Family Weekend Kickoff

Sept. 30, 2016

Good morning!  Welcome to Family Weekend. We are happy to see you, and I trust your student is too. But who really knows the mindset of our newest students? We know a few things about them.

  • If you want to reach them, you better send a text.
  • They have not known life without Google.
  • They take Wi-Fi for granted.
  • They’ve never licked a postage stamp.
  • Snowboarding has always been an Olympic sport.

We know a few more things about them too. We learned officially this month that they are the best-prepared and most-diverse class we’ve had in our history.

  • The new class has an average high school grade-point average of 3.66.
  • 17% percent of our new students are first-generation students.
  • 26% are students of color, not including international students.
  • We also have 484 new international students – 7 1/2 % of the new class.

The growing diversity of both domestic and international students gives all students the opportunity to experience different viewpoints and cultures to prepare for success in the world marketplace.

We also just learned that nearly 87% of our freshmen last year returned as sophomores this year. That’s good news. That’s the best freshman to sophomore retention we’ve ever had, and it’s a strong indicator of their ultimate success and graduation.

Student success is our top priority. Your presence here this weekend supports and encourages your student in their transition to college and we are glad to see you here.

Yvonne and I are parents of daughters who graduated from CU.  As parents, we know first-hand how important it is to invest in your student’s education, and we want them to have every opportunity to graduate and become a Forever Buff.

We admit people who can be successful at CU, but we also know the transition can be challenging. We have a number of new initiatives and programs to support our students.

  • New online student orientation so we can communicate with today’s students on their terms.
  • New advising platform.
  • Academic alert helps us red flag struggling students.
  • New programs to ensure that every student feels welcome and included.
  • Free Tutoring. Lauren Taylor, freshman geology major from Chicago, has her picture taken with es a photo of her dad, Stan; mom, Susanne; and Coco, in front of the UMC.

We believe that families are partners in their student’s education – Yvonne and I know that. Again, we’re glad that you are here. Welcome to the Buff Family. And Go Buffs!