This story was originally published by Chalkbeat.
DENVER | On Nov. 3, Colorado voters in three congressional districts will select a representative for the University of Colorado Board of Regents.
The election features one open regent seat in Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District after Democrat Callie Rennison announced last year she won’t run for reelection. Colorado’s 6th and 7th district races feature Democratic Party incumbents. The regents serve six-year terms.
Democrats currently have a 5 to 4 majority control of the board, which creates policy and makes funding decisions that govern CU Boulder, CU Denver, CU Colorado Springs, and the state’s medical campus CU Anschutz.
Ahead of the election, candidates from each district answered Chalkbeat Colorado questions about how they would respond to five issues if elected.
Candidates
District 2
District 6
District 7
Questions
- Why are you running for office, and what are your top three priorities?
- CU Boulder rolled out access to ChatGPT this fall amid some concerns about the use of AI. What is your stance on the use of AI on college campuses? And, if elected, how would you craft policies around AI amid concerns about its influence on learning and research?
- Colorado and other states are facing distrust in public higher education. That’s led to many saying institutions should do more to explain the value of college and university education to students. How does a CU System education benefit students? How would you as regent propose to improve the value that the system provides to graduates entering the workforce?
- The Trump administration has tried various measures to get colleges and universities to adopt some of its policy priorities, including in admissions, research, and operations. As regent, would you commit to these priorities? And how do you intend to respond to the Trump administration about these issues?
- Many Colorado families worry about the cost of college as tuition and fees continue to increase each year. How would you propose or advocate to make the CU System more affordable for families, especially those from middle incomes?
- Projections show there are fewer high school graduates for colleges to enroll, and colleges face increased competition. What are some policies you propose to improve the competitiveness of the CU System? And what are some ideas you have to reach a broader population of students, including older adults?