The University of Colorado Board of Regents held its first meeting of the 2025-26 academic year at CU Anschutz on Sept. 18. The meeting included campus updates, discussions about freedom of speech, and a 2025-26 fall enrollment update.
Board of Regents and President Todd Saliman Reaffirm Commitment to Freedom of Speech
In reaffirming the University of Colorado’s commitment to freedom of speech and academic freedom, Board of Regents Chair Callie Rennison read an excerpt from a letter the Board of Regents sends to all incoming students at the start of the academic year: “You not only learn from the faculty; you learn from each other. You will meet and engage with people of different races, religions, genders, sexual identities, and political philosophies, and your different perspectives and experiences will make your education more rewarding. Your classrooms are places where you can develop the skills that will make you informed participants in our civic discourse.”
President Todd Saliman echoed Rennison and thanked the CU community for continuing to deliver on the expectation that engagement and disagreement can occur in a civil manner.
Campus Update Presented by Chancellor Kenneth T. Christensen
During his campus update, Chancellor Christensen provided an enrollment update, including a record-matching, first-to-second-year retention rate of more than 76%.
Additional highlights included details on the recent signing of a guaranteed admission agreement with Denver Public Schools and the launch of the 2030 Strategic Plan refresh, which will focus on CU Denver’s public service mission. He also thanked Jorge Chavez, PhD, associate professor in the School of Education & Human Development, for his service as the new University of Colorado Faculty Council chair.
2025-26 Fall Enrollment Update
Overall enrollment across the University of Colorado is at a record high for 2025-26. At CU Denver, fall 2025 enrollment is up 0.9% over fall 2024 and 2.7% over the June budget projections
Compared to fall 2024, new first-year undergraduate enrollment increased 5.6% and continuing undergraduate students increased 1%. This increase was driven primarily by growth in Colorado resident enrollment.