Marking the latest in a series of program cuts amid ongoing budget challenges, the University of Denver’s Center for a Regenerative Future (CRF) — formerly known as the Center for Sustainability —  will close its doors on June 30, according to an email obtained by The Denver Clarion. University officials later confirmed the closure. 

This development comes after three years of financial pressure experienced by the center. Program cuts and restructurings led to the final closure. 

“It breaks our hearts to share this news with you, as it signifies the end of an era,” read the email, which was sent to the center’s community members. 

The center was once among the university’s more expansive student-facing sustainability programs. At its height, it housed a thrift store in Centennial Halls — best known for its pop-up events and the yearly move-in and move-out sales in an effort to reduce waste — a bike shop, a gear garage, a food pantry, community dinners, climate cafes and a graduate gown borrowing and recycling program. 

According to the email, it also ran one of the university’s more robust internship programs, paying 40 student interns to run different parts of the center during the 2022-23 academic year. Now, there are two interns that remain. 

The program’s decline has been gradual yet looming. In spring 2024, the thrift store was dissolved after the undergraduate program director position was cut —  a role that had anchored much of the center’s programming. Without a manager, the team was unable to sustain operations and were forced to heavily restructure the annual move-out donation event. 

As funding constraints deepened, the center could no longer keep its student staff on payroll, and those running the storefront were let go. The thrift store under center leadership never recovered. 

Derek Brannon, former program manager of the center, wasn’t surprised by the closure.

“Every year, I watched the center scale down because of budget constraints,” said Brannon. “I think the university is cutting programs that they don’t particularly care about” 

Similarly, the bike shop and gear garage were unable to sustain operations under the center and were absorbed by Basecamp. 

Among the programs that fell under the center’s umbrella was the campus food pantry, a student-run resource that served more than 30 people every week, many of whom were international graduate students. 

The pantry operated a storefront before transitioning to pre-packed food bags in response to budget and staffing constraints. It still managed to foster a community over shared meals, including weekly Friday dinners where student groups cooked for attendees. 

The pantry has since been restructured and now falls under Student Affairs and Inclusive Excellence (SAIE). 

Brannon cited that the storefront restructuring cost DU community members three important resources, but the internship program’s demise left the deepest mark.

“Now, students who engaged with the center have completely lost an avenue of education that was meaningful to them,” he said.

The center’s final closure is one piece of a larger restructuring effort currently underway. The administration has said it aims to reduce $10 million from non-academic units while transitioning into a three-year budget planning model. 

In an email statement to The Denver Clarion, Director of Media Relations Jon Stone spoke on the closure. 

“The University of Denver made the difficult decision to close the Center for a Regenerative Future. The center has had a tremendous impact through its partnerships with academic and student programs. Two strong initiatives that originated in CRF and have now found homes elsewhere, the Bike Shop and Gear Garage and the DU Food Pantry, are lasting examples of the real, ongoing impact this work has had on our campus. At a time when the university is making difficult decisions, we recognize the effect that the closure has on our community and will search for ways to continue some existing services in partnership with other organizations on campus.”

The center’s remaining staff have invited former staff and supporters to a “Living Funeral” on June 5, where they will redistribute office supplies, books and other materials to campus organizations. 

Despite the loss, Brannon remains hopeful that individuals can still drive meaningful change from within their communities.

“While I think it’s dismaying that the university is not leading with the same values, people in the community definitely are,” said Brannon.