Everything about The University Of Colorado At Boulder totally explained
The
University of Colorado at Boulder (
CU-Boulder,
UCB officially;
Colorado and
CU colloquially) is the
flagship university of the
University of Colorado System in
Boulder, Colorado. CU has produced a number of
astronauts,
Nobel laureates,
Pulitzer Prize winners and other notable individuals in their fields. It is known as one of the
Public Ivies. The January 2004 edition of
The Economist ranked CU's science programs as the 11th-best public university in the nation and 31st best public university globally for 2003. The
U.S. News and World Report currently ranks the university 79th in the nation overall (private institutions included) and 34th best among public universities. CU-Boulder ranks 26th in the country among Top Public Research Universities in the listing published by the Center for Measuring University Performance. These rankings are based on nine measures including research, National Academy members, faculty awards, doctorates granted and ACT range, among others, making them both meaningful and significant. In 2004,
Carl Wieman was named U.S.
Professor of the Year.
History
On March 14, 1876, the Colorado state legislature passed an amendment to the state constitution which provided money for the establishment of the University of Colorado in Boulder, the
Colorado School of Mines in
Golden, and Colorado Agricultural College in
Fort Collins, now known as
Colorado State University.
Two cities competed for the site University of Colorado: Boulder and
Cañon City. The consolation prize for the losing city would be home of the new Colorado State Prison. Cañon City was at a disadvantage as it was already the home of the Colorado Territorial Prison (There are now six prisons in the Cañon City area).
In the early days of the University’s construction, Boulder Sheriff David H. Nichols made a midnight horseback ride from Boulder to Denver with $20,000 to give to the state to help with expenses of building the University. For this effort, the University named a residence hall after him - Nichols Hall. In the 1980s it came to light that this same Mr. Nichols took part in the infamous
Sand Creek Massacre, in which the Colorado Militia massacred a tribe of Native Americans, including many women and children, who were peacefully encamped along Sand Creek. After some debate, the name of the dorm was changed to
Cheyenne Arapaho Hall after two Native American nations indigenous to Colorado.
The cornerstone of the building that would become Old Main was laid
September 20,
1875. The doors of the university opened on
September 5,
1877. At the time there were few
high schools in the state that could adequately prepare students for university work, so in addition to the University, a preparatory school was formed on campus. In the fall of 1877, the student body consisted of 15 students in the college proper and 50 students in the preparatory school. There were 38 men and 27 women, and their ages ranged from 12-23 years.
Campus
The main CU-Boulder Campus is located about south of the popular
Pearl Street Mall. It is composed of academic and residential buildings as well as research facilities. The East Campus is about a quarter mile from the main campus and is composed mainly of athletic fields and research buildings.
"The Hill" borders Campus to the West and is a central location for shops, restaurants, bars, etc. The Hill is also prime real estate for students, given its central location and proximity to campus. The majority of Greek fraternities and sororities are on the Hill.
Architecture
In 1917 the university was undergoing a massive expansion. This triggered debate over the architectural style of the campus. The consensus was that the University should be built in a unified style, but which style was the center of the debate. Some wanted to follow the style of Macky Auditorium, which was
Neo-Gothic, while others wanted to use the
Collegiate Gothic style of many East Coast schools. However, Charles Z. Klauder, the head architect of the firm hired to do the construction, presented then President Norlin with sketches of new buildings in Italian Rural Architecture. This style was developed in the mountains of northern
Italy, and Klauder and Norlin felt that it was a harmonious fit with the Boulder foothills.
The most obvious characteristics of this style on the Boulder campus are the rough, textured walls and the sloping, multi-leveled roofs with red tile. The sandstone used in the construction of nearly all the buildings on campus was selected from a quarry in
Lyons, Colorado. The architecture had a rugged yet classical feel, fitting for a western University.
Klauder’s vision for the campus took nearly twenty years to complete, and laid the foundation for the future design of the campus.
Library
Until 1903, the library collection was housed with the rest of the school in Old Main. The growing size of the library required a move, as the weight of the books was causing physical damage to the floor. The cornerstone for the first separate library building was laid in January 1903, and the building was opened in January 1904. When the new Norlin Library opened in 1940, the old library turned over to Theatre department, and was converted into classrooms and a theatre.
Norlin Library was the last building to be designed by Klauder. There are two inscriptions on the western face of the building, overlooking the Norlin Quadrangle. Both were composed by Pres. Norlin. The larger inscription reads “Who knows only his own generation remains always a child” and the smaller inscription on the marble just over the door reads “Enter here the timeless fellowship of the human spirit.” Norlin was one of the first college libraries in the country to have a divisional
reading room plan, with books on open shelves where students could freely access them. Norlin Library also completed the Norlin Quadrangle, a central grassy area in the middle of campus which is used as a spot for student gatherings and official events.
When it opened, Norlin was the largest university library between the
Mississippi and
California, and it still ranks among the largest. In 1940, there were 311,000 volumes and 60,000 pamphlets. This jumped to 706,371 volumes by 1950. Currently, Norlin Library and its satellite libraries house approximately 5 million volumes.
Macky Auditorium
Macky Auditorium is a large building on the University of Colorado campus, which plays host to various talks, plays, and musical performances. Andrew J. Macky was a prominent businessman involved with the town of Boulder in the late 1800’s. Macky served as the President, as well as a stockholder of the First National Bank, an institution founded by another early CU supporter Lewis Cheney. Macky is credited with a number of landmarks throughout Boulder, where he was a carpenter and involved in politics.
The
Auditorium
opened its doors in 1923, thirteen years after construction started. Macky's adopted daughter, May, sued for a third of Macky's estate, a case which took thirteen years to settle. May was angered that her father left her no money in his will, while leaving $400,000 to CU for the hall’s construction. The university eventually won the case, and the majority of critical construction on the building resumed.
The building has a variety of architectural elements from various buildings around the globe that President Baker, CU’s president at the turn of the century, admired. The design of the auditorium is primarily
Neo-Gothic, with the primary materials being sandstone and red tile, like the rest of campus. The result is a unique building, with two large towers and sprawling ivy, that sets itself apart from the rest of the CU campus. Macky was refurbished in 1986, with improved seating, custom carpeting, modern plumbing and an elevator. Currently there's an electronic bell system in the towers of Macky which rings the hours during the day.
Macky is the home of a two departments both in the College of Music, the Jazz Studies Department and the Choral Department, and it houses an
art gallery which is open Wednesdays, and to patrons during performances. A wide range of entertainers perform at Macky each year, from Phillip Glass to Wilco. The hall houses almost all performances by the
Boulder Philharmonic, the
Artist Series, and the
CU Opera. Macky is also the home of many lectures including the famous
Conference on World Affairs held at CU each spring.
Macky is also the location of a campus murder. In July of 1966, Elaura Jaquette, a twenty year old student, was lured into the west tower of the building by
Joseph Morse, a janitor at Macky. She was raped and brutally murdered in the organ practice room. The murder room is now a classroom. Campus legend claims her ghost still haunts the building.
University Memorial Center (UMC)
In 1947,
Colorado Governor
Lee Knous issued a
proclamation to create a
memorial to Colorado's servicemen at the University of Colorado at Boulder. A proposal to house this memorial in a
student union building resulted in a remarkable fundraising effort.
The University Memorial Center opened its doors in October 1953 with President
Robert L. Stearns presiding over the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Pundits of the day described the building as "opulent" and "breathtaking," and the UMC quickly became the central landmark of the Boulder campus.
A 1964 addition created a new book store, conference facilities, additional dining facilities, and offices to house the rapidly growing student activities and organizations. The expansion was financed through bonds granted by student fees.
The 1960s and '70s put the UMC at the center of student activism as students staged strikes, grape boycotts, love-ins, sit-ins, and walk-outs. The UMC Fountain Court (now the Dalton Trumbo Fountain Court) became a familiar sight to network television news watchers as the famous and notorious promoted their cause at CU-Boulder.
Entertainers as diverse as
Ramsey Lewis and the
Grateful Dead have performed in the
Glenn Miller Ballroom. The UMC Connection, a student entertainment center in the basement, is a more informal gathering place, featuring pool tables and a small bowling alley. It also features Club 156, which hosts concerts from local and up-and-coming bands.
In 1986, students passed another bond issue to remodel the food services area. The
Alferd Packer Grill was transformed to the current food court concept and students have since enjoyed the addition of other vendors including Subway, Dominos, and Celestial Seasonings Teas and Coffees.
Mary Rippon Theatre
The Mary Rippon Theatre is an outdoor
theater and the site of many
cultural events, notably the
Colorado Shakespeare Festival.
The Theatre was named after Professor
Mary Rippon, the first female instructor at the University and one of the first female University instructors in the United States. She taught German and French. Professor Rippon was so popular with students that when attempts were made to replace her with a male instructor, the student body revolted
en masse, and Rippon kept her job.
Galleries, museums and performing arts facilities
The University of Colorado at Boulder is home to an array of art galleries, museums, and performing arts facilities.
Galleries
Norlin Library features two art galleries, several dedicated art spaces, and art works on display throughout the building.
The
CU Art Museum features cutting edge works of modern and contemporary art, as well as historical art works. The Museum's permanent collection includes over 5,000 works of art from numerous time periods and cultures.
The
UMC Art Gallery exhibits a variety of visual offerings ranging from student works created on campus to presentations of internationally recognized artists.
Andrew J. Macky Gallery showcases the work of both local and national artists and is housed in the historic Macky Auditorium.
Museums
University of Colorado Museum of Natural History has one of the most extensive natural history collections in the Rocky Mountain and Plains regions, representing the disciplines of Anthropology, Botany, Entomology, Paleontology, and Zoology.
CU Heritage Center tells the stories of CU-Boulder's past and present and is housed in Old Main, the first building constructed on campus. Seven galleries exhibit art and memorabilia associated with CU faculty and alumni.
Fiske Planetarium and Science Center features a . planetarium dome - the largest between Los Angeles and Chicago - and produces laser shows, live concerts, and an on-going series of public programs. Fiske also offers a hands-on science museum with interactive exhibits and space-themed art.
Performing arts facilities
The University of Colorado College of Music presents over 400 performances and educational events bringing together faculty, students, and guest artists each year through the Pendulum New Music Series. They present musical genres including classical, jazz, world music, and new music.
Colorado University Theatre and Dance is home to the Charlotte York Irey Dance Theatre, the University Theatre, and the Loft Theatre. Over a dozen productions are presented each year featuring student and faculty actors, dancers, choreographers, directors, and designers.
Academics
The University of Colorado is divided into several colleges and schools. While the College of
Arts and
Sciences is by far the largest, the university also consists of the College of
Engineering and Applied Sciences, the schools of
Architecture and Planning,
Education,
Journalism and
Mass Communication,
Music,
Law, and the
Leeds School of Business. Most, if not all, of these colleges and schools also incorporate masters and doctorate level degree programs. At the University, there are currently approximately 3400 courses available in over 150 disciplines comprising 85 majors ranging from Accounting to Women's Studies.
University of Colorado School of Law is the smallest and most selective of the colleges. The Wolf Law Building, the new home of the Law School, was dedicated on September 8, 2006, by
United States Supreme Court justice
Stephen Breyer.
The
Leeds School of Business has an enrollment of 3,300 students including undergraduates, master's candidates, and Ph.D. candidates. The Ph.D. entrepreneurship program ranks first in the nation. The undergraduate program ranks 39th in the country and the undergraduate entrepreneurship program ranks 14th in the nation. The MBA program ranks 26th among all public universities. The faculty are ranked 38th in the nation according to the Academy of Management Journal.
Faculty
As of 2006, there were more than 3,800 tenured or tenure-eligible faculty members, as well as 4,400 non-tenured adjunct professors and instructors. Current faculty include
Nobel laureates John Hall (Physics, 2005),
Eric Cornell (Physics, 2001), and
Thomas Robert Cech (Chemistry, 1989). Former faculty member
Carl Wieman was also awarded a Nobel prize for his work with Eric Cornell during his career at the University of Colorado. Controversial writer
Ward Churchill was a professor of
ethnic studies until July 2007.
Center for Advanced Engineering and Technology Education
The
Center for Advanced Engineering and Technology Education (CAETE) is a partnership between the College of Engineering and Applied Science and the Division of Continuing Education and Professional Studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder. As the
distance learning and professional studies arm of the College of Engineering and Applied Science, CAETE provides courses from the College to working professionals via the Internet and CD-ROM. Students can take courses for professional development or toward earning a
master's degree or graduate certificate (in some disciplines) in
aerospace engineering,
computer science,
electrical and computer engineering,
engineering management, and
telecommunications. Founded in 1983, CAETE currently receives over 1,000 enrollments a year from over 250 job sites in
Colorado, across the nation, and abroad.
Academic freedom
Article 5.D of the Laws of the Regents defines "academic freedom" as the "freedom to inquire, discover, publish and teach truth as the faculty member sees it, subject to no control or authority save the control and authority of the rational methods by which truth is established." It requires that all members of the University's faculty have complete freedom to study, learn, research, and communicate the results of these pursuits to others. It also protects University students with freedom of study and discussion. However, both the faculty and the students must comply with certain standards. Those standards for faculty members are listed in 5.D.2.
First to observe a "fermionic condensate" formed from pairs of atoms in a gas.
Developed the "FluChip" to aid physicians in diagnosing respiratory illness and differentiating between three types of influenza and other viruses that cause similar symptoms.
First Place in the 2002 and 2005 National Solar Decathlons. (An international competition in which students and faculty from the Engineering and Architecture programs collaborated to design, construct, transport and live in a sustainable residence. These were the first two runnings of this competition.)
The number one university recipient of NASA funding
Campus organizations
The Buff Bus
The Buff Bus is a student shuttle that runs between off-campus housing and the main campus. The buses serve students with two routes through campus. The route from The Williams Village Dormitories and Bear Creek Apartments runs all day and brings passengers to campus from the remote dormitories and the apartment complex. The College Inn route runs for two hours in the morning and again in the evening and circulates through campus to and from that dormitory. The Buff Bus can also be chartered for special events and trips.
The Buff Bus runs from 7:00 am to midnight on weekdays, until 2:55 am on Fridays, and until 3:00 am on Saturday. It is a primary mode of transportation by many students living in off-campus housing. Many Buff Bus drivers are students, with a few exceptions.
The fleet includes buses manufactured by NovaBus, Gillig, Neoplan, Thomas Built Buses, Navistar International Corporation, Blue Bird Corporation, and ElDorado National. Some of the buses in the fleet are powered by biodiesel manufactured from fryer grease. The idea started as a class project for CU Environmental Engineering student Andrew Azman and four other students after hearing a talk from biodiesel pioneer, Joshua Tickell. The conversion of the Buff Buses to biodiesel was supported by a student referendum. Used fryer grease from the dining halls around campus is now processed into fuel for the Buff buses, leading some to comment that the bus exhaust smells like french fries. It is a non-profit, student-run organization for university students and affiliates interested in hiking and outdoors activities, with hundreds of active members on campus.
The club organizes member-led trips every weekend, and travels throughout the Rocky Mountain Region during breaks to wilderness areas in New Mexico, Wyoming, and Utah. of the club's activities is shown on campus during semi-annual new member meetings and the alumni association meets annually.
Radio 1190
KVCU AM-1190, popularly known as Radio 1190, is a college radio station affiliated with the University of Colorado at Boulder. Staff of the station are compensated with funds provided by the University of Colorado Student Union while operating funds are raised during biannual on-air pledge drives. It is also run by volunteers from the School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
Boulder Freeride
Boulder Freeride is the ski and snowboard club at the University of Colorado at Boulder. It was started in 1933, and has thrived on the CU campus as a student run, nonprofit organization . It was designed to promote skiing, and later, snowboarding at the University of Colorado, Boulder campus. There are three official fight songs: "Glory Colorado," "Go Colorado," and "Fight CU."
In 1934, the University teams were officially nicknamed the "Buffaloes." Previous nicknames used by the press included the “Silver Helmets” and “Frontiersmen.” The final game of 1934, against the University of Denver, saw the first running of a buffalo in a Colorado football game. A buffalo calf was rented from a local ranch and ran along the sidelines.
CU's varsity teams have won national championships in skiing, men’s cross country, women’s cross country, and football. Conference championships have also been won in several sports. Several club sports, such as cycling and triathlon, have won national championships in addition to the varsity teams.
In football, CU enjoys major rivalries with the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Colorado State Rams in the "Rocky Mountain Showdown." The game is sometimes played at the neutral site Invesco Field at Mile High. Since the 1990s, Colorado and Nebraska have finished their respective seasons in a nationally televised confrontation on the Friday following Thanksgiving.
The CU ski team has won 16 National Championships at the Division I level. The sport isn't sponsored by the Big 12 Conference, however.
CU also includes a spirit program. The spirit program consists of three teams: two Cheerleading squads, and the CU Express Dance Team. The Cheerleading Program consists of a competitive co-ed squad as well as a competitive all-girl squad. Both the Cheerleading squad and the Express Dance Team compete at NCA/NDA College Nationals. In 2007, the Cheerleading squad finished sixth at NCA Nationals in Daytona Beach, Florida. All squads support the home games of football, Women’s Basketball, Men’s Basketball and Women's Volleyball teams, along with other athletic and social events.
The costumed mascot Chip is also a part of the CU Spirit Program. Chip is a costumed buffalo that represents the University of Colorado at numerous athletic and social events.
CU also maintains one of the largest Club Sports departments in the U.S. It supports over 30 club teams with leading clubs such as crew, cycling, ultimate Frisbee, swimming/diving, fencing, men's lacrosse, softball, ice hockey, and Rugby union.
Boulder offers a variety of political student organizations which cover the full spectrum of politics. Among them are Amnesty International, which focuses on human rights worldwide, as well as the College Democrats and the College Republicans.
The University of Colorado also offers many clubs promoting diversity and human rights, such as the Gay Straight Alliance. Students can also choose from a plethora of clubs and organizations centered on ethnicities and countries, as well as different religious groups.
Further Information
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