Chancellor Philip DiStefano and Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Akirah Bradley-Armstrong sent a letter to University of Colorado Student Government leaders on Wednesday to respond to recent complaints and begin restoring operations after months of internal tensions. They also pledged to reset expectations for working together in the future.
“We acknowledge the challenging situation we are in together,” DiStefano and Bradley-Armstrong said. “And we are here to work with you, as leaders, to find a productive path forward for CUSG—not only for the coming year, but for the legacy of your work in service to our student body for many years to come.”
DiStefano and Bradley-Armstrong outlined four actions to be taken immediately, including:
- Re-establishing respect and civility and continuing to address reports and allegations of racism.
- Ratifying appointments of critical staff to enable CUSG to continue its important work without further disruption to student services.
- Re-engaging discussions about the CUSG/Chancellor’s Agreement with all three branches.
- Calling student leaders to the table to engage in “a collaborative, visible process to arrive at mutually agreeable updates to the CUSG operating model.”
CUSG operates a nearly $27 million budget, overseeing seven university cost centers, employees, the operation of the University Memorial Center, the Rec Center, student organizations and much of the cultural programming around campus.
CU Boulder administration has historically intervened when discord within CUSG threatens campus operations. When they have deemed it necessary to step-in, staff and administrators have taken care to preserve CUSG’s future autonomy while restoring functions, a precedent DiStefano and Bradley said they would continue to follow.
“As your campus leaders, we are fully committed to the strong legacy of positive impact, campus influence and service to the greater good that are hallmarks of CUSG—and we want to help you expand that legacy in the years ahead,” the letter said.
