City and University officials gathered Oct. 27 for the 2006 Provost’s Conference to discuss ways Denver and DU can work together.
Provost Gregg Kvistad said the aim of the conference was “to identify, intensify and broaden real strategic partnerships between the City of Denver and the University of Denver. Both the city and the University share an existential interest in problem solving.”
Five key members of Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper’s staff spoke about possible ways the two institutions can work together. Representatives from the mayor’s office included Katherine Archuleta, Denver’s chief operating officer; Jamie Van Leeuwen, project manager for the Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness; Al Lacabe, manager of safety; Susan Gallo, deputy director for education and children; and John Huggins, executive director of the Denver Office of Economic Development.
The conference included breakout sessions designed to bolster dialogue between city and University officials on a number of issues, including homelessness, children’s education, public safety and economic development.
Archuleta delivered the keynote address and welcomed the University’s involvement with the city.
“When universities decide civic engagement and community service are part of the learning formula, things begin to change,” Archuleta said.
Lacabe pointed to the ongoing partnership between the city’s law enforcement agencies and DU’s National Law Enforcement and Technology Center as an example of cooperative efforts.
Several city officials also said DU can provide critical research for a variety of city initiatives. As the event progressed, it became clear that exploring new and innovative ways for the city and the University to cooperate was on the minds of many.
Kvistad ended the conference by encouraging those in attendance to continue city-University dialogues over the next 100 days.
“We are ready and willing to move forward,” Kvistad said. “And we must do so.”