Student Expectations & Resources

The Online Experience is the online orientation at CU Boulder. The Online Experience is mandatory for all incoming students and covers student success, advising, enrolling in classes and connects new students to important campus resources. By completing challenges throughout the Online Experience, students unlock rewards, content and most importantly, access to enroll in classes.

At CU Boulder new student transition is a deliberate progressive experience. Your New Student Welcome Experience includes the multiple steps and components to student orientation. While students do not have an in person summer orientation at CU Boulder, the Online Experience and email campaign series coupled with access to speaking with your academic advisor, registering for classes, various optional informational webinars, and completion of your new student To-Do items provide students with the essential information needed to be prepare for their college transition. Prior to the start of the semester, new students will participate in Fall Welcome, which is an in-person orientation experience which kicks off their college experience by providing the essential tools, resources, and knowledge necessary for students to succeed at CU Boulder while connecting them with peers, faculty, staff, and administration.

Contact Teresa Wroe via email at teresa.wroe@colorado.edu. You may attend another session as a walk-in if possible. More information about bystander intervention training can be found here.

The Admissions office has a guide to what credits will transfer to Boulder on their website.

Credits may not transfer due to unsatisfactory grades or course content that is not compatable with CU Boulder courses. For more information, contact Admissions or view transfer credit policy & guidelines.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their children's education records. These rights transfer to the student when he or she reaches the age of 18 or attends a school beyond the high school level. Students must give permission for anyone, including parents and family members, to review their education record.

In general, CU Boulder may disclose directory information without consent from the student. Students do have the opportunity to request that CU Boulder not disclose directory information about them. For more information, contact the Registrar's office.

FERPA protects the privacy of student education records and students must grant consent for anyone to access these records. Students can do this in two ways: CU Guest Access and FERPA Consent to Release.

FERPA Consent to Release allows university representatives to answer questions about specific aspects of a student's record and discuss the record with individuals other than the student. CU Guest Access is an online, read-only way for guests to see certain components of a student's record. It doesn’t allow guests to ask questions about or discuss a student’s record with a university representative.

The academic calendar it the best place to see which dates students have off in any school year. For an abbreviated list, visit the Key Dates section on the right hand side of the website.

New Student & Family Programs publishes the Buff Family Newsletter to provide families with an overview of important updates regarding campus events and dates. CU Boulder Today also includes great articles about campus news.

In addition, you may bookmark some of CU's websites, such as the Bursar, the Academic Calendar, and the Events Calendar. These are regularly updated to reflect the latest information possible.

Although some classes may take attendance, this information isn’t readily available. Talk with your student if you are concerned about their class attendance, and encourage them to be proactive in attending classes in order to get important material.

Incoming students must complete the Online Experience before selecting their enrollment window. Continuing students can find their enrollment window in MyCUInfo.

Students can enroll in classes during their assigned enrollment appointment, the schedule adjustment period and the open enrollment period through the add deadline. See the Add/Drop Calendar for specific dates and deadlines.

After the last day to add a class in MyCUInfo, all added classes require the instructor's signature on a Special Action Form (available at the instructor's department). Instructors usually only approve an add for students who have been attending regularly and in classes with space available.

Take a look at the hold and its description. Often holds will give you directions on how to clear them, and which office placed the hold. If you still have questions, contact the office responsible for the hold or contact New Student & Family Programs.

During our busy time in the summer, the Office of Admissions can often have a 3-4 week processing time once transcripts are received. During this time, new students are still eligible to register for classes. You may contact Admissions to double check that they have received your transcript, but this missing information won't impact your student account until September, when it will become a hold. If you still see that item on your To-Do item in late September, contact Admissions for assistance 

Students with physical or learning disabilities should connect with Disability Services. 

Students requesting reasonable accommodations and/or services must submit documentation of a disabling condition to verify eligibility under the Americans with Disabilities Amendment Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and Disability Services’ own guidelines. It is strongly recommended that students complete their intake appointments during the summer, prior to their first semester. Students should submit their documentation to Disability Services and schedule an intake appointment as early as possible.

Students seeking alternative access to print materials and students requesting real-time captioning or sign language interpreting must notify Disability Services upon acceptance of admission to the university.

If a student misses an exam due to sudden and severe injury or illness, they should talk with the instructor as soon as possible to make arrangements. 

If an exam is scheduled on a religious holiday, they should work with the instructor to find a suitable accommodation. 

Final exam policy

Students are provided with free tutoring options on-campus through ASAP tutoring. Going to professor's office hours for extra help can also assist students in succeeding in classes. For students on or near acadmic probation or academic recovery, Wardenburg hosts a free 10-week Bounce Back Program to help students learn academic skills that will help them succeed here at CU.

Career Services provides plenty of ways for students to explore their interests, including personality assessments, career fairs, and individual career counseling. Students should also get in contact with their assigned advisor in order to learn about how to change majors and what impacts this may have on their future class schedules. If their new major is in another college at CU, the advisor can also help initiate the Intra-University Transfer process and provide more information about how this works.

Attending campus events is a great way to meet other students. At the beginning of the year, there are a variety of events intended to promote student connection that are free! Students can also visit resources like the Center for Student Involvement or the Center for Inclusion & Social Change throughout the year to find people with similar interests and passions.

Before buying a computer, we suggest checking with your student's academic advisor to find out if one platform (Mac or Windows) is preferred over another for that major. The Office of Information Technology (OIT) has also put together a student shopping list so you know exactly what technology to bring to campus.

The CU Book Store provides educational discounts on Apple, Dell and Lenovo computers. Make sure to also check OIT’s Site Licenses page for software that students can access at a discount or no fee at all, including Microsoft Office.

It’s simple to print at one of the many printing and scanning locations across campus. Each student receives a printing quota on their student ID each semester, so there’s no need to bring a printer to campus.

Please note that due to the interference they cause, personal wifi access points/routers are prohibited in the residence halls and wireless printers are strongly discouraged.

OIT’s Quick Start Guide provides the tips your student will need to get off to a smooth start using campus technology. Students have access to free IT support for all campus IT services, such as email and IdentiKey, internet connectivity, telephone service and technology-related questions or problems. OIT also provides a walk-in no-cost support service for students at two campus locations.

Campus-wide graduation ceremonies are held only in the Spring semester, and take place on Friday, the day after final exams. Students graduating in the winter may attend the Spring ceremony, as well as individual college/department ceremonies. This year’s graduation and degree conferral dates can be viewed on the commencement website.

The campus commencement ceremony lasts approximately an hour and a half, and includes recognition of graduates and a keynote speaker. Individual college/department recognition ceremonies vary in structure, so it is recommended that you contact the specific department. More information and answers to other commencement questions can be found here.

Official diplomas are mailed to students approximately eight weeks after the end of the semester in which they completed their degree requirements. If no Diploma Address was entered on MyCUInfo, the diploma will be mailed to the Home Address on file. More information about ordering diplomas can be found here.

For the campus-wide ceremony, seating for guests with mobility concerns, assistive listening devices, real-time captioning, and sign language interpreting are readily available and do not require a reservation. For specific college or department ceremonies, contact the ADA Coordinator's office at 303-492-9725 or adacoordinator@colorado.edu, or get in touch with the department directly. More information about disability access for graduation ceremonies can be found on the commencement website.

The University does not offer discounts, as these are up to the discretion of each individual hotel. A comprehensive list of hotels in Boulder can be found here.

All fee-paying students can receive six mental health visits per year with Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS). These services are available at Wardenburg Health Center and the Center for Community (C4C). CAPS staff includes licensed professional counselors, social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses and certified addiction counselors. 

The Office of Victim Assistance (OVA) also provides free, confidential response services for students, faculty, staff and their significant others who experience traumatic, disturbing or disruptive life events. 

• The Student Recreation Center offers cardio and strength training equipment, weight room, climbing gym, ice rink, courts and more.
• The Sport Clubs Program provides students the opportunity to participate in a competitive sport club against other intercollegiate teams.
• Intramural Sports provides opportunities for participants to compete in various sports against other students, faculty/staff members, graduate students, student groups, and recreational center members. 

Disability Services has a list of resources and steps to take for students unable to attend class due to temporary medical conditions. There are a variety of offices on campus that can assist students in requesting and coordinating accommodations for these conditions, including Student Support and Case Management, the Office of Victim Assistance, and the Dean of Students Office.

Encourage your student to talk with their RA or friends. RA’s can provide support and help them to get connected on campus with other students and student groups to create a support system here in Boulder. Collegiate Parent also has a great article about dealing with homesickness.