By the Numbers

CU Boulder enrollment driven by record retention

Anonymous — Thu, 19 Sep 2024 17:58:53 +0000

CU Boulder enrollment driven by record retention Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 09/19/2024 - 11:58

Record retention rates propelled CU Boulder’s total fall enrollment up 3.4% (1,275 students) to 38,428—higher than recent projections—according to new enrollment data published today.

CU Boulder staff and faculty have been intentional over the last several years to implement new and innovative strategies that help students complete their degrees, and the latest data demonstrate that those efforts are working.

Record-breaking retention

CU Boulder’s fall 2024 census data reports all-time high record-breaking retention and graduation rates:

Fall 2023 first-year cohort’s second-fall retention rate is 90.2%, up from 89.1% (the first time the university has ever reached 90%).
Fall 2022 first-year cohort's third-fall retention rate is 83.8%, up from 81.7%.
Fall 2021 first-year cohort’s fourth-fall retention rate is 79.5%, up from 78.7%.
Fall 2020 first-year cohort’s fourth-year graduation rate is 59.2%, up from previous high, 57.8%, set by the fall 2017 cohort.

Record-breaking in-state undergraduate cohort

Additionally, CU Boulder welcomed its largest-ever number of Colorado residents in a new fall term undergraduate cohort. CU Boulder enrolled 4,017 Colorado resident first-year students and 1,046 resident transfer students, for a total of 5,063 new Colorado resident undergraduate students.

By the numbers

Additional highlights include:

Moderate gains were reported among Asian American (9.5% to 9.8%) and Hispanic/Latiné students (12.6% to 12.9%).
Students who identify as Black or African American also increased from 2.7% to 2.9%.
Female students continue to represent roughly half of CU Boulder’s enrollment, up from 46.2% to 46.8%.
In light of consistent improvements in retention since 2021, CU Boulder intentionally decreased the size of the first-year class, 1.5% (or 116 students) over fall 2023, to ensure dedicated resources for retention and graduation. The university’s acceptance rate was 76%, a 30-year low.

“Moving forward, CU Boulder will continue its efforts to reflect the diversity of Colorado, including efforts to diversify the student body and support all those who join our campus through to graduation,” said Chancellor Justin Schwartz. “While we still have work to do in addressing recruitment and retention gaps among minoritized populations, it’s evident that CU Boulder remains a destination of choice for thousands of students across Colorado and beyond.”

FAFSA impacts

First-year, first-generation students declined from 16.1% in fall 2023 to 14%, however, the first-generation transfer cohort—composed primarily of residents (64.5%)—increased from 18% to 20.1%.

“We believe the decline in first-generation, first-year students was due to FAFSA delays in spite of CU’s reallocation of additional resources to support students,” said Amy Hutton, CU Boulder associate vice chancellor of enrollment management, who also noted this belief is reinforced by the increase in first-generation transfer students whose previous FAFSA experience likely helped them weather the uncertainty of last year. “Our campus will continue to invest in our precollegiate and other development programs, which have supported more than 42,000 first-generation scholars and their families to prepare for and access higher education in the past 40 years.”

Enrollment changes will result in an increase in preliminary budget projections, which will be reassessed with the new census data. Additional one-time fiscal year 2025 revenue from enrollment increases will flow through the campus budget model. CU Boulder’s budget model dictates net tuition revenue, which funds mandatory costs, a strategic fund, schools/colleges and administrative support units.

Record retention rates propelled CU Boulder’s total fall enrollment up 3.4%, according to new enrollment data.

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CU Boulder ranked No. 4 all time for Peace Corps volunteers

Anonymous — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 14:26:21 +0000

CU Boulder ranked No. 4 all time for Peace Corps volunteers Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 04/25/2024 - 08:26

CU Boulder has been recognized as one of the all-time top Peace Corps volunteer-producing universities in the nation, coming in at No. 4. In all: 2,131 CU Boulder alumni have served abroad as Peace Corps volunteers since the agency’s founding in 1961.

CU Boulder has a long history of exceptional Peace Corps service, and for Pamela Civins, CU Boulder’s campus Peace Corps recruiter, the fit is a natural one.

By the numbers

2024 top large colleges and universities* historically producing the most Peace Corps volunteers:

University of California, Berkeley: 2,862
University of Wisconsin-Madison: 2,766
University of Washington: 2,342
University of Colorado Boulder: 2,131
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor: 2,065

*More than 15,000 undergraduates enrolled. Rankings are based on Peace Corps data as of Sept. 30, 2023.

“This 2024 ranking by the Peace Corps shows that CU Boulder students are invested in community service and helping make positive change in the world,” said Civins, a CU Boulder alumna and returned Peace Corps volunteer.

“College is a time for students to become lifelong learners, and the Peace Corps provides an opportunity for CU Boulder graduates to learn about a new culture, to learn a new language and to learn new skills,” Civins said. “It's an experiential learning opportunity that, in my opinion, is priceless.”

Peace Corp Prep

CU Boulder is one of nearly 150 schools across the country that offers Peace Corps Prep, a partnership program dedicated to preparing undergraduates for service abroad.

Housed within the CU Boulder Center for Leadership, the undergraduate certificate program offers future U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer applicants sector-specific job skills, foreign language proficiency, intercultural competence and professional leadership development skills. As an official Peace Corps Prep program, earning the certificate is excellent preparation, and a likely advantage, for future Peace Corps volunteer applicants.

Launched in fall 2018, the program is open to all CU Boulder undergraduates, regardless of their major, minor, department, academic year or participation in other programs.

CU Boulder also has a part-time Peace Corps strategic campus recruiter. Set up a meeting or learn more about hosting an information session by contacting Pamela Civins. She works part-time, and you can visit her in the UMC, Room 122, or email peacecorps@colorado.edu.

91��Ƭ�� the Peace Corps

President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps in 1961, and more than 240,000 Americans have served in 144 countries worldwide. Peace Corps volunteers work alongside community members across the globe on projects in the areas of education, health, environment, agriculture, community economic development and youth development.

In 2024 the Peace Corps updated its tracking technology, resulting in changes to the numbers of volunteers recorded over time from U.S. colleges and universities.

CU Boulder has been recognized as one of the all-time top Peace Corps volunteer-producing universities in the nation. More than 2,000 CU Boulder alumni have served abroad as Peace Corps volunteers since the agency’s founding in 1961.

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US News & World Report: CU Boulder graduate programs rank among nation’s best

Anonymous — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 22:41:44 +0000

US News & World Report: CU Boulder graduate programs rank among nation’s best Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 04/09/2024 - 16:41

Numerous CU Boulder graduate level programs are among the top 25 of their kind in the United States, according to the U.S. News and World Report rankings released today.

Highlights include:

Environmental law has improved by eight points to No. 7.
Atomic/molecular/optical physics, geology and physical chemistry continue to be ranked within the top 10.

“These rankings have shown, year after year, that CU Boulder is among the top institutions nationally for graduate studies—and that couldn’t be accomplished without the exemplary work of our students, faculty and staff,” said Scott Adler, dean of the Graduate School and vice provost for graduate affairs. “We are appreciative of all that they do to support our ongoing commitment to preparing our students to not just succeed but to thrive.”

U.S. News does not update its rankings for every program each year, and this year there is also a delay announcing the rankings for engineering and clinical psychology, which CU Boulder has historically scored well on.

In the publication’s 2025 issue, CU Boulder maintains previous rankings or has taken new positions in a number of disciplines. These rankings are among public and private institutions combined.

Programs ranking in the top 10 nationally include: atomic/molecular/optical physics (4); environmental law (7); geology (7); and physical chemistry (8).

CU Boulder’s graduate offerings in the following areas rank in the teens nationally: quantum physics (11); psychology (12); condensed matter physics (13); Earth sciences (14); audiology (15); physics (17); sociology of population (17); and education policy (19).

Several other CU Boulder departments and programs are ranked in the top 25 nationally for graduate-level offerings in the categories of: speech-language pathology (21); education curriculum and instruction (22); and fine arts (23).

A full list of CU Boulder graduate rankings is available on the U.S. News website (U.S. News College Compass subscription required for full access). Additional graduate rankings in engineering and clinical psychology are forthcoming.

Programs in the top 20

Atomic/molecular/optical physics, 4
Environmental law, 7
Geology, 7
Physical chemistry, 8
Quantum physics, 11
Psychology, 12
Condensed matter physics, 13
Earth sciences, 14
Audiology, 15
Physics, 17
Sociology of population, 17
Education policy, 19

CU Boulder graduate programs ranking in the top 10 nationally include atomic/molecular/optical physics, environmental law, geology and physical chemistry. See more top rankings from U.S. News & World Report.

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Full Triceratops skeleton now calls Boulder home

Anonymous — Wed, 17 Jan 2024 04:36:46 +0000

Full Triceratops skeleton now calls Boulder home Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 01/16/2024 - 21:36

Daniel Strain

This week, a new horned animal is coming to the CU Boulder campus. No, not a buffalo, but a full-sized skeletal reconstruction of a Triceratops dinosaur.

If you go

Who: Open to the public
What: Full-scale Triceratops skeletal reconstruction
When: Weekdays 7:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. (not open weekends or holidays)
Where: SEEC Building, East Campus

The CU Museum of Natural History unveiled an exhibition today in the lobby of the Sustainable, Energy and Environment Community (SEEC) building on East Campus.

The skeleton is a testament to the sheer size of Triceratops, an herbivore that roamed Colorado during the Cretaceous Period around 68 to 66 million years ago.

“This is an exciting time to expand the museum’s impacts, sharing research about our region’s ancient past and a sense of wonder about evolutionary innovation,” said the CU Museum of Natural History’s new director, Nancy J. Stevens. “This exhibition cultivates curiosity about the world around us, engaging the next generation to explore science, and encouraging reflection on environmental change through time.”

Students, staff and members of the public can view the exhibit for free on weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (SEEC is closed on weekends and holidays). Members of the public can also learn more about Colorado’s dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals by visiting the Paleontology Hall in the museum’s Henderson Building on Main Campus.

5 things to know about Triceratops

The Triceratops exhibit represents the CU Museum of Natural History’s first complete dinosaur skeleton on display, ushering in a new chapter for the research institute. The exhibit dovetails with the museum’s mission to foster exploration and appreciation of the natural world and promote engaging educational experiences for campus and community alike.

Karen Chin, professor in the Department of Geological sciences and curator of paleontology at the museum, can’t wait for visitors to get a look at the massive Triceratops.

“Everybody knows about Triceratops,” Chin said. “But it's not common in museums to see the whole animal. To see the scale of this dinosaur, and such a weird dinosaur, is very exciting.”

A plaster cast of a life-size Triceratops being installed in the lobby of the SEEC building at CU Boulder. Photo by Casey Cass/University of Colorado.

A Coloradan dinosaur

CU Museum curator of fossil vertebrates and professor of geological sciences Jaelyn Eberle added that, like the American bison, Triceratops was uniquely at home in the West. These dinosaurs grazed on plants from Colorado north into western Canada.

A Colorado schoolteacher unearthed the first documented Triceratops fossils, little more than a pair of horns, from near Denver in 1887. Paleontologist O.C. Marsh originally attributed the horns to an extinct giant relative of bison. Soon thereafter, more complete fossils were discovered, and he named a new dinosaur Triceratops, which means “three-horned face.”

Ralphie and Triceratops:
By the numbers

Adult female bison

Weight: Around 1,000 pounds
Length: 7–10 feet

Adult Triceratops

Weight: 12,000 pounds and up
Length: As much as 30 feet

“Museums want to exhibit complete skeletons, but the chances of finding a perfect, pristine skeleton of these kinds of animals are exceedingly small,” said Eberle.

The skeletal reconstruction in the exhibit measures 22 feet long and 9 feet tall and is a high-resolution cast comprised of plaster, fiberglass and foam. It was cast from the bones of not one but several partial Triceratops specimens found in the late 1800s. Scientists at the Smithsonian Museum assembled these fossils into a single composite skeleton in the 1900s, and a cast of the full composite skeleton is featured in this exhibit.

“We thank colleagues and collaborators at Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, the dedicated team of experts that worked to assemble the exhibition, and our friends at SEEC for graciously welcoming the exhibit,” said Stevens.

Indeed, bringing the skeletal reconstruction to Boulder was no easy feat. The Triceratops rode in pieces by truck in 2022 from Washington, D.C., to Boulder, where a crew painstakingly put it back together off site. To fit it through the doors of SEEC, a team rolled its body, skull and limbs inside separately.

Eberle said the heavy lifting will be worth it to introduce a new generation of Coloradans to the state’s ancient past—when Triceratops strode the landscape alongside other dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurus rex, and an inland sea covered parts of the American West.

“Colorado has such a fascinating history, and it has a spectacular prehistory, too,” Eberle said. “I hope the Triceratops exhibit encourages folks to find out more about Colorado’s ancient past.”

A full-scale skeletal reconstruction of a Triceratops—cast from the bones of several partial specimens found in the late 1800s—is now on display at CU Boulder's East Campus.

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Study: Cannabis can make workouts more fun, but it’s no performance-enhancer

Anonymous — Wed, 03 Jan 2024 23:47:31 +0000

Study: Cannabis can make workouts more fun, but it’s no performance-enhancer Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 01/03/2024 - 16:47

Lisa Marshall , Nicholas Goda

Caption: Ultrarunner Heather Mashhoodi runs on the treadmill as part of a study exploring how cannabis influences exercise. Study participants used cannabis on their own at home before being picked up and driven to the lab for testing. (Patrick Campbell/CU Boulder)

A bit of weed before a workout can boost motivation and make exercise more enjoyable. But if performance is the goal, it may be best to skip that joint.

That’s the takeaway of the first ever study to examine how legal, commercially available cannabis shapes how exercise feels.

The study of 42 runners, published Dec. 26 in the journal Sports Medicine, comes almost exactly 10 years after Colorado became the first state to commence legal sales of recreational marijuana, at a time when cannabis-users increasingly report mixing it with workouts.

“The bottom-line finding is that cannabis before exercise seems to increase positive mood and enjoyment during exercise, whether you use THC or CBD. But THC products specifically may make exercise feel more effortful,” said first author Laurel Gibson, a research fellow with CU’s Center for Health and Addiction: Neuroscience, Genes and Environment (CU Change).

The findings, and previous research by the team, seem to defy long-held stereotypes that associate cannabis with “couch-lock” and instead raise an intriguing question: Could the plant play a role in getting people moving?

“We have an epidemic of sedentary lifestyle in this country, and we need new tools to try to get people to move their bodies in ways that are enjoyable,” said senior author Angela Bryan, a professor of psychology and neuroscience and co-director of CU Change. “If cannabis is one of those tools, we need to explore it, keeping in mind both the harms and the benefits.”

A first-of-a-kind study

In one previous survey of cannabis users, Bryan’s research group found that a whopping 80% had used before or shortly after exercise. Yet very little research has been done at the intersection of the two.

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0ORKmfvX1k]

Learn more about the study design in this 2021 video.

For the study, Bryan and Gibson recruited 42 Boulder-area volunteers who already run while using cannabis.

After a baseline session, in which the researchers took fitness measurements and survey data, they assigned participants to go to a dispensary and pick up either a designated flower strain that contained mostly cannabidiol (CBD) or a Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-dominant strain.

THC and CBD are active ingredients in cannabis, with THC known to be more intoxicating.

On one follow-up visit, volunteers ran on a treadmill at a moderate pace for 30 minutes, answering questions periodically to assess how motivated they felt, how much they were enjoying themselves, how hard the workout felt, how quickly time seemed to pass and their pain levels.

On another visit, they repeated this test after using cannabis.

Federal law prohibits the possession or distribution of marijuana on college campuses, so the runners used it at home, before being picked up in a mobile laboratory, a.k.a the ‘CannaVan,’ and brought to the lab.

The runners also wore a safety belt on the treadmill.

‘Not a performance-enhancing drug’

Across the board, participants reported greater enjoyment and more intense euphoria, or “runner’s high,” when exercising after using cannabis.

Surpisingly, this heightened mood was even greater in the CBD group than in the THC group, suggesting athletes may be able to get some of the benefits to mood without the impairment that can come with THC.

Participants in the THC group also reported that the same intensity of running felt significantly harder during the cannabis run than the sober run.

This may be because THC increases heart rate, Bryan said.

In a previous study conducted remotely, she and Gibson found that while runners felt more enjoyment under the influence of cannabis, they ran 31 seconds per mile slower.

“It is pretty clear from our research that cannabis is not a performance enhancing drug,” said Bryan.

Notably, numerous elite athletes—including U.S. sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson— have been prohibited from competing in recent years after testing positive for cannabis.

An NCAA committee recently recommended that it be removed from its list of banned substances.

By the numbers

Why do people mix weed and workouts?

90.5% say it increases enjoyment
69% say decreases pain
59.5% say it increases focus
57.1% say it increases motivation
45.2% say it makes time go by faster
28.6% say it improves performance

Source: Survey of study participants

A different kind of runner’s high

Why does cannabis make exercise feel better?

While natural, pain-killing endorphins have long been credited with the famous “runner’s high,” newer research suggests that this is a myth: Instead, naturally produced brain chemicals known as endogenous cannabinoids are likely at play, kicking in after an extended period of exercise to produce euphoria and alertness.

“The reality is, some people will never experience the runner’s high,” Gibson notes.

By consuming CBD or THC, cannabinoids which bind to the same receptors as the cannabinoids our brain makes naturally, athletes might be able to tap into that high with a shorter workout or enhance it during a long one, she said.

Athletes considering using cannabis should be aware that it can come with risks — including dizziness and loss of balance— and it’s not for everyone.

For someone gunning for a fast 5k or marathon PR, it doesn’t really make sense to use beforehand, Bryan said.

But for an ultrarunner just trying to get through the grind of a double-digit training run, it might.

As a public health researcher, Bryan is most interested in how it could potentially impact those who struggle to exercise at all, either because they can’t get motivated, it hurts, or they just don’t like it.

“Is there a world where taking a low-dose gummie before they go for that walk might help? It’s too early to make broad recommendations but it’s worth exploring,” she said.

A first-of-a-kind laboratory study of runners shows that using cannabis before training can boost motivation and mood. However, if the THC content is high, it can also make exercise feel harder, potentially sabotaging performance.

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New report signals return of study abroad

Anonymous — Fri, 17 Nov 2023 16:17:45 +0000

New report signals return of study abroad Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 11/17/2023 - 09:17

The release of the latest Open Doors Report, which provides data on study abroad participation nationally, reveals how eager CU students are to study abroad.

During the 2021–22 academic year, 1,987 CU Boulder students earned credit through study abroad programs, matching pre-pandemic participation. Issued annually by the Institute of International Education (IIE), the report this year ranks CU Boulder fifth nationally for sending students abroad on semester-length programs, up from eighth in 2020–21, and 10th nationally for institutions awarding credit for study abroad, up from 16th in 2020–21.

By the numbers

427 students 2022–23
349 students 2021–22
88 students 2020–21
15 students 2019–20
240 students 2018–19

Numbers reflect participation in CU's Global Seminars, which are short-term faculty led program with a specific academic focus. They provide a small group experience allowing CU students and CU faculty to build strong connections while augmenting their global competence. They offer an international experience for students who cannot study abroad during the academic year.

“CU Boulder students are curious, adventurous and committed to global issues and intercultural understanding,” said Sylvie Burnet-Jones, director of Education Abroad. “That mindset is a natural fit for study abroad, and we are excited to see that students are eager to explore the world and gain global perspectives as part of their CU education.”

These numbers serve in sharp contrast to participation in the previous two reporting years, which covered academic years in 2020 and 2021, when international travel was severely restricted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In January 2020, CU Boulder’s Education Abroad office was celebrating the successful start of the spring 2020 semester, which was the largest CU student cohort to go abroad in a single term at CU Boulder. By March 2020, however, staff were scrambling to bring everyone home, and Education Abroad suspended the rest of its international programs in 2020.

Then, in spring 2021, Education Abroad began carefully reopening its programs. Initial numbers were modest, with only 73 students studying abroad that spring. In summer 2021, however, student interest more than doubled.

“After summer 2021, student participation felt almost like ‘business as usual,’” noted Michal Greenberg, assistant director of Education Abroad. “We couldn’t believe how quickly student interest rebounded.”

Students receive significant support from Education Abroad and its program partners, making the process of living in a different country and taking classes away from CU more streamlined and navigable. The Education Abroad team provides students with advising, pre-departure support, scholarships, health and safety oversight, guidance on how credit earned abroad will fulfill CU degree requirements and support while abroad.

The most popular destinations for CU Boulder students in 2021–22 were in Western Europe, with Spain and Italy attracting the most students. “Europe was one of the first regions to reopen study abroad programs, so the interest in Europe has become even more popular as word-of-mouth about those programs has been passed along among students,” Burnet-Jones noted.

There’s a spot for you: Dig into Education Abroad programs, scholarships, more

“But we partner with hundreds of programs and universities to give our students high-quality opportunities around the globe, including Latin America, Asia, Africa and more.”

Education Abroad is also seeing increased interest from students in their faculty-led Global Seminars. These are programs that typically run in the summer and are led by CU Boulder faculty members, teaching 10-25 CU Boulder students and incorporating local sites, cultural activities and visits with local organizations into the classroom experience.

Burnet-Jones noted that Education Abroad’s latest initiatives include the development of new scholarships, a focus on sustainable travel and providing a diverse set of programs, including opportunities for students to complete research, internships and fieldwork abroad.

“We are thrilled to see how well CU Boulder is doing at the national level,” Burnet-Jones concludes, “And we have no intentions of relaxing our efforts. We want to see even more students study abroad in the future. Education Abroad is a high-impact, formative experience that we believe every CU student should have access to.”

The release of the latest Open Doors Report, which provides data on study abroad participation nationally, reveals how eager CU students are to study abroad.

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Ralphie in space! One mascot and her adventures across the solar system

Anonymous — Fri, 13 Oct 2023 03:48:09 +0000

Ralphie in space! One mascot and her adventures across the solar system Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 10/12/2023 - 21:48

Daniel Strain

3…2…1…There goes Ralphie, into space!

Roamin’ Ralphie

Ralphie on the electronics box for the Student Dust Counter, which launched aboard NASA's New Horizons mission in 2006. (Credit: LASP)

Ralphie on the Europa SUrface Dust Analyzer instrument. (Credit: Glenn Asakawa/LASP)

Ralphie on the Interstellar Dust Experiment (IDEX) instrument, which is scheduled to launch on NASA's Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) in 2025. (Credit: LASP)

CU Boulder’s living American bison mascot is famous for running Folsom Field during home games of the Colorado Buffaloes. But Ralphie has also roamed where no other mascot has gone before—to the edges, even, of Earth’s solar system.

Well, maybe not Ralphie herself. But for more than three decades, engineers at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) have emblazoned the image of Ralphie onto instruments destined for space. She’s ridden on top of the International Space Station, visited the moon and dove beneath the rings of Saturn.

This year, LASP is celebrating its 75th anniversary. To mark 75 years of Colorado's space exploration, CU Boulder Today has captured the numbers behind Ralphie’s adventures across the solar system.

32 years

Ralphie’s first successful voyage to space came in 1991. That year, she entered into orbit around Earth aboard NASA’s Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS). Machinists at LASP engraved an image of CU Boulder’s logo onto an instrument called SOLar STellar Irradiance Comparison Experiment (SOLSTICE).

From there, the mascot kept a close eye on the sun. SOLSTICE measured ultraviolet radiation coming from the sun as it bathed Earth’s upper atmosphere—part of LASP’s long legacy of studying the relationship between our planet and favorite star.

More than a dozen missions

To date, Ralphie has flown on more than 12 missions in space. The buffalo logo has sat on top of radiators and clamps, inside electronics boxes and was on all five instruments aboard the Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) spacecraft—which launched in 2003 and operated for an impressive 17 years.

Ralphie has even traveled all the way to Saturn as part of NASA’s Cassini-Huygens mission. A team at LASP designed and built the mission’s Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph (UVIS). The Cassini spacecraft explored Saturn and its moons from 2004 to 2017 when, in spectacular fashion, it purposefully plummeted into the planet’s atmosphere and exploded.

0.0002 inches

Today, machinists at LASP use an instrument called a CNC mill to make laser engravings on the aluminum parts of space instruments. The machine is accurate to within two 10,000ths of an inch, according to professional research assistant Norm Perish. For reference, that’s many times thinner than a sheet of paper.

91��Ƭ�� three to four machinists typically work at LASP. It takes only about 10 minutes to engrave Ralphie into the side of an instrument destined for the vacuum of space.

5 billion-plus miles

Ralphie has also roamed far from our planet—a staggering 5 billion miles, with more to come. From her hideaway in NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft, Ralphie waved hello to Pluto in 2015 and is today nearing the edges of Earth’s solar system.

A team of students at LASP designed and built the mission’s Student Dust Counter, an instrument that collects grains of dust floating through space. The only other spacecraft that have traveled farther are Voyager 1 and Voyager 2, which launched in the late 1970s and also included instruments made by LASP. Today, Voyager 1 is more than 15 billion miles from Earth and Voyager 2 is 12.5 billion miles away.

91��Ƭ�� 50 flybys

Space Ralphie isn’t done yet. CU Boulder’s buffalo logo sits on four new space instruments that are slated to launch in the next few years. They include the Europa SUrface Dust Analyzer (SUDA), a gold-plated and bucket-shaped dust collector that will ride aboard NASA’s Europa Clipper mission.

Europa Clipper is expected to blast off in October 2024 and will travel to Jupiter’s icy moon Europa—where the spacecraft will circle the moon around 50 times searching for conditions that could support life. SUDA will be a big part of that search, scooping up and analyzing microscopic pieces of ice that have been kicked up from the moon’s surface.

Not too bad for a humble buffalo from Colorado.

For more than 30 years, teams at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at CU Boulder have emblazoned the image of the university's beloved buffalo mascot onto instruments destined for space. Follow Ralphie as she journeys from orbit around Earth to the rings of Saturn and beyond.

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Enrollment driven by in-state increase, record retention

Anonymous — Mon, 25 Sep 2023 19:00:04 +0000

Enrollment driven by in-state increase, record retention Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 09/25/2023 - 13:00

Record in-state student enrollment led CU Boulder’s fall enrollment to record highs, according to census data published on Monday.

The Colorado resident first-year class increased by 7.3% to 4,035 students, accounting for 53.5% of the first-year class and 13.1% of the total undergraduate population. It also continues multi-year trends in diversity, setting all-time highs in the number of in-state students who identify as Black/African American (172 students), American Indian/Alaska Native (72 students) and Asian American (588 students).

Total enrollment climbed roughly 2.9% to 37,153, which is higher than recent projections, due largely to lower than anticipated summer melt—when accepted high school students who plan to enroll don’t actually enroll—record retention rates and an increase in first-year Colorado resident enrollment.

By the numbers

Transfer students are up about 6.8% from fall 2022, bucking industry trends. Colorado residents make up a majority of the transfer population at 62%.
Incoming female students represent more than 50% of the class (up from 49%).
Students of color account for 30.4% of the first-year class. A record 2,292 first-year students of color enrolled this fall, a 12.5% increase.
First-generation students make up 16.1% of the first-year class, with 1,214 students enrolled.
The expansion of the CU Promise program in May led to the second consecutive year CU Boulder enrolled more than 1,000 first-year Pell Grant students, a first for our campus. There are 1,049 Pell Grant students enrolled this fall.

Celebrating student success

Increasing retention rates and creating a sense of belonging among CU Boulder undergraduate students has been a top priority of the Buff Undergraduate Success (BUS) initiative. Developed in fall 2021, the BUS Leadership Implementation Team has worked to advance undergraduate success efforts across campus through programs and policies developed via cross-campus collaboration and data-informed decision-making.

The census data reflects several measures of success related to the BUS initiative, with records in multiple focus areas:

Second-fall retention, which measures students retained after their first-year, hit 89.1% in 2023 (previous record was 87.8% set in 2021).
Third fall retention peaked at 81.7% (81.3% set by the fall 2017 and 2020 cohorts).
The six-year graduation rate for the fall 2017 cohort is 74.9%, surpassing 74.7% achieved by the fall 2016 cohort.

“We are proud that CU Boulder continues to be a destination of choice for students and that our efforts to attract and retain diverse and talented students are succeeding,” said Chancellor Phil DiStefano. “We’re also attentive to the challenges posed by higher-than-expected enrollment and are committed to addressing the needs of students, faculty, staff and community members.”

“This fall’s enrollment class shows that predicting enrollment continues to be a challenge for institutions of higher education, as we saw a greater than anticipated number of students commit to and ultimately enroll at CU Boulder. We are identifying ways we can better predict incoming class sizes moving forward,” said Patrick O’Rourke, CU Boulder’s chief operating officer. “Our increase in resident students this year continues to reflect that CU Boulder’s world-class academic experience is an attractive option for both Coloradans and students from across the country.”

Enrollment changes will yield modest changes from preliminary budgets, which will be reassessed with the new census data and communicated later this fall.

CU Boulder’s budget model dictates net tuition revenue, which funds mandatory costs, a strategic fund, schools/colleges and administrative support units.

Record in-state student enrollment led CU Boulder’s fall enrollment to record high—a roughly 2.9% increase—according to recent census data.

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Faculty, staff transportation survey results available

Anonymous — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 20:19:41 +0000

Faculty, staff transportation survey results available Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 08/31/2023 - 14:19

CU Boulder administered the 2022 Faculty and Staff Transportation Survey, a collaborative effort among the Parking and Transportation Services units, at the end of the fall 2022 semester. This survey is a recurring effort to identify common themes in faculty and staff commuting habits.

Of the 8,819 faculty and staff who received a link to the survey, 1,753 completed surveys were obtained, a response rate of 20%. The last transportation survey was conducted in 2017 and responses have been collected 10 times since the inaugural survey in 1998.

Read the full survey results

“The data from our transportation survey provides a number of insights that will help inform our decisions to refine existing transportation service offerings and implement new options that will make it easier to get to, through and around the CU Boulder campus in sustainable ways, thereby helping us achieve our climate goals, increase student success and improve the overall well-being of our campus community,” Vice Chancellor for Infrastructure and Sustainability Chris Ewing said.

Impact of pandemic, increased remote workforce

One of the most anticipated results was the impact that increased remote work and the COVID-19 pandemic have had on work commutes. Prior to 2020, only 2% of faculty and staff worked from home at least part-time (2017), compared to 32% in 2022 who reported working from home three or more days per week, and 22% who worked from home on the day of the survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that around 27% of the U.S. workforce was working remotely at the same time the survey was administered.

Single occupancy vehicles

Similar to the changes in remote working, the CU Boulder survey showed significant shifts in other mode splits. In 2022, the number of single occupancy vehicles (SOVs) coming onto campus decreased for the first time in more than 20 years, down to 52% from 58% in 2017, likely because of the shift to more remote work and inconsistent commute timing.

Transit use

As a result of COVID-19 and corresponding bus service reductions across RTD, there was a significant drop in transit use from 20% in 2017 down to 11%. This impact is further demonstrated by a decrease in those who reported having used their EcoPass in the last six months from 85% to 63%.

Figure 1: Modal Share of the Work Commute (Responses to: How did you get to work today?)

Permits vs. short-term parking

Parking Services also saw changes in permit use versus short-term parking rates. Forty-six percent of faculty and staff reported having a parking permit, down from 53%, and those who parked on campus five or more days a week dropped from 38% to 14%, another likely impact of the adopted remote-work modality.

Short-term lot usage increased from 4% to 12%, likely due to the availability of a $5 day parking pass and hybrid work.

Average commute distance

The average distance to get to work increased to 15.2 miles from 13.5 miles. For comparison, the distance between CU Boulder’s Main Campus and the junction of highways 119 and 287 in Longmont is 14.2 miles.

With the increase in gas prices and average distance to work, vanpools have become more popular among shift workers (a 30% increase in riders since pre-COVID).

A shift toward sustainable transportation

Since the 2017 survey was conducted, sustainable transportation options have become more numerous and widespread at CU Boulder and across the city. E-bike and e-scooter shares were merely conceptual; electric vehicles were just becoming more available; CU Boulder had just one electric vehicle charging station; and services such as Lyft and Uber that support a car-free lifestyle were just emerging.

Now, the positive impacts of having more sustainable transportation options are starting to come to fruition. Of those who bicycled to work, 12% rode e-bikes, and of those who drove, 8% had a hybrid vehicle and 6% had a fully electric vehicle (up from 2% in 2017).

Along with these newer transportation options, CU Boulder is pushing toward its sustainability goals by supporting the shift toward more efficient vehicles with the addition of four new electric Buff buses in the past year, a fully electric NightRide fleet, more electric fleet vehicles and partnerships with service providers such as Colorado Carshare, BCycle and Lime—all of which have fully electric fleets.

“This most recent survey will guide our future efforts to work toward our campus climate goals and helps CU Boulder identify key areas of opportunity,” said sustainable transportation specialist Clark Rider. “While this survey demonstrates some positive shifts within transportation, it also shows there is still significant reliance on personal and gas-powered vehicles and thus room for improvement.”

The results of a 2022 employee survey shows a large swing to the remote work modality and a need for more sustainable transportation use to achieve campuswide climate goals.

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CU Boulder ranked No. 5 nationally for Peace Corps volunteers

Anonymous — Wed, 24 May 2023 14:15:20 +0000

CU Boulder ranked No. 5 nationally for Peace Corps volunteers Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 05/24/2023 - 08:15

CU Boulder has been recognized as a top volunteer-producing university by the Peace Corps, coming in at No. 5 nationally among the top 25 schools producing volunteers since 2003. In all, 2,589 CU Boulder alumni have served abroad as Peace Corps volunteers since the agency’s founding in 1961.

CU Boulder has a long history of exceptional Peace Corps service, and for Pamela Civins, CU Boulder’s campus Peace Corps recruiter, the fit is a natural one.

“CU Boulder is known for its leadership development, and the Peace Corps offers a great opportunity to further develop those skills, while being exposed to another culture,” said Civins, who is a CU Boulder alumna and returned Peace Corps volunteer in Nepal. “For me, the Peace Corps was also a great opportunity to positively impact people’s lives in my community. They impacted my life in a profound way too.”

Top 5 schools

University of California, Berkeley (3,763)
University of Wisconsin–Madison (3,402)
University of Washington (3,132)
University of Michigan–Ann Arbor (2,803)
University of Colorado Boulder (2,589)

In March of 2020, the Peace Corps suspended global operations and evacuated nearly 7,000 volunteers from more than 60 countries at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The evacuation included 50 CU Boulder alumni. After a hiatus during pandemic, the Peace Corps resumed accepting volunteers for service opportunities in 59 countries, and 11 CU Boulder alumni were among the first wave of Peace Corps volunteers to return to overseas service.

Additionally, in 2020, the state of Colorado ranked No. 13 among all states and territories with the highest number of Peace Corps volunteers since 1961. Volunteers from Colorado are among the more than 240,000 Americans who have served around the world in areas such as agriculture, community economic development, education, environment, health and youth development volunteers.

“Demand for Peace Corps volunteers is high given setbacks in development progress following the COVID-19 pandemic. There is an urgent call to action, and graduates of University of Colorado Boulder are part of a strong tradition of big-hearted problem-solvers who have stepped up to say, ‘count me in,’” said Peace Corps Director Carol Spahn.

91��Ƭ�� the Peace Corps

President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps in 1961, and more than 240,000 Americans have served in 142 countries worldwide. Peace Corps volunteers work alongside community members across the globe on projects in the areas of education, health, environment, agriculture, community economic development and youth development.

Interested in joining the Peace Corps?

CU Boulder is one of nearly 150 schools across the country that offers Peace Corps Prep, a partnership program dedicated to preparing undergraduates for service abroad. The program in the Education Abroad office offers undergraduate students job skills, foreign language proficiency, intercultural competence and leadership development to prepare for Peace Corps service.

CU Boulder also has a part-time Peace Corps Strategic Campus recruiter in the UMC, Room 122. Set up a meeting or learn more about hosting an information session, by contacting Pamela Civins. She works part-time, and you can visit her in the UMC, Room 122 or email peacecorps@colorado.edu.

CU Boulder Peace Corps volunteer spotlight

Pamela Civins graduated from CU Boulder with a bachelor’s degree in English literature in 1986 and served in the Peace Corps 1991–93.

Service: Nepal, 1991–93, as an educator

Favorite part: Going to a place that I never thought I would have an opportunity to go to. I also made relationships that are priceless and long lasting.

Take away: I was put in a place that made me uncomfortable sometimes. This ended up allowing me to get to know myself better.

Positive impact: I don’t know that I changed anyone’s life, but I know that I positively impacted people’s lives. I also know that I was positively impacted by my experience, and that serving in the Peace Corps was one of the best decisions I have made in my life.

Life-long friends: There are some experiences that you have where you’re put in a situation and you become friends with folks that you never thought you might become friends with. And that was my Peace Corps experience.

Biggest surprise: For me, it was the heat. When most people think of Nepal, they think of the Himalayas or Mt. Everest. But I lived in the Terai region, where it gets really hot.

CU Boulder has been recognized as a top volunteer-producing university by the Peace Corps, coming in at No. 5 nationally among the top 25 schools producing volunteers since 2003.

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