President Todd Saliman visits CU Denver campus
CU Denver hosted Todd Saliman, the University of Colorado’s 24th president, on April 3 to meet with students, faculty and staff and learn more about important campus initiatives.
President Saliman and other leaders from the CU system began their visit by meeting with Chancellor Michelle Marks and with shared governance leaders from the CU Denver Staff Council and then the Faculty Assembly and University of Colorado Denver Association of Lecturers and Instructors (UCDALI).
President Saliman began each session with an update on some of the things happening at the system level, including many of the important legislative bills being discussed at the state Capitol. President Saliman also thanked Chancellor Marks for hosting this week’s Board of Regents meeting on the CU Denver campus.
The discussion with the Staff Council allowed the group to voice their support for and appreciation of upcoming changes to the Tuition Assistance Benefit program. The group felt the changes will positively impact current and future employees who wish to continue their higher education journey at CU. The group also shared the success of the Clifton StrengthsFinder event, sponsored by Staff Council. Members in attendance believe that events with a focus like StrengthsFinder are great tools for keeping staff engaged and prospering.
The Faculty Assembly and UCDALI began their discussion with positive feedback on the plans to make it easier for students who may not be accepted to CU Boulder to receive immediate notifications about their potential opportunities at CU Denver and UCCS. They viewed this as a very positive opportunity to increase enrollment. The group expanded the discussion to other opportunities for partnership, including support for students who may find success in CU Denver programs like engineering and business. The group also discussed the importance of understanding the Auraria Higher Education Center’s (AHEC) funding model better to ensure CU Denver faculty, staff and students are not funding projects that should be within AHEC’s mandate.
President Saliman concluded his morning meetings and transitioned to lunch with a group of CU Denver students representing a wide range of majors and backgrounds. The group included Student Government Association President Bria Combs, whom President Saliman thanked again for helping to lobby for House Bill 24-1340, Incentives for Post-Secondary Education, at the Capitol. He particularly enjoyed hearing about each student’s journey to CU, which served as a powerful reminder of the many pathways that exist for students interested in CU Denver.
The daylong meeting schedule closed with a discussion that included the enrollment and student success team. The focus was on the department’s strategies for addressing the campus’s current enrollment challenges. President Saliman appreciated the updates and the work being done to increase enrollment while focusing on retention strategies that create successful pathways for all CU Denver students.
The CU Denver visit followed stops earlier this year at UCCS and the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. The president’s current series of campus visits is scheduled to conclude with an upcoming trip to CU Boulder.