University of Colorado at Boulder
Encyclopedia
The University of Colorado Boulder (unofficially University of Colorado at Boulder, although also commonly referred to as CU-Boulder, CU, Boulder, or Colorado) is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado
. It is the flagship university of the University of Colorado
system and was founded five months before Colorado was admitted to the union in 1876. According to The Public Ivies: America's Flagship Public Universities (2001), it is considered one of the prestigious "Public Ivy
League" schools. The university's colors are officially silver and gold; however, traditional CU items utilize the black-and-gold color scheme.
In 2010, the university consisted of nine colleges and schools and offered over 150 academic programs and enrolled 29,952 students. Eight Nobel Laureates, eight MacArthur Fellows, and 18 astronauts have been affiliated with CU-Boulder as students, researchers, or faculty members in its history. The university received nearly US$454 million in sponsored research in 2010 to fund programs like the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics
, JILA, and National Institute of Standards and Technology
's NIST-F1
atomic clock
.
Colorado Buffaloes
competes in nine intercollegiate sports in the NCAA Division I Pacific-12 Conference. The Buffaloes have won 24 NCAA championships: 18 in skiing, five total in men's and women's cross country
, and one in football
. Approximately 1,500 students participate in 34 intercollegiate club sports annually as well.
On March 14, 1876, the Colorado territorial legislature passed an amendment to the state constitution that provided money for the establishment of the University of Colorado in Boulder, the Colorado School of Mines
in Golden
, and Colorado Agricultural College in Fort Collins
, now known as Colorado State University
.
Two cities competed for the site University of Colorado: Boulder and Cañon City
. The consolation prize for the losing city was to be home of the new Colorado State Prison. Cañon City was at a disadvantage as it was already the home of the Colorado Territorial Prison. (There are now six prisons in the Cañon City area.)
The cornerstone of the building that became Old Main was laid on September 20, 1875. The doors of the university opened on September 5, 1877. At the time, there were few high school
s in the state that could adequately prepare students for university work, so in addition to the University, a preparatory school was formed on campus. In the fall of 1877, the student body consisted of 15 students in the college proper and 50 students in the preparatory school. There were 38 men and 27 women, and their ages ranged from 12–23 years.
During World War II
, Colorado was one of 131 colleges and universities nationally that took part in the V-12 Navy College Training Program
which offered students a path to a Navy commission.
. It consists of academic and residential buildings as well as research facilities. The East Campus is about a quarter mile from the main campus and is composed mainly of athletic fields and research buildings.
CU Boulder's distinctive architecture style, known as Tuscan Vernacular Revival, was designed by architect Charles Klauder
. The oldest buildings, such as Old Main (1876) and Macky Auditorium (1923), were in the Collegiate Gothic style of many East Coast schools, and Klauder's initial plans for the university's new buildings (approved in 1919) were in the same style. A month or so after approval, however, Klauder updated his design by sketching in a new wrap of rough, textured sandstone
walls with sloping, multi-leveled red-tiled roofs and Indiana limestone trim. This formed the basis of a unified style which was used in the design of fifteen other buildings between 1921 and 1939.
The sandstone used in the construction of nearly all the buildings on campus was selected from a quarry in Lyons, Colorado
. The architecture had a rugged yet classical feel, fitting for a western University.
Until 1903, the library collection was housed with the rest of the school in Old Main. The growing size of the library required a move, as the weight of the books was causing physical damage to the floor. The cornerstone for the first separate library building was laid in January 1903, and the building was opened in January 1904. When the new Norlin Library opened in 1940, the old library turned over to the Theatre department, and was converted into classrooms and a theatre.
Norlin Library was the last building to be designed by Klauder. There are two inscriptions on the western face of the building, overlooking the Norlin Quadrangle. Both were composed by President Norlin. The larger inscription reads “Who knows only his own generation remains always a child,” based on a Cicero quotation, while the smaller inscription on the marble just over the door reads “Enter here the timeless fellowship of the human spirit.”
Macky Auditorium is a large building on the University of Colorado campus, which plays host to various talks, plays, and musical performances. Andrew J. Macky was a prominent businessman involved with the town of Boulder in the late 19th century. Macky served as the President, as well as a stockholder of the First National Bank, an institution founded by another early CU supporter Lewis Cheney. Macky is credited with a number of landmarks throughout Boulder, where he was a carpenter and involved in politics.
The Auditorium opened its doors in 1923, thirteen years after construction started. Macky's adopted daughter, May, sued for a third of Macky's estate, a case that took thirteen years to settle. May was angered that her father left her no money in his will, while leaving $400,000 to CU for the hall’s construction. The university eventually won the case, and the majority of critical construction on the building resumed.
The building has a variety of architectural elements from various buildings around the globe that President Baker, CU’s president at the turn of the 20th century, admired. The design of the auditorium is primarily Neo-Gothic, with the primary materials being sandstone and red tile, like the rest of campus. The result is a unique building, with two large towers and sprawling ivy, that sets itself apart from the rest of the CU campus. Macky was refurbished in 1986, with improved seating, custom carpeting, modern plumbing and an elevator. Currently there is an electronic bell system in the towers of Macky which rings the hours during the day.
Macky is the home of two departments both in the College of Music, the Jazz Studies Department and the Choral Department, and it houses an art gallery which is open Wednesdays, and to patrons during performances. The hall houses almost all performances by the Boulder Philharmonic, the Artist Series, and the CU Opera. Macky is also the home of many lectures including the Conference on World Affairs held at CU each spring.
In 1947, Colorado Governor Lee Knous
issued a proclamation
to create a memorial
to Colorado's servicemen at the University of Colorado Boulder. A proposal to house this memorial in a student union
building resulted in a remarkable fundraising effort. The University Memorial Center opened its doors in October 1953 with President Robert Stearns presiding over the ribbon-cutting ceremony. The UMC quickly became the central landmark of the Boulder campus. A 1964 addition created a new book store, conference facilities, additional dining facilities, and offices to house the rapidly growing student activities and organizations. The expansion was financed through bonds granted by student fees.
The 1960s and '70s put the UMC at the center of student activism as students staged strikes, grape boycotts, love-ins, sit-ins, and walk-outs. The UMC Fountain Court (now the Dalton Trumbo Fountain Court) became a familiar sight to network television news watchers as the famous and notorious promoted their cause at CU-Boulder. Entertainers as diverse as Ramsey Lewis
and the Grateful Dead
have performed in the Glenn Miller
Ballroom. The UMC Connection, a student entertainment center in the basement, is a more informal gathering place, featuring pool tables and a small bowling alley. It also features Club 156, which hosts concerts from local and up-and-coming bands. In 1986, students passed another bond issue to remodel the food-services area. The Alferd Packer
Grill was transformed to the current food-court concept, and students have since enjoyed the addition of other vendors including Subway, Domino's, and Celestial Seasonings Teas and Coffees.
and is a 323000 square feet (30,007.7 m²) state-of-the-art facilitythat is promised to be 20 percent to 25 percent more energy- and water-efficient compared to similar-sized buildings. The facility was completed in September of 2010 at a cost of $84.4 million. The building is originally bond-financed through the CU treasurer and will be repaid through a combination of sources. A large portion of the debt, $47.4 million, will be repaid by Housing and Dining Services, through room and board fees. Fees from Permit and Parking Services will contribute as well. The Center also relies on $18 million in donations, a goal which has not been achieved, but has become a top fundraising priority for the University.
The building houses offices of Student Services including Campus Card Services, Disability Services, and Career Services among others. These services have been relocated to the C4C from various locations around campus. For example, Career Services was previously housed in the basement of the Willard Dormitory. There is a 140000 square feet (13,006.4 m²) underground parking structure that contains approximately 365 to 375 parking spaces. Student study areas are located on the upper floors and conference centers are open to campus and non-campus affiliates throughout the building. The dining services offered within the C4C include a CU on the run “grab-n-go,” The Bakery, a late night dining hub called the Weather Tech Café, open until 2 A.M, and finally a central dining facility. This dining facility seats 900 and offers students up to nine specialty dining choices including: Persian, Asian, Latin, Sushi, Italian, Kosher, a grill, salad bars, and desserts. Overall the Dining Center is projected to serve around one million meals per year.
The Mary Rippon Theatre is an outdoor theater and the site of many cultural
events, notably the Colorado Shakespeare Festival
. The Theatre was named after Professor Mary Rippon, the first female instructor at the University and one of the first female University instructors in the United States. She taught German and French. Professor Rippon was so popular with students that when attempts were made to replace her with a male instructor, the student body revolted en masse, and Rippon kept her job.
has one of the most extensive natural history collections in the Rocky Mountain and Plains regions, representing the disciplines of Anthropology, Botany, Entomology, Paleontology, and Zoology. The CU Heritage Center http://cuheritage.org/ tells the stories of CU-Boulder's past and present and is housed in Old Main, the first building constructed on campus. Seven galleries exhibit art and memorabilia associated with CU faculty and alumni. Fiske Planetarium and Science Center features a 60 ft (18 m). planetarium dome and produces laser shows, live concerts, and an on-going series of public programs. Fiske also offers a hands-on science museum with interactive exhibits and space-themed art.
Additional resources include the Visual Resources Center, an expanded and modernized woodshop and metal shop, the Exhibitions Program of the CU Art Museum, the Colorado Collection (an art collection of approximately 5,000 pieces), the Art & Architecture Library (with over 100,000 volumes and over 500 journal subscriptions). In addition, the Department houses multiple computing labs with Macintosh computers and various graphics programs which are updated regularly.
Current ATLAS programs include a Technology, Media and Society Ph.D.;
master's degree in Information and Communication Technology for Development; a Technology, Arts and Media undergraduate minor; a graduate certificate program called Boulder Digital Works, which is a multi-disciplinary, project-based program designed to provide skills needed by employees and entrepreneurs in the digital communication fields; the Center for Media, Arts and Performance; outreach partnerships with K-12 schools; and the headquarters of the National Center for Women and Information Technology.
More information is at http://atlas.colorado.edu
and Sciences is by far the largest, the university also consists of the College of Engineering
and Applied Sciences, the schools of Architecture
and Planning, Education
, Journalism
and Mass Communication
, Music
, Law
, and the Leeds School of Business
. Most, if not all, of these colleges and schools also incorporate masters and doctorate level degree programs. At the University, there are currently approximately 3,400 courses available in over 150 disciplines comprising 85 majors ranging from Accounting to Women's Studies.
University of Colorado School of Law
is the smallest and most selective of the colleges. The Wolf Law Building, the new home of the Law School, was dedicated on September 8, 2006, by United States Supreme Court justice Stephen Breyer
.
The Leeds School of Business
has an enrollment of 3,300 students including undergraduates, master's candidates, and Ph.D. candidates. The undergraduate program ranks 39th in the country and the undergraduate entrepreneurship program ranks 14th in the nation. The MBA program ranks 26th among all public universities. The faculty are ranked 38th in the nation according to the Academy of Management Journal.
CU-Boulder adopted an honor code
in 2000 following growing concerns about academic dishonesty
on campus in the late 1990s. A copy of the code stating "On my honor, as a University of Colorado at Boulder student, I have neither given nor received unauthorized assistance on this work" is engraved on a metal plate and posted in every classroom on campus.
Undergraduates who seek an academic challenge may participate in CU's Honors Program. Begun in 1931, the Honors Program currently consists of the top ten percent of incoming freshmen and participating undergraduates with a 3.3 GPA or greater (on a 4.0 scale). The program offers over 40 honors classes each semester taught by tenured or tenure-track professors and limited to class sizes of 15 students. Honors students also have the opportunity to graduate with honors, high honors, and highest honors, by writing and defending a thesis during their senior year. The program extends into the residence halls through the Kittredge Honors Program. The Presidents Leadership Class
is a program for top scholars at the University of Colorado Boulder. Scholars participate in a four-year leadership development program. The program provides opportunities to the top fifty students at CU from every major and discipline.
One option for students (mostly freshman and sophomores) living on campus is to join a residential academic program (RAP). Each RAP focuses on a curricular theme, and offer courses in the residence hall itself. The programs also include educational activities.
Aerospace engineering was ranked 16th, the entrepreneurship program in the Leeds School of Business was tied for 18th, and the environmental engineering program was ranked 18th among public undergraduate specialty programs in U.S. News & World Report’s 2010 America’s Best Colleges issue.
Sixteen CU-Boulder graduate school specialty programs were ranked in the top 50 in the nation, including four in the top 10, in U.S. News & World Report’s 2010 America’s Best Graduate Schools issue.
The graduate specialty programs in the top 10 were atomic/molecular/optical physics (1), quantum physics (4), environmental law (6), and physical chemistry (10).
The graduate specialty programs in the top 25 were business entrepreneurship (17), aerospace engineering (12), ceramics (14), geology (18), chemical engineering (19), environmental engineering (21), elementary education (22), and civil engineering (25).
The graduate specialty programs in the top 50 were mechanical engineering (32), computer engineering (33), and electrical engineering (36).
Fourteen CU-Boulder schools, colleges, and areas of study were ranked in the top 50 and three others were in the top 60 nationally in U.S. News & World Report’s 2010 Best Graduate Schools issue. They were physics (20), speech-language pathology (25), earth sciences (25), chemistry (28), psychology (29), biological sciences (33), education (38), computer science
(39), political science (39), engineering (40), law (45), English (46), math (48), economics (50), history (52), sociology (57), and the fine arts master’s degree (58).
CU-Boulder ranks in the top five universities in the nation, excluding military academies, for astronaut alumni who have flown in space, with 17.
CU-Boulder was ranked the “greenest” school in the nation by Sierra magazine in 2009, a move up from second place in 2008. CU-Boulder’s leadership in sustainability spans nearly six decades, with rigorous academic offerings in the Environmental Studies Program as well as the integration of environmental studies into other fields including architecture and planning, business, law, journalism and others. CU-Boulder offers 14 degree programs, nine majors, and four certificate programs in or related to environmental studies.
Nine CU-Boulder doctoral programs were ranked in the top 10 in the nation in a faculty productivity index featured in the Chronicle of Higher Education in January 2007. The ranking, which was produced by Academic Analytics, rated the scholarly output of faculty members at more than 7,000 doctoral programs across the country. The CU-Boulder programs were geography (2), physical oceanography (4), communication (6), cognitive science (7), atmospheric sciences (8), chemical engineering (8), biomedical engineering (9), civil and environmental engineering (9), and aeronautical and aerospace engineering (10).
The Deming Center for Entrepreneurship at CU Boulder’s Leeds School of Business was ranked in the top 20 business school programs by U.S. News & World Report. The Deming Center moved up three spots from last year to 17th place for its graduate school entrepreneurship program for the 2009–10 academic year. It has been ranked among the top 20 programs nationally for the last decade.
John Hall
(physics, 2005), Eric Cornell (physics, 2001), and Thomas Robert Cech (chemistry, 1989). Carl Wieman
was also awarded a Nobel prize for his work with Eric Cornell. He maintains a part-time appointment at the University of Colorado Boulder but his primary appointment is Professor and Director of the Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative at the University of British Columbia. Controversial writer Ward Churchill
was a professor of ethnic studies
until July 2007. Robert T. Craig
an International Communication Association
Fellow and author of "Communication Theory as a Field" is a professor in the Communication Department.
or graduate certificate (in some disciplines) in aerospace engineering
, computer science, electrical, computer and energy engineering
, engineering management
, and telecommunications. Founded in 1983, CAETE currently receives over 1,000 enrollments a year from over 250 job sites in Colorado
, across the nation, and abroad.
before becoming the CU Independent in August 2008. It began as a weekly printed newspaper and became an online daily in 2006. The online edition features a weblog
facility for students.
The Campus Press staff amounted to approximately 60 editors
, reporters and photographers
, responsible for providing the online edition with new content at least once a day. Most contributors were members of the University's School of Journalism and Mass Communication, but most other schools are represented too. There were around 20 editors, including campus editors, responsible for editing stories' content; section editors, who constructed and assigned stories to their respective sections; and online editors, who update and maintain the website. A managing editor and an editor-in-chief oversee the production of daily online editions. Online editions include blogs, slide shows, commentary, news, sports. and features.
The Campus Press was founded by Mal Deans. At the time of its conception, the paper published a printed edition every week. The paper was originally titled The Working Press. Dave Sikardi was the first student editor. The Campus Press was the first online newspaper in Colorado, beginning in April, 1994.
In August 2006, however, the Campus Press officially launched as an online-only newspaper, abolishing the print edition entirely. The move was not without controversy, and the Campus Presss tagline on the website was edited from "CU's only independent student voice" to "CU's only student voice". The Campus Press stated that they became independent of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication and changed its name to the CU Independent. However, the School of Journalism and Mass Communication continued to host the publication's office space, supply them with computers and other resources, and retain the editors and adviser on payroll. The new website launched on January 12, 2009.
CU Independent is an affiliate of UWIRE, which distributes and promotes its content to their network. The CU Independent is a daily online publication with a staff of about 100 writers and editors, that are representative of all schools on campus.
In spring of 2010, the CU Independent launched a revolutionary new program devoted to bringing awareness to issues of discrimination and celebrating instances of diversity on campus. The Speak Out! campaign restructures the traditional beat system to include stories tagged as discussing heterosexism, classism, sexism, ableism, body image, ethnocentrism, racism, and substance abuse; among other topics.
Starting in fall 2010, the opinion section of the publication has been hosting content written by guest contributors from organizations around campus. These pieces are editorials about upcoming events and their significance in promoting diversity at CU.
The publication is a testing pad for many new instances of community news and multimedia.
(CUSG) is the student government for the University of Colorado Boulder. The student government is currently affiliated with the higher education political group the United States Student's Association. The government contains three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. Presiding officers for the student government are elected in a bi-annual vote administered to the 30,000 students at the University. The student government has an autonomy agreement with the University Administration and oversees an annual budget of $36.6 million dollars. CUSG is responsible for the management of the University Student Union, the Recreation Center, the GLBT Resource Center, the Women's Resource Center, and the Health Care Center, along with various other facilities on campus. The government also oversees the fiscal appropriations of over 120 student groups on a yearly basis.
The club organizes member-led trips every weekend, and travels throughout the Rocky Mountain Region during breaks to wilderness areas in New Mexico
, Wyoming
, and Utah
. Depending on the outing, a variety of activities are featured such as climbing, mountain biking, hot-springing, and backpacking. Examples of frequent trip destinations include the nearby Indian Peaks Wilderness
, ascents of Colorado's fourteeners, and day-hikes among the picturesque Flatirons
.
The club motto, "half mile more," dates back to the 1940s of the club's tradition-rich history. A slide show of the club's activities is shown on campus during semi-annual new member meetings and the alumni association meets annually.
and snowboard
club in the nation.
Boulder Freeride is active year-round. Fall activities include a camping trip, BBQs, popular ski and snowboard movie premieres, and one of the year’s biggest events, Welcome Freeriders.
Boulder Freeride organizes a number of ski trips each year. Past trips have included a Thanksgiving trip to Steamboat Springs, CO, an annual trip to Aspen, CO to see the X Games
, spring break trips to Innsbruck, Austria, Whistler, BC and Chamonix, France
, and summer surf trips to South America.
Collegiate teams in both road cycling and mountain biking disciplines. They have won the national championship on several occasions, including 2005 where they won in both disciplines. From the club, many members have gone on into professional cycling, such as Tyler Hamilton
.
The team is open to any student who pays annual dues and meets a minimum amount of credits during the semester. The members include nearly every different type of cyclist, from BMX
riders, trials
, and bicycle commuters
to elite amateur or part time professional road and mountain riders. Specifically, to qualify for road or mountain nationals, a rider must have enough high race results to upgrade to "A" category in the USA Cycling rankings. Then, a number of "A" riders will be chosen by the coaches to represent CU at the National Championships. The number of riders the team allowed to send is based on how well the team did overall during the season.
, Dave Matthews Band
, Pearl Jam
, R.E.M.
, The Ramones, and many more to the University of Colorado. Concerts vary in size ranging from large scale concerts, to smaller local acts, some of which are free to attend. Besides concerts, Program Council also hosts a film series throughout the year which allows students to see soon-to-be-released movies as well as cult classics for free in one of the large lecture halls on campus.
athletic teams participate in the NCAA's
Division I (FBS for football, see Bowl Championship Series
) as a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. The school joined the Pac-12 on July 1, 2011, at which point its decades-long affiliation with what is now the Big 12 Conference
(including years in predecessor conference the Big Eight Conference
, previously known as the Big Six, Big Seven, and the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association) ended. The official school colors are silver and gold, as opposed to the common belief of black and gold. Silver and gold were chosen to represent the state's mineral wealth, but the colors did not look good together on the uniforms, so black was substituted. There are three official fight songs: "Glory Colorado," "Go Colorado," and "Fight CU."
In 1934, the University teams were officially nicknamed the "Buffaloes." Previous nicknames
used by the press included the “Silver Helmets” and “Frontiersmen.” The final game of 1934, against the University of Denver
, saw the first running of a buffalo in a Colorado football game. A buffalo calf was rented from a local ranch and ran along the sidelines.
, and football
. Conference championships have also been won in several sports. Several club sports, such as cycling, swimming & diving, and triathlon, have won national championships in addition to the varsity teams.
In football, CU enjoys a rivalry with the Colorado State
Rams
in the "Rocky Mountain Showdown
", a game that is sometimes played at the neutral site Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Additionally, Colorado and the Nebraska
Cornhuskers
have played some notable games, often finishing their respective seasons in a nationally televised confrontation on the Friday following Thanksgiving
since the 1990s. This ended after the 2010 season as a result of CU joining the Pac-12 and Nebraska joining the Big 10. Colorado once had rivalries with the Utah
Utes
and Air Force
Falcons
, but these have not been played in recent years. The Utah rivalry will be renewed in 2011, as the Utes have also joined the Pac-10 (which became the Pac-12).
The CU ski team
has won 18 National Championships at the Division I level. The sport is not sponsored by the Pac-12 Conference, however (nor was it sponsored by the Big 12).
, cycling
, Ultimate
, swimming & diving, fencing
, men's and women's lacrosse
, softball
, ice hockey
, rugby union
, and the CU Triathlon Team.
. All squads support the home games of football
, Women’s Basketball, Men’s Basketball and Women's Volleyball teams, along with other athletic and social events.
The school's live mascot is an American Bison
named Ralphie
. The costumed mascot CHIP is also a part of the CU Spirit Program. CHIP is a costumed buffalo that represents the University of Colorado at numerous athletic and social events. Along with the Cheer and Dance Program, CHIP competes on a national level once a year against mascots from around the country, including Bucky Badger
, Sparty
, Aubie
, Goldy Gopher
and many other Hall of Fame
mascots. Most recently CHIP competed in the 2009 UCA national competition and was crowned #1, and the national champion after performing a skit titled "CHIP's Favorite Video Games".
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of...
. It is the flagship university of the University of Colorado
University of Colorado
The University of Colorado system is a system of public universities in Colorado consisting of three universities in four campuses: University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, and University of Colorado Denver in downtown Denver and at the Anschutz Medical Campus in...
system and was founded five months before Colorado was admitted to the union in 1876. According to The Public Ivies: America's Flagship Public Universities (2001), it is considered one of the prestigious "Public Ivy
Public Ivy
Public Ivy is a term coined by Richard Moll in his 1985 book Public Ivies: A Guide to America's best public undergraduate colleges and universities to refer to universities which "provide an Ivy League collegiate experience at a public school price." Public Ivies are considered, according to the...
League" schools. The university's colors are officially silver and gold; however, traditional CU items utilize the black-and-gold color scheme.
In 2010, the university consisted of nine colleges and schools and offered over 150 academic programs and enrolled 29,952 students. Eight Nobel Laureates, eight MacArthur Fellows, and 18 astronauts have been affiliated with CU-Boulder as students, researchers, or faculty members in its history. The university received nearly US$454 million in sponsored research in 2010 to fund programs like the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics
The Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics is a research organization at the University of Colorado at Boulder. LASP is a research institute with over 100 research scientists ranging in fields from solar influences, to Earth's and other planetary atmospherics processes, space weather, space...
, JILA, and National Institute of Standards and Technology
National Institute of Standards and Technology
The National Institute of Standards and Technology , known between 1901 and 1988 as the National Bureau of Standards , is a measurement standards laboratory, otherwise known as a National Metrological Institute , which is a non-regulatory agency of the United States Department of Commerce...
's NIST-F1
NIST-F1
NIST-F1 is a cesium fountain clock or atomic clock in the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Boulder, Colorado, and serves as the United States' primary time and frequency standard...
atomic clock
Atomic clock
An atomic clock is a clock that uses an electronic transition frequency in the microwave, optical, or ultraviolet region of the electromagnetic spectrum of atoms as a frequency standard for its timekeeping element...
.
Colorado Buffaloes
Colorado Buffaloes
The University of Colorado Boulder sponsors 16 varsity sports teams. Both men's and women's team are called the Buffaloes or Golden Buffaloes . "Lady Buffs" referred to the women's teams beginning in the 1970s, but was officially dropped in 1993...
competes in nine intercollegiate sports in the NCAA Division I Pacific-12 Conference. The Buffaloes have won 24 NCAA championships: 18 in skiing, five total in men's and women's cross country
NCAA Women's Cross Country Championship
Each autumn, beginning in 1981, the National Collegiate Athletic Association has hosted women's cross country championships for each of its three divisions...
, and one in football
Colorado Buffaloes football
The Colorado Buffaloes football program represents the University of Colorado at Boulder in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The team is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference, having previously been a charter member of the Big 12 Conference. Before joining the Big 12,...
. Approximately 1,500 students participate in 34 intercollegiate club sports annually as well.
History
Colorado School of Mines
The Colorado School of Mines is a small public teaching and research university devoted to engineering and applied science, with special expertise in the development and stewardship of the Earth's natural resources. Located in Golden, Colorado, CSM was ranked 29th, in America among national...
in Golden
Golden, Colorado
The City of Golden is a home rule municipality that is the county seat of Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Golden lies along Clear Creek at the edge of the foothills of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. Founded during the Pike's Peak Gold Rush on 16 June 1859, the mining camp was...
, and Colorado Agricultural College in Fort Collins
Fort Collins, Colorado
Fort Collins is a Home Rule Municipality situated on the Cache La Poudre River along the Colorado Front Range, and is the county seat and most populous city of Larimer County, Colorado, United States. Fort Collins is located north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. With a 2010 census...
, now known as Colorado State University
Colorado State University
Colorado State University is a public research university located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The university is the state's land grant university, and the flagship university of the Colorado State University System.The enrollment is approximately 29,932 students, including resident and...
.
Two cities competed for the site University of Colorado: Boulder and Cañon City
Cañon City, Colorado
The City of Cañon City is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Fremont County, State of Colorado. The United States Census Bureau estimated that the city population was 16,000 in 2005. Cañon City is noted for being the location of nine state and four ...
. The consolation prize for the losing city was to be home of the new Colorado State Prison. Cañon City was at a disadvantage as it was already the home of the Colorado Territorial Prison. (There are now six prisons in the Cañon City area.)
The cornerstone of the building that became Old Main was laid on September 20, 1875. The doors of the university opened on September 5, 1877. At the time, there were few high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
s in the state that could adequately prepare students for university work, so in addition to the University, a preparatory school was formed on campus. In the fall of 1877, the student body consisted of 15 students in the college proper and 50 students in the preparatory school. There were 38 men and 27 women, and their ages ranged from 12–23 years.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Colorado was one of 131 colleges and universities nationally that took part in the V-12 Navy College Training Program
V-12 Navy College Training Program
The V-12 Navy College Training Program was designed to supplement the force of commissioned officers in the United States Navy during World War II...
which offered students a path to a Navy commission.
Campus
The main CU-Boulder campus is located south of the Pearl Street MallPearl Street Mall
The Pearl Street Mall is a four block pedestrian mall in Boulder, Colorado...
. It consists of academic and residential buildings as well as research facilities. The East Campus is about a quarter mile from the main campus and is composed mainly of athletic fields and research buildings.
Architecture
Charles Klauder
Charles Zeller Klauder was an American architect best known for his work on university buildings and campus designs, especially his Cathedral of Learning at the University of Pittsburgh, the first educational skyscraper.-Biography:...
. The oldest buildings, such as Old Main (1876) and Macky Auditorium (1923), were in the Collegiate Gothic style of many East Coast schools, and Klauder's initial plans for the university's new buildings (approved in 1919) were in the same style. A month or so after approval, however, Klauder updated his design by sketching in a new wrap of rough, textured sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
walls with sloping, multi-leveled red-tiled roofs and Indiana limestone trim. This formed the basis of a unified style which was used in the design of fifteen other buildings between 1921 and 1939.
The sandstone used in the construction of nearly all the buildings on campus was selected from a quarry in Lyons, Colorado
Lyons, Colorado
Lyons is a Statutory Town in Boulder County, Colorado, United States. The population was 1,585 at the 2000 census. Lyons is located at the confluence of the North St. Vrain Creek and the South St. Vrain Creek, twenty miles east of Rocky Mountain National Park. Due to its location at the...
. The architecture had a rugged yet classical feel, fitting for a western University.
Residence Halls
Currently Freshmen and others attending the University of Colorado at Boulder have an option of 22 on and off campus residence halls. Residence halls have 17 varieties of room types from singles to four person rooms and others with apartment style amenities. There are several communities of residence halls located throughout the campus, and in a separate area called Williams Village which is connected to the main campus via the Buff Bus service.Engineering
The Engineering Center consists of 660000 square feet (61,316 m²) of classrooms, computing facilities, offices, and laboratories. This architecturally distinctive and modern center is home to the nation's largest geotechnical centrifuge, ion-implantation and microwave-propagation facilities, low-turbulence wind tunnels, spectrometers, electron and other microscopes, and a structural analysis facility.Norlin Library
Macky Auditorium
The Auditorium opened its doors in 1923, thirteen years after construction started. Macky's adopted daughter, May, sued for a third of Macky's estate, a case that took thirteen years to settle. May was angered that her father left her no money in his will, while leaving $400,000 to CU for the hall’s construction. The university eventually won the case, and the majority of critical construction on the building resumed.
The building has a variety of architectural elements from various buildings around the globe that President Baker, CU’s president at the turn of the 20th century, admired. The design of the auditorium is primarily Neo-Gothic, with the primary materials being sandstone and red tile, like the rest of campus. The result is a unique building, with two large towers and sprawling ivy, that sets itself apart from the rest of the CU campus. Macky was refurbished in 1986, with improved seating, custom carpeting, modern plumbing and an elevator. Currently there is an electronic bell system in the towers of Macky which rings the hours during the day.
Macky is the home of two departments both in the College of Music, the Jazz Studies Department and the Choral Department, and it houses an art gallery which is open Wednesdays, and to patrons during performances. The hall houses almost all performances by the Boulder Philharmonic, the Artist Series, and the CU Opera. Macky is also the home of many lectures including the Conference on World Affairs held at CU each spring.
University Memorial Center (UMC)
William Lee Knous
William Lee Knous was a Colorado Democratic state legislator, state Supreme Court justice and the 31st Governor of Colorado, and a U.S. district judge....
issued a proclamation
Proclamation
A proclamation is an official declaration.-England and Wales:In English law, a proclamation is a formal announcement , made under the great seal, of some matter which the King in Council or Queen in Council desires to make known to his or her subjects: e.g., the declaration of war, or state of...
to create a memorial
Memorial
A memorial is an object which serves as a focus for memory of something, usually a person or an event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects or art objects such as sculptures, statues or fountains, and even entire parks....
to Colorado's servicemen at the University of Colorado Boulder. A proposal to house this memorial in a student union
Student activity center
A student activity center is a type of building found on university campuses. In the United States, such a building is more often called a student union, student commons, or student center...
building resulted in a remarkable fundraising effort. The University Memorial Center opened its doors in October 1953 with President Robert Stearns presiding over the ribbon-cutting ceremony. The UMC quickly became the central landmark of the Boulder campus. A 1964 addition created a new book store, conference facilities, additional dining facilities, and offices to house the rapidly growing student activities and organizations. The expansion was financed through bonds granted by student fees.
The 1960s and '70s put the UMC at the center of student activism as students staged strikes, grape boycotts, love-ins, sit-ins, and walk-outs. The UMC Fountain Court (now the Dalton Trumbo Fountain Court) became a familiar sight to network television news watchers as the famous and notorious promoted their cause at CU-Boulder. Entertainers as diverse as Ramsey Lewis
Ramsey Lewis
Ramsey Emmanuel Lewis, Jr. is an American jazz composer, pianist and radio personality. Ramsey Lewis has recorded over 80 albums and has received seven gold records and three Grammy Awards so far in his career.-Biography:...
and the Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
have performed in the Glenn Miller
Glenn Miller
Alton Glenn Miller was an American jazz musician , arranger, composer, and bandleader in the swing era. He was one of the best-selling recording artists from 1939 to 1943, leading one of the best known "Big Bands"...
Ballroom. The UMC Connection, a student entertainment center in the basement, is a more informal gathering place, featuring pool tables and a small bowling alley. It also features Club 156, which hosts concerts from local and up-and-coming bands. In 1986, students passed another bond issue to remodel the food-services area. The Alferd Packer
Alferd Packer
Alfred G. "Alferd" Packer was an American prospector who was accused of cannibalism during the winter of 1873-1874. First tried for murder, Packer was eventually sentenced to 40 years in prison after being convicted of manslaughter...
Grill was transformed to the current food-court concept, and students have since enjoyed the addition of other vendors including Subway, Domino's, and Celestial Seasonings Teas and Coffees.
Center for Community (C4C)
The Center for Community, also known as the “C4C” by students, follows the distinct architecture guidelines of Charles KlauderCharles Klauder
Charles Zeller Klauder was an American architect best known for his work on university buildings and campus designs, especially his Cathedral of Learning at the University of Pittsburgh, the first educational skyscraper.-Biography:...
and is a 323000 square feet (30,007.7 m²) state-of-the-art facilitythat is promised to be 20 percent to 25 percent more energy- and water-efficient compared to similar-sized buildings. The facility was completed in September of 2010 at a cost of $84.4 million. The building is originally bond-financed through the CU treasurer and will be repaid through a combination of sources. A large portion of the debt, $47.4 million, will be repaid by Housing and Dining Services, through room and board fees. Fees from Permit and Parking Services will contribute as well. The Center also relies on $18 million in donations, a goal which has not been achieved, but has become a top fundraising priority for the University.
The building houses offices of Student Services including Campus Card Services, Disability Services, and Career Services among others. These services have been relocated to the C4C from various locations around campus. For example, Career Services was previously housed in the basement of the Willard Dormitory. There is a 140000 square feet (13,006.4 m²) underground parking structure that contains approximately 365 to 375 parking spaces. Student study areas are located on the upper floors and conference centers are open to campus and non-campus affiliates throughout the building. The dining services offered within the C4C include a CU on the run “grab-n-go,” The Bakery, a late night dining hub called the Weather Tech Café, open until 2 A.M, and finally a central dining facility. This dining facility seats 900 and offers students up to nine specialty dining choices including: Persian, Asian, Latin, Sushi, Italian, Kosher, a grill, salad bars, and desserts. Overall the Dining Center is projected to serve around one million meals per year.
Recreation Center
In 1973 the student recreation center was built on the CU-Boulder's main campus, by the architect James Wallace. The funding to build the recreation center came entirely from student fees, which also funded the expansion in 1990. It is currently 213000 square feet (19,788.3 m²) and operates on a $5 million annual budget. The center is co-managed by the division of student affairs and CUSG, CU-Boulder's student government. It is located on the northern edge of campus next to Folsom Stadium. It is open 7 days a week and on average 16 hours a day with most of its facilities available for use during those hours.Mary Rippon Theatre
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
events, notably the Colorado Shakespeare Festival
Colorado Shakespeare Festival
The Colorado Shakespeare Festival is a Shakespeare Festival each summer at the University of Colorado at Boulder in the outdoor Mary Rippon Theater and indoor University Theatre. The Mary Rippon Theater hosted an annual summer Shakespeare play starting in 1944. The Colorado Shakespeare Festival...
. The Theatre was named after Professor Mary Rippon, the first female instructor at the University and one of the first female University instructors in the United States. She taught German and French. Professor Rippon was so popular with students that when attempts were made to replace her with a male instructor, the student body revolted en masse, and Rippon kept her job.
Galleries
Norlin Library features two art galleries, several dedicated art spaces, and art works on display throughout the building. The CU Art Museum features cutting edge works of modern and contemporary art, as well as historical art works. The Museum's permanent collection includes over 5,000 works of art from numerous time periods and cultures. The UMC Art Gallery exhibits a variety of visual offerings ranging from student works created on campus to presentations of internationally recognized artists. Andrew J. Macky Gallery showcases the work of both local and national artists and is housed in the historic Macky Auditorium.Museums
University of Colorado Museum of Natural HistoryUniversity of Colorado Museum of Natural History
The University of Colorado Museum of Natural History is a museum of natural history in Boulder, Colorado. With more than four million artifacts and specimens in the areas of anthropology, botany, entomology, paleontology and zoology, the museum houses one of the most extensive and respected...
has one of the most extensive natural history collections in the Rocky Mountain and Plains regions, representing the disciplines of Anthropology, Botany, Entomology, Paleontology, and Zoology. The CU Heritage Center http://cuheritage.org/ tells the stories of CU-Boulder's past and present and is housed in Old Main, the first building constructed on campus. Seven galleries exhibit art and memorabilia associated with CU faculty and alumni. Fiske Planetarium and Science Center features a 60 ft (18 m). planetarium dome and produces laser shows, live concerts, and an on-going series of public programs. Fiske also offers a hands-on science museum with interactive exhibits and space-themed art.
Performing arts facilities
The University of Colorado at Boulder College of Music presents over 400 performances and educational events bringing together faculty, students, and guest artists each year through the Pendulum New Music Series. They present musical genres including classical, jazz, world music, and new music. The University of Colorado at Boulder Department of Theatre & Dance is home to the Charlotte York Irey Dance Theatre, the University Theatre, and the Loft Theatre. Over twenty productions are presented each year featuring student and faculty actors, dancers, choreographers, directors, and designers, as well as the work of professional guest artists. Student work is also showcased in the annual CU Boulder Fringe Festival, produced by OnStage, a student performing arts group.Visual Arts Complex
A new visual arts complex that houses the Department of Art and Art History and the CU Art Museum officially opened on September 24, 2010. Serving as a gateway to the University's main campus this new facility houses programming in Art History, Ceramics, Drawing, Foundations, Integrated Art, Painting, Printmaking, Sculpture and Integrated Media Arts Practices (IMAP); including Digital, Photography, and Video Art. This building features approximately 120,000 usable square feet of studio classrooms, seminar rooms, twenty-eight student exhibition spaces a state-of-the-art wood-shop with a CNC Machine and metal-shop, a 200-seat auditorium and resources for art and art history majors, including darkrooms, graduate student and faculty studios and offices, as well as twenty-eight student exhibition spaces throughout the facility.Additional resources include the Visual Resources Center, an expanded and modernized woodshop and metal shop, the Exhibitions Program of the CU Art Museum, the Colorado Collection (an art collection of approximately 5,000 pieces), the Art & Architecture Library (with over 100,000 volumes and over 500 journal subscriptions). In addition, the Department houses multiple computing labs with Macintosh computers and various graphics programs which are updated regularly.
ATLAS
The Alliance for Technology, Learning and Society (ATLAS), established in 1997, is a University of Colorado campus-wide initiative in education, research, creative work and outreach in which information and communication technology is the enabling force. ATLAS programs bring together students, educators, artists, writers, scholars and leaders from the academy, industry, non-profits and government to create a multidisciplinary environment that contributes to the understanding of the interaction of information and communication technologies and human society, and to the realization of the full potential of that interaction.Current ATLAS programs include a Technology, Media and Society Ph.D.;
master's degree in Information and Communication Technology for Development; a Technology, Arts and Media undergraduate minor; a graduate certificate program called Boulder Digital Works, which is a multi-disciplinary, project-based program designed to provide skills needed by employees and entrepreneurs in the digital communication fields; the Center for Media, Arts and Performance; outreach partnerships with K-12 schools; and the headquarters of the National Center for Women and Information Technology.
More information is at http://atlas.colorado.edu
The Hill
The Hill, a college neighborhood in Boulder, Colorado, lies directly west of the University of Colorado campus. The central street of the neighborhood is 13th street, which features a variety of attractions including the renowned concert venue, The Fox Theater, The popular restaurant/bar The Sink, and many more. In October 2010 many local businesses on the Hill were forced to close, including the historic Jones General Store and Camera that was located at 14th Street and College Avenue. Jones had been a local Boulder business since 1902, however it will not reopen after the demolition of its current building. The demolition of this Historic Hill landmark created a considerable amount of controversy, as does all construction on The Hill. Maintaining and preserving the originality of the Historic Town of Boulder is taken very seriously.Academics
The University of Colorado Boulder is divided into several colleges and schools. While the College of ArtsARts
aRts, which stands for analog Real time synthesizer, is an audio framework that is no longer under development. It is best known for previously being used in KDE to simulate an analog synthesizer....
and Sciences is by far the largest, the university also consists of the College of Engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
and Applied Sciences, the schools of Architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
and Planning, Education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
, Journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
and Mass Communication
Mass communication
Mass communication is the term used to describe the academic study of the various means by which individuals and entities relay information through mass media to large segments of the population at the same time...
, Music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
, Law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
, and the Leeds School of Business
Leeds School of Business
The Leeds School of Business is a college of the University of Colorado at Boulder in the United States. The enrollment of 3,300 students includes undgraduates, master's candidates, and Ph.D. candidates. The college was started in 1906 when the Board of Regents created the College of Commerce...
. Most, if not all, of these colleges and schools also incorporate masters and doctorate level degree programs. At the University, there are currently approximately 3,400 courses available in over 150 disciplines comprising 85 majors ranging from Accounting to Women's Studies.
University of Colorado School of Law
University of Colorado School of Law
The University of Colorado Law School is one of the professional graduate schools within the University of Colorado System. It is a public law school, with more than 500 students attending and working toward a Juris Doctor or Master of Law. The Wolf Law Building Located in Boulder, Colorado, and...
is the smallest and most selective of the colleges. The Wolf Law Building, the new home of the Law School, was dedicated on September 8, 2006, by United States Supreme Court justice Stephen Breyer
Stephen Breyer
Stephen Gerald Breyer is an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1994, and known for his pragmatic approach to constitutional law, Breyer is generally associated with the more liberal side of the Court....
.
The Leeds School of Business
Leeds School of Business
The Leeds School of Business is a college of the University of Colorado at Boulder in the United States. The enrollment of 3,300 students includes undgraduates, master's candidates, and Ph.D. candidates. The college was started in 1906 when the Board of Regents created the College of Commerce...
has an enrollment of 3,300 students including undergraduates, master's candidates, and Ph.D. candidates. The undergraduate program ranks 39th in the country and the undergraduate entrepreneurship program ranks 14th in the nation. The MBA program ranks 26th among all public universities. The faculty are ranked 38th in the nation according to the Academy of Management Journal.
CU-Boulder adopted an honor code
Honor code
An honour code or honour system is a set of rules or principles governing a community based on a set of rules or ideals that define what constitutes honorable behavior within that community. The use of an honor code depends on the idea that people can be trusted to act honorably...
in 2000 following growing concerns about academic dishonesty
Academic dishonesty
Academic dishonesty or academic misconduct is any type of cheating that occurs in relation to a formal academic exercise. It can include* Plagiarism: The adoption or reproduction of original creations of another author without due acknowledgment.* Fabrication: The...
on campus in the late 1990s. A copy of the code stating "On my honor, as a University of Colorado at Boulder student, I have neither given nor received unauthorized assistance on this work" is engraved on a metal plate and posted in every classroom on campus.
Undergraduates who seek an academic challenge may participate in CU's Honors Program. Begun in 1931, the Honors Program currently consists of the top ten percent of incoming freshmen and participating undergraduates with a 3.3 GPA or greater (on a 4.0 scale). The program offers over 40 honors classes each semester taught by tenured or tenure-track professors and limited to class sizes of 15 students. Honors students also have the opportunity to graduate with honors, high honors, and highest honors, by writing and defending a thesis during their senior year. The program extends into the residence halls through the Kittredge Honors Program. The Presidents Leadership Class
Presidents Leadership Class
The Presidents Leadership Class at the University of Colorado at Boulder is one of the oldest collegiate leadership programs in the United States...
is a program for top scholars at the University of Colorado Boulder. Scholars participate in a four-year leadership development program. The program provides opportunities to the top fifty students at CU from every major and discipline.
One option for students (mostly freshman and sophomores) living on campus is to join a residential academic program (RAP). Each RAP focuses on a curricular theme, and offer courses in the residence hall itself. The programs also include educational activities.
Aerospace engineering was ranked 16th, the entrepreneurship program in the Leeds School of Business was tied for 18th, and the environmental engineering program was ranked 18th among public undergraduate specialty programs in U.S. News & World Report’s 2010 America’s Best Colleges issue.
Sixteen CU-Boulder graduate school specialty programs were ranked in the top 50 in the nation, including four in the top 10, in U.S. News & World Report’s 2010 America’s Best Graduate Schools issue.
The graduate specialty programs in the top 10 were atomic/molecular/optical physics (1), quantum physics (4), environmental law (6), and physical chemistry (10).
The graduate specialty programs in the top 25 were business entrepreneurship (17), aerospace engineering (12), ceramics (14), geology (18), chemical engineering (19), environmental engineering (21), elementary education (22), and civil engineering (25).
The graduate specialty programs in the top 50 were mechanical engineering (32), computer engineering (33), and electrical engineering (36).
Fourteen CU-Boulder schools, colleges, and areas of study were ranked in the top 50 and three others were in the top 60 nationally in U.S. News & World Report’s 2010 Best Graduate Schools issue. They were physics (20), speech-language pathology (25), earth sciences (25), chemistry (28), psychology (29), biological sciences (33), education (38), computer science
University of Colorado at Boulder Computer Science Department
The Computer Science Department at the University of Colorado at Boulder is an academic department in the College of Engineering and Applied Science focusing on the teaching and research of Computer Science. The department was founded in 1970 and was later inducted into the College of Engineering...
(39), political science (39), engineering (40), law (45), English (46), math (48), economics (50), history (52), sociology (57), and the fine arts master’s degree (58).
CU-Boulder ranks in the top five universities in the nation, excluding military academies, for astronaut alumni who have flown in space, with 17.
CU-Boulder was ranked the “greenest” school in the nation by Sierra magazine in 2009, a move up from second place in 2008. CU-Boulder’s leadership in sustainability spans nearly six decades, with rigorous academic offerings in the Environmental Studies Program as well as the integration of environmental studies into other fields including architecture and planning, business, law, journalism and others. CU-Boulder offers 14 degree programs, nine majors, and four certificate programs in or related to environmental studies.
Nine CU-Boulder doctoral programs were ranked in the top 10 in the nation in a faculty productivity index featured in the Chronicle of Higher Education in January 2007. The ranking, which was produced by Academic Analytics, rated the scholarly output of faculty members at more than 7,000 doctoral programs across the country. The CU-Boulder programs were geography (2), physical oceanography (4), communication (6), cognitive science (7), atmospheric sciences (8), chemical engineering (8), biomedical engineering (9), civil and environmental engineering (9), and aeronautical and aerospace engineering (10).
The Deming Center for Entrepreneurship at CU Boulder’s Leeds School of Business was ranked in the top 20 business school programs by U.S. News & World Report. The Deming Center moved up three spots from last year to 17th place for its graduate school entrepreneurship program for the 2009–10 academic year. It has been ranked among the top 20 programs nationally for the last decade.
Faculty
As of 2006, there were more than 3,800 tenured or tenure-eligible faculty members, as well as 4,400 non-tenured adjunct professors and instructors. Current faculty include Nobel laureatesNobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
John Hall
John L. Hall
John Lewis "Jan" Hall is an American physicist, and Nobel laureate in physics. He shared one half of the 2005 Nobel Prize in Physics with Theodor W. Hänsch for his work in precision spectroscopy.-Biography:...
(physics, 2005), Eric Cornell (physics, 2001), and Thomas Robert Cech (chemistry, 1989). Carl Wieman
Carl Wieman
Carl Edwin Wieman is an American physicist at the University of British Columbia and recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics for the production, in 1995 with Eric Allin Cornell, of the first true Bose–Einstein condensate.-Biography:...
was also awarded a Nobel prize for his work with Eric Cornell. He maintains a part-time appointment at the University of Colorado Boulder but his primary appointment is Professor and Director of the Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative at the University of British Columbia. Controversial writer Ward Churchill
Ward Churchill
Ward LeRoy Churchill is an author and political activist. He was a professor of ethnic studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder from 1990 to 2007. The primary focus of his work is on the historical treatment of political dissenters and Native Americans by the United States government...
was a professor of ethnic studies
Ethnic studies
Ethnic studies is the interdisciplinary study of racialized peoples in the world in relation to ethnicity. It evolved in the second half of the 20th century partly in response to charges that traditional disciplines such as anthropology, history, English, ethnology, Asian studies, and orientalism...
until July 2007. Robert T. Craig
Robert T. Craig (scholar)
Robert T. Craig is a communication theorist from the University of Colorado, Boulder who received his B.A. in Speech at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and his M.A and PhD. in communication from Michigan State University. Craig was on the 1988 founding board of the journal "Research on...
an International Communication Association
International Communication Association
The International Communication Association is a non-profit academic association founded in 1950 as the National Society for the Study of Communication , whose members are interested in the study, teaching, and application of all aspects of human communication." The Association maintains an...
Fellow and author of "Communication Theory as a Field" is a professor in the Communication Department.
Center for Advanced Engineering and Technology Education
The Center for Advanced Engineering and Technology Education (CAETE) is a partnership between the College of Engineering and Applied Science and the Division of Continuing Education and Professional Studies at the University of Colorado Boulder. As the distance learning and professional studies arm of the College of Engineering and Applied Science, CAETE provides courses from the College to working professionals via the Internet and CD-ROM. Students can take courses for professional development or toward earning a master's degreeMaster's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
or graduate certificate (in some disciplines) in aerospace engineering
Aerospace engineering
Aerospace engineering is the primary branch of engineering concerned with the design, construction and science of aircraft and spacecraft. It is divided into two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering...
, computer science, electrical, computer and energy engineering
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
, engineering management
Engineering management
Engineering Management or Management Engineering is a specialized form of management and engineering that is concerned with the application of engineering principles to business practice...
, and telecommunications. Founded in 1983, CAETE currently receives over 1,000 enrollments a year from over 250 job sites in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, across the nation, and abroad.
Media
The Campus Press was the University of Colorado Boulder's student newspaperStudent newspaper
A student newspaper is a newspaper run by students of a university, high school, middle school, or other school. These papers traditionally cover local and, primarily, school or university news....
before becoming the CU Independent in August 2008. It began as a weekly printed newspaper and became an online daily in 2006. The online edition features a weblog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
facility for students.
The Campus Press staff amounted to approximately 60 editors
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
, reporters and photographers
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
, responsible for providing the online edition with new content at least once a day. Most contributors were members of the University's School of Journalism and Mass Communication, but most other schools are represented too. There were around 20 editors, including campus editors, responsible for editing stories' content; section editors, who constructed and assigned stories to their respective sections; and online editors, who update and maintain the website. A managing editor and an editor-in-chief oversee the production of daily online editions. Online editions include blogs, slide shows, commentary, news, sports. and features.
The Campus Press was founded by Mal Deans. At the time of its conception, the paper published a printed edition every week. The paper was originally titled The Working Press. Dave Sikardi was the first student editor. The Campus Press was the first online newspaper in Colorado, beginning in April, 1994.
In August 2006, however, the Campus Press officially launched as an online-only newspaper, abolishing the print edition entirely. The move was not without controversy, and the Campus Presss tagline on the website was edited from "CU's only independent student voice" to "CU's only student voice". The Campus Press stated that they became independent of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication and changed its name to the CU Independent. However, the School of Journalism and Mass Communication continued to host the publication's office space, supply them with computers and other resources, and retain the editors and adviser on payroll. The new website launched on January 12, 2009.
CU Independent is an affiliate of UWIRE, which distributes and promotes its content to their network. The CU Independent is a daily online publication with a staff of about 100 writers and editors, that are representative of all schools on campus.
In spring of 2010, the CU Independent launched a revolutionary new program devoted to bringing awareness to issues of discrimination and celebrating instances of diversity on campus. The Speak Out! campaign restructures the traditional beat system to include stories tagged as discussing heterosexism, classism, sexism, ableism, body image, ethnocentrism, racism, and substance abuse; among other topics.
Starting in fall 2010, the opinion section of the publication has been hosting content written by guest contributors from organizations around campus. These pieces are editorials about upcoming events and their significance in promoting diversity at CU.
The publication is a testing pad for many new instances of community news and multimedia.
Noted alumni
The University of Colorado Boulder ranks fourth among U.S. universities in number of astronauts produced, not including military academies.Notable accomplishments at CU
- First to create a new form of matter, the Bose-Einstein condensate, just a few hundred billionths of a degree above absolute zero.
- First to observe a "fermionic condensate" formed from pairs of atoms in a gas.
- Developed the "FluChip" to aid physicians in diagnosing respiratory illness and differentiating between three types of influenza and other viruses that cause similar symptoms.
- First place in the 2002 and 2005 U.S. Department of Energy Solar DecathlonSolar DecathlonThe U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon is an international competition that challenges 20 collegiate teams to design, build, and operate the most attractive, effective, and energy-efficient solar-powered house...
. At these first two Solar Decathlon competitions, students and faculty from the Engineering and Architecture programs collaborated to design, construct, transport, and rebuild a house powered exclusively by the sun. - The number one university recipient of NASA funding
- The Squid server which is used by WikipediaWikipediaWikipedia is a free, web-based, collaborative, multilingual encyclopedia project supported by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation. Its 20 million articles have been written collaboratively by volunteers around the world. Almost all of its articles can be edited by anyone with access to the site,...
and several other websites was created at the University of Colorado Boulder by Duane Wessels as part of Harvest projectHarvest projectHarvest was a DARPA funded research project by the Internet Research Task Force Research Group on Resource Discovery and hosted at the University of Colorado at Boulder which provided a web cache, developed standards such as the Internet Cache Protocol and Summary Object Interchange Format, and...
under grant from National Science FoundationNational Science FoundationThe National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
. - First zero waste sports stadium (both collegiate and professional) in the nation.
- Currently houses the most financially powerful student government in the nation.
- First student government to be zero waste in the nation.
The University of Colorado Student Government
The University of Colorado Student GovernmentUniversity of Colorado Student Government
The University of Colorado Student Government is the student body government for the University of Colorado Boulder.Known formerly as the University of Colorado Student Union , CUSG creates, implements and oversees a $36.6 million budget generated by student fees and self-generated revenue for the...
(CUSG) is the student government for the University of Colorado Boulder. The student government is currently affiliated with the higher education political group the United States Student's Association. The government contains three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. Presiding officers for the student government are elected in a bi-annual vote administered to the 30,000 students at the University. The student government has an autonomy agreement with the University Administration and oversees an annual budget of $36.6 million dollars. CUSG is responsible for the management of the University Student Union, the Recreation Center, the GLBT Resource Center, the Women's Resource Center, and the Health Care Center, along with various other facilities on campus. The government also oversees the fiscal appropriations of over 120 student groups on a yearly basis.
Hiking Club
Founded in May 1919, the Hiking Club is the longest running student organization at the University of Colorado Boulder. It is a non-profit, student-run organization for university students and affiliates interested in hiking and outdoors activities, with hundreds of active members on campus.The club organizes member-led trips every weekend, and travels throughout the Rocky Mountain Region during breaks to wilderness areas in New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
, and Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. Depending on the outing, a variety of activities are featured such as climbing, mountain biking, hot-springing, and backpacking. Examples of frequent trip destinations include the nearby Indian Peaks Wilderness
Indian Peaks Wilderness
The Indian Peaks Wilderness is a wilderness area in north central Colorado managed jointly by the United States Forest Service and the National Park Service within the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and small parts of the southern section of Rocky Mountain National Park. It borders the...
, ascents of Colorado's fourteeners, and day-hikes among the picturesque Flatirons
Flatirons
The Flatirons are rock formations near Boulder, Colorado consisting of flatirons. There are five large, numbered Flatirons ranging from north to south along the east slope of Green Mountain, and the term "The Flatirons" sometimes refers to these five alone...
.
The club motto, "half mile more," dates back to the 1940s of the club's tradition-rich history. A slide show of the club's activities is shown on campus during semi-annual new member meetings and the alumni association meets annually.
Radio 1190
KVCU AM-1190, popularly known as Radio 1190, is a college radio station affiliated with the University of Colorado Boulder. Staff of the station are compensated with funds provided by the University of Colorado Student Union while operating funds are raised during biannual on-air pledge drives. It is also run by volunteers from the School of Journalism and Mass Communication.Boulder Freeride
Boulder Freeride is the ski and snowboard club at the University of Colorado Boulder. It was started in 1933, and has thrived on the CU campus as a student run, nonprofit organization. It was designed to promote skiing, and later, snowboarding at the University of Colorado Boulder campus. Boulder Freeride is the largest student group on campus, as well as the largest collegiate skiSki
A ski is a long, flat device worn on the foot, usually attached through a boot, designed to help the wearer slide smoothly over snow. Originally intended as an aid to travel in snowy regions, they are now mainly used for recreational and sporting purposes...
and snowboard
Snowboard
Snowboards are boards, usually with a width the length of one's foot, with the ability to glide on snow. Snowboards are differentiated from monoskis by the stance of the user...
club in the nation.
Boulder Freeride is active year-round. Fall activities include a camping trip, BBQs, popular ski and snowboard movie premieres, and one of the year’s biggest events, Welcome Freeriders.
Boulder Freeride organizes a number of ski trips each year. Past trips have included a Thanksgiving trip to Steamboat Springs, CO, an annual trip to Aspen, CO to see the X Games
X Games
The X Games is a commercial annual sports event, controlled and arranged by US sports broadcaster ESPN, which focuses on action sports. The inaugural X Games was held in the summer of 1995 in Rhode Island....
, spring break trips to Innsbruck, Austria, Whistler, BC and Chamonix, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and summer surf trips to South America.
CU Cycling Club
Founded in 1986, the CU cycling team frequently ranks in the top five USA CyclingUSA Cycling
USA Cycling or USAC, based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is the national governing body for bicycle racing in the United States. It covers the disciplines of road, track, mountain bike, cyclo-cross, BMX and collegiate racing...
Collegiate teams in both road cycling and mountain biking disciplines. They have won the national championship on several occasions, including 2005 where they won in both disciplines. From the club, many members have gone on into professional cycling, such as Tyler Hamilton
Tyler Hamilton
Tyler Hamilton is a former American professional road bicycle racer and former Olympic gold medalist. Hamilton became a professional cyclist in 1995, and during the 1999, 2000 and 2001 Tour de France was a teammate of Lance Armstrong who won those races.Hamilton appeared at the 2000 Summer...
.
The team is open to any student who pays annual dues and meets a minimum amount of credits during the semester. The members include nearly every different type of cyclist, from BMX
BMX
Bicycle motocross or BMX refers to the sport in which the main goal is extreme racing on bicycles in motocross style on tracks with inline start and expressive obstacles, and it is also the term that refers to the bicycle itself that is designed for dirt and motocross cycling.- History :BMX started...
riders, trials
Mountain bike trials
Mountain bike trials, also known as observed trials, is a discipline of mountain biking in which the rider attempts to pass through an obstacle course without setting foot to ground. Derived from motorcycle trials, it originated in Catalonia, Spain and is said to have been invented by the father of...
, and bicycle commuters
Bicycle commuting
Bicycle commuting is the use of a bicycle to travel from home to a place of work or study — in contrast to the use of a bicycle for sport, recreation or touring....
to elite amateur or part time professional road and mountain riders. Specifically, to qualify for road or mountain nationals, a rider must have enough high race results to upgrade to "A" category in the USA Cycling rankings. Then, a number of "A" riders will be chosen by the coaches to represent CU at the National Championships. The number of riders the team allowed to send is based on how well the team did overall during the season.
Program Council
Established in 1953, Program Council is a student run group that coordinates concerts and movies played on campus throughout the year. Program Council mainly focuses on organizing concerts around campus. Over the years, this group has brought such acts as The Rolling StonesThe Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
, Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band, sometimes shortened to DMB, is a U.S. rock band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1991. The founding members were singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, drummer/backing vocalist Carter Beauford and saxophonist LeRoi Moore. Boyd Tinsley was...
, Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
, R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
, The Ramones, and many more to the University of Colorado. Concerts vary in size ranging from large scale concerts, to smaller local acts, some of which are free to attend. Besides concerts, Program Council also hosts a film series throughout the year which allows students to see soon-to-be-released movies as well as cult classics for free in one of the large lecture halls on campus.
The Herd
The Herd is one of the largest student alumni groups in the nation, with over 6,000 members. The Herd's main goal is increasing school spirit. Therefore, the Herd encourages students to attend school activities such as sports games and club meetings. The Herd also sponsors discounted bus rides to the ski slopes, discounts around Boulder, and football pre-game parties. Sixteen student leaders run the group; the group is open to currently enrolled students.Volunteer Resource Center
The Volunteer Resource Center is a student funded organization aimed towards promoting volunteerism in the Boulder community. They provide a database with volunteer opportunities of 250 organizations around campus and in the Boulder area. The CU-Boulder campus was recently one of 3 U.S. Universities to receive the Presidential Award for Exemplary Student Community Service in 2008. The Volunteer Resource Center hosts or participates in special volunteer events and activities including Alternative Breaks, Better Boulder Better World, and The Buffalo Can Challenge. The Volunteer Resource Center also a yearly Volunteer Internship Program which engages six selected students through an interview process to create events aimed at involving more freshmen in volunteering, effectively managing all logistics of the event, and implementing the events on campus.Greek Life
The Panhellenic sorority community consists of nine Panhellenic sororities and two associate, local-interest, chapters. The men's fraternities at the University of Colorado are not officially affiliated with the school however they are still a presence on campus. Students who participate in Greek Life account for a little more than ten percent of the student body.Sports, clubs, and traditions
Sports teams at the school are called Buffaloes. The varsityVarsity team
In the United States and Canada, varsity sports teams are the principal athletic teams representing a college, university, high school or other secondary school. Such teams compete against the principal athletic teams at other colleges/universities, or in the case of secondary schools, against...
athletic teams participate in the NCAA's
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division I (FBS for football, see Bowl Championship Series
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
) as a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. The school joined the Pac-12 on July 1, 2011, at which point its decades-long affiliation with what is now the Big 12 Conference
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
(including years in predecessor conference the Big Eight Conference
Big Eight Conference
The Big Eight Conference, a former NCAA-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored football, was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association by its charter member schools: the University of Kansas, University of Missouri, University...
, previously known as the Big Six, Big Seven, and the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association) ended. The official school colors are silver and gold, as opposed to the common belief of black and gold. Silver and gold were chosen to represent the state's mineral wealth, but the colors did not look good together on the uniforms, so black was substituted. There are three official fight songs: "Glory Colorado," "Go Colorado," and "Fight CU."
In 1934, the University teams were officially nicknamed the "Buffaloes." Previous nicknames
Athletic nickname
The athletic nickname, or equivalently athletic moniker, of a university or college within the United States is the name officially adopted by that institution for at least the members of its athletic teams...
used by the press included the “Silver Helmets” and “Frontiersmen.” The final game of 1934, against the University of Denver
Denver Pioneers
The Denver Pioneers are the sports teams of the University of Denver. They play in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I, with most teams participating in the Sun Belt Conference. The Western Athletic Conference will become Denver's primary sports conference on July 1, 2012.The...
, saw the first running of a buffalo in a Colorado football game. A buffalo calf was rented from a local ranch and ran along the sidelines.
Varsity athletics
CU's varsity teams have won national championships in skiing, men’s cross country, women’s cross countryNCAA Women's Cross Country Championship
Each autumn, beginning in 1981, the National Collegiate Athletic Association has hosted women's cross country championships for each of its three divisions...
, and football
NCAA Division I FBS National Football Championship
A college football national championship in the highest level of collegiate play in the United States, currently the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , is a designation awarded annually by various third-party organizations to their selection of the best...
. Conference championships have also been won in several sports. Several club sports, such as cycling, swimming & diving, and triathlon, have won national championships in addition to the varsity teams.
In football, CU enjoys a rivalry with the Colorado State
Colorado State University
Colorado State University is a public research university located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The university is the state's land grant university, and the flagship university of the Colorado State University System.The enrollment is approximately 29,932 students, including resident and...
Rams
Colorado State Rams football
The Colorado State Rams football program, established in 1893, represents Colorado State University and is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Mountain West Conference under head coach Steve Fairchild...
in the "Rocky Mountain Showdown
Rocky Mountain Showdown
The Rocky Mountain Showdown is an an American college football rivalry game played annually by the Colorado Buffaloes football team of the University of Colorado and the Colorado State Rams football team of Colorado State University. The winner of the game receives the Centennial Cup. The series...
", a game that is sometimes played at the neutral site Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Additionally, Colorado and the Nebraska
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln is a public research university located in the city of Lincoln in the U.S. state of Nebraska...
Cornhuskers
Nebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
have played some notable games, often finishing their respective seasons in a nationally televised confrontation on the Friday following Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving (United States)
Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, is a holiday celebrated in the United States on the fourth Thursday in November. It has officially been an annual tradition since 1863, when, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving to be celebrated on Thursday,...
since the 1990s. This ended after the 2010 season as a result of CU joining the Pac-12 and Nebraska joining the Big 10. Colorado once had rivalries with the Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
Utes
Utah Utes football
The Utah Utes football program is a college football team that currently competes in the Pacific-12 Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision of NCAA Division I and represents the University of Utah. The Utah college football program began in 1892 and has played home games at Rice–Eccles...
and Air Force
United States Air Force Academy
The United States Air Force Academy is an accredited college for the undergraduate education of officer candidates for the United States Air Force. Its campus is located immediately north of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States...
Falcons
Air Force Falcons football
The Air Force Falcons are a college football team from the United States Air Force Academy, located just outside of Colorado Springs, Colorado. The team competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the NCAA Division I and the Mountain West Conference.-Style:...
, but these have not been played in recent years. The Utah rivalry will be renewed in 2011, as the Utes have also joined the Pac-10 (which became the Pac-12).
The CU ski team
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
has won 18 National Championships at the Division I level. The sport is not sponsored by the Pac-12 Conference, however (nor was it sponsored by the Big 12).
Club sports
CU also maintains one of the largest Club Sports departments in the U.S. It supports over 30 club teams with leading clubs such as both men's and women's crewCrew
A crew is a body or a class of people who work at a common activity, generally in a structured or hierarchical organization. A location in which a crew works is called a crewyard or a workyard...
, cycling
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
, Ultimate
Ultimate (sport)
Ultimate is a sport played with a 175 gram flying disc. The object of the game is to score points by passing the disc to a player in the opposing end zone, similar to an end zone in American football or rugby...
, swimming & diving, fencing
Collegiate fencing
Collegiate fencing has existed for a long time. Some of the earliest programs in the US came from the Ivy League schools, but now there are over 100 fencing programs in the US. Both clubs and varsity teams participate in the sport, however only the varsity teams may participate in the NCAA...
, men's and women's lacrosse
College lacrosse
College lacrosse refers to lacrosse played by student athletes at colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. In both countries, men's field lacrosse and women's lacrosse are played in both the varsity and club levels...
, softball
College softball
College softball is softball as played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education, predominantly in the United States. College softball is normally played by women at the intercollegiate level, whereas college baseball is normally played by men.As with other intercollegiate...
, ice hockey
College hockey
College hockey refers to ice hockey played between colleges with their teams composed of enrolled students. College hockey is played in Canada and the United States, though leagues outside of North America exist....
, rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
, and the CU Triathlon Team.
Mascot; spirit program
CU also includes a spirit program. The spirit program consists of three teams: two Cheerleading squads, and the CU Express Dance Team. The Cheerleading Program consists of a competitive co-ed squad as well as a competitive all-girl squad. Both the Cheerleading squad and the Express Dance Team compete at NCA/NDA College Nationals. In 2007, the Cheerleading squad finished sixth at NCA Nationals in Daytona Beach, FloridaDaytona Beach, Florida
Daytona Beach is a city in Volusia County, Florida, USA. According to 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city has a population of 64,211. Daytona Beach is a principal city of the Deltona – Daytona Beach – Ormond Beach, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which the census bureau estimated had...
. All squads support the home games of football
Colorado Buffaloes football
The Colorado Buffaloes football program represents the University of Colorado at Boulder in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The team is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference, having previously been a charter member of the Big 12 Conference. Before joining the Big 12,...
, Women’s Basketball, Men’s Basketball and Women's Volleyball teams, along with other athletic and social events.
The school's live mascot is an American Bison
American Bison
The American bison , also commonly known as the American buffalo, is a North American species of bison that once roamed the grasslands of North America in massive herds...
named Ralphie
Ralphie
Ralphie the Buffalo is the name of the live mascot of the University of Colorado Buffaloes. Ralphie has been called one of the best live mascots in sports, and she is often erroneously labeled male....
. The costumed mascot CHIP is also a part of the CU Spirit Program. CHIP is a costumed buffalo that represents the University of Colorado at numerous athletic and social events. Along with the Cheer and Dance Program, CHIP competes on a national level once a year against mascots from around the country, including Bucky Badger
Bucky Badger
Bucky Badger is the official mascot of the University of Wisconsin–Madison. His full name is Buckingham U. Badger and he attends all major sporting events for the Wisconsin Badgers as well as hundreds of other events around Wisconsin every year....
, Sparty
Sparty
Sparty is the mascot of Michigan State University. Sparty is usually depicted as a muscular male Spartan warrior/athlete dressed in stylized Greek costume. After changing the team name from "Aggies" to "Spartans" in 1925, various incarnations of a Spartan warrior with a prominent chin appeared at...
, Aubie
Aubie
Aubie is Auburn University's award-winning costumed tiger mascot. Aubie has won a record six mascot national championships, more than any other mascot in the United States. Aubie was among the first three college mascots inducted to the Mascot Hall of Fame, inducted on August 15, 2006...
, Goldy Gopher
Goldy Gopher
Goldy Gopher is the mascot for the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities campus and the associated sports teams, known as the Golden Gophers, as well as the defending UCA Mascot National Champion...
and many other Hall of Fame
Mascot Hall of Fame
The Mascot Hall of Fame is a hall of fame for United States sports mascots. It was founded by David Raymond, who was the original Phillie Phanatic from 1978 to 1993. It is an online-only hall, with an induction ceremony taking place each year in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
mascots. Most recently CHIP competed in the 2009 UCA national competition and was crowned #1, and the national champion after performing a skit titled "CHIP's Favorite Video Games".