Community Support and Engagement

Welcome to the Division of Community Support and Engagement!

We are glad that you have an interest in the 黑料门鈥檚 Division of Community Support and Engagement. As we work to elevate DU鈥檚 commitment to inclusiveness alongside the rest of the university鈥檚 values, we are always happy to hear from the students, staff, and faculty we serve. Through active collaboration we aim to support our community so they can Connect, Belong, and Thrive. The professionals who make up the team in our division are devoted to the well-being of each member of the DU community. These individuals continue connecting throughout the university to build bridges across differences and to foster inclusiveness.听

We will work towards developing a sense of belonging through collaborative engagement and holistic support, while remaining committed to providing opportunities for meaningful connections and support to students, faculty, and staff. As we continue forward, we will provide updates about our work in navigating existing and novel means of bringing community members and groups together. We are committed to learning from our community. Please come to us whenever need or interest arises for dialogue; we are here.听

Our division is comprised of Community Connections, Academic Community Engagement, and the University Ombuds. We encourage everyone to explore the other pages for the Division, as well as visit us in the Community Commons, Suite 3200. We offer 1:1 consultations, programming focused on the needs of the community, and collaborations. Our division provides support for student, faculty, and staff affinity groups. If you want to explore existing groups or start a new one, please contact us and we will help you connect.听

We are excited by the ways the division will grow and evolve, and each of us can play our part. Do not hesitate to contact us with questions, concerns, or to let us know that you want to get involved with our efforts as they continue to come together for the good of all here at DU.听

Thanks again for your interest in our division and our work,听

Christopher M. Whitt

Ph.D. Vice Chancellor of Community Support and Engagement

What can DCSE do for me?

  • Undergraduates

    Through our Community Connections team, a few ways we may support your journey at DU include, but aren鈥檛 limited to:听

    • Connecting you to current affinity groups or helping you through the process of creating a new group.听
    • Space to study and meet, located at our suite in CCOM 3200 and lounges at CCOM 3202 and 3400. These are open to all!听
    • For problem-solving over those opportunities and challenges that don鈥檛 fall under spaces such as SRR, SOS, and other teams.听
    • DU DialogUes programming to help students learn the skills to have difficult conversations across difference.听
    • Leadership development student groups we work with.
  • Graduates

    Through Academic Community Engagement (ACE), some of our current offerings to graduate students include:听

    • Mindfulness hours (drop by the suite for dates/times, more to posted on the webpage come Winter!)听
    • Reading hours .听
    • DU DialogUes programming to help students learn the skills to have difficult conversations across difference.听
    • Professional development, particularly for those preparing to be future faculty.
  • Faculty

    Through ACE, a few highlights of what we can do for faculty include:听

    • Faculty Coffee hours in partnership with OTL.听
    • Career planning options, reviewing multiple trajectories.听
    • Reading hours.听
    • Upcoming programming includes 鈥淜now Me, Know My Research,鈥 鈥淟as Tertulias,鈥 and the 鈥淭eaching and Learning Podcast Club.鈥
  • Staff

    Through Community Connections, a handful of ways the Division may support you includes:听

    • Support to start, manage, and be a part of numerous affinity groups.听
    • Training and professional development by request.听
    • A third-party to brainstorm options for working through those challenges that don鈥檛 neatly fall under other categories such as HR, CREO, and other formal channels.

FAQ

  • What is the Division of Community Support and Engagement?

    Regardless of who we are or where we鈥檙e at... we all want to belong, we all want a sense of community. We know what it feels like when we have it, and what it feels like when we don鈥檛.听

    We are a new Division started this academic year, September 2025. We鈥檙e comprised of three parts, the Community Connections Team focusing on support and programming for undergraduate students and staff, Academic Community Engagement building up opportunities primarily for graduate students and faculty, and the Ombuds who specializes in mediation and conflict resolution for all DU community members.听

    Our approach is rooted in the belief that our DU community are capable and critical thinkers. We help the community connect with one another, develop the skills and environment to belong, and ultimately see our community find ways to thrive.

  • What about old pages and resources that have been archived?

    This is an important question. We鈥檙e working through ways of how we best honor the past great work at DU, and where different information and resources can best reside in a way that鈥檚 sustainable and accessible. While we work on this, please connect with our Community Connections team at connections@du.edu if there is anything you are looking for now.

  • I have some thoughts/feedback about DCSE...

    Great! There is no easy button to our work. Connection, belonging, and thriving comes through hard work over time. We need the DU community to inform us of what your interests and needs are so we can best prioritize our work in the coming weeks, months, and beyond. For example, more information on our webpages was elevated in priority based on community feedback.

  • How can I help?

    There鈥檚 a few ways that DU community members can help elevate our work:听

    • Spread the word, and send people our way who have ideas, questions, and concerns.听
    • Send opportunities our way. We learn about the DU community direct from the community itself, and we continually look for ways to be informed of new ways we can help.听
    • Join an affinity group, join us for a mindfulness hour at our suite, help us build new bridges across DU starting with you!