Summer traditions at DU

NINETEEN

FROM THE DESK OF CHANCELLOR HAEFNER

I don’t want to incite panic, but summer is almost over! Classes have already kicked off at the Sturm College of Law where I had the pleasure of meeting the outstanding incoming class of 270 students. Soon, the rest of campus will be filled once again with students and faculty. 

While the summer at DU appears quiet, I’ve seen first-hand that the DU community is as active from June through August as it is the rest of the year.

First and foremost, I want to congratulate our summer 2019 graduates! This past weekend, nearly 600 students—over half of whom received advanced degrees—become University of Denver alumni. Their accomplishment is the reason we are all here, each day, and it was an honor to celebrate them and see the pride and joy on the faces of their loved ones.

Also this week, we came together as a community for the faculty and staff appreciation lunch. This annual event gives us an opportunity to thank our fellow colleagues and friends for their efforts, energy, creativity, and dedication. I hope everyone enjoyed the fantastic meal, games, and each other’s company. The watermelon mojito popsicles were so welcome to counter the 94-degree temperature!

Also this summer, it was inspiring to see so many young students from all across the Denver region visiting our campus. Over 1,400 k-12 students attend summer camps at DU each year. I love this. DU is Denver’s school, a place all can enjoy and feel welcome. And, hopefully, these young learners will see what we all love about DU so we can count them as proud alumni someday, too.

Finally, one of my favorite parts about summer at DU is how stunning our grounds are. It has been delightful to walk campus most mornings with my wife Maurin and our dog Gromit. A big thanks to our dedicated groundskeepers for their outstanding work all year.

I hope everyone enjoys these weeks leading up to orientation (Sept 1) and the first day of class (Sept 9). Look out for a save the date very soon for an all-campus event on September 23 where we’ll learn about the University’s goals and plans for the 2019-20 academic year. I’m thrilled about our trajectory, and I can’t wait to share the details with you all.

A reminder to those who are training for the Crimson Classic 5k: Come join me and the rest of the "Road Scholars" for the 2nd run next Wednesday, August 28 at 11:30 a.m. at the north stairs of the Ritchie Center. 

Sincerely,

Jeremy Haefner

P.S. Thanks to everyone who sent in more fun facts about the number 19. I am proud to see so many number “nerds” of all kinds here at DU. We are collecting these fun facts to eventually post them on a special page on the Chancellor’s website. Stay tuned