Chancellor calls for big ideas in 2026 State of the Campus
Chancellor Justin Schwartz delivered his annual State of the Campus address on Feb. 10, highlighting the university’s 150th anniversary and encouraging students, faculty and staff to submit ideas for transforming the future of CU Boulder’s societal impact.
Before a crowd of over 500 in the Glenn Miller Ballroom and 1,120 viewers online, Schwartz encouraged the campus to rely on the power of new ideas to endure and prevail during this uncertain time in higher education.
“I firmly believe that today is our chance not to pause, but to evolve from within—to evaluate our strengths, define our future and leap ahead of our peers,” he said.
Schwartz issued a call to action for everyone across campus to share groundbreaking ideas that the university should pursue in the coming years—the “audacious ideas that need urgent attention.”
“Some of the greatest ideas in human history have come from asking unbounded questions. Let’s be the place where such questions are not merely rhetorical,” Schwartz said.
He also highlighted the successes of the past year and goals for the future in the university's four areas of priority: fostering the success of all students, faculty and staff; scaling research and creative work excellence; achieving global leadership in sustainability impact; and aligning our infrastructure and resources to our mission.
Schwartz announced plans for offering a Residential Learning Community experience to all first-year undergraduates at no extra charge as soon as fall 2027.
In addition, he spotlighted the launch of four new CU Boulder Community Belonging Awards. The awards were initiated by CU Student Government and will recognize exceptional individuals who are fostering belonging on campus.
Over lunch, attendees were invited to submit their next big ideas online.
A team of faculty, staff and leaders has been assembled to work alongside the chancellor and senior leadership to guide the “Next Big Ideas” effort. Two members of the team, professors Waleed Abdalati and Stefanie Johnson, spoke to the audience about the initiative.
“We didn’t design this process in a vacuum. We looked at what works in organizations that are exceptionally good at breakthrough innovation,” Abdalati said. “Start with big problems, not small projects. Protect imagination before evaluating feasibility. Mix disciplines and perspectives. So today, we’re starting exactly there—with imagination.”
Over the coming months, the team will continue to solicit ideas across campus.
“Where you sit in the organization does not define whether you will come up with a great idea,” Schwartz said.