CU-Boulder Chancellor Phil DiStefano addressed an audience of about 300 in the Glenn Miller Ballroom Tuesday morning in his annual “State of the Campus” address and offered an update of the Flagship 2030 Strategic Plan and a strategy of “coming together” to improve CU-Boulder’s finances, reputation and the student experience.
The Chancellor began the address by taking the opportunity to welcome new leaders to campus, including Arts and Sciences Dean Steven Leigh, Vice Chancellor and Chief Financial Officer Kelly Fox, Vice Chancellor for Administration Louise Vale, and Chief of Staff Catherine Shea. The speech focused on what the Chancellor feels are elements critical to the university and its success, including enhancing the student experience, establishing new and diversified funding sources, and building and protecting the reputation of the institution.
Included in the address was an overall progress report on the campus’s Flagship 2030 Strategic Plan. This is the fifth year since the launch of the plan and DiStefano announced he will post a full update on the Flagship 2030 website in the coming weeks.
Highlights shared in the address included growth in the research and scholarly work of the faculty, the almost-doubling of the number of Residential Academic Programs, and significant investment in campus facilities.
Of particular interest to students, the Chancellor highlighted campus efforts to increase student diversity; improve the overall learning experience of all students; and reduce the barriers to collaboration between schools, so students can get dual degrees more easily. The Chancellor also thanked the student body for supporting the Broadway-Euclid underpass and the campus efforts to quell the disruptive 4/20 gathering, while lauding the service-oriented nature of CU-Boulder students.
The Chancellor closed the address with the announcement of a new Advisory Council, comprised of leaders external to the CU-Boulder community.
“This council will help us identify new funding sources, build support for new research partnerships, make innovations in how we serve our students, and help us build and sustain our reputation in Colorado and across the nation,” he said.
The full text of the speech, as well as a recording of the LiveStream, are available on the Chancellor’s website at http://chancellor.colorado.edu.