President Janine Davidson, Ph.D., has postponed the implementation of Community Hour, as she and other leaders at Metropolitan State University of Denver reassess the initiative in light of campus-community input.
The postponement will provide more time to consider how the initiative can be more deeply integrated into other student-success strategies and to review enrollment and course–scheduling trends, Davidson said in a memo to campus governance groups.
If implemented, Community Hour would set aside time each day or week during which no classes are scheduled. The goal is to increase student engagement and ultimately student retention by giving students time to participate in campus activities, events and academic and business services.
“We all share in these goals, and I appreciate the support for the concept that many of you have expressed,” Davidson said. “Equally important are the thoughtful questions and concerns many of you have raised, both around the potential impacts of this initiative and the process.”
Davidson has asked Interim Provost Marie Mora, Ph.D., and Vice President for Student Affairs Will Simpkins, Ed.D., to lead a working team of representatives of key stakeholder groups (e.g., faculty, department chairs, staff, students, etc.) that will recommend strategies to elevate student engagement.
With information gathered from this process and input from governance groups, Davidson said she will make a final decision about the direction of Community Hour by the end of the spring semester.
Additionally, with input from governance groups and the campus community, the University will integrate and test recommendations from the Spring 2023 Cross-Functional Taskforce on Faculty Workload that address intersecting questions around the role of shared governance in decision-making.