I’m delighted to welcome you to our fall magazine. As we enter another season with the coronavirus pandemic, we attest that this year has been full of changes and challenges. While the core of the University of Denver Magazine will remain, we’re beginning to think about how to expand the perspectives in the publication by planning some community conversations and adding a student content contributor in the coming months. We also intend to produce a magazine that serves the city we call home. Our goal is to expand beyond the University and leverage our involvement and influence in the Mile High City. Our mission with the magazine is to support the University’s vision of being wholly dedicated to the public good. We will do this by being a conduit for that message to the community, and we will look for ways to make that more apparent in our coverage.
In addition to the print edition, we’re also exploring how we can better leverage our online version to make it a more engaging experience for our growing web readership. Whether showcasing “online-only” content or extending our stories through multimedia, our digital magazine aims to provide another way to share our community’s many wonderful stories.
There are probably as many descriptions and qualities of leadership as there are people. Some that come to mind are courage, passion, vision and humility. While I believe all of those characteristics are important, I define leadership simply as a series of decisions. Each one of us is the sum total of every decision we’ve made (or not made) and the quality and process of those decisions are what distinguish a leader. When you read our cover story about Chancellor Jeremy Haefner and the decisions he’s made throughout the year, you’ll see that his accessibility and adaptability are key strengths in navigating the institution through such a pivotal time. His decision-making will have an eye toward a bold and sustainable future for DU that balances academic excellence with a transformational experience for students in a climate that is diverse, inclusive and equitable.
Enjoy this edition, whether you’re holding it in your hands or navigating it digitally.
