As we begin a new academic year, the CU system Office of Information Security would like to remind everyone about the importance of protecting your CU email and online accounts.

Registration for the Anderson Language and Technology Center’s (ALTEC) remote, non-credit language classes for adults worldwide is open!

CU system faculty, staff and students receive a 20% discount for one of ALTEC's 8–10 week cohorts in American Sign Language, Arabic, Mandarin, Italian, Spanish, French, German or Japanese. Classes begin Sept. 12, but the possibilities start now—enroll today!

For more information and to register, visit the ALTEC website.

Not sure which language you want to take? No problem! Consider ALTEC’s free Foundations course to learn the basics in seven languages through Canvas. Online on your time!

Much of the software you will use as a student is available to you at no cost or specially reduced rates through OIT’s Software Catalog. Find out how to get Microsoft Office at no cost, and Adobe Creative Cloud and SPSS at significantly reduced prices.

Looking for an ongoing volunteer experience that will challenge you to grow and learn as an active member of the Boulder community? Apply for the Volunteer Placement Program!

Here’s how:

• Apply for the program by Sept. 30
• Get matched with a community partner based on your interests and skills
• Accept a placement
• Commit to volunteering approximately three hours per week or 30 hours total during the semester
• Attend the Check in and Reflection Dinner on Nov. 3

As we welcome students back to campus, consider giving public transportation a try! There are continuous efforts to improve how we interact with our campus. For example, our CU Boulder community has free Eco-Pass access, allowing you to take advantage of local and regional RTD routes. Transit plays a pivotal role in our community and supports the university’s sustainability goals. Take a ride!

In an effort to promote public transportation, RTD has launched Zero Fare for Better Air. The initiative is collaborative, statewide, and designed to reduce ground-level ozone by increasing the use of public transit. Learn more about the initiative here.

New for this year, the Lyons Flyer will provide free transportation along U.S. 36 between Lyons and Boulder. Buses have provisions for bike racks and dogs. Masks are optional. View the schedule here.

The Graduate and Professional Student Government (GPSG) fall travel grants will open this Friday, Aug. 26, at 5 p.m. MST and close on Sept. 9 at 5 p.m. MST.

Graduate students may apply for up to $300 for individual travel, which can be used for conference or research-related travel within the U.S., Mexico, Canada and U.S. territories.

To submit an application and review the rules and procedures, please visit our travel grant webpage.

For any questions, contact the GPSG director of finance at finance.gpsg@colorado.edu.

The Research on Affective Disorders and Development Lab is conducting research on mood, stress and coping for CU students. We are recruiting CU students ages 18 to 23.

The study includes a few different parts:

• You will take a series of online or app-based surveys.
• You will complete two in-person research visits, each including an interview about stress and health, a set of computer games, and an evaluation of physical functioning.

The study takes place over the course of three semesters, and you will be compensated for your participation (maximum of $356–$386 for completing all parts of the study).

If you want to learn more, contact the RADD Lab at raddlab@colorado.edu or 303-735-8306, or go to our website to fill out the initial eligibility screening.

The University of Colorado Boulder Police Department (CUPD) is partnering with the Boulder Police Department and the Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority (CATPA) to hand out free DIY catalytic converter anti-theft etching kits on campus.

The anti-theft kits are available on a first-come, first-served basis from 2 to 4 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 25. There is no need to RSVP to the event. Those driving to the event should enter Kittredge Loop off of Regent Drive and follow signs to the pick-up location on the south side of Fiske Planetarium. Walk-ups are also welcome. Please look for the CUPD table.

About the kits

The kits come with instructions on how to locate your catalytic converter and affix the etched decal, register your decal number, as well as a window sticker to let would-be thieves know your car’s catalytic converter is labeled and connected to a law enforcement database for easier identification and recovery.

A catalytic converter is an emissions control device installed on a car’s exhaust system. The part is a target for theft because they contain precious metals such as platinum, which can yield up to $800 per used catalytic converter. Vehicle owners whose catalytic converters are stolen can expect to pay upwards of $2,000 in part replacement costs.

According to Boulder police records on catalytic converter theft from January 2021 to June 2022, thieves are most likely to target these models: Toyota Prius, Honda Element, Honda CRV, Toyota 4Runner and Honda Accord, especially model years 2005 through 2009.

The kit giveaway event is free and open to the public. If you’re unable to pick up your anti-theft kit at this event, there are others planned around the state. See the events tab of CATPA’s LockDown site for information on other dates and locations. 

CU Boulder currently offers 30 different sport clubs from which you may choose. Interested in joining a sport club this year? Attend an informational meeting this week to learn more.

We are recruiting participants for a research study who are fluent English speakers, are over the age of 18, and who are currently enrolled in CU Boulder’s CSCI 2270 course.

These studies take place at the Center for Innovation and Technology, Room 184G. In this type of study we investigate how students use problem-solving skills in debugging code. In the study you will be working with a collaborative robot on a program debugging task.

During the study we’ll be using cameras and microphones to record the interactions you have with the robot and the tasks at hand. We’ll also use eye tracking to measure your gaze patterns during the experiment. Collecting this video and audio data is mandatory for this study. If you do not want to be recorded with video and microphone, you may decide not to participate in this study at any time.  

This study will last 30 minutes, and the pay is $12.50. You cannot earn course credit through this study.

Schedule an appointment online. To get directions to our lab, or for more information, please email isat.lab@colorado.edu.

CU Presents is now offering single tickets for its full season of in-person and hybrid performances, such as the College of Music’s Holiday Festival, Cirque Mechanics’ Zephyr, the Grammy Award-winning Takács Quartet and more.

Single tickets for all performances go on sale beginning Monday, Aug. 15, at 10 a.m. Patrons may buy tickets online at cupresents.org, by phone at 303-492-8008 or in person at the CU Presents Box Office, located at 972 Broadway in Boulder.

Safety measures at all CU Presents events follow guidelines set by local public health authorities and the university. Currently, masks are optional on the CU Boulder campus, regardless of vaccination status. Safety requirements may change, however, so patrons are advised to check the COVID-19 info page before attending CU Presents events.

For more information and a complete schedule of events, visit CU Presents online.

Upgrades to the chilled water services to multiple buildings on Main Campus will create various sidewalk impacts during the fall 2022 semester. These impacts will occur in and near the Norlin Quadrangle as service is upgraded to buildings such as Hellems Arts and Sciences and Guggenheim Geography.

These service upgrades will increase efficiency and resiliency and add new cooling to multiple buildings on campus. Facilities Management will strive to minimize impacts to building access during this time and will provide wayfinding signage for alternative routes. FM is grateful to the campus community for its flexibility and understanding during this exciting project.

Initial sidewalk impacts include:

• Norlin Quad sidewalk from Norlin Library west to University Theater
• Sidewalk on the north side of Hellems
• The courtyard between Lucile Berkeley Buchanan building and Hellems
• The sidewalk on the north side of the Museum Collections building between the museum and the Economics building

To see a map highlighting affected construction areas and alternative routes for each phase, as well as ongoing updates, visit the Cone Zone page.

Be in the know with CU Boulder Today, the campus news publication. For the fall semester, the standard delivery days will be Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in inboxes. Need to subscribe? Sign up for the newsletter. Want to browse all the campus news at your convenience? The publication is always available online.

The Career Community of Practice (CCOP) is a community of staff and faculty united by an interest in supporting CU students’ career-preparedness and committed to helping ensure students graduate from CU with the career options they came here for.

Facilitated by Kristi Wasson from Career Services, the CCOP includes staff and faculty from various colleges/divisions/departments across campus. Some members work in career offices; others have zero career background. All are welcome!

Here’s what you can expect from the 2022–23 CCOP:

• Two interactive virtual gatherings per semester focused on relevant career topics and resources
  • Sept. 22, 2–3 p.m.: Demystifying the career development process
  • Nov. 17, 2–3 p.m.: Helping students navigate the unexpected exploration process
  • February 2023: What’s new in the world of work and how CU programs can help students prepare
  • April 2023: Topic TBD
• One or two e-newsletters per semester with information about career resources, events, internships/experiential learning opportunities and more to share with your students
• One workshop in May focused on you and your personal/professional development

Email kristi.wasson@colorado.edu with questions or to be added/removed from the CCOP email list.

On Sunday, Aug. 21, the Boulder campus will return to its regular operating hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Some departments maintain their own unique hours of operation. Please follow your department's schedule.