President Saliman’s series of campus visits begins with UCCS, CU Anschutz
President Todd Saliman recently visited UCCS and the CU Anschutz Medical Campus, meeting with members of the campus communities, including shared governance leaders. The president also has scheduled upcoming stops at CU Boulder and CU Denver as part of his series of visits.
The visit by the president and members of his team to UCCS late last month came shortly after the tragic on-campus events. Saliman commended community members for their outstanding work under the circumstances.
“It’s clear the UCCS community is still processing, grieving and recovering, but I was struck by the tremendous amount of love, support and strength within and surrounding the campus,” Saliman said. “It’s inspiring to see how the community is working together.”
Among the topics discussed during the daylong visit was enrollment management and associated challenges. Outreach and technology are tools being used to improve student enrollment and retention.
Dean Kevin Laudner and department chairs from the Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Beth-El College of Nursing and Health Sciences highlighted a new partnership between UCCS and CU Anschutz. UCCS students can earn a doctorate in physical therapy via a hybrid program that shares the same coursework and requirements as the CU Anschutz program. Students complete coursework primarily online with occasional visits to UCCS to work with faculty from both campuses before ultimately earning their doctorate from CU Anschutz.
The program is ideal for residents of rural Colorado who want to advance their skills and earn a degree in physical therapy but are unable to attend CU Anschutz. Laudner said the college aims to further partner with CU Anschutz in the future.
Saliman also met with UCCS deans to discuss budget challenges, as well as ways to share stories of campus excellence with the entire state. Danielle Radovich Piper, senior vice president for external relations and strategy, discussed how system marketing efforts will be part of that.
Communicating research opportunities to potential students provided a topic of discussion with the UCCS Research Faculty Advisory Board, whose members shared examples of their exciting work. The board also highlighted how it’s engaging UCCS graduate students and undergraduates in research.
The president’s day on campus concluded with the retirement celebration for Carlos Garcia, vice chancellor for student affairs. Saliman thanked Garcia, who has worked on campus for eight years and has been at CU for over 25 years.
Saliman’s January visit to CU Anschutz included a tour of the Center for Advancing Professional Excellence (CAPE), which showcased incredible training and resources it provides to health care professionals and those about to enter the field. Visitors observed trainees engaging with realistic mannequins, which Saliman also had the opportunity to learn from, and actors as patients bringing to life high-pressure scenarios.
A wide-ranging discussion with leaders from faculty, staff and student governance leaders examined highlights, opportunities and challenges on campus. The president and his team also met with leaders to discuss diversity efforts and progress around faculty recruitment and retention. They presented data, strategies, wins and challenges in recruiting and retaining diverse faculty.
The daylong visit to CU Anschutz also included a stop at CU Innovations, where faculty inventors are attracting the interest of top-tier investors. Finally, at the Center for Health Artificial Intelligence (CHAI), visitors learned about the center’s work to better understand drug efficacy for individuals with specific diseases and genetic conditions using AI. CHAI’s partnership with the Colorado Center for Personalized Medicine – which focuses on providing protocols and immediate clinical advice to health care professionals based on a patient’s genetic makeup – is yielding work that promises to transform health and health care.
President Saliman’s campus visits will continue next at CU Boulder and CU Denver.