Our university system is facing a level of federal interference not seen since the McCarthy era of the 1950s. From ideologically-driven attacks on academic freedom to the targeted cancellation of vital research grants, the Trump administration has repeatedly attacked higher education. We can be certain that more attacks lie ahead.

As your CU Regent, I will not back down. I am committed to blocking political interference so that our campuses remain a place of independent thought. I will fight for the funding and security our faculty and students need to focus on what matters most: world-class research and academic excellence. 

The Assault on Colorado’s Innovation

Federal overreach is having a direct cost. Fifty-nine grants to CU have already faced cuts.  Thankfully, as a state institution, we are ably defended by our Attorney General Phil Weiser, who has already gone to court at least three times to defend CU from Trump’s attacks:

• Climate Solutions: We are in court today to restore $8 million in funding for critical solar research at CU Boulder.

• Equity and Opportunity: We are fighting to restore TRIO grants that provide a lifeline for low-income and first-generation students.

• Public Health: We are defending $25 million in grants at the CU Anschutz Medical Campus that fund life-saving medical breakthroughs.

A Strategy for Mutual Defense

CU is a public institution with a constitutional right and a moral responsibility to uphold the First Amendment. To protect that independence, I support a “Mutual Academic Defense Compact" as a second line of defense to the Attorney General’s mandate to represent Colorado’s academic institutions. Modeled after a NATO-style charter, this compact would ensure that an attack on the academic freedom or funding of one institution is treated as an attack on all. By pooling our legal and political resources with other universities, we create a unified front that the federal government cannot ignore. 

Proven Leadership, Not Just Rhetoric

I am prepared to defend an institution with an annual budget of $6.7 billion. 

I am stress-tested: In the state legislature, I took on the most powerful private equity firms and corporate interests to protect Colorado families. I know how to navigate complex systems and win.

• I am a collaborator: I have a long history of working closely with Attorney General Phil Weiser. As Regent, I will bring the full weight of my statewide relationships to support the AG’s efforts in court, ensuring CU has the legal muscle it needs to win.

We are the masters of our own house. I am running for Regent to ensure that the University of Colorado remains a sanctuary for free inquiry, a powerhouse for research, and a beacon of opportunity that answers to Coloradans, not to Washington, D.C.

For too many Colorado families, a CU degree is starting to feel like a luxury they can’t afford. While the cost of gas, housing, and food continues to rise, incoming students are facing yet another 3% tuition increase.  To be clear, CU's in-state tuition remains comparable to that of peer institutions.  But we can do better. 

I will be your fiscal watchdog on the Board of Regents. I chaired a committee that oversaw millions in higher-education funding while in the legislature, and I’ll use that experience to provide the informed oversight needed to resist future increases and keep CU accessible.

My 5-Point Plan for Affordability:

• Prioritize Students over Bureaucracy: Over the last five years, non-teaching roles at CU have grown by 19%, while the student population has grown by only 2%. I will direct administrators to identify efficiencies in our 16,000 non-teaching positions to ensure your tuition dollars go to the classroom, not the back office. AI could be a beneficial application for streamlining administrative efficiencies.

• Use Out-of-State Demand to Protect In-State Students: CU is a premier national research institution. Out-of-state applications have surged by 58% in five years. We must leverage this high demand to maximize revenue from out-of-state students, thereby subsidizing and protecting lower tuition rates for Colorado families.

• Restore State Funding: The numbers are startling: adjusted for inflation and enrollment, state support for CU students has declined by 37% since 2000 due to TABOR constraints. I won't need a learning curve to advocate for better funding at the State Capitol. I will leverage my strong relationships to ensure the General Assembly treats CU as the vital public asset it is - the third largest employer in the state, contributing over $20 Billion to the state’s economy. 

• Maximize revenue potential of CU Facilities: CU is home to world-class venues, from the iconic Folsom Field to the state-of-the-art Limelight Conference Center. We must treat these facilities as strategic economic engines. By aggressively marketing our premier spaces for external events during off-peak hours and the summer months, we can generate significant non-tuition revenue. This "facilities-first" funding model ensures our buildings work harder to offset costs, providing a sustainable financial buffer for our students without ever compromising their access to campus resources.

• Expand Transfer Credits: One of the most effective ways to reduce the cost of in-state tuition is to allow the direct transfer of high school AP credits toward a CU degree. Also known as Concurrent Enrollment, it allows up to 60 credits, equivalent to the first two years of college coursework. Those years are focused primarily on general, non-degree-related coursework, which is often satisfied with AP classes. The entire CU system should continue to expand opportunities for high school and community college students to seamlessly transfer AP credits toward their college degrees.  This strategy will increase access to college-level coursework for diverse student populations while maintaining the university’s standards and minimizing tuition costs.

*All data quoted is derived from CU official sources.  

For too many Colorado students, the dream of a college degree feels financially impossible. As a mentor in CU’s Leadership program, I have seen the crushing anxiety of the student loan crisis firsthand.

The hard truth is that we are failing too many of our first-generation students.

While the University of Colorado is a world-class academic research institution, the graduation rates at our CU Denver and Colorado Springs (UCCS) campuses need improvement.  There, only 46% of students graduate within six years. When more than half of our students leave without a diploma, they aren't just missing out on a career—they are being left behind with life-altering debt and no degree to show for it.

We cannot allow our students to slip through the cracks. They deserve more than just an admission letter; they deserve a path to the finish line.

My Plan: Proven Strategies for Student Success

As your Regent, I will collaborate with our administrators to model the most successful retention policies from across the country. We don't need to reinvent the wheel; we need to implement what works.

• Better Faculty Guidance: Leaders at CU’s Leeds School carefully researched root causes, made changes, and are having success. The 4-year graduation rate within Leeds went from 55% to 83%. How? By steering students to pre-requisites in the first two years and major specific classes in junior and senior years. Simple, but effective! Now we need to roll this out throughout the CU system.

• Predictive Analytics for Proactive Support:Georgia State University revolutionized retention by using data to identify "at-risk" markers—like a single failed quiz or a missed registration deadline. I will push CU to adopt similar real-time analytics so we can proactively reach out to students within 24 hours of a struggle, offering help before a small setback becomes a dropout event.

• Empowering "Faculty Champions": At Washington State, first-generation professors and TAs identify themselves to their students. This simple act of visibility breaks down the "hidden curriculum" of academia and creates a sense of belonging. I will champion initiatives that encourage our faculty to serve as relatable role models for students navigating the university system for the first time.

• Paid Peer-to-Peer Mentorship: The University of Texas at Austin has proven that paying first-gen upperclassmen to mentor incoming freshmen is a win-win. It provides financial support to our veteran students while giving new students a trusted guide who has walked in their shoes.

A degree from the University of Colorado should be a bridge to economic opportunity.  I have direct legislative experience overseeing CU’s $6 billion budget and ensuring we prioritize the programs that keep our students in school and on track to graduate.

Let’s ensure every student who starts at CU has the support they need to finish.

For generations, a University of Colorado degree has been a ticket to economic opportunity. But today, Colorado families are asking a difficult question: Is the degree still worth the expense?

Today’s picture is challenging.  With fears that AI is starting to eliminate the entry-level "stepping stone" positions that young professionals rely on, we cannot afford to look backward. 

We are facing a rapidly changing world with no clear answers.  As your Regent, I will collaborate with world-class AI experts within and beyond CU to help shape an institution that doesn’t just react to change but masters it.  

Designing AI Into and Out of the Curriculum

To preserve the value of a CU degree, we must be strategic about how we integrate technology and how we protect what makes us human.

• Designing AI Into the Curriculum: We must ensure every CU student, regardless of their major, graduates with "AI-durable" skills. This means moving beyond basic literacy to high-level mastery.  We must train students to utilize AI as a tool for innovation, efficiency, and problem-solving. The industries they are moving into are already integrating AI into their business practices, and new employees will need training and skills to adapt quickly. 

• Designing AI Out of the Curriculum: We must double down on the skills that Silicon Valley cannot replicate. Our degree programs must be purposely designed to instill leadership, critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, perseverance, and communication skills. These are the human-only traits that will remain the ultimate competitive advantage in a changing economy.  I’m proud to point out that CU is on the right track.  The Center for Leadership is already shaping tomorrow’s leaders.  As a mentor in that program, I’ve seen firsthand the impact it has on our students. 

Moving Beyond Rhetoric to Results

If you believe in academic freedom, as I do, then we must also recognize the critical role that each faculty member will play in determining how AI will be integrated into their teaching.  The University is already taking its first steps. CU has formed an AI Strategic Steering Committee and is launching a system-wide rollout of ChatGPT in August 2026. 

The Bottom Line:  We are in a race between technology and education. I am running for Regent to ensure CU wins that race.  I want to protect your investment and ensure a CU degree remains a powerhouse of opportunity for the next generation of Coloradans.

As your CU Regent, I believe our faculty and staff are the university’s greatest asset- not just its employees. I fully support their right to collective bargaining and, more importantly, I believe their rights must be defined by them, for them. As Regent, I will respect the process of self-determination and ensure that those who drive our mission have a direct, protected hand in shaping their own professional futures.

Our primary mission at CU is to foster an environment where every student, regardless of their background, personal identity, or immigration status, can learn without fear. CU must remain a sanctuary for academic inquiry and personal growth. As your Regent, I will ensure that CU remains a place where our values aren't just stated, but defended on campus and at every level of government.

Current law prohibits the University from disclosing a student’s immigration status to federal agents. And the CU police are prohibited from aiding in any immigration enforcement matter.  I will ensure every student and faculty member knows that they have the right to deny immigration officers entry to restricted spaces, including dorms and campus homes, unless those officers present a judicial warrant.

Our values must extend to who we choose as business partners. Currently, CU maintains a contract with Key Lime Air to fly our athletic teams to out-of-state games. However, this same company has taken on ICE as a client. Doing business with a company that shackles immigrants on flights is reprehensible and immoral. I support ending this contract as soon as possible.

The Bottom Line: Being a Regent isn’t just about managing a budget; it’s about having the backbone to protect our students and our moral standing. I’ve spent my career winning "unwinnable" fights for Colorado families.  I won't hesitate to lead the resistance against any threat to our students’ privacy or our university’s values.

While not a policy issue, proportional representation deserves consideration in the CU Regent race. A governing board is most effective when it reflects the community it serves. Today, women make up over 51% of our student body,. Should one of my male opponents be elected, the ratio of men to women will slip to only 22% on the nine member Board. At a time when CU is navigating critical issues of equity and access, we cannot afford a Board that moves backward on representation.