Colorado College students represent a wide range of ethnic, religious, social, and economic backgrounds. The 2008-09 enrollment averaged 2,039, of whom about 46 percent were men and 54 percent women. Colorado College students come from all 50 states and from abroad, from public and private high schools, and from both large and small communities. Their interests are similarly broad, since many students are selected for admission not only on the basis of their academic abilities and promise, but also because of their potential cultural contributions to campus life.
About 50 percent of Colorado College students eventually go on to graduate or professional schools. The college’s success in preparing students for graduate study is confirmed by the number of its students receiving national fellowships for graduate study. Colorado College graduates have won such prestigious awards as Fulbright, Marshall, Jack Kent Cooke Graduate Scholarship, and Rhodes Scholarships, and Thomas J. Watson, Woodrow Wilson, Rotary, Luce, National Science Foundation, Mellon, and Danforth Fellowships. In addition, many graduates receive generous financial support from graduate and professional schools for advanced study.
The academic program discussed in detail below is, of course, the heart of a Colorado College education, but the campus is a lively place with a broad range of facilities designed to allow students and faculty to pursue interests beyond their purely academic goals. Most activities are organized by students and supported by tuition and fees, including student publications and intramural athletics. The Colorado College Student Government Association (CCSGA) charters, finances, and coordinates many groups and activities. Students have voting membership on most faculty committees and participate with a number of departmental and trustee committees.
Enrollment in Colorado College obligates students to conduct themselves as responsible members of the Colorado College community. Behavior that discredits the individual or the college, as generally determined by college rules and regulations, may result in disciplinary action. Colorado College reserves the right to suspend or dismiss a student whose conduct is regarded as being in conflict with the best interests of the college and in violation of its rules and regulations.
Residential Life and Housing
We believe that learning occurs both in and out of the classroom, and the residential component of the CC experience gives students many opportunities to educate their whole person and apply the theories they are learning in the classroom to their interactions with each other in their living environment. As a result, Colorado College requires that all students live on campus for the first three years of their CC experience, or until they have attained senior status as defined by the college. There are a few specific exceptions to the residential requirement, which are listed in the Pathfinder.
Our hope and expectation is that students living on campus are committed to being active members of their community where they reflect upon the spirit of each community value and apply the values to their everyday life and interactions. We want students to engage in their communities by demonstrating the community values in their actions, taking responsibility for themselves and their friends, and confronting behaviors they see in themselves or others that are not congruent with these values.
The department of residential life and housing embraces a four-year plan wherein students are provided with developmental opportunities in which they can engage themselves intellectually, socially, and personally. During their first year on campus, students live in one of the traditional residence halls, where emphasis is placed on helping students learn about themselves and each other, campus resources and policies, and how to live together in a wing or floor community. The sophomore year is focused on learning self-responsibility as well as how to communicate with peers and hold each other accountable for their shared values and expectations. Students are given opportunities to live with friends within the larger buildings or to pursue specific interests in a language house or themed learning community. Juniors and seniors live in less-supervised communities where they learn how to engage themselves in more global communities, such as transitioning to a study-abroad experience or learning how to cook and clean for themselves. During these two years, students are expected to be self-governing and also to give back to the residential community by serving as role models and engaging in conversations about how to improve college practices and policies. All of these efforts are designed to prepare students for living off campus during their senior year or after they graduate from college.
Student Government
As the student government, the Colorado College Student Government Association (CCSGA) is concerned with all aspects of college life and serves all members of the campus community. CCSGA charters and recognizes student organizations (see CCSGA Student Organization Recognition Guidelines), appoints students to faculty and trustee committees, represents the student body in dialogues with college administration, and funds special projects, chartered organizations, and student publications.
Every CC student is a member of CCSGA from the time they enter the college. Each student has the right to have his or her voice heard through voting in campus elections, running in campus elections, applying to serve on a college committee, as well as attending any of the open CCSGA meetings. The Executive Council is the CCSGA governing body, comprising five elected senior positions: president, executive vice president, student concerns vice president, constitutional vice president, and financial vice president. In addition to these executive members, 13 district representatives are elected from various residential areas on and off campus. Students elect these representatives annually. One college administrator and one faculty member, as well as various ex-officio members, are also invited to participate.
The CCSGA Executive Council meets four times every block, and meetings are open to the entire campus community. Campus life and funding issues are addressed at every executive council meeting.
CCSGA Executive Council members are required to serve on two CCSGA committees.
Student Organizations
Colorado College recognizes the rights of students to belong to and form an organization to promote and develop their common interests. The Colorado College Student Government Association (CCSGA) must certify any student organization that wishes to use the college’s name, facilities, or financial resources, and to sponsor activities open to the campus and general public. CCSGA provides two types of certification: recognition and chartering. Various privileges and regulations are provided for both means of certification.
Student organizations chartered or recognized by CCCA include Aprender Mediante Amistad (AMA), Acting Activism, Art Afternoon, Asian American Student Union, Black Student Union, Breakout, Breckenridge Adaptive Ski, CC Community Kitchen, CC Cycling Team, CC Learning Initiative in the Mountains (CCLIM), CC Poetry Club, Chaverim/Hillel, Cool Science, CREATE, Early Birds, Empty Bowls, Empty Stocking Fund, EnAct, Empowered Queers United for Absolute Liberation (EQUAL), Fair Trade Awareness Project, Fox Meadows Mentoring, Freeriders Union of Colorado College (FUCC), Girls Day in the Lab, Global Action, Habitat for Humanity, H.I.V., International Service Program, Ivywild Girl Scout Troop, Korean American Student Association (KASA), La Esperanza, Minority Association of Pre-Health Students (MAPS), Mighty Math, Native American Student Union (NASU), North Boys Enrichment Program, Queer Straight Alliance (QSA), Refugee Assistance Program, Relay for Life, Roots and Shoots, Rotaract, STAND, Students for Awareness of South Asia (SASA), SOMOS, SOSS, Tiger Eyes Dance Team, Tunnels of Oppression, Volunteer Action, VOX, Wasson High School Mentoring, Writer’s Workshop, Women’s Leadership Group. For a complete list of student organizations, please see the Pathfinder.
National social fraternities and sororities that maintain chapters at Colorado College are Kappa Sigma, Delta Gamma, Kappa Alpha Theta, and Kappa Kappa Gamma. Approximately 9 percent of the student body is affiliated with these fraternities and sororities.
The forensics and debate team represents the college in intercollegiate competition. Colorado College is a charter member of Delta Sigma Rho-Tau Kappa Alpha and sponsors the annual Al Johnson Invitational Forensics Tournament. Students compete in debate and individual events at tournaments in the Rocky Mountain region and throughout the country.
Student Publications
Cutler Publications, Inc. promotes student journalism on campus. Cutler produces The Catalyst (newspaper), The Leviathan (literary magazine) and The Cipher (political and intellectual journal).
Cutler is an independent, nonprofit organization responsible for overseeing the four student-run publications. Its governing board is made up of the three publications officers, two students elected at-large, and two faculty representatives, as well as a chairperson elected by the board.
New Faces is produced by the Student-Alumni Association.
Campus Program Board
The Campus Program Board is an important complement to the Block Plan at Colorado College. As a division of campus activities, this student-run committee provides cultural, educational, and social programs by giving students the opportunity to design and implement exciting programs for the Colorado College community. The committee, open to all students, funds and produce events ranging from musical, dance, and theater performances, to films, and just entertainment. The diversity of activities is limited only by
student imagination.
Dance Workshop — Dance Workshop produces two major dance concerts each year and welcomes all students interested in any genre of dance. The possibility of creating original and innovative choreography is just one exciting aspect of being involved.
Theatre Workshop — Theatre Workshop provides opportunities for students to produce, direct, and perform their own play or plays of their own choosing. Plays are performed in the student-run theater, Taylor Hall. The committee sponsors an annual playwriting contest for students, and the winning play is performed at the end of the school year.
Arts and Crafts
The arts and crafts program is meant to encourage all members of the CC community, including those with little or no previous artistic training, to participate in creating art of diverse media. Classes are offered each block in fiber, clay, metals, and photography, and complement the academic endeavors of students. All arts and crafts studios are located on the lower level of Worner Campus Center, with the exception of photography, which is in Packard Hall, Room 36. Students may sign up for classes at the Worner Center Desk.
The Arts and Crafts Committee offers classes in ceramics, fiber arts, jewelry making, batik, and photography. Classes are taught by professionals as well as students and are held in the arts and crafts studios downstairs in the Worner Center. The committee organizes art shows and exhibits, as well as an annual arts and crafts sale. Sign up for classes at the Worner Center Desk.
Outdoor Education
Outdoor trips offered through the student-run Outdoor Recreation Committee (known as the ORC) include backpacking, backcountry skiing, caving, kayaking, and hiking, as well as other outdoor-oriented trips. The ORC also runs the FOOT (First-year Outdoor Orientation Trip) program, which offers trips to first-year students during the first block break each fall. Students can rent outdoor gear and get more information on trip planning (maps and guidebooks are available) and other outdoor opportunities at the Outdoor Education Base Camp located at 1024 Weber. The outdoor education director can help students plan trips and serve to make outdoor learning opportunities more accessible to all students on campus and is located in upstairs Worner and at the Base Camp.
The Lloyd E. Worner Campus Center
The campus center, most commonly referred to as “Worner,” is a hub for campus activities outside the classroom. The main desk is the communication and information center for most campus and many Colorado Springs events. It is also the place to buy tickets for cultural and athletics events, or to borrow everything from magazines to Frisbees and Band-Aids. The Worner Center Desk also coordinates the campus master calendar. The Worner Center/Desk is open Monday to Wednesday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., Thursday and Friday, 8 a.m. to midnight, Saturday, 9 a.m. to midnight, and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Organizations and services housed in the Worner Campus Center include the following:
• Arts and Crafts Program Office/Studios
• Associate Dean of Students Office
• Benjamin’s Eatery
• CC Bookstore
• Campus Activities Office
• Career Center
• Outdoor Education Coordinator
• Center for Service and Learning
• Coburn Art Gallery
• Colorado Coffee
• Colorado College Student Government Association (CCSGA)
• Lost and Found (at Worner Center Desk)
• Office of Minority and International Students
• Rastall Cafe
• Sexual Assault Response Coordinator
• Student Mailboxes and Mailroom
• Student Organization Area
• Tiger Pit Workout Facility
Athletics, Physical Education, and Recreation
Colorado College believes participation in recreational activities and athletics to be an integral part of a well-ordered program of liberal education and encourages the widest possible participation in sports by individual members of the college community. Participation in those activities that contribute to the development of health and physical fitness and that have a definite and proven carry-over value to later life is especially encouraged. Athletics philosophy stresses the value and enjoyment in physically testing and developing oneself. The college offers formal and informal recreational activities, intercollegiate sports, club sports, and an extensive intramural program, as well as formal academic block courses in sport science.
Colorado College is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and of several individual collegiate sports associations. The department of athletics offers 17 intercollegiate sports. Men’s ice hockey and women’s soccer play in NCAA Division I; the remaining 15 sports are in NCAA Division III. Women’s intercollegiate sports are basketball, cross-country, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, tennis, indoor and outdoor track and field, and volleyball. Men’s intercollegiate sports are basketball, cross-country, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, tennis, and outdoor track and field. The college is committed to excellence in a program appropriate to a liberal arts college, while keeping in mind that participants are students first and athletes second.
Club sports are based on sustained student interest and the availability of facilities and competition. Currently, club sports for women are ice hockey, rugby, ultimate Frisbee, and soccer. Club sports for men are ice hockey, rugby, indoor track and field, and ultimate Frisbee. Coed club sports are cycling, equestrian, field hockey, and alpine skiing.
The aim of the extensive intramural and recreational sports program is to encourage everyone to participate in some kind of athletic activity. Intramural sports are offered in a variety of activities, including basketball, flag football, ice hockey, soccer, softball, volleyball, dodgeball, inner-tube water polo, and ultimate Frisbee.
A voluntary coeducational recreational program is offered at several levels, designed to be beneficial for the individual throughout life. Adjunct courses for partial credit are offered in advanced lifesaving, water-safety instruction, advanced first aid and CPR, health fitness, EMT Basic, and Wilderness First Responder.
Sports programs are centered in the versatile El Pomar Sports Center, Schlessman Natatorium, and Honnen Ice Rink. El Pomar Sports Center is home to facilities for all indoor sports, as well as the Carle Weight Room and Fitness Center. Modern laboratories for exercise physiology and biomechanics in El Pomar complement a cadaver anatomy lab in adjacent Cossitt Hall to support block courses in sport science. The main outdoor facilities are Washburn, Stewart, Olson, and Autrey Fields where lacrosse, track and field, and soccer games are played, as well as the Burghart Tennis Courts.
Health Services
The Boettcher Health Center, a nationally accredited facility, includes an urgent-care clinic, a counseling center, medical laboratory, pharmacy, and a wellness center. The clinic provides treatment for illnesses and injuries not requiring a hospital emergency room. Services of the part-time physician, two physician assistants, adult nurse practitioner, and two gynecological nurse practitioners are provided at scheduled times. All professional services are offered for a modest charge. Lab services are provided at special discounted fees. All fees are charged to a student’s business office account, but no currently enrolled student will be denied care because of financial hardship.
All students must have some form of health insurance to assist with the cost of the medical care provided outside of the student health center, if referred to medical specialists or the hospital. A custom-tailored student insurance policy has been created as an option for students whose family policies do not provide adequate coverage in the Colorado Springs area. (See section under Financial Obligations). To help students understand the provisions of this policy, an insurance counselor is available at Boettcher. Students who choose this policy will have no charges for covered benefits provided at the Boettcher Health Center, and will only have to pay a small deductible when seen by outside providers. At Boettcher, all fees are charged to the student’s business office account and reimbursements from the insurance company are credited to that account. All currently enrolled students may use the services at Boettcher, no matter what kind of insurance they have.
Students may schedule appointments during the week with a health care provider (MD, PA, or NP) for urgent or chronic health care problems. Students may also see a nurse on a first-come, first-served basis for urgent health problems on weekends. Nurses are able to prescribe certain medications through the doctor on call.
Matriculating students are required to complete the college’s medical history form and get a physical examination from their family doctor before registration. Proof of two measles vaccinations received after the age of 12 months old, verification of a meningitis vaccine or signed waiver (mandated by Colorado state law), and a recent TB test (within six months) are also required for registration.
All patient records at the Boettcher Health Center and the counseling center are confidential and may not be shared with parents or other third parties without the student’s written consent.
Counseling Services
The Counseling Center at Boettcher Health Center provides a wide range of mental health services. The professional staff consists of doctoral-level psychologists, clinical social workers, and counselors. A consulting psychiatrist provides medication reviews and may prescribe mental health medications at the Counseling Center. Students should see a counselor before making an appointment with the psychiatrist. There is a fee charged for seeing the psychiatrist. Psychotherapy, counseling, consultations, assessments, and outside referrals are provided for emotional issues, academic problems, eating disorders, depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and many other personal problems. A modest fee is charged for counselor visits after the first free visit. Workshops and support groups are also available for relationship issues, assertiveness, stress reduction, and many other topics. All fees for counselors and the psychiatrist may be charged to student account. Funds are available through the dean’s office for counseling and no students are turned away for financial reasons. Counselors are on call 24 hours a day while school is in session. Students can make appointments or reach the on-call counselor by calling 389-6384 when Boettcher Health Center is open.
In addition to the Counseling Center, other excellent sources of brief counseling and advising for personal and/or academic concerns include faculty advisers, academic deans, the associate deans of students, residential life coordinators (hall directors), and student resident assistants. Students may also go to a college chaplain for counseling.
Sexual Harassment Policy Statement for Students
Colorado College prohibits sexual harassment by or against its students. Behavior that may constitute sexual harassment under this policy includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other unwelcome verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature where submission to such conduct is made a term or condition of the student’s employment or education; or submission or rejection of such conduct is used as the basis for employment of educational decisions affecting the student, or such conduct has the effect or purpose of substantially interfering with a student’s work or academic performance or of creating an intimidating, hostile, or demeaning employment or learning environment.
Sexual harassment is a form of discrimination, and may involve either female or male students being harassed by persons of the opposite sex, harassment between persons of the same sex, or harassment because of sexual orientation.
Although sexual harassment involves sexual conduct that is unwelcome, students should understand that even consensual sexual relations may lead to complaints that the policy has been violated where one party to the relationship has power or authority over the other, one party no longer wishes to continue the relationship, actual or potential abuse exists in the relationship, or where third parties not involved in the relationship believe it is affecting their own employment or educational environment.
If you believe you have been or are being sexually harassed by a college employee, you may choose to address the situation by informal consultation procedures or by filing a formal complaint under the college’s antidiscrimination policy, which is contained in the Pathfinder. For complaints against a student, please refer to the Student Sexual Misconduct Policy in the Pathfinder.
Any student can consult confidentially with the sexual assault response coordinator (Worner Center, Room 219) for clarification and guidance regarding any concerns about sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, this policy, and other related college policies.
Minority and International Students
The office of minority and international students in Worner Center serves all students and campus community members by implementing, supporting, and promoting intercultural and global awareness, cultural competencies, inclusiveness, education, and advocacy both on campus and in the larger community.
Staffed by a director, a minority student life specialist, an international student life specialist, and a staff assistant, this office provides student advising and leadership development for several ethnic, minority, and international student groups on campus, serves as a liaison between these groups, provides support, and serves as a resource for students. Service is also provided for first-generation college students — those who will be among the first in their families to receive a bachelor’s degree. Many students participate in Friends of CC, a host family program which serves international, American ethnic minority, and first-generation students to provide sustained community support and other resources for maximizing their educational experience.
Staff members also work with faculty, staff, students, and organizations around issues of sustained diversity education and advocacy; are involved in committees and taskforces that work with faculty on issues of inclusiveness in the academic curriculum, work cooperatively with the entire campus community to promote a campus climate that values diversity in all its forms, and conduct extensive outreach to the Colorado Springs community through involvement in and/or sponsorship of events and activities aimed at supporting diversity and inclusion and enhancing academic achievement for local youth.
The office also co-advises the Glass House (multicultural theme residence) and operates the Student Cultural Center (SCC), staffed by student interns, where a variety of activities take place from group meetings and classes to study-skills workshops, open-study sessions, social events, workshops and discussion groups, and just hanging out. The SCC also houses an archive of books and other reading materials.
The office of minority and international students also handles immigration paperwork for students in F-1 status, including the issuance of I-20 forms. This school is authorized under federal law to enroll nonimmigrant students.
Center for Service and Learning
The Center for Service and Learning was created to promote an ethic of service and to develop civic-minded leadership among all members of the college community. Its purpose is to recognize and understand the civic and social challenges of our world and to act with others in pursuit of a just society.
The center is located upstairs in the Worner Student Center, Room 205,(719) 389-6846. It has three full-time professional staff and nine student staff. The center:
Supports and advises more than 30 different ongoing service and philanthropic organizations that provide a wide variety of service opportunities for students;
Helps facilitate more than 100 one-time service events and projects each year;
Coordinates the New Student Orientation Priddy Service Experience and the Saturday of Service programs;
Provides a wide range of trainings, workshops, reflections, and experiences to provide students with the skills and knowledge to have meaningful service experiences, support the development of their leadership skills and expose students to and prepare them for work in the nonprofit sector;
Sponsors speakers and events for the campus and local community;
Builds local, regional, and international links with organizations working for the common good;
Assists faculty with the development of community-based learning (CBL) courses — academic courses that promote student learning and meet community needs.
Religious Life and Spirituality
Colorado College welcomes all people of faith, values freedom of religious expression, and commits itself to religious pluralism. More than 25 spiritual communities have an active presence on campus to encourage students on their journey.
The chaplains’ office fosters the life of the spirit by inviting authentic spiritual exploration and meaningful religious commitment. Supporting the human quest for identity and belonging, we cultivate an education of the heart to enrich the unique intellectual adventure at CC. The chaplains advise the interfaith Shove Council and Heads of Faith groups, support diverse campus religious organizations and sponsor programs such as the Holocaust Commemoration Series, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration, Faculty and Faith, Baca Retreats, and the annual Faith Week. The chaplains are available to meet with any member of the Colorado College community.
Shove Chapel serves as the spiritual center for the Colorado College community. This sacred place is home to religious communities, individual seekers, the CC Community Kitchen, Sacred Grounds Coffeehouse, and the chaplains’ office. Built in 1931 as a gift from Eugene Shove, this majestic Romanesque chapel opens its doors to all. Near the chapel, an outdoor, 11-circuit, Chartes-style labyrinth is available at all times to foster spiritual reflection, meditation, and pilgrimage. The Interfaith House on East Campus offers a relaxed, friendly environment for spiritual practices and gatherings of all traditions.
Career Center
The Career Center supports the liberal arts mission of the college by engaging students in the process of self-assessment, career exploration, and decisionmaking. The professional staff assists students and alumni in clarifying goals, developing effective job-search strategies, and exploring career fields of interest. The Career Center library has extensive information on internships, career opportunities, and graduate schools. Our online database, SUCCESS, enables students to search for and apply to internships and full-time job opportunities from any location.
The Career Center staff strives to work with all students, helping them explore career options through finding interesting and meaningful internships or summer jobs. All students are encouraged to obtain internships to test out career interests and gain substantive experience. The Career Center provides students with assistance and resources to contact alumni around the world for career-related advice and information
The Career Center has joined the Selective Liberal Arts Consortium to provide additional job and internship opportunities to students. Currently, students may participate in nationwide recruiting activities reserved for members of the Consortium, including interview events in Chicago, New York City, and Washington, D.C. In addition, the Career Center stages an annual internship and job fair as well as on-campus recruiting.
Campus Safety
Campus safety offers 24-hour coverage of the campus by foot, bicycle, and vehicle patrols. The patrol works closely with the Colorado Springs Police Department, which also provides vehicle patrol for the campus and extended campus areas during selected hours.
The director of security education in the office of residential life conducts security education programs. Activities have included self-defense for women, a campus escort system, a Victim’s Assistance Team, Whistle Stop Program, and informal discussions about personal security.
Motor Vehicles
Students may operate motor vehicles, but must register their vehicles with the college. First-year students are not allowed to have a vehicle on campus without special permission. The privilege of operating a motor vehicle on campus is contingent on the observation of parking and driving regulations. A student parking permit is $225 per academic year ($112.50 per semester). Students registering for parking permits can make their payment at campus security or can sign the registration card to have the charge added to their student account.
