°ÄÃÅ¿ª½±½á¹û2023¿ª½±¼Ç¼

With the end of the semester in sight and the holiday season approaching, I would like to extend my sincerest gratitude to each of you for your work and dedication to the university over the past year. As a way to show that appreciation beyond just words, I am pleased to announce that the CU-Boulder campus will extend the university New Year’s holiday this year to include Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015 as a university holiday.

As we mourn the loss of life in Paris and conduct outreach it is important that we re-affirm our values as a campus by providing support to the French students studying with us in Boulder, to our American students studying in France, and to the valued members of our Muslim community on campus. I want us to rise to the challenge of this difficult international moment by greeting tragedy with healing and conflict with understanding, and by refusing to inject more rancor and reprisal into the mix.

I am delighted to share with you recent highlights from the °ÄÃÅ¿ª½±½á¹û2023¿ª½±¼Ç¼’s research endeavors and creative works . While I have only been onboard a short time, I am impressed by the remarkable people, our dedicated partners and the excitement about CU-Boulder’s past and future impact.

I wish to add my voice to those supporting CU-Boulder students who are engaging in online and direct discussions, and preparing to engage in free speech activities in support of their fellow students at the University of Missouri.

Last May, I commissioned a committee of CU-Boulder faculty and communications professionals to take on the issue of how the administration and the faculty can communicate more effectively with one another, and to look at the current state of communication with faculty regarding basic university business.

Tuesday, Nov. 10 saw the opening of the 21st Diversity and Inclusion Summit on the Boulder campus. In his opening remarks, Chancellor DiStefano called upon the campus community to maintain a daily conversation about what diversity and inclusion mean to our community, and to chart a course that will transform our campus in fundamental ways.

As we observe Veterans Day this Wednesday, we are reminded that the life stories and experiences of our veteran students, faculty and staff provide great diversity to our campus.

I want to take this opportunity to express my enthusiasm for an important new CU-Boulder merit scholarship program for top-entering Colorado freshmen next fall.

BY PHILIP P. DISTEFANO This Thursday evening the °ÄÃÅ¿ª½±½á¹û2023¿ª½±¼Ç¼ will be on the national stage yet again. As I shared with you in December of last year, the Colorado Buffaloes will be playing in the exclusive Thursday Night Football slot on ESPN.