It’s no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic had a big impact on many industries but especially higher education. DU was no exception. It had to put in place pay and staff cuts as the University faced a $45 million shortfall. Yesterday, however, a bit more than a year removed from the beginning of the oddest school year in memory, the University of Denver notified employees that they will be retroactively paying back those pay cuts and paying every full and part-time employee a bonus. We could not be prouder of DU.

The University had previously restored salaries to pre-pandemic levels earlier this academic year and many positions that had been cut last year have been restored. DU could have continued with business as usual but in a brilliant gesture that is sure to bolster morale and earn trust, they decided to reward their employees for their financial sacrifice. The administration and Board of Directors should be commended for this decision which places real value on their most valuable asset – their employees.

I am flabbergasted by an email I just received from the @UofDenver. DU reduced many people's salaries last year due to the pandemic. The email said they're paying us back all we lost. What a delightful surprise! PLUS we get an end-of-year bonus.

It's a great place to work!

— Stacey Freedenthal (@SFreedenthal) October 18, 2021

DU chose not to publicly announce the decision instead keeping the announcement limited to employees’ email. We at LetsGoDU, of course, have many good friends at the University and are extremely pleased that their loyalty has been rewarded.