Career Services is collecting gently used professional attire to help CU Boulder students prepare for upcoming career fair prep events. Learn more about donation locations and guidelines.

Funding is available for faculty-led public and community-engaged scholarship grants (Tier 3 and Tier 4). Learn more about the grants and attend info sessions March 10 and 19. The deadline to apply is April 10.

Faculty and staff are invited to share internships, undergraduate research roles, project-based experiences, service-learning placements or other hands-on opportunities for the Sesquicentennial Scholars program. Opportunities within your department/area help ensure every scholar has meaningful options aligned with their interests, strengths and goals.

The city of Boulder and Boulder County invite you to review the draft Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan and share your feedback from March 3 through April 6 at ABoulderFuture.org.

Plus, join the Community Open House on March 10 from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Dairy Arts Center to see how community input shaped the plan and explore what’s next for Boulder.

Graduates’ and retirees’ Google and Microsoft files—and shared Google Calendars—may be permanently deleted if ownership isn’t transferred or files aren’t saved, so please review anything shared with you now to avoid losing important content.

CU is once again partnering with Sprintax to support nonresident alien employees and students in their personal tax filing obligation. The International Tax Office will offer a discount code to access Sprintax Returns online tax preparation tool free of charge.

Sprintax Returns is a user-friendly resource to help international employees:

• Determine resident or nonresident U.S. tax residency status and filing requirements.
• Prepare necessary tax return documents including forms 1040-NR and 8843 which can then be printed, signed and mailed for filing. (Some users may be able to file electronically, instead.)
• Ensure all applicable tax treaties are applied.
• Find assistance and information with an available FAQ, blog, YouTube channel and email access to Sprintax tax professionals.

Sprintax can also help with state tax filing for an additional fee. Visit International Student and Scholar Services to learn how to take advantage of this resource and register for tax webinars this spring.

In addition to the university commencement ceremony, Class of 2026 graduates are invited to participate in recognition ceremonies held by colleges, schools, departments or programs. Learn more here or contact your respective college, school, department or program for more information.

At the commencement ceremony, you will continue an age-old tradition by wearing the same caps, gowns, cords and hoods as generations of Buffs before you. Discover what and how to purchase to prepare for commencement. Both undergraduates and graduates can purchase their regalia from the CU Book Store.

Undergraduate Regalia

If you’re graduating with your bachelor’s degree, you will wear a black gown, a black cap and a colored tassel indicating your field of study.

You can purchase your regalia from the CU Book Store online or in person at the store in the UMC.

Buy Undergraduate Regalia 

Graduate Regalia

If you’re graduating with your master’s or doctoral degree, you will wear a black gown and a hood lined with velvet trim denoting your field of study. Master’s students will wear a mortarboard cap and a black tassel. Doctoral students will wear a tam and a gold tassel. 

Regalia is now available for purchase from the CU Book Store, online or in person at the store in the UMC.

Buy Graduate Regalia.

Graduate students, mark your calendars for these approaching graduation deadlines for spring 2026.

March 1

Graduate students who have not already done so must apply online to graduate through Buff Portal on the “apply for graduation” card in order to have the degree awarded in May. This is required whether or not you plan to attend the university-wide ceremony. Doctoral students must enter their dissertation title as part of the online graduation application; you may update the title through the portal until this date. This title will appear on your transcript after your degree is awarded.

March 2 (final deadline)

Master's students who have not already done so must submit to the Graduate School a Candidacy Application for an Advanced Degree. Applications follow a workflow process and must be approved by the academic department before they are directed to the Graduate School. 

CU Boulder faculty and staff are invited to submit proposals for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Impact Grants for academic year 2026–27 programmatic initiatives. Applications are due on Friday, March 6.

Do you love listening to music? Are you curious about how your favorite music affects your brain? The Brain Music Lab at CU Boulder is currently recruiting participants for a research study, Neural Mechanisms of Music Appreciation (CU Boulder IRB #25-0777), investigating favorite music listening and brain activity in young adults.

The total expected time commitment is approximately four hours. Research activities will take place over several weeks, according to your availability and the researchers’ availability. Participating in this study involves:

• Completing an online survey (30 minutes)
• One in-person visit to the Brain Music Lab (Roser ATLAS building) on CU Boulder’s Main Campus (90 minutes)
• A practice MRI session (30 minutes) and an MRI scan (90 minutes) at the Center for Innovation & Creativity (CINC), located just east of CU Boulder’s Main Campus

Even if you enroll in this study, you may not qualify for all of these research activities. Individuals who complete parts one and two will be compensated with a $20 Amazon gift certificate. Individuals who also complete part three will be compensated with an additional $20 Amazon gift certificate, plus an image of their brain!

Complete this form to see if you are eligible.

Eligible individuals must:

• 18–25 years old
• Be native English speakers
• Have little-to-no musical training
• Be able to undergo MRI (see specific MRI requirements; not pregnant)
• Be right-handed
• Have normal, or corrected-to-normal, hearing and vision
• Have no music processing-related disorders
• Have no recent psychiatric diagnoses and not recently taken psychiatric medications (within six months)
• Be able to attend in-person sessions at the ATLAS Institute on CU Boulder’s Main Campus, as well as at the Center for Innovation and Creativity (CINC); reimbursement for transportation/parking not provided

Please email researcher Sophia Mehdizadeh (some4995@colorado.edu) with any questions.

On Reading Day, exterior doors to all academic buildings will require Buff OneCard access. Most academic buildings will be accessible via Buff OneCard from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. During these hours, no additional access approvals are required. Outside of these hours, individuals must already have approved after‑hours Buff OneCard access.

Requesting an exemption

Departments that need an exemption for this date (e.g., buildings hosting special events or academic activities) should email a request and justification to accesscontrol@colorado.edu. Please submit requests as early as possible, as approvals take time.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Institute for Student-AI Teaming (iSAT), a leading research center focused on developing the latest artificial intelligence (AI) technologies for education, is hiring a research assistant to help with internal communications, reporting and knowledge management. This role is ideal for students with an interest in technical writing, academic publishing and digital content management. The position offers the ability to work in a hybrid fashion and the chance to gain experience in a dynamic, research-oriented environment.

Details

Department/institute: NSF Institute for Student-AI Teaming (iSAT)
Location: Hybrid
Hours per week: 10-15
Compensation: $20 hourly (undergraduate) | $25 hourly (graduate)
Appointment details: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until filled

Key responsibilities

• Curate and review content for our website, blog, newsletter, social media and internal announcements
• Maintain publication and research records, including formatting and updating bibliographies and reference lists
• Support research deliverables, such as conference presentations, reports, research briefs and internal documentation
• Edit and proofread for clarity, consistency, accessibility and style (including light copy editing and line editing)
• Assist in translating research for different audiences (as needed)

Required qualifications

• Current undergraduate or graduate student (or bachelor’s completed by start date) in technical writing, rhetoric and composition, writing studies, communications or a related field
• Strong writing, editing and revision skills
• Excellent organization and time management, with attention to detail
• Familiarity with Google Workspace (Docs, Slides, Drive)
• Familiarity with PowerPoint/slide design basics and academic citation styles (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.)
• Basic working knowledge of reference managers such as Zotero or EndNote (or willingness to learn quickly)

Preferred qualifications

• Experience with Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign)
• Experience in academic or nonprofit environments

How to apply

Send your application directly to thomas.breideband@colorado.edu, including:

• Your resume
• A short cover letter outlining your interest and relevant experience
• One to two work samples (e.g., edited content, newsletter layout, slide decks or publication list)

The University Libraries is excited to offer research fellowships to support scholars who wish to use archives, rare books, maps and other materials from our collections. Learn more. Deadline to apply is March 15.

To improve the student experience and streamline university operations, the Bursar's Office recently led a campuswide effort to update when confirmation deposits are released to student accounts. Beginning this semester, confirmation deposits, which are paid at the time a student confirms their enrollment at CU Boulder, will be applied to student tuition bills during their first semester of enrollment.

Previously, the $200 confirmation deposit was held until graduation and then refunded or applied to any outstanding balance. Under the new process, the deposit will be released earlier, directly reducing tuition in the student’s first semester.

“This change helps reduce some of the financial burden students face in their first semester and improves the overall student refund experience,” said Somchanok Sitchawat, the bursar. “It also decreases administrative overhead and eliminates the need to track down updated addresses or banking information years later.”

Key updates

• Continuing and new students who began in spring 2026 saw their deposit applied to their account in January 2026.
• Students beginning in summer 2026 and moving forward will have their deposit applied to their account as soon as tuition and fees are available to view in Buff Portal.
• Students who do not attend classes after confirming their enrollment will continue to forfeit the deposit.

The university cited several reasons for the change, including challenges with refunding deposits to students who have separated from CU Boulder, especially international students who face difficulties cashing checks abroad.

By applying the deposit earlier, CU Boulder aims to streamline the refund process for students and reduce administrative costs.

Visit the Bursar's Office for more information about the new confirmation deposit release process.