Early Bird

Inside the President’s Cabinet

See updates on Commencement, the University’s first comprehensive fundraising campaign, the Alternative Work Arrangements Policy and more.

By Lindsey Coulter

November 18, 2021

President Janine Davidson, Ph.D., began the final President’s Cabinet meeting of the year Wednesday by celebrating the expansion of the Displaced Aurarian Scholarship and recognizing Native American Heritage Month.

“In the spirit of recognizing those who came before us at Auraria, I’d also like to recognize that our campus resides on the ancestral lands of the Cheyenne, Arapaho, Sioux and Ute people,” Davidson said.

In addition to that historical tie, Metropolitan State University of Denver currently serves about 70 Native American students, many of whom are part of the Native Indigenous Student Alliance that was created last year. On Friday at 5 p.m., students are hosting a virtual conversation on the epidemic of missing and slain Indigenous women. And Monday, the alliance (together with the Center for Multicultural Excellence and Inclusion) is hosting a virtual conversation with a survivor of the movement to assimilate Native American children into boarding schools.

Strategy Branch updates

Hiring searches are in progress for two new positions in the Strategy Branch: chief strategy officer and director of strategy.

These roles will help to:

• Implement our Strategic Plan.
• Coordinate strategic planning with the Auraria Higher Education Center.
• Amplify our government-affairs efforts.
• And engage external stakeholders to support our strategic objectives as a University.

Finalists for the CSO position will be on campus through Friday to participate in hybrid forums. Check Tuesday’s Early Bird for details. More information on the search for a director of strategy will be available in January.

Commencement

Commencement will be held Dec. 17 in the Colorado Convention Center. Due to space constraints, faculty and staff members must volunteer if they want to attend. Four-star Army General Laura Richardson, an MSU Denver alumna, will give the keynote address, and the University’s second Marathon Award will be given to former Gov. Roy Romer, who was fundamental in founding MSU Denver and the Auraria Campus.

Covid-19 update

Representing the Roadrunners Safe Return Committee, Leone Dick provided an update on health and safety efforts, Gov. Jared Polis’ recent Public Health Order, vaccination rates and more. Learn more about these updates in today’s article from Larry Sampler, chief operating officer and vice president for Administration.

Comprehensive campaign

Roadrunners Rising, the University’s first comprehensive fundraising campaign, will kick off soon and aims to build the University’s brand and drive financial support over the next five years. Through storytelling, the campaign will highlight students, employees and alumni to make the case for investing in the institution and demonstrate success and opportunities. The approach aligns with the University’s 2030 Strategic Plan pillars and vision and is organized into four strategic pillars that will support the larger vision of ensuring that MSU Denver is the national leader in social mobility.

• Facilitating Student Success will focus on the programs, support services and resources that get students to campus, keep them engaged and help them graduate.
• Cultivating Inclusive Excellence will celebrate our commitment to diversity and then scale and grow diversity through the Faculty Fellows program, the teaching-assistant program and the Association of College and University Educators cohort.
• Creating Classroom to Career Pathways will facilitate the connection between students and employers, focus on establishing a Universitywide mentoring program and increase investment in the Earn and Learn program.
• Addressing Colorado’s Talent Pipeline will position MSU Denver as the solution to talent-pipeline gaps.

All Roadrunners are invited to get involved, and training opportunities are available. Stay tuned for more details.

Alternative Work Arrangement policy

The AWA policy was first advanced by the University Policy Advisory Council in August, and the accompanying guideline document for supervisors and employees has since been finalized. The policy was intentionally broad to foster flexibility and was intended to help recruit, retain and engage employees, ensuring equitable processes and outcomes.

Staff Senate President Rebecca Reid presented the guide, which includes more specific details for employees and supervisors regarding establishing arrangements, approval processes, communication, evaluation, flexibility, roles and responsibilities, expectations, work types, workspaces, compensation and tax information, Classified employees, reimbursable expenses, best practices and more.

Stay tuned for more details regarding information sessions and workshops.

The policy was originally approved and advanced to the president during the Cabinet’s September meeting. Davidson asked Cabinet members to share the draft with their teams and to provide any additional comments and feedback before final review and approval.

General updates

• See presidential budget priorities for funding updates and investments in people and processes.
• MSU Denver was recently awarded a Gold Seal for student-voter engagement.
• Undergraduate, state-funded registration for next fall is down 5.97% compared with last spring 2021; head count is down 11.5%.
• To share good news and recognitions, be sure to submit items for Faculty Citings, Kudos and more to earlybirdeditor@msudenver.edu.
• Check out RoadrunnersAthletics.com to support student-athletes.