Heather Aberle

This strategic plan outlines CU Denver's vision to become a bold, transformative public urban research university by 2030. It focuses on five key goals: becoming the nation's first Equity Serving Institution, providing lifelong educational excellence, achieving international recognition for research, establishing an Open Innovation District, and being a people-centered best place to work. The plan aims to make education accessible for all, transform lives, expand economies, and uplift communities.

This plan, titled "Our Plan To Make Education Work For All," aims to increase access to excellent education and address grand societal challenges, positioning CU Denver as a leader. It outlines five primary goals: becoming the nation's first equity-serving institution, recognized for fostering racial and cultural inclusivity; establishing itself as the 'university for life' by providing lifelong access to educational excellence; achieving international renown for its research and creative contributions to five grand challenges; building and sustaining an open innovation district in downtown Denver; and being recognized as a people-centered best place to work, attracting diverse and passionate talent.

This strategic plan addresses the evolving future of education by integrating traditional and digital learning methods and developing new approaches to accommodate diverse learner needs. It is guided by five ambitious goals, leveraging the institution's unique position as a research university. The plan aims to realize the institution's powerful potential as a true equity-serving institution, providing opportunities, strengthening democracy, and serving all stakeholders.

This vision statement outlines a commitment to equity by providing high-quality, relevant education tailored to learners' lives, leading to their successful futures. It emphasizes leveraging the institution's status as a premier public urban research university to expand access to academic, research, professional, and social capital opportunities, traditionally reserved for the privileged. The vision promotes an innovative, flexible, and human-centered educational approach, disrupting conventional models to foster curiosity, empathy, and knowledge within diverse communities. Ultimately, it aims to be an equity service institution that strengthens democracy and works for all.

The strategic plan for the University of Colorado Denver outlines an ambitious vision for 2030, developed with broad community participation. It focuses on five key goals: becoming the nation's first equity-serving institution, being recognized as a university for life, achieving international renown for research and creative work addressing society's grand challenges, establishing an open innovation district in downtown Denver, and becoming a people-centered best place to work.