On June 23 and 24, the University of Colorado Board of Regents voted on several matters, some of which directly impact CU Denver. Regent actions included approving the next fiscal year’s budget, electing a new board chair and board vice chair, approving faculty awards of tenure, and approving a new degree program that supports the university’s 2030 strategic goals.
Fiscal Year 2022-23 Budget Approved
The 2022–23 budget for CU Denver totals $348.9 million, which is divided into three funds: the education and general budget (67.3%), auxiliary budget (15.4%) and restricted budget (17.2%).
The education and general budget, which largely comes from tuition, fees, and state funding, makes up $234.9 million ($51 million is direct state funding) and represents a $12.8 million increase from the previous year due in part to a higher graduate student enrollment. State funding for the entire CU system rose by $26.6 million, a 10.4% increase for the total system budget, for the coming year.
Highlights from the operating budget presentation include:
- Undergraduate enrollment is projected to decline 2.7%, though graduate enrollment is projected to increase 1.7% due to enrollment growth experienced since fall 2020.
- The budget accounts for investments in financial aid, strategic plan initiatives, and compensation, including a 3% merit pool for faculty and staff approved by the board in April.
- The budget considers mandatory cost increases, including the City of Denver’s minimum wage increase and increases for the Auraria Higher Education Center (AHEC).
New Board Chair and Board Vice Chair Named
The Board selected Regent Lesley Smith as the new chair and Regent Ken Montera as the next vice chair of the board.
Faculty Awarded Tenure
At the recommendation of Chancellor Michelle Marks with support of Provost Constancio Nakuma, nine faculty were awarded tenure effective June 24, 2022. Tenure is awarded to faculty members who have demonstrated exceptional performance in the areas of teaching, scholarly/creative work, and leadership and service. A tenured appointment provides indefinite job security at an institution unless for cause or under extraordinary circumstances such as financial exigency and program discontinuation, according to the American Association of University Professors. The following faculty members received awards.
- Moatassem Abdallah, Asstistant Professor, Civil Engineering, College of Design, Engineering and Computing
- Ryan Brown, Assistant Professor, Economics, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
- Zixia Cao, Assistant Professor, Marketing, Business School
- Annika Mosier, Assistant Professor, Integrative Biology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
- John Ronquillo, Assistant Professor, Nonprofit and Public Management, School of Public Affairs
- Jonathan Shaffer, Assistant Professor, Clinical Health Psychology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
- Lucinda Soltero-Gonzalez, Assistant Professor, Literacy Education, School of Education & Human Development
- Erik Sommerfeld, Assistant Professor, Architecture, College of Architecture and Planning
- Kai Yu, Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, Design and Computing
- Ester de Jong, Professor, ESOL/Bilingual Education, School of Education & Human Development
- Rashmi Gangamma, Associate Professor, Department of Marriage and Family Therapy, School of Education & Human Development
- Marvin Lynn, Dean, School of Education & Human Development
CU Denver to Offer a New MS in Entrepreneurship Degree
Regents approved a new master of science in entrepreneurship degree program offered by the Business School and the Jake Jabs Center for Entrepreneurship starting in academic year 2023-24. According to the proposal, Colorado, particularly Denver, is one of the fastest-growing entrepreneurial ecosystems in the country and no universities in the state currently offer this type of graduate-level degree.
The 30-hour degree will be stackable, cross-disciplinary, and experiential, catering to students that require flexibility. The degree program will also offer a variety of specialization certificates, to be offered by several CU Denver schools and colleges.
The program’s 14 core and elective entrepreneurship courses are already offered through and taught by faculty at the Jake Jabs Center, meaning there will be minimum startup costs. The program promises to have a focus on partnerships with some of Colorado’s greatest entrepreneurs, the proposal says, which supports CU Denver’s 2030 strategic goals.