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Colleges and universities often are seen as places to discuss our ideas, debate our differences and openly engage persons with whom we may not agree. Those debates and disagreements appear sharper and less open to compromise during an election season, particularly an election with as much acrimony as the one currently underway. It is during times like these when it becomes incumbent upon us, as members of the CU Â鶹¹ÙÍø community, to remember the Colorado Creed and how we can choose to live its values.

The campaign season is upon us and we know from recent experience that our campus is a popular location for campaign stops. Participating in the democratic process is certainly a privilege, but as public employees we have special responsibilities.

We’re at as exciting a moment as I’ve ever seen at the university. To all our new and returning students, faculty and staff, I welcome you to our campus and wish you a great start to the academic year.

College life offers students a rich array of choices when it comes to meeting new people, engaging in new opportunities and exploring new concepts and ideas. It’s what the university experience is all about—embarking on a personal quest to become critical thinkers and engaged individuals. As your new associate vice chancellor for student affairs and dean of students, it is my honor and pleasure to welcome you to the Â鶹¹ÙÍø, where you are entering a proud Buff community!

It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the Â鶹¹ÙÍø. You are here because you belong here. We have found a great fit between you and the university, and you have the qualities we value in a student.

As the academic year winds to a close I want to extend my sincere thanks to my campus colleagues for your work on one of the most important priorities we have ever undertaken together: advancing inclusive excellence at CU-Â鶹¹ÙÍø.

The University of Colorado Student Government has issued an opinion that affects the results of the recently conducted student government election. As chancellor, I recognize and fully support the right of the students to elect their own leadership and to administer the processes for those elections. Due to the recent confusion and challenges to the election that have been raised, I will review the processes employed and the decisions made to this point to ensure that they were administered appropriately. I will conduct my review expeditiously in conjunction with the vice chancellor for student affairs and the university’s legal counsel and without any preference to any of the candidates.

The chancellors and provosts of the University of Colorado invite faculty and staff to submit proposals for the development of a new, fully online undergraduate degree program to launch in fall 2018. Proposals will be accepted from now through July 15. The grant program provides funds to plan and develop a comprehensive, intercampus, online undergraduate degree that improves student access to the University of Colorado’s educational opportunities.

Students, faculty and staff gathered in the Glenn Miller Ballroom on the morning of St. Patrick's Day for a discussion on campus social climate with Chancellor Philip P. DiStefano, joined by CUSG executives Joseph Soto and John Lurquin.

As a campus community, we still have work to do to ensure that all of our students, faculty and staff can safely and meaningfully work together to make CU-Â鶹¹ÙÍø the kind of welcoming environment where everyone can thrive both academically and socially. That work begins with open and candid discussions of what our issues are and how we can work together to address them. Toward this end, CUSG, BFA and the Office of Faculty Affairs are co-sponsoring a two-part series of campus discussions focusing on Social dynamics inside and outside of the classroom . Part 1 will be held on March 9 at 3 p.m., in the UMC Ballroom.