Naropa University announced it will sell its main campus in Boulder after 40 years at the location.
The administration notified the campus community of the decision in an email sent Thursday afternoon.
“We recognize the profound value and importance that the land, which has been home to Naropa University for several decades, holds for many of us,” the email read. “We now need to balance that with the opportunity to create a significant fund for investment in Naropa’s future.”
According to the email, the university does not expect to leave the main campus before 2026.
“After 2026, Naropa will have the flexibility to manage its departure over several years based on our campus relocation goals and university strategic planning,” the email read. “We do not anticipate departing campus before June 2027.”
Naropa student Rachael Gula said the news sparked feelings of grief and loss.
“The sense of loss, it reminds me of being a kid when the family house is sold and you have to move,” she said. “It’s that grief of losing the stability of having place.”
Naropa student Max Gregor said it’ll take time for him to process the news.
“Immediately I’m grieving the loss of a physical location that over the past few years has meant a lot to me,” he said.
The campus, 2130 Arapahoe Ave, has been home to Naropa University since the early 1980s. The sale will include the buildings, classrooms, cottages and Performing Arts Center.
“It’s sad,” Gregor said. “It’s a historic place. It’s a community that has been built around a physical location.”
Sakile Melchishua, a 2022 Naropa graduate, said the news of the sale is sad and heartbreaking. She said the main campus was a key part in her development as a student.
“The magic that makes Naropa, Naropa and makes Naropa a place students can find themselves in a mindful way, I feel like that’s going to be gone,” she said.
The email said the Nalanda campus, 6287 Arapahoe Ave, will continue to serve students, faculty and staff in its existing physical location.
The email said the campus is an asset Naropa can leverage to ensure the long-term financial health and sustainability of the university.
“With over 40% of students (and a significant portion of staff and faculty) now operating primarily in hybrid and virtual spaces, we are redefining the very essence of what it means to be a community,” the email read.
Naropa was founded in 1974 by Tibetan Buddhist teacher Chögyam Trungpa. It’s a Buddhist-inspired university with a focus on education rooted in mindfulness.
According to the email, the sale will be used to fund initiatives including hiring and retaining faculty, new professional development programs, campus infrastructure improvements and student scholarships.
“We truly believe this is a decisive opportunity for Naropa University — one that we approach with both care and excitement, and that will allow us to envision the next 50 years,” the email read.
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