Auraria Campus institutions will pause future tri-institutional events, including Fall Fest and Spring Fling, as they consider collaborations that could better engage students in new and exciting ways.
In a letter to campus partners, student– programming leaders at Metropolitan State University of Denver, Community College of Denver and the University of Colorado Denver announced a joint decision to transition away from the traditional collaborative events and pursue a different strategic direction. The decision came after several months of ongoing conversation that included senior leaders and considered various options.
“We know people look forward to these events, and we want to be transparent about changes,” said Nhi Dang, associate director of Equity and Racial Justice Programs at MSU Denver. “This decision will allow each institution to refocus fiscal and human resources into student–support services to better align with our respective missions and enable us to make a more significant impact on student engagement.”
In MSU Denver’s case, the funding that the Center for Multicultural Engagement and Inclusion had dedicated to Fall Fest and Spring Fling will be invested in programming that more directly serves Roadrunners and fosters a sense of belonging.
Acknowledging that the decision may have implications for ongoing and future projects, and to ensure a smooth transition, the institutions committed to completing planned projects, offering support to help mitigate challenges (including sharing resources and assisting with the transition of responsibilities) and remaining open to exploring new opportunities.
“Campus institutions all aligned on this decision, and we want to stay aligned in general,” Dang said. “There are still options to collaborate on future events and more intentional campus activations.”
Student organizations and MSU Denver departments and offices are still encouraged to participate in tabling events such as Convocation, Homecoming, Welcome Week (fall and spring) and identity-based cultural-heritage/history months and celebrations.
Please direct any questions to [email protected].
