Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion at DU

Chancellor’s Statement on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

The University of Denver is its people—all its people. We aim to attract bright and motivated students and give them every opportunity to thrive. We rely on engaged faculty who are passionate about their teaching and their scholarship. We depend on talented staff to support the operation and mission of the University.

In an organization so reliant on its people, creating a diverse and inclusive community isn’t only the right thing to do; it’s critical to the successful implementation of our mission. The greatest challenges facing us in the century ahead are incredibly complex and will require diverse teams who can work collaboratively and innovatively. Actively seeking a student body and a faculty and staff who represent the diversity of our region, nation and world is necessary to prepare our students for an increasingly globalized and connected world. That diversity extends to identities beyond just race and gender—including sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, socioeconomic status, religion, political and ideological viewpoints, and more.

In 2006, the chancellor and provost asked the University’s senior leadership to embrace Inclusive Excellence and to begin working in conjunction with our Cultural Center, campus leaders, the Office of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, and every member of the University community to realize this vision at DU. We have made significant progress in recent years, thanks to the critical efforts of faculty, staff, students and administrators. We have better integrated a culture of Inclusive Excellence in our processes, systems, mission statements and other structures. But we have more work to do—work that is the responsibility of everyone in our community and that the University’s leadership recognizes remains critically important to everything we do.

As the University of Denver prepares to meet the exciting challenges of the growing, thriving and remarkably diverse city in which we live as well as the needs of a changing nation, we will continue to be guided by the principles of Inclusive Excellence. We must continue to strive for an inclusive community that embraces all its members, provides equality of opportunity for all and actively encourages all voices to be heard. Everyone must be welcomed and treated with dignity and respect, and every person’s story must be honored. An inclusive community celebrates different cultures, engages in clamorous debates and cultivates the individual and collective flourishing of all of us.