About Academic Affairs

Academic Affairs is home to programs that champion and model the use of high-impact teaching practices and community-university collaboration for the public good. Our programs provide both foundational learning experiences that prepare students for working collaboratively to address public problems as well as community-engaged research and creative work opportunities for undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, and staff.

Faculty mentors and staff advisors in Academic Affairs partner to support students' successful navigation of their curricular experiences by empowering them to be the experts in their own academic journey.

Mission

Academic Affairs promotes academic excellence, engagement, and student success by empowering students to make the most of their experience at the University of Denver. To implement our mission we:

  • promote excellence in student learning and faculty teaching;
  • collaborate with university partners to create programs, curricula, and experiences that support, inspire, and challenge students and engage faculty;
  • support students as they navigate the University, discover, define, and realize their academic and career goals, acquire skills and experiences that foster meaningful lives of purpose in their communities;
  • help students connect and access mentoring and the resources that will promote their success as engaged citizens;
  • sponsor initiatives, policies, and procedures that ensure all DU programs maintain rigorous and compliant standards of quality and integrity while promoting excellence in learning and teaching; and
  • successfully respond to accreditation requirements and relevant performance indicators.

Our Role

As a unit that uniquely supports and serves all students, Academic Affairs enhances the student experience by fostering cross-disciplinary connections, providing students with the opportunities to deepen hands-on learning, to engage in community-based learning and research, to develop skills in just sustainability, to develop ethical leadership skills, and to cultivate their passions outside of their major courses. Academic Affairs also serves faculty members across the institution through multiple trainings and workshops held to develop specific skills or mindsets that are applicable for working with students both inside and outside the classroom.

Curriculum Committees

Graduate Council

The Associate Provost and the Graduate Council are responsible for implementing graduate education policy. The graduate council is made up of academic deans of graduate programs, elected faculty representatives, representatives from the Faculty Senate, and two members of the DU Graduate Student Government.

The graduate council's responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

  • configuration of graduate degree and certificate programs,
  • monitor programs' successfulness'
  • avoid unwarranted program duplication,
  • establish, monitor, and maintain academic standards across the graduate curricula.

Undergraduate Council

The Undergraduate Council is the faculty governing body charged with the responsibility of formulating policy concerning undergraduate education and reviewing its implementation. Specifically, the Undergraduate Council:

  • Coordinates the procedures of undergraduate degree programs as they relate to degrees at the Bachelor's level;
  • Oversees the configuration of undergraduate academic programs;
  • Monitors the degree to which these programs further the University's mission, avoid unwarranted duplication and meet minimum standards of academic criteria; and
  • Establishes and maintains academic standards and discipline across the undergraduate curriculum.

The Undergraduate Council has three sub-committees:

  • Academic Standards is charged with reviewing student records to ensure satisfactory progression toward degree.
  • Academic Exceptions is charged with reviewing student petitions requesting exceptions to current academic policy.
  • The Central Committee is charged with communicating the policies and goals of the Common Curriculum, capacity planning, and coordination of the curriculum. It is responsible for making the elements of the Curriculum function cohesively, and for formulating the overall assessment of the Curriculum.

Institutional Accreditation

University Academic Programs oversees institutional accreditation with the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Institutional accreditation is a voluntary process in which a regional non-governmental agency examines the University's ability to fulfill its mission and provide an acceptable quality of education.

Regional accreditation is the highest standard for post-secondary institutions in the United States and the HLC is one of six regional accrediting bodies recognized by the federal government. The commission sets a standard of integrity for universities, taking into consideration the academic mission, strategy, resources, assessment process, teaching effectiveness, student learning, usefulness of curricula, and community involvement.

Institutional accreditation begins with a comprehensive self-study followed by a site visit with a team of peer evaluators who closely review our:

  • Governance and administration
  • Financial stability
  • Admission and student services
  • Institutional resources
  • Student learning
  • Relationships with internal and external constituencies

Our next accreditation review is scheduled for 2030-31.

Contact

 

Academic Affairs