The heart of Metropolitan State University of Denver’s workplace culture is built on its shared CADRE values of Community, Access, Diversity, Respect and Excellence. With input from more than 100 faculty, staff and student employees, the University has refreshed the definitions of these core values to be more inclusive and make them easier for employees to bring to life.
“These revised CADRE values ensure that our community has a shared understanding of who we are and how we work together to achieve our mission,” said Stacy Dvergsdal, associate vice president for Administration and chief Human Resources officer. “By embedding these values into everything we do, we’re reinforcing our culture of respect, inclusivity and excellence that benefits employees and students alike.”
The refresh was initially announced during the President’s Welcome Back.
Why the refresh?
The CADRE values have served as guiding principles for how employees work together and serve students, but the refresh aims to make them even more meaningful and actionable. Key outcomes of the project include:
- Enhancing shared meaning and raising organizational awareness of the values as the foundation of MSU Denver culture.
- Simplifying definitions for increased understanding and practical application.
- Ensuring inclusivity for all employees in the language and focus of the values.
- Increasing alignment with the University’s leadership-competency framework.
- Supporting accountability in behaviors and interactions with one another while fostering a positive work environment.
- Increasing opportunities to celebrate the values in action.
Introducing the updated CADRE values
Here are the revised definitions that reflect MSU Denver’s commitment to building an exceptional and inclusive workplace where all belong and are valued:
- Community: We are a student-centered, supportive University dedicated to one another’s success and well-being and our campus’ connections to the world around us.
- Access: We break down barriers to a college degree and ensure educational accessibility for all students.
- Diversity: We create and sustain an equitable and inclusive culture, woven into the fabric of our University, in which all community members belong and are valued.
- Respect: We foster a climate of trust that encourages and prepares us to engage one another with open minds, open dialogue and free expression.
- Excellence: We are committed to world-class scholarship, innovative learning environments and exceptional services that support faculty, staff and students.
Next steps
The updated values will be woven into University processes, communications and programming throughout the coming months. Upcoming initiatives include:
- Revising the CADRE tool kit to provide resources for employees to engage with the values in meaningful ways.
- Integrating the values into leadership frameworks and performance reviews by next summer.
- Celebrating the values through Roadrunners Who Soar nominations and events next fall.
- Embedding the values into the February employee-engagement survey.
Look for additional updates and engagement opportunities in the coming months.
