Patrick O鈥橰ourke, who has served the University of Colorado system for more than 15 years as an attorney, administrator and adjunct faculty member, will remain in his role as CU Boulder鈥檚 chief operating officer, Chancellor Philip P. DiStefano announced today.
O鈥橰ourke has filled the role听on an interim basis听since Feb. 20, beginning less than a month before CU Boulder shifted quickly to a COVID-19-ready operating model. O鈥橰ourke鈥檚 tenure as the permanent COO is effective immediately, the chancellor said.
Patrick O'Rourke
The chancellor鈥檚 announcement follows a two-month systemwide search in which O鈥橰ourke emerged as the sole applicant and the search committee鈥檚 recommended finalist based on his experience and leadership over the past year as CU Boulder navigated the complexities and challenges of a global pandemic. During the search process, O'Rourke interviewed with senior leadership, shared governance groups and students, faculty and staff.
DiStefano said O鈥橰ourke鈥檚 鈥渃alm demeanor and steady leadership during one of the most challenging chapters in CU Boulder history鈥� helped O鈥橰ourke emerge as the top pick to lead the operational units encompassed by the听Strategic Resources and Support (SRS)听诲颈惫颈蝉颈辞苍.
鈥淧at is well-grounded in the university鈥檚 priorities and is committed to our success at every level, from addressing the challenges of COVID-19 to building greater fiscal resilience so we can continue to serve Colorado as a premier public research university and beacon to all who seek a high-quality college education,鈥� DiStefano said. 鈥淗e has earned not only my respect and confidence, but the respect and confidence of our campus and the broader Boulder community.鈥�
As COO, O鈥橰ourke will oversee all of SRS鈥檚 operational units, including enrollment management; finance and business strategy; human resources; information technology; infrastructure and sustainability; institutional equity and compliance; integrity, safety and compliance; strategic relations and communications; and government and community engagement.
For the past year, O鈥橰ourke has worked closely with DiStefano and Provost Russ Moore on strategies and campuswide initiatives to establish and support a COVID-19-ready learning, teaching, research and work environment for 35,000 students and more than 9,000 faculty, staff and frontline employees. He has also worked side-by-side with the provost to more closely align the university鈥檚 academic and operational priorities.
Along with the chancellor and the provost, O鈥橰ourke has provided students, faculty, staff, parents, elected officials, journalists and Boulder County residents with听frequent updates听on how the university is working to safeguard the campus community鈥檚 health and well-being.
鈥淲hen Chancellor DiStefano asked me to fill in as interim COO last year, no one could have imagined what was ahead for our campus community. Our faculty, staff and students pulled together quickly to navigate the challenges and advance CU鈥檚 mission of teaching, research and service,鈥� O鈥橰ourke said.
鈥淲hile we鈥檙e still responding to COVID-19, we must also plan for CU鈥檚 future. I look forward to building a more inclusive and engaged campus culture, optimizing campus resources to align with our mission, and building a safe, modern, and data-informed learning and working environment,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 proud to be a part of our innovative community, and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve our students, faculty, staff, frontline employees, broader communities and the state of Colorado.鈥�
Before his tenure at CU Boulder, O鈥橰ourke served as the lead litigation counsel for the CU system for seven years before being promoted and then serving an additional eight years as the vice president, university counsel and secretary of the听.
He earned an undergraduate degree from Creighton University and a law degree from Georgetown University. In addition to his duties as the COO for the Boulder campus, he teaches as an adjunct faculty member at Colorado Law and at the Colorado School of Public Health on the Anschutz Medical Campus.
