.

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Campus values project moves forward with broad community input

Megan M Rogers — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 16:24:22 +0000

Campus values project moves forward with broad community input Megan M Rogers Tue, 03/10/2026 - 10:24

CU ��ý��’s campuswide values project is entering its next phase, following strong early engagement from students, faculty and staff and continued opportunities for the campus community to help shape a shared set of values.

Launched in fall 2025, the project seeks to build consensus around values that will guide how CU ��ý�� communities advance the university’s mission, vision and institutional priorities. The effort is cofacilitated by Sonia DeLuca Fernández, senior vice chancellor for leadership programming and support, and Jon Leslie, vice chancellor for strategic communications, and is part of the broader framework for engaging CU ��ý��’s mission, vision and objectives that began in the 2025–26 academic year.

Hundreds of students, faculty and staff have shared input through a campus survey and a series of virtual and in‑person sessions held in November and December. Those sessions engaged shared governance and campus leadership groups, including CU Student Government, Graduate and Professional Student Government, the ��ý�� Faculty Assembly and Staff Council leadership.

That feedback is informing a draft set of shared values now under collaborative review with campus leadership and shared governance groups. A formal authorizing committee is also being formed to help synthesize input and guide the values toward campuswide adoption.

What’s next

Randomized outreach: Students, faculty and staff will receive a randomized email inviting additional feedback on the draft values.
Ongoing review: Leadership and shared governance groups will continue refining the draft.
Spring input: Additional opportunities for campus feedback will be offered throughout the semester.
Toward adoption: Input will shape revisions as the values move toward broader use.

Once finalized, CU ��ý��’s shared values will serve as a reference point for strategy, prioritization and decision making, while helping clarify the behaviors and outcomes the university seeks to support in alignment with its public research mission.

The CU ��ý�� campus community is encouraged to continue participating this spring to help ensure the shared values reflect the experiences, aspirations and responsibilities of the CU ��ý�� community.

CU ��ý��'s shared values project is entering its next phase, with continued opportunities for campus input.

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Justin Schwartz addresses ChatGPT partnership, more with faculty assembly

Megan M Rogers — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 17:25:43 +0000

Justin Schwartz addresses ChatGPT partnership, more with faculty assembly Megan M Rogers Mon, 03/09/2026 - 11:25

Chancellor Justin Schwartz addresses the ��ý�� Faculty Assembly during its meeting Thursday, March 5. Photo by Patrick Campbell/CU ��ý��.

We are in an AI world, so now's the time to figure out how to best implement those tools for our students.

That was one of the main points discussed during Chancellor Justin Schwartz’s first presentation to the ��ý�� Faculty Assembly (BFA) this year. As part of his remarks, he stressed the importance of the CU system’s recently announced partnership agreement with ChatGPT to allow the university to not just get ahead of the rapidly changing AI landscape but to help define it going forward.

“We cannot ignore the existence of the rapidly growing prevalence of AI in our society,” said Schwartz. “This is not something we can choose to have exist in American society or around the globe, or not. It is here, and so either we will deal with it together as a community or we won’t.”

Schwartz did not shy away from the sustainability drawbacks of this new partnership, nor the related academic integrity and security concerns he said are shared by the administration, but argued that the university also can't ignore the 30,000 members of the CU ��ý�� community already using the ChatGPT platform with their colorado.edu email address.

“This (ChatGPT) is not something new to us,” Schwartz added. “This is already here.”

Schwartz said that by partnering with OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, the university can ensure everyone has equitable access to the product, if they want to use it, and that everyone who uses the product receives training designed by the university to set expectations and educate potential users.

“We need to embrace, in my view, that preparing our students for a world of AI is just as much a part of ethical AI as the challenging issues that we have to address in the process,” said Schwartz. “When we talk about preparing our students for life and the workplace, this is that. Their lives, their workplaces, are going to be inundated with AI, and we’re either preparing them for that or we’re not.”

In addition to AI, the chancellor touched on subjects including CU ��ý��’s shared values project, the university’s 150th anniversary, the new Carnegie Elective Classification for Sustainability and a call for faculty to join this year’s commencement ceremonies. He also previewed the report of the Chancellor’s Task Force on Faculty Salaries and the rollout of the new CU ��ý�� common curriculum, both of which were also addressed during the meeting.

Other topics discussed

Faculty Salary Task Force final report

Full and associate professor salaries at CU ��ý�� are not competitive compared to our public university peers, according to the final report from the Chancellor’s Faculty Salary Task Force.

During the October BFA meeting, task force co-chairs Shelly Miller, professor emerita of mechanical engineering and past BFA chair, and Ann Schmiesing, senior vice chancellor for strategic initiatives, presented on the working group and the charge that they were given. They returned to present the group’s final findings and encouraged everyone to read the report.

“It’s packed with good information, and we were very concise. You can probably read it in 20 minutes. It’s really worth it,” said Miller.

The task force found that the typical CU ��ý�� annual compensation pool is not in line with the university’s peer institutions and insufficient to address the fact that CU ��ý��’s faculty salaries lag those of our peers, with the gap largest at the full professor level, though it’s also felt at the associate level. Approaches to addressing faculty salary issues are also highly fragmented across campus.

“The approach that we’ve been using for decades is not working, obviously,” said Miller.

The report’s many recommendations include developing a faculty-specific compensation strategy, investing in faculty salary competitiveness and equity, and developing a plan to eventually raise all affected faculty salaries so that they match the university’s public peers.

“We believe the correction should begin as soon as possible, because the longer we wait to address some of these issues, the more they compound,” said Schmiesing.

Common Curriculum Faculty Working Group update

The BFA Common Curriculum Faculty Working Group recently submitted their final report to Provost Ann Stevens, who has accepted the report and its recommendations.

This group, chaired by teaching professor of history and BFA Chair Elect David Paradis and working in partnership with Vice Chancellor and Senior Vice Provost for Academic Planning and Assessment Katherine Eggert, began their work last fall. Eggert and Interim Dean and Vice Provost of Undergraduate Education Erika Randall gave a general update during the December BFA meeting. They returned to present the working group’s recommendations, as well as to give a general common curriculum implementation update to the group.

The working group was charged with examining the common curriculum’s learning outcomes and providing determinations for how the university will teach them across all colleges, schools and majors, including in a course required for incoming students. The common curriculum is set to roll out in fall 2027.

Eggert, Randall and members of their teams will meet in March with college and school leadership to align the common curriculum learning outcomes further with existing degree requirements. Meetings with academic programs offering undergraduate degrees will follow and will continue into the fall 2026 semester.

Other work that will support the implementation of the common curriculum includes drafting a policy for a new standing Campus Curriculum Committee, which will serve an advisory role for the provost, and crafting an assessment plan for common curriculum learning outcomes.

“I have undying gratitude to David Paradis for chairing (the BFA working) group, and to those faculty whom David assembled to serve, representing all schools and colleges, and all three divisions of the College of Arts and Sciences,” said Eggert.

New business

There were three notices of motions introduced during the meeting:

A call for a BFA collective bargaining task force
A motion in support of the Board of Regents allowing collective bargaining on every CU campus
A motion to increase the amount of seats in BFA for representatives from the newly expanded College of Communication, Media, Design and Information (CMDI)

After the formal agenda concluded, there was also a resolution introduced that urged the administration to delay the rollout of the ChatGPT partnership until after Maymester, so that faculty concerns can be ironed out before the tool is widely available. A straw poll was held that indicated widespread support for such a delay among the BFA representatives present.

Learn more about the BFA and previous actions on the BFA website.

During a recent address by Chancellor Justin Schwartz to the ��ý�� Faculty assembly, he discussed AI, the shared governance project, the university's 150th anniversary and more.

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Video: Employee Health and Well-Being launches partnership with American Red Cross

Megan M Rogers — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 16:36:54 +0000

Video: Employee Health and Well-Being launches partnership with American Red Cross Megan M Rogers Mon, 03/02/2026 - 09:36

A new partnership between Employee Health and Well-Being and the American Red Cross will provide ongoing resources, onsite training and volunteer opportunities that deepen our shared commitment to service and community well‑being.

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Chancellor calls for big ideas in 2026 State of the Campus

Megan M Rogers — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 17:51:08 +0000

Chancellor calls for big ideas in 2026 State of the Campus Megan M Rogers Tue, 02/10/2026 - 10:51

Chancellor Justin Schwartz delivered his annual State of the Campus address on Feb. 10, highlighting the university’s 150th anniversary and encouraging students, faculty and staff to submit ideas for transforming the future of CU ��ý��’s societal impact.

Before a crowd of over 500 in the Glenn Miller Ballroom and 1,120 viewers online, Schwartz encouraged the campus to rely on the power of new ideas to endure and prevail during this uncertain time in higher education.

Read the full speech

Submit your big idea

“I firmly believe that today is our chance not to pause, but to evolve from within—to evaluate our strengths, define our future and leap ahead of our peers,” he said.

Schwartz issued a call to action for everyone across campus to share groundbreaking ideas that the university should pursue in the coming years—the “audacious ideas that need urgent attention.”

“Some of the greatest ideas in human history have come from asking unbounded questions. Let’s be the place where such questions are not merely rhetorical,” Schwartz said.

He also highlighted the successes of the past year and goals for the future in the university's four areas of priority: fostering the success of all students, faculty and staff; scaling research and creative work excellence; achieving global leadership in sustainability impact; and aligning our infrastructure and resources to our mission.

Schwartz announced plans for offering a Residential Learning Community experience to all first-year undergraduates at no extra charge as soon as fall 2027.

In addition, he spotlighted the launch of four new CU ��ý�� Community Belonging Awards. The awards were initiated by CU Student Government and will recognize exceptional individuals who are fostering belonging on campus.

Over lunch, attendees were invited to submit their next big ideas online.

A team of faculty, staff and leaders has been assembled to work alongside the chancellor and senior leadership to guide the “Next Big Ideas” effort. Two members of the team, professors Waleed Abdalati and Stefanie Johnson, spoke to the audience about the initiative.

“We didn’t design this process in a vacuum. We looked at what works in organizations that are exceptionally good at breakthrough innovation,” Abdalati said. “Start with big problems, not small projects. Protect imagination before evaluating feasibility. Mix disciplines and perspectives. So today, we’re starting exactly there—with imagination.”

Over the coming months, the team will continue to solicit ideas across campus.

“Where you sit in the organization does not define whether you will come up with a great idea,” Schwartz said.

Chancellor Justin Schwartz delivered his annual State of the Campus address on Feb. 10, highlighting the university's 150th anniversary and issuing a call to action for transformative ideas to guide the university's future.

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��ý�� Faculty Assembly informed on budget discussions, more

Megan M Rogers — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 19:28:16 +0000

��ý�� Faculty Assembly informed on budget discussions, more Megan M Rogers Mon, 02/09/2026 - 12:28

Members of the ��ý�� Faculty Assembly (BFA) were updated on the university’s integrated marketing and communications plan (IMCP) and the current budget allocation model discussions during the first meeting of the semester on Feb. 5.

Budget allocation model updates

In October 2025, CU ��ý�� launched a yearlong design review of its budget allocation model, as part of the university’s Financial Stewardship Initiative. This review is meant to ensure the model, which was adopted in 2022, continues to reflect CU ��ý��’s values of transparency, accountability and collaboration, while advancing the campus strategic priority of aligning resources to its mission.

The budget model review discussions are being led in part by Andy Cowell, BFA faculty shared governance advisor, budget and planning committee chair and professor of linguistics; and Fernando Rosario-Ortiz, interim vice chancellor and executive vice provost for academic resource management and professor of civil, environmental and architectural engineering. One piece of feedback that has come up repeatedly, they said in their presentation to BFA, is that the current budget model incentivizes teaching—not research. Relatedly, there is concern about the impact on the model of shrinking graduate programs in some units.

While neither Cowell nor Rosario-Ortiz disagreed with those points, Rosario-Ortiz said the university is a comprehensive institution, which means we must factor in both research and teaching when it comes to the university’s mission. Rosario-Ortiz also commented that the model is focused on campus-level allocations to schools and colleges, not on the school, college or departmental level, which is where decisions about allocating funds to teaching or research are made.

“Obviously, we’re listening and we’ll have notes that we can take back for further discussion,” said Cowell. “This (conversation) was not meant to resolve anything today. It’s an ongoing discussion that will go on for at least several more weeks.”

Rosario-Ortiz reiterated, adding, “We’re trying to take all (feedback) into consideration, but there needs to be coordination between what we (the administration) need to do for the budget model allocation and what units need to do operationally to meet their mission of research and teaching.”

The discussions are still underway, and recommendations will be available later this spring.

Integrated marketing and communications

Jon Leslie, vice chancellor for strategic communications, introduced the BFA to the integrated marketing and communications plan (IMCP), a comprehensive campus strategy that unifies advertising, public relations, digital marketing and constituent engagement to deliver consistent, meaningful brand experiences.

“Our goal is to take what the leadership says our mission, vision, priorities, value and outcomes are and translate that into what stories we tell, for what purposes, and how those purposes are achieved efficiently or not,” said Leslie.

The IMCP began its implementation in July 2024 and has already shown positive results, including higher rankings in an annual statewide poll of how Coloradans perceive the university. Some of the projects undertaken so far using IMCP strategies include the re-envisioning of the Conference on World Affairs, the launch of the “Beyond” LinkedIn research newsletter and the launch of the shared campus values project.

Next steps for the IMCP include bringing CU ��ý��’s story to life, Leslie shared. That includes communicating “What makes us ��ý��” and a comprehensive communications campaign for the university’s 150th anniversary.

In other BFA action

The BFA voted to suspend their bylaws so they could quickly approve a Statement on ICE Activity in Minnesota, which they felt was necessary given the urgency of the moment.
There was a reminder about upcoming BFA elections, including an election of at-large representatives that opens for nominations in two weeks and the election of the BFA chair-elect at the end of the semester.
During last December’s meeting, the BFA voted to approve a change to the bylaws that allows them to meet four times each semester, regardless of academic calendar. That change goes into effect this spring, with two meetings scheduled for April.

Learn more about the BFA and previous actions on the BFA website.

Members of the ��ý�� Faculty Assembly were updated on the university's integrated marketing and communications plan and the current budget allocation model discussions during the first meeting of the semester on Feb. 5.

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Regents consider 2026–27 budget proposals and more

Megan M Rogers — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 19:06:15 +0000

Regents consider 2026–27 budget proposals and more Megan M Rogers Thu, 02/05/2026 - 12:06

Updated 2/6/2026

The University of Colorado Board of Regents received an overview of the preliminary 2026–27 budget, including tuition and compensation proposals, during its Feb. 5–6 meeting. Chancellor Justin Schwartz shared campus updates, including the announcement of new investments in faculty and staff well-being. The board also approved infrastructure projects and recognized CU ��ý�� faculty members.

CU ��ý�� budget proposals

Chad Marturano, chief financial officer for the CU system, presented budget proposals for all four campuses. For CU ��ý��, the following key elements were discussed.

Tuition

Regents were presented with tuition scenarios ranging from 2.6% to 4.5% increases, with final approval expected for April.

Compensation and student wages

Budget planning includes a 3.1% merit pool for faculty and university staff and a 3.1% increase for classified staff, pending state approval.
- The campus proposed setting aside an additional pool for compression, retention and adjustment of 0.5%.
Student employee minimum wage is proposed to increase to $18.17 per hour.
Final approval for compensation changes is expected for April.

Enrollment

CU ��ý�� is projecting an incoming first-year class of 7,400, nearly unchanged from this year’s first-year class of 7,397.
Overall enrollment is projected to increase by about 1.3%, largely driven by ongoing strong retention of continuing students.

The board is expected to vote on the budget proposals during its April meeting. The 2026–27 fiscal year begins on July 1, 2026.

Chancellor remarks and campus updates

During remarks to the board, Schwartz highlighted new investments in employee health and well-being, including expanded mental health, financial wellness and community-building resources to support faculty and staff success and belonging. Campus leaders are committing $2.2 million in one-time funding and about $2.5 million in annual recurring funding to grow services and strengthen what Schwartz described as a campuswide “culture of care and well-being.”

He also noted progress on recommendations from the Faculty Salary Task Force aimed at improving faculty salary competitiveness and addressing salary compression, with additional updates expected later this year.

Infrastructure projects approved for CU ��ý��

The board approved infrastructure projects previously advanced by the Regents Finance Committee, highlighted by plans to construct the National Quantum Nanofabrication Facility, a new research cleanroom at the Sustainability, Energy and Environment Laboratory on East Campus, that will expand CU ��ý��’s quantum research and workforce training capacity.

Additional projects approved include:

Renovation of Farrand Hall on Main Campus, modernizing the historic residence hall while maintaining existing student housing capacity
Renovation of the Housing System Services Center on East Campus to support expanded campus program and operational needs

More information about these projects is available in a previous CU ��ý�� Today article.

CU ��ý�� distinguished professors recognized

2026 CU ��ý�� distinguished professors with Chancellor Justin Schwartz

The board recognized the following faculty members from CU ��ý�� as distinguished professors:

Kristen Carpenter, JD, American Indian Law, Colorado Law
Russell Cropanzano, PhD, Organizational Behavior
Marcia Douglas, PhD, English and Creative Writing
Noah Finkelstein, PhD, Physics and Physics Education Research
Karl Linden, PhD, Environmental Engineering
Jade Morton, PhD, Astrodynamics

More about the honorees is available in a CU Connections spotlight.

Other business

During public comment session, members of the campus community spoke in support of unionization of university employees.

Additional speakers raised concerns about CU ��ý��’s contract with Key Lime Air, citing the airline’s reported contracts with ICE to transport detainees and voicing opposition to the partnership. All contracts for the university, including air charters, are awarded through a competitive bidding process that includes guidelines intended to create fair and consistent contracting processes across all companies with which the university does business. The airline was selected through the university’s standard competitive process, which occurred in September 2023. The company’s contract is in effect with the university through 2028, renewed annually.

The board also voted and approved changes to the Regent Policy on Fiscal Misconduct. Additionally, the board honored and gave tribute to Former Regent Henry "Hank" Anton Jr.

The next regular board meeting will be held April 16–17 at CU Denver.

The University of Colorado Board of Regents received an overview of the preliminary 2026–27 budget, including tuition and compensation proposals, during its Feb. 5–6 meeting.

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Finance committee advances support for housing, student services, quantum research

Megan M Rogers — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 17:20:04 +0000

Finance committee advances support for housing, student services, quantum research Megan M Rogers Fri, 01/30/2026 - 10:20

The University of Colorado Board of Regents Finance Committee on Thursday, Jan. 29, advanced multiple campus projects at CU ��ý��, including a renovation of Farrand Hall, updates to the Housing System Services Center and construction of the National Quantum Nanofabrication Facility. The proposals will move to the full Board of Regents for consideration at its Feb. 5–6 meeting.

Renovation of Farrand Hall

One of the projects includes a comprehensive renovation of Farrand Hall, a residence hall located at 2200 Baker Drive on CU ��ý��’s Main Campus. Built in 1948, Farrand was the first residence hall constructed on campus following World War II. The renovation will include significant updates such as the addition of air conditioning and modernized student spaces, while also addressing long-standing maintenance needs to extend the life of the historic building.

The renovation will maintain Farrand’s existing student housing capacity while modernizing the facility. Once complete, the building will include two centrally scheduled classrooms, a grab-and-go market and study space—supporting both building residents and the broader student population.

The project supports CU ��ý��’s Energy Master Plan and Decarbonization Plan by improving energy efficiency, even with the addition of air conditioning. The renovation is also aimed at achieving LEED Gold certification for the building.

Renovation of the Housing System Services Center

The committee also advanced plans to renovate the Housing System Services Center at 3381 Marine St. on CU ��ý��’s East Campus. Built in 1967, the building is currently used primarily for storage. The renovation will repurpose the facility into active space supporting multiple campus programs and departments, including the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, the Department of Theatre and Dance, the CU Police Department and Student Life. The project will update the building to better support its expanded campus use.

Construction of the National Quantum Nanofabrication Facility

In addition, the committee advanced plans to construct the National Quantum Nanofabrication Facility, a new research cleanroom to be built on the east side of the Sustainability, Energy and Environment Laboratory (SEEL) at 4001 Discovery Drive on CU ��ý��’s East Campus. The facility will support quantum device fabrication, research and workforce training and expand the Colorado Shared Instrumentation in Nanofabrication and Characterization (COSINC).

CU ��ý�� is a supporting member of Elevate Quantum, a consortium of organizations across Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico focused on developing a regional quantum economy by 2030.

If approved by the full board, construction across the projects could begin as early as 2026, with planned occupancy dates extending through 2027 and 2028.

The CU Board of Regents Finance Committee advanced multiple campus projects, including a renovation of Farrand Hall, updates to the Housing System Services Center and construction of the National Quantum Nanofabrication Facility.

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Provost announces new reporting structure for College of Arts and Sciences deans

Elizabeth Lock — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 11:32:53 +0000

Provost announces new reporting structure for College of Arts and Sciences deans Elizabeth Lock Fri, 01/30/2026 - 04:32

Provost Ann Stevens announced today that the College of Arts and Sciences will adopt a permanent structure as a unified college, implementing a collaborative leadership model in which the deans of divisions will report to the dean of the college rather than directly to the provost.

“After extensive discussions with the dean of the college, deans of divisions, faculty shared governance leaders, staff and colleagues across campus, I’ve concluded that the college needs to operate as a unified entity,” Stevens said. “To underscore that the arts, humanities, social sciences and natural sciences play a central and vital role in CU ��ý��’s mission as a comprehensive university that educates the next generation of informed citizens and leaders, we need a structure that brings our strengths together with purpose.”

Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Ann Stevens

During the past decade, CU ��ý�� has worked to reshape the leadership structure of the College of Arts and Sciences to better support its academic breadth, establishing three dean of division roles representing the arts and humanities, the social sciences and the natural sciences. In June 2024, former Provost Russell Moore appointed Daryl Maeda as interim dean of the college to provide time to clarify how the authority of the deans of divisions should align with the dean of the college and how all four roles could work together more effectively.

During this interim period, the dean of the college and the deans of divisions have each reported directly to the provost. Their collective efforts have advanced the college in meaningful ways, including improving budget analysis and allocation, implementing the common curriculum, strengthening divisional research and creative work, and developing a deeper understanding of enrollment patterns and student needs.

Despite this progress, the absence of a unified leadership structure has limited the college’s ability to coordinate strategy and fully leverage the strengths of its divisions. Stevens emphasized that a single, collaborative college leader is needed to preserve strong divisional identities while providing cohesion and shared direction essential for long-term success.

“That means three well-resourced divisions, each led by deans committed to divisional excellence and cross-divisional collaboration, supported by one dean who can champion a shared vision and ensure the college fulfills its essential role in developing the whole student,” Stevens said.

She added that a unified College of Arts and Sciences will strengthen collaboration across campus. “A unified college will be a stronger collaborator and partner on student success with undergraduate education, enrollment management and student life,” Stevens said. “This unified structure also ensures students and faculty benefit from a cohesive, strategic framework for teaching, research, scholarship and creative work.”

With the new reporting structure in place, Stevens plans to use the coming months to further clarify the roles and authority of the college dean and divisional deans, and to strengthen how they all work together.

In fall 2026, the Office of the Provost will launch a nationwide search for a permanent dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Both internal and external candidates will be encouraged to apply, with the goal of appointing a dean who will be ready to begin in fall 2027.

To ensure continuity during this transition, Stevens said, “I have asked Daryl Maeda to serve as the dean of the college through academic year 2026–27 to provide continuity until a permanent dean is in place, and for the deans of divisions to continue in their current roles as well, but with a change in their reporting relationship to the college dean.”

Provost Ann Stevens is implementing a collaborative leadership model aimed at supporting the College of Arts and Sciences as a "unified entity."

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Administration

CU ������ý���� launches campuswide visioning process for the future of online education

Defining CU ������ý����’s distinct online identity

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