Early Bird

President’s Cabinet recap

President Davidson applauds campus efforts, provides budget updates and asks Roadrunners to share their best ideas.

By Lindsey Coulter

April 8, 2020

A meeting of the President’s Cabinet took place Tuesday via livestream as the Metropolitan State University of Denver community continues its efforts to flatten the COVID-19 curve.

President Janine Davidson, Ph.D., commended Roadrunners for protecting student, employee and community health, applauding early planning efforts led by the Administration, Information Technology Services, Online Learning and Health Center at Auraria teams. She also thanked all employees and students for their flexibility and swift adaptation to remote teaching, learning and operations.

“I want this (meeting) to be considered a call to action, a call for unity of effort and a call for inclusive leadership,” Davidson added. “It’s important that we get all of us on one side and the challenge — in this case, the virus — on the other.”

Special Edition of the President’s Cabinet from MSU Denver on Vimeo.

She encouraged Roadrunners to continue being part of the COVID-19 solution by staying home, following safety precautions and donating blood and plasma. She also noted the efforts of the Industrial Design, Engineering, Art and Theatre Departments, as well as the Advanced Manufacturing Sciences Institute, to supply medical professionals with much-needed personal protective equipment.

Davidson then provided an overview of the University’s fiscal health, highlighting vigorous lobbying and advocacy efforts among state and federal lawmakers, business leaders and foundations to ensure MSU Denver’s financial stability through this crisis. In the meeting slides, Roadrunners can find a complete breakdown of current and projected impacts, operational needs and decision-making timelines as they relate to different enrollment scenarios.

In speaking frankly about budget challenges, Davidson encouraged Roadrunners to share their ideas and suggestions for creative budget and funding solutions. She asked employees to consider efficiencies, investments and innovations to help the University continue to serve its mission.

Learn more about these topics as well as highlights from University Advancement, ITS, Diversity and Inclusion, and Student Affairs by watching the livestream recording. 

Watch for more updates on how we can shape the future together.