September 23, 2014

University of Colorado announces changes to leadership structure on two campuses

September 23, 2014

CU Denver, CU Anschutz Medical Campus to gain greater focus from individual chancellors

DENVER – University of Colorado President Bruce D. Benson In September announced a change in the leadership structure that will allow greater focus on issues, opportunities and challenges facing CU Denver and the CU Anschutz Medical Campus.

Each campus will have its own chancellor, replacing the current model in which one chancellor is responsible for both. The campuses will remain administratively consolidated, sharing services such as budget and finance, IT, human resources and communication. Benson said the institution will continue to be a single academic entity with one provost (chief academic officer), to whom all deans on both campuses will report on academic matters.

“It’s clear that the two campuses have unique complexities and challenges that demand complete focus from leadership,” Benson said. “While we will retain the academic and administrative benefits of our consolidated administrative structure, we also will be able to give each campus the attention it deserves and to build on the great progress they have made.”

Benson said a national search will begin this fall for a permanent chancellor of CU Denver, with the expectation of having a new leader in place by summer. In the interim, CU Denver Chancellor Emeritus Jerry Wartgow will return to lead the campus.

Don Elliman, currently chancellor of the consolidated campuses, will be chancellor of the CU Anschutz Medical Campus, overseeing all its operations and relationships with affiliates.

“Don and Jerry have the passion, relationships with key constituents, experience and expertise to build on the considerable momentum we have at each campus,” Benson said. “I also expect that the new model will allow us to attract a great pool of candidates to lead CU Denver.”

Lilly Marks, who is transitioning to retirement, will continue her dual role of executive vice chancellor of the Anschutz Medical Campus and vice president for health affairs until Jan. 1. After that, she will remain as vice president for health affairs with a focus on broad issues facing CU in the changing health care environment. She will work closely with Chancellor Elliman as well as the new leadership of University of Colorado Health and the new dean of the CU School of Medicine, who is expected to be hired in the near future. She will continue to serve on the University of Colorado Health Board of Directors.

The CU Board of Regents and the Higher Learning Commission, the university’s national accrediting body, support the changes. CU’s other two campuses, in Boulder and Colorado Springs, each have their own chancellor.

About the CU System

The University of Colorado is a premier public research university with four campuses: the University of Colorado Boulder, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, the University of Colorado Denver and the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. More than 58,000 students are pursuing academic degrees at CU. Academic prestige is marked by the university’s five Nobel laureates, nine MacArthur “genius” Fellows, 20 astronauts and 19 Rhodes Scholars. For more information about the entire CU system, and to access campus resources, go to www.cu.edu.

Contact: Ken McConnellogue, 303-860-5626, Ken.McConnellogue@cu.edu

-CU-