Master's thesis plan students must submit the thesis and Thesis Approval Form to ProQuest by Nov. 20. The thesis must be submitted electronically for review and approval by Graduate School staff by the end of the business day.

The single-page Thesis Approval Form (TAF) must be uploaded as a supplemental file with the dissertation in order for the submission to be complete. Students whose dissertations are received after this deadline, or those not submitted with the TAF, must apply to graduate at the following semester's commencement.

Starting today, CU Boulder faculty, staff and students can easily protect their Microsoft files and emails from unauthorized access and data leakage using Microsoft sensitivity labels.

CU Boulder's sensitivity labels were developed in collaboration with key campus partners to ensure the labels would be flexible enough to accommodate existing business practices without compromising the protections stipulated by CU's data classification types.

The inaugural Buckley Faculty Fellows will be expected to promote and advance sustainability education initiatives at CU Boulder, building a network of faculty integrating sustainability into teaching and praxis.

The theme for this spring 2026 cohort will be environmental and climate justice. In addition to developing the Sustainability Across the Curriculum training and resources for the training, faculty on academic year appointments will focus on teaching strategies in this moment and foundational content on sustainability. Buckley Faculty Fellows will be expected to provide critical faculty voice, perspective and labor-power to link centers and institutes with broader Buckley Center efforts. 

We encourage faculty all across campus to apply. Applications are due Dec. 12. Learn more and apply (PDF).

Faculty and staff, help your students showcase their creative talents!

The Student Arts Program is seeking original artwork from CU Boulder students for display in the UMC. Please encourage your students to submit works in any of the following media: painting, drawing, textiles, printing, photography, film and technology. All styles and experience levels are welcome!

Remind your students to submit their art by Jan. 23 for a chance to win awards and gain recognition across campus!

The University of Colorado Honors Journal invites all undergraduate students who have created original writing, art or film to submit their work for publication in the 2026 issue. All undergraduate students at CU Boulder are eligible to submit their work. The deadline for submission for the 2026 issue is 11:59 p.m. Dec. 31, 2025.

The Honors Journal is an interdisciplinary, student-run journal published annually by the Arts & Sciences Honors Program. The journal presents a collection of works that reflect the utmost talent, diligence and creativity among undergraduate students at CU Boulder.

Each year, the Honors Journal combines undergraduate work from all academic fields including but not limited to: art, creative nonfiction, fiction, gender and ethnic studies, humanities, natural sciences, open media (e.g., film, digital art, recorded performance), poetry and social sciences.

Read the 2025 issue of the Honors Journal online.

Art credit: "2000s Nostalgia" by Sierra Marasco (acrylic on canvas 18"x24"), published in the 2025 issue of the Honors Journal

During campus portal maintenance, which is next scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 16, you can still access Canvas and some other campus services through direct links (e.g., canvas.colorado.edu).

After testing the new macOS Tahoe (version 26) for compatibility this fall, OIT is satisfied that major issues have been addressed and Mac users comfortable being early adopters should feel free to upgrade to the new operating system. Additional guidance will be published when OIT is satisfied that remaining incompatibilities have been addressed. Visit the OIT website to learn how to upgrade.

Graduating this December? Stop by the CU Book Store to purchase your regalia. Regalia includes a black gown, black cap and colored tassel indicating field of study. Shop for regalia in-store during store hours, or follow instructions online for in-store order pick-up and get more information on shipping deadlines and rates.

Did you know that Colorado election offices continue to count legally received mail ballots for up to eight days after an election? If you are a registered voter in Colorado and signed up for BallotTrax to receive the messages about when your election office receives and counts your mail ballot, you are all set and likely already got the message that your ballot was counted.

If not, read on to find out how you can check your mail ballot status and why it is important even after Election Day. If you voted in person, there is no action needed as your identity was confirmed at the time you voted by showing an ID. Signature comparison is how identity is confirmed on mail ballots.

How to check your ballot status

1. Visit the BallotTrax website.
2. Complete the form with your personal information and click Register/Log In.
3. You should be able see the status of your ballot.

If your ballot is in "Counted" status, congratulations! You’re all set.

If your ballot is in "Ballot Rejected" status, you have a signature issue that needs to be resolved. Election judges could not verify the signature on your mail ballot envelope against the signature(s) on file or you forgot to sign your envelope. You need to “cure” your ballot. This is important, as your elections office can still count your ballot if you respond to the by 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 12.

Even if it is after the legal deadline, it is important to cure your ballot envelope issue. See below for why.

How to 'cure' your ballot signature issue

Get your voter ID:

1. Go to the Find my Voter Registration page on the Secretary of State’s website.
2. Enter your personal information and log in.
3. Find your Voter ID under Registration.

Begin the cure process: Using a mobile device or computer, use the Colorado Secretary of State’s Cure My Ballot application to confirm the ballot submitted was your ballot. As part of the process, you will need to take or upload a photo of an acceptable form of ID and sign an affidavit. Thus, using a device with a mobile or computer with a touch screen is recommended.

In addition to learning your rejected mail ballot status using BallotTrax, clerk offices also send a letter in the mail. However, if you returned your ballot on Election Day, you may not get the letter until close to the deadline to cure. Additional cure methods are outlined in the letter, or you can contact your county clerk’s office. If you are a Boulder County voter, see BoulderCountyVotes.gov for more information on the cure process.

Why it's important

If you made the effort to vote, it is important to also make sure your ballot is counted. This is true even after Election Day, and even if the contests you most care about have won or lost, and because some contests may still be close. Every vote counts!

Additionally, election offices must hear from you even if you miss the eight-day deadline. This is because every signature that is not cured is turned over to the local district attorney for investigation into voter fraud. So, if you do not respond to the initial signature rejection notification/letter, you will eventually need to respond to the district attorney’s letter. Sounds scary, but it is very normal and how Colorado can keep voting extremely accessible with mail ballots while balancing election security.

If you're a graduate student planning to graduate in December, don't miss these Nov. 13 deadlines.

Doctoral students

PhD students must submit the dissertation with Thesis Approval Form to ProQuest by this deadline. The dissertation must be submitted electronically for review and approval by Graduate School staff by the end of the business day. The single-page Thesis Approval Form (TAF) must be uploaded as a supplemental file with the dissertation in order for the submission to be complete. Students whose dissertations are received after this deadline, or those not submitted with the TAF, must apply to graduate at the following semester's commencement.

Master's students

Master's students must complete the thesis defense or final examination by this date. Notice of the examination must be provided to the Graduate School using the master's final examination form two weeks before the exam. Certain units do not require an exam for non-thesis students. Please contact your department with any questions.

Doctoral students

PhD and DMA students must fill out the Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED) online by this deadline. See additional information about the survey.

Upcoming construction at the University Memorial Center will improve the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system; the Campus Dining & Hospitality loading dock; and pavement between it and the neighboring Center for Academic Success and Engagement (CASE).

The SHINE Lab at CU Boulder is recruiting teams for a cognitive neuro-scientific study about processing limited information during a Mars Rover Mission. 

Our goal is to understand how different brain systems relate to behavioral performance and to psychological concepts measured by self-report measures. Also, you will wear a mesh cap on your head that has light optodes attached to it that measure changes in blood flow (functional near infrared spectroscopy). It lasts approximately three hours, and you will receive compensation for your participation. 

Sign up here. Please do not intentionally sign up with someone you know. 

Who can join this study: 

• You are between 18-65 years old 
• You can speak and read English 
• Comfortability and familiarity with using computers
• Comfortable and able to communicate via email, text message, or phone

Who cannot join this study:  

• Those without alternatives to glasses
• History of seizure disorder, epilepsy, convulsions or increased intracranial pressure
• History of psychiatric illness or head injury in the last six months
• Those who are pregnant, planning pregnancy or breastfeeding
• Unable or unwilling to meet study attendance requirements 
• Those who have consumed alcohol or recreational drugs in the last 12 hours 

Where:
Center for Innovation and Creativity (CINC), Room 184E*  
1777 Exposition Dr, Boulder, CO 80301 
*This room is inaccessible without a key, so someone will meet you in the lobby. 

Ready to show off your creativity?

The Student Arts Program wants your original artwork! CU Boulder students can have their art displayed in the UMC for everyone to see. We accept art in the following media: painting, drawing, textiles, printing, photography, film and technology. No matter your style or experience, your work is welcome!

Submit your art by Jan. 23 for a chance to win awards and get noticed on campus!

Doctoral students must complete the PhD dissertation defense or final examination by this date. Notice of the examination must be provided to the Graduate School using the doctoral final examination form two weeks before the exam.

It's pumpkin carving time! Your Facilities Management pals are providing a bin to collect your food-only pumpkin scraps, so we can compost them rather than have them go to the landfill and create methane. 

Find the bin at the entrance gate of the Grounds and Recycling Operations Center (GROC) building, 1060 Regent Drive.