In June 2026, the University of Denver released its annual budget report showing that it would be re-sizing five schools into two. The budget cuts will focus on re-sizing the following colleges: “The Ritchie School of Engineering and Computer Science will be brought together with the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics,” while “the Graduate School of Professional Psychology will join with the Morgridge College of Education and the Graduate School of Social Work.” These mergers are significant, especially for Religious Studies majors, minors and those pursuing the MA program.
Furthermore, the University of Denver stated, “To be clear, no academic programs are being eliminated. […] For the two departments being closed, all current academic programs for undergraduate majors, minors, and graduate degrees will continue at this time.” However, this does not change the constant inter-departmental struggles between clubs, organizations and communication pipelines.
In the context of club resource cuts, the Center for a Regenerative Future shut down earlier in 2026, while the university battles lack of funding and struggles with restructuring resources that would impact identity-based groups, such as the Pride Lounge. Cuts like these stem from steep enrollment cliff and decline in tuition revenue, despite the implementation of quarterly increases in tuition for certain majors and colleges, such as the Josef Korbel School of Global and Public Affairs.
Additionally, the university used to host its annual Mental Health First Aid training for free, but due to funding issues, the Colorado Joint Budget Committee revoked funding for the financial 2025-2026 year. After I completed a mental health first aid training in September 2025, seeing that they are choosing to remove free resources for mental health crisis care and life-saving intervention is deeply saddening and concerning.
Te decision by policymakers to revoke funding on a state-wide level exposes that the University of Denver is not ready to compensate for these losses by providing alternative free training.
Because of the current strain on DU’s infrastructure, along with continued budget cuts and lack of tuition revenue, the future of private colleges such as the University of Denver somewhat relies on donor-based sponsorship and outsourcing fees by having individuals pay out of pocket for trainings.
This brings the following question into existence: Can the University of Denver withstand closures, departmental changes and let the future remain open, while balancing student needs with economic priorities?
