{"id":737,"date":"2025-11-06T17:59:48","date_gmt":"2025-11-06T18:59:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sleepystork.com\/?p=737"},"modified":"2025-11-13T10:21:39","modified_gmt":"2025-11-13T10:21:39","slug":"universities-must-change-how-they-foster-inclusiveness-du-has-a-plan-to-help-everyone-belong-opinion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/sleepystork.com\/index.php\/2025\/11\/06\/universities-must-change-how-they-foster-inclusiveness-du-has-a-plan-to-help-everyone-belong-opinion\/","title":{"rendered":"Universities must change how they foster inclusiveness, DU has a plan\u00a0to help everyone belong (Opinion)"},"content":{"rendered":"

There is no shortage of change taking place nationally in American education. We are witnessing shifts at universities and colleges across the nation in the efforts intended to help all students feel like they belong and are prepared to thrive. Perceptions that the work fostering inclusiveness at the University of Denver has been swept aside<\/a> are far from reality.<\/p>\n

As DU\u2019s\u00a0vice chancellor for the Division of Community Support and Engagement, with years of experience driving inclusiveness at multiple institutions, I am leading our efforts around how we show up to support everyone in our community.\u00a0My engagements and connections in the national higher education sector allow me to confidently say\u00a0that colleges and universities are not working in silos as we navigate these challenging times. We are inspired by numerous efforts to continue promoting inclusiveness in higher education, across Colorado and the U.S., and we hope DU will serve as an innovative example.<\/p>\n

At DU, we are leaning into our long-standing and sustained value of inclusiveness while thinking about and approaching it in new way<\/a>s. To guide the work and provide thoughtful engagement, the new Division of Community Support and Engagement (DCSE) has offered its vision of a DU where every individual feels a deep sense of belonging, support, and connection. We continue to provide engagements that allow us to hear from the community, and we are moving forward by offering support\u00a0through the three sub-units of the division and their work.<\/p>\n

The mission of the Division of Community Support and Engagement is to cultivate an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of the DU community. We are doing so by developing a framework where we\u00a0foster social and intellectual connections that provide opportunities for\u00a0everyone to feel they belong. Research\u00a0shows belonging is the basis for thriving \u2013\u00a0whether that is student degree completion or employee retention. We aim to be a hub to foster the many ways members of our community might build connection, noting that connection is the foundation of belonging and paves the road for individual and community thriving.<\/p>\n

At the University of Denver, we initiated conversations in 2024 about how to thoughtfully evolve in response to broader shifts in American higher education. Since then, we\u2019ve engaged in a collaborative and holistic process ensuring that student, faculty, and staff voices shape our path forward. We\u2019ve created opportunities for community members to meet with our team to help define belonging and thriving, share new ideas for support, and explore how we can more intentionally welcome people into our space. Indeed, we recently hosted an impressively attended open house filled with opportunities for interactive engagement around these questions while informing the community about the sustained work of the division.<\/p>\n