President, University of Colorado (2019-2021)
Leading a $5 Billion System Through Crisis and Change
As president of the University of Colorado (CU), Mark Kennedy led a $5 billion four-campus system—comprising the Boulder AAU flagship, the Anschutz Medical Campus, CU Denver, and UCCS—through the most disruptive period in modern higher education. His leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic, fiscal strain, and a new era of strategic transformation earned him the title of President Emeritus.
Signature Initiatives and Achievements
- Navigated a $396 million COVID-related budget shortfall
- Held net tuition flat for four consecutive years
- Championed CU’s first systemwide strategic plan in over a decade
- Reached $1.4 billion in sponsored research and $455 million in annual fundraising
- Expanded online offerings and workforce-aligned credential programs
- Improved graduation rates across all demographics
- Respected and engaged shared governance processes and protected academic freedom
- Directed CU’s first systemwide sustainability plan
Pandemic Response and Financial Stewardship
- Kennedy ensured academic continuity and financial stability through decisive pandemic leadership. He launched the CU COVID-19 Scientific Advisory Group, maintained data-informed communications, and led universities in the state in an effort that secured $178 million in federal aid to offset pandemic losses. He held net tuition flat for the fourth year in a row and implemented efficiencies that protected jobs and academic functions.
Strategic Planning
- Kennedy spearheaded CU’s first systemwide strategic plan in over a decade. Developed through extensive engagement with faculty, students, staff, and regents, the plan aligned CU’s strengths with state and national needs and was approved unanimously by the Board of Regents.
I appreciate...your commitment to galvanize the System around a set of strategic priorities to guide us into the future [and]...how you effectively manage a very broad set of stakeholders, all of whom have a somewhat different set of objectives.
Research and Innovation
In his final year, CU achieved a record $1.4 billion in sponsored research. Together with the chancellors, Kennedy launched the AB Nexus program, encouraging biomedical research collaboration between the Anschutz and Boulder campuses. He also created the President’s National Security Advisory Council to facilitate more active collaboration among CU campuses in meeting national defense and space research needs.
Engaging with students monitoring instruments in space at CU's Laboratory for Applied Atomospheric and Space Physics - LASP.
Student Success
Under Kennedy’s leadership, graduation rates rose across all demographic groups. He prioritized improved advising systems, strengthened first-year experiences, and removed barriers to completion—ensuring that more students achieved their academic goals. Kennedy and his wife, Debbie, established scholarships at each campus to support first-generation students.
Online Innovation
Kennedy advanced CU’s digital future by expanding online learning and credential programs tailored to workforce needs. He created a centralized back-office function to streamline operations and enabled CU Denver to lead systemwide online expansion—broadening access for nontraditional and geographically dispersed students.
Inclusive Excellence
As CU President, Kennedy advanced inclusive excellence by expanding opportunity, fostering belonging, and tying outcomes to strategy and accountability. He provided over $5 million to campus inclusive excellence priorities, secured over $3 million in scholarships for underrepresented medical and dental students, strengthened campus support services, and integrated inclusion goals into planning and leadership evaluations. Hiring and mentoring processes were improved to ensure leadership decisions remained merit-based. This resulted in a more diverse team across race, gender, and orientation. He also supported CU Denver’s HSI aspirations, expanded student pipeline programs, issued CU’s first land acknowledgment, and emphasized free speech, mental health, and food security—building a culture of access, respect, and shared opportunity.
A Leadership Transition with Integrity
- When a shift in the political composition of the Board of Regents signaled a desire for new leadership—even after Kennedy was rated “Exceeds Expectations”—he prioritized institutional stability over public confrontation. As detailed in Leading Through Polarization, he abstained from counter-escalation and ensured a dignified, mission-focused transition. The strategic plan he led was adopted unanimously. He was named President Emeritus—underscoring the trust he had earned and the system-wide impact of his leadership.
"Don't fire the man who is making CU diverse."—
Strengthening Shared Governance
Kennedy collaborated closely with faculty, staff and student shared governance groups, ensuring regular engagement and inclusive input on strategic initiatives, budget decisions, and pandemic response. His administration maintained strong support for academic freedom and faculty leadership.
Kennedy meeting with student body president's from CU's four campuses.
Promoting Stewardship and Sustainability
Kennedy issued CU’s first systemwide sustainability plan—aligning environmental responsibility with operational efficiency, cost savings, and academic innovation. The initiative reduced CU’s carbon footprint and positioned the university as a national leader in responsible public stewardship.
Fundraising and Philanthropic Growth
In Kennedy’s final year as president, CU raised $455 million—its highest total except for a single $100 million gift in a prior year. He fostered a strong culture of donor engagement, built major philanthropic partnerships, and strengthened the university’s advancement infrastructure.
Building Bridges with Policymakers and Communities
Kennedy emphasized shared governance and respectful engagement across the political spectrum. He served as the Governor’s point person in transitioning the state’s universities through the pandemic and helped lead a bipartisan Colorado delegation in support of federal research and student aid. Kennedy strengthened CU’s partnerships with state and federal leaders, helping secure increases in general fund and capital funding. His work elevated CU’s visibility as a trusted partner in economic and workforce development across Colorado.
Systemwide IT Modernization
Kennedy championed the modernization of CU’s enterprise systems—enhancing technology integration, administrative efficiency, and data-informed decision-making across all four campuses. These upgrades strengthened support for research, teaching, and student services.
Athletics
Kennedy oversaw a Power Four athletic program focusing on competitiveness, compliance, and institutional pride. He viewed athletics as the university’s front porch—drawing attention to the full range of academic and student opportunities CU offers.
Fostering Traditions and Campus Pride
Kennedy believed in honoring institutional traditions while creating new ones to enhance pride and connection. At CU, he introduced an annual President’s Coin—used in the football coin toss and given to guests in the President’s Suite—building a tangible connection between leadership and campus spirit. He also ensured major donors and alumni felt welcomed into the full university experience, reinforcing athletics as a unifying force for the CU community.
📊 CU by the Numbers
- Led $5B, four-campus system: AAU, Medical, Urban, Regional
- Navigated COVID-19 response and $396M budget shortfall
- #1.4 billion in reseach and $455M in fundraising in final year
- Championed CU’s first system-wide strategic plan in a decade
- Held net tuition flat for fourth year
- Encouraged cross-campus collaborations that spurred greater biomedical/defense/space research funding
- Improved student success across all demographics
"Mark Kennedy has done an outstanding job for Colorado and the university in a challenging period."