DU’s vision statement reads: “The University of Denver is a great private university dedicated to the public good.”
In his September Convocation address, Chancellor Robert Coombe said that vision will be manifested in the “kinds of people that we graduate and what they do with their lives” and in the “manner in which we leverage our collective intellectual capital against the great issues of the day.”
You can read the chancellor’s entire speech at www.du.edu/chancellor, but I want to draw your attention to something he said that particularly resonated with me: “Great universities are those that attack the great issues, those that play a positive, catalytic role in their resolution… DU will be a university where research and scholarship are focused on the improvement of individual lives and the collective good of the public.”
That’s a powerful statement, and one he elaborates on in this issue’s Q&A interview.
It’s also a theme reflected in our article about forensic DNA research as well as in our cover story, which explores DU’s budding relationship with the city of Denver in its 10-year effort to eradicate homelessness.
“A partnership with DU opens many doors for ways in which the city and county of Denver and a premier university can work together in responding to complex social issues in our community, such as homelessness,” Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper said at DU’s October 2006 Provost’s Conference, which initiated the Denver-DU partnership. “The opportunities to engage volunteers, build community, grow our research and evaluation efforts and ultimately respond to the homeless in Denver underscores the value of this partnership.”
I encourage you to consider the ways in which you can help the University of Denver fulfill its vision. Please tell us how you’re already involved, and share your ideas for change.