Only 18 months after telling us the Pioneer nickname would stay, DU has chopped away the word “Pioneer” from two major programs — without warning and without alumni engagement. And when confronted about this malfeasance, the school merely delivered some cordial excuses about why they did it. “We’re refreshing our approach,” they told us. 

As of August 14th, 92% of voters in our recent survey simply do not believe DU’s excuses. Out of 283 participants, 259 said they believe DU will continue to remove the Pioneer name from additional programs, perhaps as a prelude to removing the nickname altogether. Indeed, as a DU alumnus and longtime friend of LetsGoDU put it when he wrote to us this morning: “You can’t spell ‘disingenuous’ without DU.” 

In fact, we know why DU removed the word “Pioneer” from these programs and so do you. They do not respect DU traditions. They hate Pioneers. They want us to genuflect at their altar of diversity by removing our Pioneer identity. If DU does not restore the Pioneer names to their rightful place on the proud programs where they belong, we’ll know exactly where they stand. In the unlikely event it was a ‘thoughtless mistake’, it will be simple to correct.

We know where we stand as well. Your comments have been pouring in to us and to the Denver Boone Facebook site. You’re expressing pride in being a DU Pioneer; you’re withholding or re-thinking donations; and you’re telling us that erasing the Pioneer name in programs is simply cowardice. Perhaps our reader “PioJack” summed it up best: 

“I was a recipient of a Pioneer Award while at DU. It was an incredible honor and one in which I take much pride. However, what DU is doing in the name of the Orwellian-speak “Inclusive Excellence” is so incredibly disappointing. “Pioneers” are bold, robust innovators. The folks running the university are clearly not pioneers in any sense of the word. The university has regressed on several levels over the last decade.”

We ask that DU restore the word ‘Pioneer’ to the Pioneer Awards program and Pioneer Passage immediately. Then, while you are it, re-focus “Inclusive Excellence” on other, less divisive activities. 

Our Board of Trustees and Chancellor need to stand behind their promises and be proud of being true DU Pioneers. 

Add your vote to our recent survey question— see bottom of the article “DU Confirms Pioneer Tradition Erasures by Division of Campus Life and Inclusive Excellence.”