OUE News

Erika Randall appointed dean of undergraduate education

Cay Leytham-Powell — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 20:06:41 +0000

Erika Randall appointed dean of undergraduate education Cay Leytham-Powell Mon, 06/08/2026 - 14:06

Provost Ann Stevens has appointed Erika Randall as dean and vice provost of undergraduate education, following her service in the interim role, which began in November 2024.

During that time, Randall has led the Office of Undergraduate Education through a period of growth and greater alignment, bringing together key programs and services—including exploratory studies, enrichment programs, scholarships, and support for international and transfer students—under a unified vision focused on student success.

“Erika brings a remarkable ability to connect people, ideas and resources in service of our students,” Stevens said. “Her leadership has strengthened undergraduate education at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder and positioned the Office of Undergraduate Education as a central partner in advancing access, equity and innovation.”

During her interim appointment, Randall advanced initiatives to improve student access and success, including amplifying Lead Alliance programs, guiding strategic changes to the Learning Assistant Program and expanding support for ROTC students and staff. She began work with campus partners to broaden interdisciplinary pathways and develop �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder’s first campuswide academic policy on minors and certificates.

“I’m honored to serve in this role and to continue working alongside colleagues across campus to support every student’s journey,” Randall said. “Together, we’re building a more connected and inclusive undergraduate experience that helps all students thrive.”

Looking ahead, Randall will lead efforts to enhance the student experience, including a student success initiative focused on expanding access to high-impact practices and experiences, high-impact educational opportunities, and the next phase of Residential Learning Communities, launching in fall 2027.

The Office of Undergraduate Education examines the full undergraduate academic experience, which includes assessing outcomes, identifying gaps and advancing campuswide student success initiatives. In this role, the dean fosters partnerships across campus to create clear, connected pathways for undergraduate students at every stage of their experience.

Randall, a professor of dance, holds a Master of Fine Arts in dance and choreography from The Ohio State University and a bachelor’s degree in dance from the University of Washington. She has been on the �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder faculty since 2007 and was chair of the Department of Theatre & Dance from 2017 to 2022. She served as the associate dean for student success in the College of Arts and Sciences from 2022 to 2024.

Provost Ann Stevens has appointed Erika Randall as dean and vice provost of undergraduate education, following her service in the interim role, which began in November 2024.

Off

Traditional

White

It takes a campus

Anonymous — Fri, 13 Sep 2024 15:55:26 +0000

It takes a campus Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 09/13/2024 - 09:55

Lory-Ann Varela

Understanding how our student success initiatives work together to help our students succeed.

Lory-Ann Varela is the assistant vice provost for academic support and enrichment in the Office of Undergraduate Education.

With the help of our faculty and staff, we in undergraduate education and across the university can improve the academic journey experience for our undergraduate students while moving the retention and graduation meters.

Currently at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder, we are designing resources for faculty and staff to use to intervene and support as many students as possible. One such resource, the Grade for Student Success initiative, builds off the work of the Center for Teaching and Learning and a group of faculty members to provide best teaching practices and resources in Canvas.

We also have the College of Arts and Sciences Residential Academic Programs (RAPs) faculty and some mathematics instructors piloting an initiative to take attendance and offer early grading assessments. The idea is to provide accurate and timely feedback that helps students correct their learning strategies, consult with instructors, form study groups with classmates and reach out for academic tutoring support.

For years the university has sent requests for instructors to use course alerts, or progress notifications, to students who have challenges with their course performance. The students receive a letter from their college or school indicating the course of concern and the list of initial resources students can connect with. Advisors conduct additional outreach to make sure students have the resources and an opportunity to talk with someone. Course alerts letters encourage students to connect with their faculty to discuss course expectations and resources.

Finally, the university has worked the past several years to strategize an overall early alert program plan that is currently being piloted by the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Engineering and Applied Science, and Program in Exploratory Studies. This campuswide and multi-office effort uses a dashboard where we look at predictive analytics, course alerts, advisor meetings, Canvas class grades, and other relevant data to be able to prioritize additional messages and outreach to students. We hope to continue to evolve in how we use data to help inform our intervention strategies and how we create communication systems to coordinate support and outreach.

Our goal is to create a culture of care and community support for our students that is rooted in the belief that everyone is capable of learning and being a part of our Buff community. Thus, we are using multiple intervention strategies all focused on student success. Ultimately, we need everyone engaged in supporting our students to help them engage in learning and feel like they belong to our campus.

Lory-Ann Varela is the assistant vice provost for academic support and enrichment in the Office of Undergraduate Education. Email Lory-Ann, at lory-ann.varela@colorado.edu, with any follow-up questions.

Understanding how our student success initiatives work together to help our students succeed.

Off

Traditional

White

Col Brad Spears retiring from the Air Force

Anonymous — Tue, 23 Apr 2024 16:23:42 +0000

Col Brad Spears retiring from the Air Force Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 04/23/2024 - 10:23

Col Brad Spears, Chair of the Department of Aerospace Studies, and Commander, Air Force ROTC Detachment 105 will retire from the Air Force this summer following 30 years of service.

Spears arrived at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder in June 2020 and has led the Nations’ sixth largest AFROTC detachment for the past four years. In his current role, he is responsible for developing leaders of character for the US Air and Space Forces. Together with nine cadre members he administers a commissioning program consisting of 220 cadets and oversees the implementation of the AFROTC curriculum. Thanks in part to his leadership, the cadre’s dedication, and the hard work of cadets, Detachment 105 earned AFROTC Northwest Region’s Right of Line Award for the best large detachment in 2023.

“I am very grateful for the support provided to our program and our mission by Chancellor DiStefano, Provost Moore, Vice Provost Maeda, and so many faculty and staff across the campus,” Spears said. “It has been an honor to serve alongside so many individuals dedicated to developing knowledgeable leaders of character ready to meet the needs of humanity.”

In addition to his role with AFROTC, he has served as the Communication Coordinator for the university’s Center for Leadership where he aligns communication activities to the center's Strategic Plan, coordinates the Board of Advisor's Communication Committee engagements, and liaises with 30 affiliated programs.

Prior to arriving at �鶹��Ѱ��Boulder, Spears served as the Commander, 521st Air Mobility Operations Wing, Ramstein Air Base, Germany. Where he led 2,150 Total Force Airmen across 21 locales in Europe and Middle East providing passenger and cargo services, maintenance, command & control, aeromedical evacuation, as well as cyber and intelligence support for en route strategic airlift missions. He is a command pilot with more than 3,100 hours, including over 300 hours of combat time.

Spears holds a bachelor’s degree from the US Air Force Academy, a Master of Business Administration from Colorado State University, and is a distinguished graduate of the US Army War College.

Future opportunities for Spears include using his experience and education to focus on leadership development, enjoying the many opportunities for outdoor adventures in Colorado, and continuing to support his family. He is the proud father of three children. His oldest daughter works in the field of physical therapy supporting inner-city children, his middle daughter is pursuing a degree in medicine, and his son is earning a bachelor’s degree in engineering.

Off

Traditional

White

New program offers first-semester study abroad in London

Anonymous — Wed, 10 Apr 2024 16:46:20 +0000

New program offers first-semester study abroad in London Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 04/10/2024 - 10:46

Off

Traditional

White

Champions of open educational resources honored with annual awards

Anonymous — Wed, 10 Apr 2024 16:42:06 +0000

Champions of open educational resources honored with annual awards Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 04/10/2024 - 10:42

Off

Traditional

White

Acting out to help communities see within

Anonymous — Thu, 28 Mar 2024 21:54:35 +0000

Acting out to help communities see within Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 03/28/2024 - 15:54

Off

Traditional

White