The University of Colorado has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I slept on the floor of my cousin’s room in Williams Village before a day of skiing at Eldora. As a teenager, I visited my brother – a business major and President’s Leadership Class member – at Boulder and marveled at the campus’ beauty. A few years later it was my turn.

As an undergraduate at Boulder, I wasn't sure what major to pursue until I took “Intro to Political Science” with Professor Walt Stone. That person and that class changed my life. My major led to an internship, which, in turn, led to my first job and ultimately shaped the trajectory of my career. In addition to transformational knowledge, skills and relationships, CU gave me the space to explore my passion. As an alumnus, my CU degree has afforded me unimagined opportunities. As a longstanding CU employee, I’m grateful to be able to pay it forward by serving our students, faculty, staff and the great state of Colorado.

When the Board of Regents asked me to serve, I was honored and humbled to help lead this incredible university. I am grateful for my years of public service in Colorado and my enduring relationship with CU because they give me valuable insights into the challenges we face as a university and the strengths we can bring to bear.

This is a time of uncertainty and transition in the world and in higher education. Before the pandemic, some questioned the value of a four-year degree. COVID has fueled their doubt.

It’s well documented that higher education, particularly four-year degrees, are key to social mobility and lead to greater fulfillment, more prosperity and longer lifespans. On average, people with bachelor’s degrees earn $1.5 million dollars more over their working lives, experience lower unemployment, are healthier and live longer than those who don’t graduate with a four-year degree. College graduates also benefit their communities: they create more businesses that generate more jobs and foster more civic involvement. 

In the months ahead, we’ll be working to demonstrate the importance of a college education, focusing on four-year degrees. We’ll also be traveling to communities across the state to listen to what Coloradans want from us and to tell CU’s story – to show our impact on Colorado and the transformational power of a CU degree.

CU is a leading public research university that contributes to the nation and the world, yet our impact can be felt right here at home. We’re the state’s third largest employer. Each year, we graduate thousands of students from across the state – about 38% of Colorado’s bachelor’s degrees come from CU annually – who fill critical jobs and contribute to communities in Colorado and beyond. We collaborate with business to ensure we’re responsive to the state’s workforce needs. We’re health care pioneers providing leading edge care for hundreds of thousands of Coloradans. Our four campuses distinguish us and each offers something special for Colorado, including myriad paths to degrees and other credentials.

We also work hard to keep a CU education affordable and accessible to all Coloradans: The out-of-pocket cost of attending CU for undergraduates has declined over the past five years when adjusted for inflation. We’ve doubled our investment in grants and scholarships over the past decade, increasing institutional aid by nearly 8% on an average annual basis to a total of $229 million in Fiscal Year 2020.

This isn’t to say we’re perfect. While we’re a world-class university that's woven into the fabric of Colorado, there’s room to do and be better. We’re committed to doing even more to make CU a place for all Coloradans, which means ensuring our students, faculty and staff reflect our state’s diversity. We’re working to further improve our retention and graduation rates. We’ve set goals in these and many other areas to hold ourselves accountable via our new strategic plan.

Most immediately, we’re focused on ensuring the health and safety of our communities – on campus and off. As COVID persists and evolves, we continue to rely on the latest public health guidance as well as our own CU experts. Last month, when I helped welcome students to our campuses during move-in week, I saw their excitement to return to in-person learning and their commitment to following safety guidelines. Their efforts are paying off as evidenced by the high vaccination rates and compliance we’re seeing on our campuses. For the latest COVID-related information, please visit our campuses’ websites, which are updated frequently. 

As we travel the state this year, we’ll be listening closely. We’re eager to know what Coloradans want and need from CU. We want to hear from you. Just as the university has been central to my life’s story, you – whether you’re a student, parent, alumnus, faculty or staff member, donor or friend – are a critical part of CU’s story.

Want to hear more from President Saliman? Listen to him on the CU On the Air Podcast: CU President Saliman on Affordability, Access, Funding, DEI and the Value of CU in Colorado

PODCAST

Wildfire Resilience, not Suppression, Supports the Environment
Already in the U.S. in 2021, some 95 large fires have burned more than 2 million acres in 15 states. Nearly 24,000 wildland firefighters and support personnel are on the front lines across the country. CU on the Air talks with CU Boulder’s Natasha Stavros, data and fire scientist and director of the Earth Lab Analytics Hub, about the effects of centuries of land mismanagement, technology in fire mitigation, and what we can do to save the Earth and even our lives.

CU NEWS

U.S. Space Force, University of Colorado Announce Partnership

The U.S. Space Force expanded its University Partnership Program at CU during a memorandum of understanding signing event Aug. 20. Space Force will work with CU to outline specific implementation milestones to meet the program’s four main goals.

Keeping the CU Community Safe

Each of our campuses has extensive plans and protocols in place to ensure the health and safety of our communities – on campus and off. For the latest COVID-related information, please visit our campuses' websites, which are updated frequently.

Systemwide Strategic Plan Earns Backing of Board of Regents

The CU Board of Regents last month gave its formal support to the new systemwide strategic plan. The plan offers guidance, details and goals for next five years. The board’s resolution states that annual reports will be provided to the regents to show progress toward the established goals.

NEWS FROM OUR CAMPUSES

University of Colorado Boulder

• Student Researcher Helps Discover Dust Around the Sun: A then-CU Boulder undergrad and her colleagues were peering at data from a NASA space mission when they noticed a new and unexplained stream of microscopic particles that seemed to be spraying out from around the star.

University of Colorado Colorado Springs

• UCCS Names Center in Honor of Distinguished Alumnus Kevin W. O’Neil: The Cybersecurity Education and Research Center was made possible by the landmark $3 million gift of alumnus, philanthropist, entrepreneur and Colorado Springs native Kevin O’Neil.

University of Colorado Denver

• CU Denver Researchers Abuzz about Bee Health: Christy Briles, assistant professor in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and her research team added new beehives to the roof of the new City Heights Residence Hall & Learning Commons.

University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

• Climate Change Fuels Multiple Threats to Society’s Health: Jay Lemery and Rosemary Rochford, co-directors of the CU School of Medicine’s Climate & Health Program, have watched the data for years and witnessed the health effects in their medical offices and emergency rooms.