The 2030 Strategic Plan is a profound repositioning of CU Denver to be a public urban research university that works for all, that is internationally known for its research and creative work, and that is a people-centered employer of choice. In support of these goals, Beth Myers, a seasoned researcher, analyst, and strategic leader with 15 years of professional experience in the CU System, has been named CU Denver’s new associate vice chancellor for academic planning and institutional effectiveness.
Myers will oversee the Office of Institutional Research & Effectiveness and report to Provost Constancio Nakuma. She will help to identify, define, prioritize, and obtain institutional research and assessment data in support of decision-making in areas such as enrollment planning, faculty support and instructional workloads, new academic course and program development, industry trends in academia, college administration needs, and the assessment of student learning outcomes.
“Beth brings invaluable experience with her research on access pathways to higher education,” Nakuma said. “I look forward to working with her as she crystalizes the vision for and leads the development of a focused plan of academic engagement collaboratively with the colleges and schools, and strengthens our Office of Institutional Research & Effectiveness, which is an essential area for success outcomes for our students, faculty, and staff.”
Myers has spent nearly her entire time as a student and employee on the CU Boulder campus. She earned three degrees at the campus—a bachelor’s in biochemistry with a chemistry minor, a master’s degree in engineering management, and a PhD in civil engineering. As an employee at CU Boulder’s College of Engineering and Applied Science, she held roles as the assistant to the associate dean for inclusive excellence, director of access and recruiting, research associate, and director of analytics, assessment and accreditation.
Since 2019, she has served as CU Boulder’s assistant vice provost for student success initiatives and the assistant vice chancellor for undergraduate education. Over her extensive career at CU, Myers has received several certifications in research, analysis, and data, obtained awards for leadership in diversity and engineering education, and authored publications and presentations on student success, diversity in engineering and computing, and more.
Myers, who will start at CU Denver on Feb. 28, said her experience in using data to improve different areas within a university—including student success outcomes and faculty and staff access to information—has prepared her for her next role. CU Denver’s 2030 Strategic Plan, particularly goal one of becoming the nation’s first equity-serving institution, largely attracted her to the opportunity.
“When I sit back and think about what is most important to me, one of the main things is equity, and feeling like in society we have equitable access to opportunity,” said Myers, adding, “I really value education, and I think it’s important for people to be able to learn new things … We must ensure that people have the information, and access to the information, they need to be successful.”
Myers has longstanding ties to CU Denver—her father took classes at the university and her brother is an alum. She looks forward to joining the university, listening to the needs of students, faculty, and staff, and helping achieve the goals outlined in the Strategic Plan.
“I’m excited to work in a community where people have shared visions and experiences,” Myers said.