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University of Colorado at Boulder

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The CU Boulder campus.
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The CU Boulder campus.

The University of Colorado at Boulder (CU-Boulder, UCB officially[#endnote_style]; Colorado, CU colloquially) is the flagship university of the University of Colorado system. CU has produced a number of astronauts, Nobel laureates, 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 as the 11th-best public university in the world and 31st best university globally for 2003. The U.S. News and World Report currently ranks the university 78th in the nation overall (private institutions included) and 34th best among public universities. In 2004, Carl Wieman was named U.S. Professor of the Year.

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History

In March 14, 1876, the Colorado state legislature passed an amendment to state constitution which provided for the establishment of the University of Colorado in Boulder, the Colorado School of Mines in Golden and an Agricultural College in Fort Collins, which would later become Colorado State University.

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 CU-Boulder Campus is located about 1 mile from Pearl Street. On the outskirts of Campus, there is "The Hill" which has shops, restaurants, etc. Further up "The Hill" are fraternities and sororites.

On Campus, there are three theaters, one of which is the Mary Rippon Theater, an outdoor theater.

The CU Campus is known for its distinctive red flagstone architecture. Most buildings on campus are of this style, and can be recognized at a distance.

Academics

The University of Colorado is divided into several unique colleges. While the College of Arts and Sciences is by far the largest, the university consists of the colleges of: Architecture and Planning, Arts and Sciences, Business, Education, Engineering and Applied Sciences, Journalism, Law, and Music. Most, if not all of these colleges also incorporate a Graduate School. At the University, there are currently approximately 3400 courses available in over 150 disciplines comprising 85 majors ranging from Accounting to Women's Studies.

As of Fall 2004, the top 10 declared majors were:

The most popular major for new students is the "open option" or undeclared major.

CU's Law School is by far the smallest and most selective. Admitting on average only 165 students per year, 55% of whom are in-state, the program has established itself as a prestigious one. At least one professor from the department was chosen as a justice for the Colorado Supreme Court. The Wolf Law Building, set to open September 8, 2006 will more than double the program's size.

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. He created the First National Bank of Boulder, and many other notable landmarks in the town where he was also 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. The university eventually won the case, and the majority of critical construction on the building resumed. 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 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 primarly 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.

Macky is the home of a two departments on campus, the Film 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 an office. Campus legend claims her ghost still haunts the building.

Honor code

CU-Boulder has an honor code that all students must adhere to in their academic pursuits. A copy of the code, engraved on a metal plate, is posted in every classroom on campus. The Honor Code is a result of a student initative, the honor code took effect in 2000 after the student body voted in favor of the code. [link] 
The code states: On my honor as a University of Colorado at Boulder student I have neither given nor received unauthorized assistance.   


Students at the University of Colorado at Boulder are expected to uphold the ideals of ethics and honor in all of their academic pursuits. If students do not they are held accountable through the student-run honor code system.



Notable CU students, alumni, and staff



The University of Colorado at Boulder ranks fourth among U.S. universities in number of astronauts produced, not including military academies.



Notable Accomplishments at CU



Athletics



Sports teams at the school are called Buffaloes. CU participates in the NCAA’s Division I (I-A for football) as a member of the Northern Division of the Big 12 Conference.  The school mascot is Ralphie the Buffalo and the school colors are Silver and Gold, but are usually represented by Black and Gold. 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 DU, 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.





The logo of CU athletics

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The logo of CU athletics







CU has won national championships in both men’s and women’s cross country, cycling, triathlon, skiing, and a national championship in football.  Conference championships have also been won in several sports.


In football, CU enjoys major rivalries with the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Colorado State Rams.  The Buffs begin each football season with the “Rocky Mountain Showdown” against Colorado State. Usually the game has been played at Invesco Field at Mile High, but the game has been moved to Folsom Field when CU is the home team in the series.  However, in 2006, the game will again be played at 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.


In late 2005, Head Coach Gary Barnett was asked to resign his position after CU lost 70-3 against then #2-ranked University of Texas.


The CU ski team has won a countless number of national championships at the division I level as well


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 cycling and ice hockey.



See also



External links



References








Coordinates: [40°0′24″N, 105°16′2″W]






Association of American Universities



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