High federal funding instability and the erosion of public trust in higher education, along with changing student expectations, are all factors that Chancellor Justin Schwartz said mean the University of Colorado Boulder is at a critical turning point. “The speed and scope of the uncertainty of th e last year has felt overwhelming,” Schwartz said during his annual state of the campus address on Tuesday. “…Yet, while we all understand the challenging situations in the U.S. and around the globe, I firmly believe that today is our chance not to pause, but to evolve from within.” During his address, Schwartz announced he’s issuing a call for faculty, staff, students and community members to brainstorm ideas to help shape CU Boulder’s vision for its future. The annual event, attended by 1,650 people online and in person, was held on Tuesday at the Glenn Miller Ballroom in CU Boulder’s University Memorial Center. Center for Leadership Director Stefanie Johnson and Waleed Abdalati, the executive director of the Cooperative Institute for Research In Environmental Sciences, are leading what Johnson labeled as this “next big ideas initiative.” Johnson threw out a couple of examples of the type of ideas they’re looking for, such as reimagining the National Center for Atmospheric Research as a CU Boulder-based innovation hub or developing a campus-wide mentoring and coaching program. “A big idea is the first step toward a profound impact that can change the campus, the state and even the world,” Johnson said. Abdalati said the university will gather submissions, look for patterns and advance the most promising ideas.Related Articles CU Boulder to end alumni email for life program this summer Shrinking Arapaho Glacier tied to Boulder’s history: ‘Sad to see it go’ Protesters demand CU Regents cut ties with Key Lime Air over ICE detainee flights As Colorado’s wildfire threat grows, Douglas County turns to biochar as ‘next level’ mitigation tool Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai to headline CU’s Conference on World Affairs “Our goal is to draw ideas from every corner of campus,” Abdalati said. During his address, Schwartz also outlined various areas of focus in the last year, such as his commitment to the success and well-being of all faculty, students and staff on campus. For example, the university is expanding access to first-year seminars, career development, global learning and digital portfolios. The campus is also making plans to offer a first-year Residential Learning Community experience to all incoming undergraduate students — at no extra charge — as soon as the fall of 2027, Schwartz said. Residential Learning Communities can help new students transition to college by placing them in dorms with other students who share their major, identity or interests. The campus is also offering new tools to track academic progress and launched the Student Flourishing Initiative, which is developing recommendations for how to best help students thrive. To promote financial well-being, Schwartz said, the campus has begun approaching donors not only for traditional scholarship gifts, but for gifts to support students’ housing, meal plans and transportation. “We aim to be the national leaders in student wellness,” Schwartz said. For the success and well-being of faculty and staff, CU Boulder has established the Division of Employee Health and Well-Being and started a new Well-being Innovators Network to champion wellness initiatives. The campus has developed CU Recharge, a new program offering strength‑training sessions through the EGYM fitness hub, which has smart technology strength machines for short, effective workouts. The technology in the EGYM fitness hub is the first of its kind in the United States, Schwartz said. The university will also expand mental health services to include couples’ and family therapy, health coaching and a mental health cohort series. It will also be launching financial wellness initiatives and planning new events and meetups to improve employees’ sense of belonging. Schwartz emphasized the strength of CU Boulder’s research and shared that the campus is awaiting the initial public offering of Infleqtion, the quantum technologies company developed by Professor Dana Anderson. It now holds the title of CU Boulder’s 10th unicorn spinout, which refers to companies valued over $1 billion. The campus will continue to elevate sustainability, and one way it’s doing that is by expanding access to research equipment through the Green Labs Shared Core, where CU Boulder donates thousands of pieces of lab glassware to local school districts, benefiting more than 4,000 high school students. Schwartz also aims to eliminate diesel buses on campus. CU Boulder has purchased eight electric buses and has 10 more to replace. “These many examples I’ve mentioned today are just a small portion of the truly outstanding progress happening across our campus,” Schwartz said. “Building on this firm foundation, we have the ability to dream — to consider our next big, audacious ideas that need urgent attention.” People can submit ideas by visiting colorado.edu/chancellor/bigideas. 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