Regents retreat to mountains for wide-ranging discussion

University of Colorado Board of Regents

The University of Colorado Board of Regents will focus part of its retreat this week on the work force needs of Colorado businesses and what they are looking for in CU graduates, as well as long-term budget solutions to ensure the university can meet those needs.

The board will have its annual summer retreat Friday and Saturday at President Bruce Benson’s ranch in Silverthorne.

Regents will have sessions with a panel that includes Tom Clark, executive vice president of the Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce; Renny Fagan, president and CEO of the Colorado Nonprofit Association; Richard Lewis, president and CEO of RTL Networks, Inc.; and Diane Schwenke, president and CEO of the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce. Discussion items include what the business community wants and needs in a CU graduate, work force needs, where businesses are recruiting and why, and what CU should consider strategically in order to serve the needs of Colorado businesses in the next five, 10 and 20 years.

The panel discussion will be followed by an informal discussion among the regents, business leaders and university executive leadership.

The regents also will discuss long-term planning issues, including budget solutions, with executive leadership, campus leaders and finance vice chancellors.

The board also will recap the core curriculum discussion from its retreat last summer. Part of that will include discussion of a draft document detailing the ideal attributes and abilities of a CU graduate, which will then be further vetted by faculty, alumni, students and others.