Graduation deadlines are approaching Aug. 1 for master's and doctoral students planning to graduate this summer. Learn more and see what else is coming up.

During maintenance that affects the portals, like the maintenance scheduled for Saturday, July 22, remember that you can directly access Canvas and some other services that are provided through the portals.

In another win for CU Boulder’s sustainability initiatives, two new electric Buff Buses hit the streets last week. The campus has now replaced four aging diesel buses––the first two, made by New Flyer, joined the fleet in November 2022.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment awarded CU Boulder a Clean Fleet Vehicle & Technology Grant in July 2020 to offset the cost of the buses. The first two buses cost $1.7 million combined, and the grant provided a 45% reimbursement from the EPA. These two new buses have the same cost share and were made possible from a second grant awarded in July 2021.

“We are excited to electrify more of our fleet,” said transit manager Chris Biblis. “Our first two electric buses have performed well on regular routes: They’ve reduced the amount of gas we use and are proof that increasing the number of electric vehicles on campus is a great way to contribute to our sustainability goals.”

"Fleet electrification is a key strategy in the work we are doing to update the campus Climate Action Plan," noted Chief Sustainability Officer Heidi VanGenderen. "To that end, another grant proposal for two more buses was also recently submitted."

The new buses have larger batteries, allowing the buses to go farther on a single charge. They are replacing two 17-year-old diesel buses, each of which has over 500,000 miles, and one 19-year-old diesel bus that has over 750,000 miles.

In the spring 2023 semester, the transportation team held a bus-naming contest that resulted in the first two electric buses taking on the names Sko Bus and Ralph-E. Another campuswide bus naming contest will take place in the upcoming fall semester.

Doctoral students who have applied to graduate in August must complete the PhD dissertation defense or final examination by Tuesday, July 25. Get details and see what deadlines are coming up.

Maintenance on the enterprise database on Wednesday, July 19, will cause two 5 to 15-minute outages, between 7 and 8:30 a.m. for many campus services, including MyCUInfo, Buff Portal, Canvas and more.

Apply to become a personal aide for a CU Boulder student with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. 

The student will be living in Bear Creek and is studying journalism. He’s also a part of the Fiji fraternity. He uses a wheelchair 100% of the time and has a team of caregivers who assist with all of the things he needs for a successful experience.

We are looking to expand our care team for the upcoming semester, as well as spring 2024, but this can be a year-round position if desired.

Personal Aide
Assist client with daily tasks, including:

• Bathroom use
• Showering
• Dressing
• Attending meals
• Retrieving things

A more detailed list of tasks can be provided to those interested. Please note, Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a degenerative disease so the needs of the individual are subject to change over time.

Shifts

• Average daytime shift is 2–3 hours, and we are able to work with your class schedule as well.
  • Morning shifts: Monday, Saturday, Sunday
  • Afternoon shifts: Saturday, Sunday
  • Evening shifts: Friday, Saturday
  • Overnights: Friday, Saturday

Parking permits for Bear Creek can be provided upon request. An average overnight shift is 6–7 hours. You can sleep during these.

The CU Boulder student-client has an apartment with a kitchen, separate rooms and beds, including a large private bathroom.

Pay

Between $17.29 to $18.81 hourly, depending on the shift. Overnight shifts are always $18.81 per hour.

No experience necessary! We will provide you with training. If you are interested in this position, email personalaidforjake@gmail.com or Caitlyn Byrnes as soon as possible.

The SHINE Lab is recruiting participants for a virtual reality study who are:

• Students, staff or faculty at CU Boulder.
• Fluent in English.
• Over the age of 18.

In our study at the Center for Innovation and Creativity, Room 171E, you'll delve into virtual reality tasks while we safely monitor your physiological reactions.

Our non-invasive, comfortable and user-friendly devices will track your eye movements and your brain activity. The purpose of the research is to investigate more intuitive and inherent interaction techniques for virtual reality.

The studies last two hours and you'll receive a $30 compensation for your time. You cannot earn course credit through this study.

If interested, schedule a time slot. For more details about the study, please reach out to ragu8188@colorado.edu.

This summer, Parking and Transportation Services will be power washing parking garages. Specific garages will be closed for short periods of time. Check for dates and details.

Officers, fiscal principals, and principal investigators: We need your help to complete an important public certification requirement.

The Campus Controller's Office certifies the accuracy of the university’s financial statements (and the effectiveness of its internal controls) to the State Controller on an annual basis. Your assessment is integral to our certification.

Your assessment will cover the last fiscal year, which spans from July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023. Please complete your fiscal assessment before the due date assigned. Delays in completing an assessment will negatively impact other certifying officers and our university’s ability to meet this important requirement.

Want to learn more about this process or have questions about next steps? Visit the campus controller's office online for additional background, as well as access to training on completing the assessment, acting as a delegate and other topics.

For all other questions, please email fiscalcompliance@colorado.edu.

After noon on Friday, June 30, and through the morning of Wednesday, July 5, call the Operations Control Center at 303-492-5522 to report any facility-related issue. You won’t have the ability to submit a service request online.

Facilities Management is launching its new AssetWorks integrated work management system (IWMS). This new system will replace the current work management system (FAMIS), which has been serving the campus since 2003.

The new system has three complementary components, AiM (which is the back end management system), ReADY Request (which is the customer-facing self service portal) and Go Mobile (which is the mobile platform that technicians can use from anywhere).

This change may impact building proctors, managers and campus customers who interact with Facilities Management and submit work, key and project requests.

The Supporting Student Resiliency Professional Development Series provides CU faculty and staff with concrete skills to better support students.

Sessions focus on areas critical to student retention and success. Faculty and staff can attend any individual session; those attending all three will receive a non-degree certificate.

The trainings will be offered via Zoom from 11 a.m. to noon on July 12, 19 and 26.

The sessions will cover:

• An introduction to motivational interviewing.
• Supporting survivors (how to respond in a trauma-informed way to someone who discloses a traumatic experience).
• Supporting student mental health.

This summer the Colorado Department of Transportation is continuing Bustang, its direct bus service to Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park from Denver, Westminster, Broomfield, Boulder and Lyons.

Trips depart on Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 1, as well as on select holiday Mondays, including July 3 and Sept. 4.

Catch the bus at Denver Union Station, the US 36 and Sheridan Station, Broomfield Station, Table Mesa Station or in Lyons.

Tickets are typically $15 round-trip and students receive a 25% discount. 

During July and August, Regional Transportation District (RTD) will offer "zero fares" across its system as part of the Zero Fare for Better Air initiative. This collaborative, statewide initiative is designed to reduce ground-level ozone by increasing the use of public transit.

Current RTD customers will also benefit as they will not have to use or purchase fare products from July 1–Aug. 31, during Colorado’s high ozone season.  

The purpose of this study is to evaluate how probiotic supplementation impacts your stress levels. This research may help us better understand factors that support adaptive stress responding.

You may be eligible for this study if you are:

• Age 18 to 45.
• Willing to take a probiotic supplement for about two months.
• Not immunosuppressed.

Participation includes:

• One 30-minute in-person visit, where you will receive the probiotic/placebo and complete questionnaires.
• About 2 months of supplementation.
• Completion of periodic brief questionnaires sent via text.

970-921-9321 IRB Protocol #: 22-0234

The Shine Lab is recruiting participants for a research study who:

• Are students, staff or faculty at CU Boulder
• Are native English speakers
• Are over the age of 18
• Are proficient at using computers
• Do not have a history of seizures

These studies take place at the Center for Innovation and Creativity (1777 Exposition Drive) in Room 171E. In this type of study, we look at your physiological reaction and at your brain waves as you work in a team on a task that involves searching for objects of interest in satellite images. The purpose of the research is to better understand the experiences people have while working in teams on collaborative tasks. 

We will use non-invasive sensors (functional-near infrared spectroscopy) to measure your brain and physiological activity while you work with the visual search task.

These devices are safe and comfortable for experiment participants to wear.
The studies last two hours each and the pay is $15 per hour, plus a significant merit-based cash bonus. You cannot earn course credit through this study.

If you are interested, please email shinelabstudy@gmail.com to schedule a slot.