Each month, communications milestones and actions will be shared with faculty and staff related to the monthly CU Boulder Today update on the student-centered approach to teaching and learning. It aims to provide student-facing staff and faculty a quick glimpse into the month’s key milestones for undergraduate students, along with links to corresponding communications. Each feature will also include topics and resources staff and faculty can highlight when having conversations with students. 

Milestones for March and April 

• Students will be registering for summer and fall 2022 courses during March and April. 
• March 18 is the last day students can drop or change to pass/fail a current, full-semester spring semester course. If students have received a course alert, they may want to consider these options.
• Spring break:
  • No classes March 21–25
  • Campus closed March 25
  • Residence halls remain open during spring break.
  • Dining options will be limited during spring break.

Actions to support students

• Ask students about their summer and fall plans.
  • Encourage them to attend an upcoming career fair.
• Encourage students to log in to Buff Portal to see their enrollment dates and any holds they may need to clear before registering. 
  • Students can view a description of each hold, including instructions for clearing the hold and contact information for the office that manages the hold. 
• Ask students about their current course load, inquire about their stress level and help them find resources: 
  • Red Folder: Recognize, respond to and refer students in distress
  • Health and Wellness Liaisons: Connect students with college-specific resources for mental health, stress and more
  • Tutoring: Help students who may need additional academic support
  • Advising: Support students in creating and achieving their academic, career and life goals
  • Peer Wellness Coach: Peer Wellness Coaching (PWC) is a free service available to CU Boulder students to help them set and achieve their wellness goals.
• Encourage students to reach out to University Libraries for help:
  • Ask a Librarian is the place to start for research help on class projects or personal interests.
  • Use the multimedia equipment lending library (MELL) to borrow cameras, microphones and other equipment.
  • Use the mindfulness room to manage stress.

Is your student craving their favorite home-cooked meal? We invite you to share your favorite family recipe and the story behind the dish for our Taste of Home program in partnership with Campus Dining Services!

We will collect your recipes and share them on our Buff Family Facebook page, in a virtual cookbook and a select few will be recreated and featured in our dining centers! The deadline to submit is March 4. We are excited to see your creations! 

Intramural sports provide an opportunity for students, faculty and staff to compete against each other in a variety of sports and activities. It's a chance to get connected on campus and meet other students and a fun way to stay active. Registration period is Feb. 23 through March 2.

Employers will be recruiting for advertising, media, publishing, journalism, communication, media, graphic design and more! CU Boulder students and alumni from all majors, experience levels and backgrounds are welcome to attend this free event from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 23. Sign up on Handshake.

Strategic Relations and Communications seeks faculty and staff members to participate in one-hour focus groups being held between Feb. 24 and March 1. The focus groups will be conveniently held on Zoom.

We want to hear your opinions about different CU Boulder communications and branding. Participation is confidential and all responses will be anonymous.

Please use this link to find a date and time that works for you and reserve your spot. Registration will be capped for each session and participation will be on a first-come, first-served basis—so sign up today.

The Office of Information Technology (OIT) would like your help evaluating video delivery platforms for our campus. A video delivery platform is a suite of tools that allows users to create, edit, publish and view video content online. Kaltura is an example, as are YouTube and Vimeo. Register for one of the upcoming webinars on Feb. 22 and Feb. 24.

Optimize your Canvas course using Enhancements, and incorporate outside applications easily with Integrations. Learn more from OIT.

University of Colorado faculty and staff within five years of retirement are encouraged to participate in Retirement Ready, a webinar series designed to provide you with the tools and knowledge you need to take the next step.

Within Reach: Transitioning from Career to Retirement, hosted by TIAA, will cover the basic rules that govern the most common retirement accounts, when to tap into different assets and flexible income choices offered by TIAA. The presenter will also touch on estate planning, health care and the emotional impact of retirement among other topics.

Register to attend from noon to 1 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 24.

The Education and Social Change (EDSC) Office located in the Center for Inclusion and Social Change is looking for highly motivated students with a passion for social justice, equity and inclusion to be hired as Peers Educating and Empowering Peers (PEEPs). The center provides high-impact, transformational, community-building and educational programs to nurture leaders grounded in the core concepts of intersectional identity development, diversity education, equity and social justice. 

Faculty and staff, nominate highly motivated students with a passion for social justice, equity and inclusion to be peer educators through a Center for Inclusion and Social Change program. Students may also apply without being nominated.

Discounted tickets are on now sale through Feb. 28 for TEDxCU: Breaking Boundaries. Speakers will be announced in the coming weeks. The event will be in person at Macky Auditorium and Concert Hall on the campus of CU Boulder. Ticket prices will increase on March 1.

Instructors have received ongoing email communications requesting book and course materials information for fall 2022 courses. As a reminder, campus policy states that departments are required to identify what books and other course materials are required (or if a course will have no required materials) for their classes by the day of registration.

Course material information is critical to provide financial transparency to our students during course registration and to help them plan ahead. It is also needed in order for the university to maintain Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEA) and Americans with Disability Act (ADA) compliance (Disability Services needs sufficient lead time to gain access to and prepare books and materials in suitable alternative formats for students who need them).

Instructors who are not requiring specific books or course materials for a course (and departments with unassigned courses that won’t have required materials) or courses that will utilize open education resources (OER), still need to notify the CU Book Store of that fact as soon as possible.

The book store has designated a staff member to facilitate any faculty needs around this. His name is Ryan Windle, and his contact information is:

ryan.windle@colorado.edu
303-492-3421

Thank you for your prompt attention to this faculty responsibility.

Employers will be on campus from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 17, recruiting for computer science, robotics, math, statistics, technology and all engineering fields. CU Boulder students and alumni from all majors, experience levels and backgrounds are welcome to attend this free event. Sign up on Handshake.

The Women’s Leadership Symposium is a conference focused on women’s leadership for CU Boulder staff and students. People of all genders are welcome. Get ready to explore a variety of ways to develop authentic and empowered leadership skills! This year’s theme is Filling Each Other’s Cups: Collaboration and Compassion. Learn more and register.

The world still awaits! Learn more about Education Abroad's international faculty-led programs at these virtual informational sessions.

Armenia: Social Justice through Teaching English (LING 4640)

Discover Armenia through the perspectives of English teaching, culture learning and social justice. You will earn a total of 6 credits and live for five weeks in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. Join the Zoom info session at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 16.

France: New Venture Creation & Internship (INBU 4910 & EMEN 4825)

Spend six weeks in Aix-en-Provence, France, this summer and gain valuable, real-world skills for any field. Experience the unique challenges of starting a venture abroad in this for-credit internship. Visit French startups and network with CU alumni currently working in France. All majors are encouraged to apply! Join the info session at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 16, in the Deming Center conference room (KOBL 234).

Portugal: Lisbon as a Global City (PORT 3170)

Earn 3 credits in 3 weeks abroad in Lisbon, Portugal this June! One of the oldest cities in the world, Lisbon will be the center of our exploration of how multicultural heritage has created new social, economic and cultural dynamics that have molded and created the city we see today. Join the Zoom info session at 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 17.

Employee Services is here to help take the mystery out of the retirement planning process. Each year, we host Retirement Ready—a series of educational sessions designed to help employees nearing retirement age make a solid plan before they take the big leap into retirement.

Read more from Employee Services.