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As CU Boulder approaches its 150th anniversary, the campus community is already looking ahead—and thinking boldly.

More than��400 ideas have been submitted so far as part of CU Boulder’s��Big Ideas��initiative, a campuswide effort to surface and amplify transformational ideas that could shape the university’s impact for decades to come.

Launched by���Թ��� Justin Schwartz during the��State of the Campus address, the initiative invites faculty, staff, students, alumni and partners to imagine what challenges CU Boulder should dare to lead next—at scale, with purpose and in service of the public good.

Rather than treating the 150th anniversary as a retrospective milestone, the initiative positions it as a��launch point—a moment to collectively shape what CU Boulder becomes next.

What is a ‘Big Idea’?

A Big Idea is not a traditional proposal or funding request. It is the first step down a path toward an outcome that could profoundly change the campus, the state, the nation and/or the world.

Participants are asked to focus on three simple questions:

1. Why does this matter?
2. What is the idea?
3. How might the desired outcome be achieved over time?

The emphasis is on vision before feasibility and on cross-campus collaboration before formal structure. Ideas can start with one person and grow into a team.

Idea submissions so far have spanned themes including student success, climate and sustainability, health innovation, civic engagement, AI, space research and campus culture—demonstrating the breadth of imagination across the CU Boulder community.

Join the conversation: March idea sessions

To continue building momentum, the Big Ideas working group is hosting two additional opportunities for the campus community to participate:

Big Ideas office hours

����March 9������7 a.m.–7 p.m.������C4C, third floor, Suite S360������
Members of the working group will be available throughout the day Monday for informal drop-in conversations. Faculty, staff and students can:

• Ask questions about the process
• Share or refine an idea
• Connect with potential collaborators
• Explore how to move an idea forward

Whether someone has a fully formed concept or just a spark of inspiration, office hours are designed to provide low-barrier entry into the process.

Big Ideas discussion forum

����March 11������11 a.m.–1 p.m.������C4C, third floor, Abrams Lounge

Two identical sessions will be offered:

• 11 a.m.–noon
• Noon–1 p.m.

Modeled after a “World Café” format, these interactive sessions are designed to spark cross-disciplinary conversation and generate new ideas through small-group dialogue. Participants will rotate through themed tables, build on each other’s thinking and explore bold possibilities for CU Boulder’s future.

Lunch will be provided. Please�� by March 9.

For questions regarding the idea sessions, please contact��Karrie Pitzer.��

Submit your ideas anytime

Community members can also�� anytime.��

The process remains intentionally simple—short submissions focused on why the idea matters and what it could become.

What happens next?

The Big Ideas working group will begin formally reviewing and synthesizing submissions, along with new student members of the team, the week after spring break, identifying themes and opportunities to connect collaborators and move promising concepts into a next phase of development.

Importantly, submissions will remain open on an ongoing basis. Community members can continue to contribute ideas even after the initial review period, ensuring this remains a dynamic, evolving effort rather than a one-time call.