Dear Students, Colleagues, Alumni, and Friends,

Happy “end of the year” to our History Department community! It’s been another year of mixed emotions.

On the one hand, COVID continued to be a psychological and financial drain for everyone, especially for those of us with immunocompromised elders or unvaccinated youngsters. Planning in both the Department and our classes remained difficult as the University stumbled through its budgetary woes and as variants and vaccine hesitancy upended public health expectations.

On the other hand, this year saw the return of in-person teaching, and that ended up providing a tremendous boon to everyone’s spirits. I hope the students recognize how much we appreciated seeing them in the classroom again. This year—more than any other year of teaching I have ever experienced—revealed a sense of shared commitment among students and faculty. Through both the Fall and Spring semesters, History students and History faculty afforded one another grace and often served as sources of energy and inspiration. In a period when very little was certain, CU Denver students, staff, and faculty provided one another a welcome sense of support and stability.

Congratulations to this year’s graduating seniors and master’s students.  We are all immensely proud of you and thankful for your contributions to the mission and spirit of our Department. The final papers and projects you all submitted at the end of your school careers revealed that—somehow—you had overcome all of the barriers to learning that the world had thrown your way. The quality of your work was really quite remarkable. I hope the graduates share the immense pride both the staff and faculty feel over this final achievement.

As always, we would be thrilled if the graduates remain in touch. We’re always so happy to hear from you and how you are making your way through the world.

Sincerely,
Christopher Agee
Chair & Associate Professor