Edith Hooton

Education Paid Peer-to-Peer Mentorship: The University of Texas at Austin has proven that paying first-gen upperclassmen to mentor incoming freshmen is a win-win. It provides financial support to our veteran students while giving new students a trusted guide who has walked in their shoes. Education Designing AI Out of the Curriculum: We must double down on the skills that Silicon Valley cannot replicate. Our degree programs must be purposely designed to instill leadership, critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, perseverance, and communication skills. Education The Bottom Line: Being a Regent isn’t just about managing a budget; it’s about having the backbone to protect our students and our moral standing. I’ve spent my career winning "unwinnable" fights for Colorado families. I won't hesitate to lead the resistance against any threat to our students’ privacy or our university’s values. Education Predictive Analytics for Proactive Support:Georgia State University revolutionized retention by using data to identify "at-risk" markers—like a single failed quiz or a missed registration deadline. I will push CU to adopt similar real-time analytics so we can proactively reach out to students within 24 hours of a struggle, offering help before a small setback becomes a dropout event. Education As your CU Regent, I believe our faculty and staff are the university’s greatest asset- not just its employees. I fully support their right to collective bargaining and, more importantly, I believe their rights must be defined by them, for them. As Regent, I will respect the process of self-determination and ensure that those who drive our mission have a direct, protected hand in shaping their own professional futures. Education Designing AI Into the Curriculum: We must ensure every CU student, regardless of their major, graduates with "AI-durable" skills. This means moving beyond basic literacy to high-level mastery. We must train students to utilize AI as a tool for innovation, efficiency, and problem-solving. The industries they are moving into are already integrating AI into their business practices, and new employees will need training and skills to adapt quickly. Education Maximize revenue potential of CU Facilities. Education Empowering "Faculty Champions": At Washington State, first-generation professors and TAs identify themselves to their students. This simple act of visibility breaks down the "hidden curriculum" of academia and creates a sense of belonging. I will champion initiatives that encourage our faculty to serve as relatable role models for students navigating the university system for the first time. Education Restore State Funding: The numbers are startling: adjusted for inflation and enrollment, state support for CU students has declined by 37% since 2000 due to TABOR constraints. I won't need a learning curve to advocate for better funding at the State Capitol. I will leverage my strong relationships to ensure the General Assembly treats CU as the vital public asset it is - the third largest employer in the state, contributing over 20 Billion to the state’s economy. Education Expand Transfer Credits. Education Use Out-of-State Demand to Protect In-State Students: CU is a premier national research institution. Out-of-state applications have surged by 58% in five years. We must leverage this high demand to maximize revenue from out-of-state students, thereby subsidizing and protecting lower tuition rates for Colorado families. Education Better Faculty Guidance: Leaders at CU’s Leeds School carefully researched root causes, made changes, and are having success. The 4-year graduation rate within Leeds went from 55% to 83%. How? By steering students to pre-requisites in the first two years and major specific classes in junior and senior years. Simple, but effective! Now we need to roll this out throughout the CU system. Education Prioritize Students over Bureaucracy: Over the last five years, non-teaching roles at CU have grown by 19%, while the student population has grown by only 2%. I will direct administrators to identify efficiencies in our 16,000 non-teaching positions to ensure your tuition dollars go to the classroom, not the back office. AI could be a beneficial application for streamlining administrative efficiencies.