Metropolitan State University of Denver has many reasons to be happy now that the spring semester is well underway. To begin the President’s Cabinet meeting on February 29, President Janine Davidson, Ph.D. gave a few highlights:
More than 4% more undergraduates are enrolled than the previous spring.
Retention from fall to spring is up 4.5% from the previous year.
For the first time ever, the endowment of the MSU Denver Foundation gave out more than $1 million in grants last year.
The most alumni have ever been involved in a university’s history, University Advancement has raised $57.4 million for its capital campaign.
The joint budget committee of the state legislature has been recommended to fund the Classroom to Career Hub, Health Institute Tower, and Student Information System capital projects.
With the backing of tools like student dispute resolution services, the ACPD’s First Amendment Assemblies policy, and the University’s freedom of expression policy, the university is still working to foster a culture of safety and communication.
AHEC Master Plan took a break to get more feedback
To get more input from the community, the Auraria Board of Directors has decided to postpone the vote on the Auraria Campus Master Plan that was scheduled for April. A second town hall meeting is scheduled for today at noon, following the one that was held on Thursday.
The importance of Introducing Artificial Intelligence to Students and the Efficiency gains it can bring
The director of Faculty Affairs, Sam Jay, Ph.D., gave a presentation about the University’s upcoming workshops and its investigation of artificial intelligence tools.
According to Jay, artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to be used in a variety of contexts, including research enhancement, virtual learning environments, automated administrative tasks, curriculum development, and more personalized learning.
Together with colleagues, Jay is creating guidelines to help staff members safeguard institutional data and is formulating suggestions for syllabus wording concerning the use of AI and learning objectives. In addition, Jay is leading a series of workshops that will help all Roadrunners learn more about the tool and apply it safely. The first workshop is scheduled for March 29 from 1 to 2:45 p.m.
Action Plans for Employee Engagement are in Progress
Overall workplace satisfaction is 59% according to the Energize Employee Engagement Survey results, which is 4 percentage points lower than the survey’s January 2022 results.
Over 80% of participants expressed that their work holds significance and that their supervisor is attentive to their issues.
Workers also value the University’s strong values, which give them a sense of belonging, and flexibility that allows for a work-life balance.
Concerns concerning pay, ineffective procedures, and a rift with senior managers are among the areas of potential improvement.
Action plans to address employee concerns specific to their outcomes with Human Resources have already been shared by deans and vice presidents. Throughout the spring semester, they will keep providing updates, and in the upcoming year, the Early Bird will provide an overview of significant areas of development.