Leadership Corner

What's ahead for sustainability at CU �Ǹ�Թ� this fall

Megan M Rogers — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 14:52:28 +0000

What's ahead for sustainability at CU �Ǹ�Թ� this fall Megan M Rogers Mon, 09/21/2026 - 08:52

Vice Chancellor for Sustainability Andrew Mayock shares updates on efforts to advance sustainability across campus, including a refreshed website and new initiatives for the fall semester.

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Welcome to a milestone year at CU �Ǹ�Թ�

Megan M Rogers — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 19:17:32 +0000

Welcome to a milestone year at CU �Ǹ�Թ� Megan M Rogers Fri, 08/21/2026 - 13:17

Vice Chancellor for Student Life D'Andra Mull welcomes students to a new academic year and shares how you can make the most of your time at CU �Ǹ�Թ�, build connections and celebrate the university's 150th anniversary.

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Operations initiatives enhancing faculty, staff experience

Megan M Rogers — Thu, 07 May 2026 14:46:27 +0000

Operations initiatives enhancing faculty, staff experience Megan M Rogers Thu, 05/07/2026 - 08:46

Collaborating with partners across campus, CU �Ǹ�Թ�’s Operations team has advanced a number of exciting projects this spring that enhance the faculty and staff experience and help make CU �Ǹ�Թ� an employer of choice—a small sampling of which include:

Launch of the new CU Recharge strength training program for faculty and staff
The activation of door-locking devices that enhance safety in large auditorium-style classrooms
Partnership with offices and constituents across campus to advance AI literacy
Preparing campus for the systemwide transition to a centralized time-keeping platform
A multi-year policy review project ensuring all policies are clear, consistent and aligned with how the campus operates today

CU �Ǹ�Թ� Today caught up recently with Senior Vice Chancellor of Operation Janel Forde to chat about what she’s most excited about and what lies ahead.

Collaborating with partners across campus, CU �Ǹ�Թ�'s operations team has advanced a number of exciting projects this spring that enhance the faculty and staff experience and help make CU �Ǹ�Թ� an employer of choice.

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Driving discovery, partnership and growth across CU �Ǹ�Թ�

Elizabeth Lock — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 21:55:37 +0000

Driving discovery, partnership and growth across CU �Ǹ�Թ� Elizabeth Lock Tue, 04/28/2026 - 15:55

Senior Vice Chancellor for Research Massimo Ruzzene discusses how CU �Ǹ�Թ� is making strong progress on key research and innovation priorities, from securing major national awards to strengthening industry partnerships and modernizing research operations.

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Campus Policy Review Project: A conversation with Catherine Oja

Elizabeth Lock — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 18:44:24 +0000

Campus Policy Review Project: A conversation with Catherine Oja Elizabeth Lock Mon, 04/13/2026 - 12:44

CU �Ǹ�Թ� Today recently spoke with Catherine Oja, director of the Office of Compliance, Ethics and Policy (OCEP), about the university’s multi-year Policy Review Project and why it matters for faculty, staff and students.

Catherine Oja

What is the Policy Review Project, and why is it important?

CU �Ǹ�Թ� launched the Policy Review Project in early 2025 to take a comprehensive, campuswide approach to reviewing all university policies. While policies are updated regularly, this is the first time we have taken a structured, holistic approach to reviewing every policy across campus.

Policies guide how we operate and ensure clear compliance structures that support faculty, staff and students in their work, studies, research and creative pursuits. They define expectations, clarify responsibilities and ensure compliance with federal, state, regent law and policy, and with CU system administrative policy statements. As the university evolves and grows, it’s important that our policies evolve as well.

This project strengthens our governance framework and ensures our policies are clear, consistent and aligned with how we operate today.

What are some of the key benefits of this effort?

There are several important benefits.

First, we are identifying and addressing gaps or redundancies that have developed over time. In some cases, policies are outdated or no longer necessary. In others, new regulatory requirements require us to formalize guidance. Across all policies, considerations related to equity are important to refresh on a regular review cycle.

Second, we are standardizing language and formatting across policy suites. That may sound simple, but consistency improves usability. It makes policies easier to navigate and understand for faculty, staff and students.

Finally, this project establishes a repeatable, structured review process. Once a policy is updated, it enters a formal five-year review cycle, ensuring we maintain accuracy and alignment going forward.

How does the review process work?

Each policy undergoes consultation with its policy owner, impact and equity review, drafting, legal consultation and constituent engagement before being approved and implemented. That structured process helps ensure policies are thoughtful, compliant and operationally sound.

Policies, by topical suite (e.g., public safety, human resources, IT), are moving through review on a rolling basis through 2028.

What should the campus community expect?

As policy suites are approved, updates will be shared with campus, and current policies will always be posted on the OCEP website.

Our goal is transparency and clarity. We want faculty, staff and students to understand their responsibilities and feel confident our policies support their roles and the university’s mission.

Catherine Oja, director of the Office of Compliance, Ethics and Policy, discusses the university's multi-year Policy Review Project and why it matters for faculty, staff and students.

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Celebrating Buffs All In—together

Megan M Rogers — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 21:04:43 +0000

Celebrating Buffs All In—together Megan M Rogers Tue, 03/24/2026 - 15:04

March is a special time at CU �Ǹ�Թ�, as we come together to celebrate generosity and connection through Buffs All In. Vice Chancellor for Student Life D'Andra Mull shares more about how Buffs can get involved.

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Provost Ann Stevens answers questions on CU system-ChatGPT agreement

Megan M Rogers — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 15:56:02 +0000

Provost Ann Stevens answers questions on CU system-ChatGPT agreement Megan M Rogers Tue, 03/03/2026 - 08:56

Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Ann Stevens

I would like to begin by acknowledging the reactions many of you have had to the CU system’s recently announced partnership agreement with OpenAI to provide ChatGPT Edu access to all CU students, faculty and staff across all four campuses. I have heard concerns about privacy, academic integrity, corporate influence, sustainability and whether this decision reflects who we are and how we teach, learn and conduct research at CU �Ǹ�Թ�. These questions matter, and they reflect the care this community brings to our academic mission and to shared governance.

I would also like to be clear about what this agreement is and what it is not. This agreement does not require the use of generative AI in classrooms or research, nor does it diminish faculty authority over pedagogy, curriculum or assessment. It does not replace existing tools or limit future choices. Instead, it provides a secure, institutionally supported option for a technology many in our community are already encountering and using, often without the protections we would want to have in place.

Our current data show that more than 28,000 users on campus already have registered ChatGPT accounts using their @colorado.edu credentials, including more than 3,000 faculty and staff. Although that statistic is limited to users of CU email credentials, countless other users access tools like ChatGPT for work or studying using their personal email addresses as well.

Generative AI is now part of the world our students will enter and the environment in which scholarship, teaching and administrative work take place. Choosing not to engage would not shield us from these changes. Our responsibility is to engage thoughtfully by setting clear expectations for use, providing AI literacy education, safeguarding academic freedom and data privacy, encouraging open inquiry and dialogue, and ensuring access does not depend on personal resources or departmental budgets.

This agreement is a starting point not a final answer. It is intentionally time limited and will be evaluated and shaped by input from faculty, staff and students across disciplines. Above all, it reflects a commitment to move forward with care and intention, guided by our values and informed by our community.

We will not get every aspect right immediately. A transparent, time‑limited approach allows us to learn together, reduce risk and make thoughtful decisions about our future while protecting our academic mission.

Below, I’ve addressed several of the most common questions I’ve heard. I also encourage you to take a look at CU �Ǹ�Թ�’s ChatGPT Edu FAQs for additional information.

Does this agreement require faculty or students to use generative AI in teaching, learning or research?

No. This agreement does not require or expect faculty or students to use generative AI. Decisions about course design, assignments, assessment and research remain with faculty, departments and programs. Academic standards and expectations around original work are unchanged.

At CU �Ǹ�Թ�, we recognize that what is appropriate in one discipline may not be appropriate in another, and that flexibility is essential to academic freedom.

Why enter into an agreement with OpenAI when concerns exist about corporate influence, vendor lock‑in and the broader AI ecosystem?

These concerns are real, and they are part of why this agreement is time limited and evaluative rather than open ended. Generative AI tools, particularly ChatGPT, are already widely used across higher education, including at CU �Ǹ�Թ�, often on public platforms with little support or guidance and fewer data protections.

This agreement allows us to engage with a widely used tool on our terms, with governance, protections and the ability to reassess. It does not preclude other tools, future partnerships or alternative models, nor does it signal endorsement of a single vendor as a long‑term solution. It is a pragmatic step to reduce risk now while we continue broader conversations about innovation, competition and choice.

Campus resources

Visit CU �Ǹ�Թ�’s ChatGPT Edu FAQs
Visit the Artificial Intelligence at CU �Ǹ�Թ� webpages for AI news and guidance
Take CU �Ǹ�Թ�’s optional AI Literacy Foundations self-paced course to learn more about generative AI
Discover a wealth of information about Teaching, Learning, & AI from the Center for Teaching & Learning
Join the AI Community of Practice MS Teams channel and/or the Teaching, Learning & AI Community of Practice (TLAI CoP)

How does this agreement protect privacy, data security and academic integrity?

Data stewardship was a primary consideration. Under this agreement, your conversations are private to you by default, cannot be monitored by CU IT and are not used to train OpenAI’s models. This represents a significant improvement over the risks associated with public versions of the tool.

The agreement also operates within existing CU policies on data classification, privacy and responsible use. Academic integrity expectations remain unchanged, and guidance and training will accompany rollout to support appropriate and transparent use. While no approach eliminates all risk, this substantially reduces exposure compared to the status quo.

How does CU �Ǹ�Թ� ensure trust and shared responsibility if legal requests involve OpenAI and university data?

Unless otherwise prohibited by law, if any request for university data through our OpenAI tool is made to OpenAI, the university, by contract, will be informed and consulted from the outset. OpenAI works in partnership with CU �Ǹ�Թ� to respond in a way that respects the university’s values, legal obligations and commitment to protecting its community. This collaborative approach ensures transparency, coordination and a shared commitment to acting in the best interests of CU �Ǹ�Թ�’s faculty, staff and students to the fullest extent allowed by law.

How will the campus community be involved in shaping how this tool is used and evaluated?

Listening to the many voices in our campus community is essential. And, here, I want to acknowledge concerns that faculty, staff and students were not broadly consulted before this system‑level contract for ChatGPT was finalized. Shared governance is central to how we shape academic priorities at CU �Ǹ�Թ�, and faculty, staff and student involvement will be critical as decisions about implementation, evaluation and future direction are made. This contract is not the end of the conversation. It is the beginning of a more structured and inclusive one.

As implementation unfolds, we are committed to engaging our campus community across disciplines and campus offices in evaluation, guidance development and future decision‑making about how, and whether, this tool continues to serve our academic mission. That includes listening carefully to concerns, critiques and enthusiasm.

Faculty involvement will also help ensure that investments in AI are matched by continued support for the intellectual work that defines this university: teaching students to question, contextualize and use emerging technologies responsibly.

CU �Ǹ�Թ�’s strength has always been its ability to balance innovation with careful scrutiny. That is the standard we will continue to apply.

How long is this agreement, where is the funding coming from and what will it ultimately cost CU �Ǹ�Թ�?

The agreement is a three-year, system‑level contract, renewable annually. The approximately $2 million cost is covered at the CU system level for the first year, not through individual campus, departmental or course budgets.

What it ultimately costs CU �Ǹ�Թ� will depend on how the agreement is evaluated and whether it continues beyond the initial term. This agreement does not commit the campus to ongoing or expanded spending. Any future decisions will be informed by evidence of academic value, faculty input and shared governance processes.

Provost Ann Stevens addresses campus questions about the CU system's ChatGPT Edu agreement—and what it means for CU �Ǹ�Թ�. Learn more.

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Making progress on campus strategic initiatives: A look back and ahead with Ann Schmiesing

Megan M Rogers — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 20:41:22 +0000

Making progress on campus strategic initiatives: A look back and ahead with Ann Schmiesing Megan M Rogers Thu, 01/22/2026 - 13:41

With the spring semester underway, CU �Ǹ�Թ� continues to advance strategic initiatives that support the four institutional priorities recently discussed by Chancellor Justin Schwartz.

From creating a hub for coordinating the campus’s outreach and community engagement work to launching a new vision to elevate CU �Ǹ�Թ�’s global presence to completing the Chancellor’s Task Force on Faculty Salaries report, CU �Ǹ�Թ� continues to advance its mission as Colorado’s leading public research university, transforming lives since 1876.

Ann Schmiesing, senior vice chancellor for strategic initiatives, sat down with CU �Ǹ�Թ� Today to reflect on the initiatives that have stood out so far this academic year, why they matter and what’s ahead in the spring semester.

What progress has CU �Ǹ�Թ� made so far this academic year in advancing its strategic initiatives?

We’ve made substantial progress on several initiatives that support our campus priorities of fostering the success of all students, faculty and staff, scaling research and creative work excellence, achieving global leadership in sustainability impact, and aligning our resources and infrastructure with our mission. I’ll focus on three of the collaborations in which I’ve recently been involved.

First, this is an exciting moment for CU �Ǹ�Թ�’s longstanding commitment to outreach and community engagement. This month, the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching recognized CU �Ǹ�Թ� with the Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement. This accomplishment underscores the outstanding work CU �Ǹ�Թ� faculty, staff and students engage in with partners across the state and beyond.

To amplify and coordinate this work, in November 2025 we launched the Office of Outreach and Community Engagement (OCE), which brings together Public and Community-Engaged Scholarship (PACES) and the previous Office of Government and Community Engagement in a new entity that serves as a hub for supporting campus engagement with external communities—doing so based on shared campus and community principles and centering data-informed outreach, civically engaged students and CU �Ǹ�Թ�’s mission as Colorado’s flagship public research university.

Similarly, CU �Ǹ�Թ�’s new vision for global engagement will enable the university to foster a pervasive culture of global impact, better coordinate support for international students and faculty and strategically align global activities with research and creative work, sustainability and student success priorities.

In November 2025, Chancellor Schwartz announced the creation of the Office of Global Affairs, which will bring together International Student and Scholar Services, Education Abroad, the International English Center and the Global Engagement Office under one umbrella; the development of an international enrollment strategic plan under the leadership of Amy Hutton, vice chancellor for enrollment management; and the appointment of a vice chancellor for global affairs, who will ensure coordinated leadership to position CU �Ǹ�Թ� as a globally connected institution, ready to build new partnerships and advance our international profile. We expect to have this role filled in late spring semester.

Progress on faculty compensation has also accelerated this academic year with the completion of the Chancellor’s Faculty Salary Task Force report in November 2025. Convened in partnership with the �Ǹ�Թ� Faculty Assembly, the task force submitted recommendations aimed at improving the market competitiveness of CU �Ǹ�Թ� faculty salaries, addressing salary compression and increasing the transparency and effectiveness of promotion, tenure and retention processes. A prioritization of these recommendations is underway, with next steps expected in early spring semester.

What upcoming projects are you most excited about and why?

First, I’m excited that CU �Ǹ�Թ� is celebrating 150 years as Colorado’s flagship public institution with a host of events and recognitions that will take place throughout 2026. One such event is the campus’s inaugural Community Engagement Week (Jan. 27–29), hosted by Public and Community Engaged Scholarship (PACES) in the Office of Outreach and Community Engagement. CU �Ǹ�Թ� scholars, community engagement professionals and community partners will gather to reflect on CU �Ǹ�Թ�’s history of community engagement, learn together and build momentum for future work.

I’m also excited that the search for CU �Ǹ�Թ�’s inaugural vice chancellor for global affairs is underway. CU �Ǹ�Թ� has been an outlier among peers in not having a senior leader responsible for stimulating and coordinating the university’s global strategy and impact. In the over three decades I’ve been at CU �Ǹ�Թ�, shared governance task forces have repeatedly recommended the hiring of such a leader, and I’m delighted that this recommendation is now being acted on.

With respect to student success, I’m thankful to be part of two ongoing efforts this spring to improve our students’ holistic experience at CU �Ǹ�Թ�. First, the Student Flourishing initiative co-led by Sona Dimidjian, director of the Renée Crown Wellness Institute, and D’Andra Mull, vice chancellor for student life, will strengthen the campus’s commitment to student mental health and wellness through recommendations for specific actions and a plan for assessing their impact. Second, the “Learner Lifecycle Constituent Relationship Management” (LL CRM) project is designed to ensure our technology ecosystem provides students with the information and support they need, when they need it.

The LL CRM project will deliver a more connected, student-centered experience throughout each CU �Ǹ�Թ� student’s journey, while increasing efficiency and reducing the need for ad hoc technology integrations. I’m grateful to the many individuals from OIT, Undergraduate Education, the Graduate School, Enrollment Management, Strategic Relations and Communications, Continuing Education, schools and colleges and many more who are collaborating on this multiyear project.

As we look further out, I’m excited that the Sundance Film Festival is relocating to �Ǹ�Թ� beginning in January 2027. The campus has numerous opportunities to foster student, faculty and staff engagement, enhance academic programs and celebrate the arts through our collaboration with the festival. Campus officials are working closely with Sundance organizers to support the transition to �Ǹ�Թ�. As plans and opportunities develop, watch for more information this spring in CU �Ǹ�Թ� Today.

How can faculty, staff and students help achieve these goals?

All the projects and initiatives I’ve mentioned above have progressed because of the shared governance leaders, faculty, staff and students who have served on committees or provided input in constituent interviews and other forums. Their dedication has resulted in tangible outcomes.

There are several other opportunities to get involved in outreach and community engagement work this semester. In addition to participating in the inaugural CU �Ǹ�Թ� Community Engagement Week (Jan. 27–29), faculty, staff and students can apply for a Public and Community-Engaged Scholarship grant; add their unit’s community-engaged research, creative work and/or teaching activities to the Public Outreach and Community-Engaged Scholarship database; and subscribe to the Public and Community Engaged Scholarship newsletter. Watch for more opportunities ahead as the Office of Outreach and Community Engagement continues to implement the vision set forth in the Chancellor’s Task Force on Outreach report.

In addition, there are many ways to help advance CU �Ǹ�Թ�’s global reach and impact this spring. Education Abroad offers options for students in all majors and with a range of budget options and has opportunities for faculty to engage in teaching abroad. CU �Ǹ�Թ� staff also play an integral role in supporting international education.

You can also attend panels at the Conference on World Affairs (CWA), April 13–16, which brings together global experts to discuss pressing issues in a wide range of fields. It’s free and open to all. This year, CWA is proud to serve as host of CU �Ǹ�Թ�’s 150th celebration kickoff, including panels at which CU �Ǹ�Թ� faculty, staff, alumni and students will reflect on the university’s legacy as it turns 150 and look toward the university’s future. Watch CU �Ǹ�Թ� Today for other opportunities to participate in events and recognitions related to the 150th anniversary celebration. If you haven’t already, please consider sharing your ideas for storytelling, programming and historical Buffs worthy of recognition.

The campus has made meaningful progress on the initiatives and priorities Chancellor Schwartz announced at his inaugural State of the Campus address last April. I’m looking forward to the chancellor’s 2026 State of the Campus address on Feb. 10, and I hope you will attend, too, whether in person or via livestream.

As CU �Ǹ�Թ� moves forward on key strategic initiatives aligned with its four institutional priorities, Senior Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives Ann Schmiesing highlights the year’s major accomplishments.

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From the dean: Welcome to spring semester, grad Buffs

Megan M Rogers — Tue, 20 Jan 2026 15:24:43 +0000

From the dean: Welcome to spring semester, grad Buffs Megan M Rogers Tue, 01/20/2026 - 08:24

Graduate School Dean Scott Adler extends his best wishes and hopes everyone enjoyed a wonderful break, with time to disconnect and unwind.

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Embrace new opportunities this spring

Megan M Rogers — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 18:15:19 +0000

Embrace new opportunities this spring Megan M Rogers Wed, 01/07/2026 - 11:15

Vice Chancellor for Student Life D'Andra Mull welcomes students back to campus, and encourages Buffs to make time to reset for success this spring.

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Leadership Corner

What's ahead for sustainability at CU �Ǹ�Թ� this fall

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Welcome to a milestone year at CU �Ǹ�Թ�

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Operations initiatives enhancing faculty, staff experience

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Driving discovery, partnership and growth across CU �Ǹ�Թ�

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Campus Policy Review Project: A conversation with Catherine Oja

What is the Policy Review Project, and why is it important?

What are some of the key benefits of this effort?

How does the review process work?

What should the campus community expect?

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Celebrating Buffs All In—together

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Provost Ann Stevens answers questions on CU system-ChatGPT agreement

Does this agreement require faculty or students to use generative AI in teaching, learning or research?

Why enter into an agreement with OpenAI when concerns exist about corporate influence, vendor lock‑in and the broader AI ecosystem?

How does this agreement protect privacy, data security and academic integrity?

How does CU �Ǹ�Թ� ensure trust and shared responsibility if legal requests involve OpenAI and university data?

How will the campus community be involved in shaping how this tool is used and evaluated?

How long is this agreement, where is the funding coming from and what will it ultimately cost CU �Ǹ�Թ�?

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Making progress on campus strategic initiatives: A look back and ahead with Ann Schmiesing

What progress has CU �Ǹ�Թ� made so far this academic year in advancing its strategic initiatives?

What upcoming projects are you most excited about and why?

How can faculty, staff and students help achieve these goals?

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From the dean: Welcome to spring semester, grad Buffs

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Embrace new opportunities this spring

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