May 31 – Phil DiStefano didn’t know what a chancellor was when he entered higher education as a first-generation college student.
Now he is preparing to retire as the longest-serving chancellor at the University of Colorado Boulder, marking 15 years in the role and 50 years on campus.
“Right now, things are going so well on campus,” DiStefano said, adding, “I feel really positive about leaving the university in a good place.”
DiStefano plans to retire on July 1 and let newly elected Chancellor Justin Schwartz, previously provost at Pennsylvania State University, take over. DiStefano will serve primarily as executive director at the Center for Leadership, while returning as a faculty member at the School of Education, where he first began his career at CU Boulder in 1974.
DiStefano said the transition is bittersweet.
“The real key to being a chancellor that I enjoyed so much is traveling around the country, actually going around the world, and meeting alumni who are very successful,” DiStefano said. “And they tell me that they owe their success to the university and the degree they received. I have met some incredible individuals from all over the world who have CU degrees, who I would never have met without Chancellor to be.”
Although he won’t have the same interactions in the future, he feels good about the university’s position.
DiStefano cited how during his time as chancellor, research funding has doubled, CU Boulder has survived the pandemic and created a new college for the first time in more than 50 years with the College of Media, Communication and Information. Admissions applications are up about 20% from last year, he said, and the addition of Coach Prime has changed the way people view college in terms of athletics.
“I’m very excited and think this is a good time for a transition and I’m certainly looking forward to the transition to the Center for Leadership,” said DiStefano. “I believe in it so much that I look forward to spending some time as the center’s executive director.”
DiStefano was born and raised in Steubenville, Ohio, and began his teaching career as an English teacher at a high school near his hometown. He received his doctorate in humanities education from The Ohio State University.
In 1974, DiStefano started as an assistant professor at CU Boulder’s School of Education and never left. Over the years, he became dean and provost before being appointed chancellor in 2009.
CU Boulder Provost Russell Moore, who has known DiStefano since 1993, said his commitment to staying at CU Boulder is rare.
“He is incredibly loyal to this institution, and he has dedicated his entire career to this. It is very rare for someone to spend their career at the same institution and, honestly, he could have gone to any number of places and more can earn.” money,” Moore said. “But I think he has been very committed to building this university.”
DiStefano said the university has been “extremely good” to him and his family.
“I owe so much to Boulder and the university for giving me these opportunities,” he said. “And why would you leave Boulder? It’s a tough place to leave.”
Moore said many leaders in DiStefano’s position would have had a difficult time adapting to the changing landscape of higher education, including changes in athletics, politics and funding.
“One thing I learned from him is that you can look at all these things as challenges, but a lot of times you can turn the lens around and say, oh, those are opportunities,” Moore said. “I think that’s a really great spirit to have.”
For DiStefano, student success has always been the top priority.
“I believe very strongly that when we admit students to college, we have a moral obligation to make sure we help them succeed,” DiStefano said, adding, “That’s why we’re here, for the students . So for me, it’s the top priority of student success.”
Research, athletics and relationships have also been important to DiStefano throughout his career as chancellor.
CU Boulder Athletic Director Rick George has known DiStefano for more than a decade and calls him a great boss and friend.
“There are a lot of ups and downs, especially in the world I’m in, but he is steadfast in his support,” George said.
George said DiStefano’s impact on CU Boulder is immeasurable. He said DiStefano, along with his wife Yvonne, is a big supporter of athletics. The two have been married for more than 50 years.
“She and he have been incredibly supportive of our student-athletes and that is something I will always cherish,” George said. “It’s good for our students to have them both around to see that support.”
During his time as chancellor, DiStefano regularly worked with state legislators, state outreach programs and spent time in Washington, DC. He spent much of his time traveling around the country and the world meeting alumni, donors, parents and friends of the university and fundraising what alumni do.
“It means I’m on the plane a lot,” DiStefano said. “But it’s such a great time to meet our alumni and donors and friends and parents of students.”
While on campus, DiStefano spent time with the city, county and school districts, working on projects such as CU South and a new hotel and conference center on campus.
The biggest challenge, he said, was the pandemic.
“I worried every day about our students, faculty and staff, about their health and well-being and making sure they were safe while they were on campus,” DiStefano said.
Diversity has also been a challenge, but DiStefano said he has seen big improvements. It’s an area he said CU Boulder will always strive to work on and improve.
Some of the biggest lessons he learned were about leading with humility and valuing different voices. For example, his cabinet started with three or four people who agreed with everything he said.
“That’s not leadership,” DiStefano said, adding, “I make better decisions when I hear different points of view from people. If we all think alike, the decisions will come easily and they probably won’t be the best decisions. “
Moore said DiStefano has been instrumental in transforming campus culture in ways that many people don’t see. He has fostered a strong sense of collaboration among CU Boulder’s senior leadership, including deans, vice chancellors and vice provosts, Moore said.
“He’s very thoughtful, he doesn’t make quick, rash decisions,” Moore said. “I think a lot of that is due to his experience. I consider him to be unflappable, and a lot of that is due to the wisdom he has built up over the many, many years he has been here.”
