FAQs for Parents and Families
Please visit this resource page for the most up-to-date FAQs regarding COVID-19.
Academics: General
Students who are having trouble resolving their schedules may work with the Advising Hub and/or their academic advisor.
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Academic Support
The Colket Center provides students with a supportive environment, individualized instruction, and opportunities for collaborative learning. The Colket Center approaches learning from a social constructivist perspective, as a process in which learners actively construct knowledge, building upon or transforming their existing understanding as a result of their social encounters and participation in an academic community.
The Colket Center has three distinct units: support for writers through the Ruth Barton Writing Center, support for math, the sciences, and quantitative social sciences through the Quantitative Reasoning Center, and support for English Language Learners through our English as a Second Language specialist. A thesis-writing specialist works with students writing senior theses and capstone projects and a writing center specialist works with students applying for highly competitive scholarships and fellowships. The Colket Center also offers programs for students at transitional moments in their academic careers through the First Year Program and Sophomore Jump.
More than 55% of students enrolled at Colorado College use the services of the Colket Center in a given year. The Colket Center serves the most accomplished students alongside the most at risk, seniors alongside first-years, and students studying math and science alongside students who are writing papers for a humanities course. All students, regardless of ability or preparation, come to the Colket Center to seek help, consult others, and collaborate - skills that are valuable far beyond the CC experience.
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Accessibility
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Calendar
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Dining and Meal Plans
Students love special treats! Get more information about celebrating your student.
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Emergencies: Campus
CC students, faculty, and staff are notified through the Rave Mobile Safety messaging system, a multi-modal service that helps college officials provide emergency information via:
- Voice messages to home, work, and cell phones
- Text messages to cell phones, PDAs, and other text-based devices
- Written messages to e-mail accounts
- Messages to TTY/TDD receiving devices for individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing
All students are automatically enrolled in this system based on the directory information that they provide and/or verify through the check-in process at the beginning of each semester. If a change in information occurs either before or after semester check-in, please encourage your student to keep their contact information updated through the "personal information" menu in the Self Service Banner (SSB) portal.
There are three types of messages, in order of severity, that might be sent by the college to communicate about emergencies:
- Emergency notification of an emergent threat to the campus; sent immediately after Campus Safety learns of the emergency.
- Timely warning email when a crime has occurred on or near campus and a suspect is at-large; sent soon after Campus Safety learns of the situation.
- General email to campus community and parents; this may communicate resources for support or other information. Timing varies.
Please be aware that taking care of our students is the top priority for the college. Before messages are sent to parents, we need to make sure that information is accurate, that the next steps in our emergency response protocols are activated, and that the campus community has been notified.
If the Colorado College website is operational, any notifications that are sent to the campus community via the Rave Mobile Safety messaging system will also be posted on the emergency preparedness webpage.
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Emergencies: Personal
In the event of a life-threatening emergency, students should call 911 (9-911 from an on-campus phone) or Campus Safety at 719-389-6911 (6-911 from an on-campus phone). Students should always give their location, and nature of the emergency, and be prepared to respond to the dispatcher's questions or instructions. Students should not hang up until told to do so.
In case of a medical or psychological crisis, students should call Campus Safety at 6911. Campus Safety can initiate a response from police, fire, medical, counseling support teams, and other appropriate campus resources. If an emergency involving CC students occurs off campus, students should notify Campus Safety immediately at 719-389-6707.
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Financial
The college has secured relationships with the following banks which will provide banking services to our students, faculty, and staff.
Bank of Colorado
421 N Tejon Street
(719) 473-2100
- Check cashing for students, faculty, and staff (with Gold Card & ID)
- Unlimited denomination if Colorado College check
- Up to $200 for non-Colorado College check
- Free checking account
Wells Fargo Bank
90 S Cascade Avenue
(719) 577-5496
- Check cashing for students, faculty, and staff (with Gold Card & ID)
- Unlimited denomination if Colorado College check
- Up to $200 for non-Colorado College check
Questions about financial aid should be directed to the Financial Aid office. They maintain a comprehensive website with detailed information on a variety of financial aid issues.
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Health and Wellness
Encourage your student to:
- speak with his or her student residential advisor (RA) or professional residential life counselor (RLC). Residential life staff are trained to assist students with accessing campus resources;
- talk with someone from the Chaplain's office;
- make an appointment at the Colorado College Counseling Center. The counseling center offers 24-hour mental health services and a myriad of other counseling services. The counseling center is open to all Colorado College students. There is no fee for the first six counseling sessions.
The College has made health care services available to students since 1936 and continues its commitment to delivering high-quality health care to our students through our partnership with Optum which provides health services to students on campus through the Student Health Center.
The college and the health professionals with whom we partner are committed to supporting Colorado College students' health with an understanding that healthy students are best equipped to fully engage in the educational opportunities available through Colorado College curriculum and programs. We are also committed to educating our students on how to become savvy and informed users of healthcare for a lifetime.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) is a federal law that sets rules for health care providers and health plans about who can look at and receive health information, including family members and friends. Parents should be aware that all students 18 years and older are considered legal adults when it comes to their medical care, even if parents are providing full financial support. Unless your adult student has given written permission authorizing disclosure of their health information to you, healthcare providers are prohibited by law from providing you with any health information.
If your student is treated at the Student Health Center, your student can sign a HIPPA release form which will give you access to information about the treatment provided thereby Colorado College's medical provider, DaVita Medical Group.
In the event that your student is treated at another facility, or is unable to provide authorization at the time they are being treated, it may be a good idea for you to have a signed authorization on hand that you can send to the healthcare provider, which will allow them to provide you with your student's health information. You may also want to consider completing a durable power of attorney and/or health care proxy with your student. These forms authorize you to make medical and financial decisions in the event that your student becomes incapacitated. Read more about these documents and find helpful links in these articles from Forbes and Consumer Reports.
All students enrolled at Colorado College are required to be covered by insurance, either under a family health insurance plan or under the college's student insurance plan. Students and their parents should confirm their coverage with their plan prior to arrival at Colorado College and prior to any appointments to determine their exact benefits.
Most insurance plans require a copayment or have a deductible. Depending upon the student's specific plan, students may be responsible for a payment of some kind. Answers to frequently asked questions about billing, as well as staff contact info are available on the Student Health Center page. Otherwise, contact your insurance provider.
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Housing
Many factors influence the room assignment process and create movement in housing through the month of July, including:
- admitted new students may still choose not to come;
- returning students may change their housing plans due to transfer or late acceptance to study abroad;
- returning students may decide to take a leave of absence or apply to live off campus if eligible.
As we attempt to balance these factors with our effort to meet as many individual requests as possible, both incoming students, as well as returning students who did not secure an assignment during the housing selection process, can expect to receive their assignments in early August.
Although there are spaces available at the end of the selection process, some students (primarily sophomores) may end up with no housing assignment at the end of the year.
The most common reason for this is that the student had a later time slot, and a room that fit their preferences wasn't available (i.e., they really wanted a single, and only doubles were left). As a result, the student will elect not to choose a room.
In some cases, a student may simply have chosen not to participate in room selection. For a relatively small number of students, room selection isn't a priority, and they're content to simply be assigned a room.
Colorado College's student mailing address for both mail and packages is:
[Student Name]
Colorado College Campus Mail
819 North Tejon St. CC Box #
Colorado Springs, CO 80946
- Alarm Clock
- Bedding - sheets, pillow, pillowcase, blanket, mattress pad
- Caddy to store/carry shower items
- Desk lamp (no plastic shades allowed)
- Desk supplies
- Fan
- Hand soap
- Hangers
- Headphones
- Laundry detergent
- Iron (although there are typically irons available in residence halls)
- Laundry basket/bag
- Sewing kit
- Swimsuit
- Phone and charger
- Towels and washcloths
- UL-approved power strip with a surge protector
- Umbrella
- Wastebasket
- Electrical Appliances (halogen lamps, electric blankets, space heaters, heat lamps)
- Kitchen Appliances (The only things permitted are coffee pots with automatic shut-offs)
- Flammable Items (Incense, candles, gasoline, propane, sterno, and hookahs)
- Animals (No animals, other than fish or crustaceans that live underwater, are permitted.)
- Excessive Amounts of Furniture (lofts, waterbeds, personal desks or beds)
- Weapons (Guns, ammunition, pellet guns, air guns, smoke devices, bow and arrows, large knives, and fireworks)
- Large Stereo Bass Units (Subwoofers). These create a loud disturbance in surrounding rooms. Stereos without these units are acceptable.
Please check your homeowner's or renter's insurance to see if it covers your student's property while they are away at school. The college does not take responsibility for the students' personal belongings, even if personal items are damaged as a result of a facility issue. Students are strongly encouraged to obtain renter's insurance.
Laundry facilities are provided in all college-owned residences.
Students are required to vacate their rooms and remove all belongings for summer break, as we have both academic and conference activities on campus over the summer and utilize all the residence halls for those purposes. Unfortunately, we do not provide on-campus storage for students. We simply don't have the space. Students are encouraged to take their belongings home with them.
If that is not an option, students can rent space in a local storage facility. Students who choose this option are responsible for packing and transporting their belongings to the storage facility prior to the posted closing of their residence hall. Students will often carpool with friends to accomplish this task.
Students and families who don't live within easy driving distance of Colorado College might consider companies that provide door-to-door summer storage and shipping services. Colorado College does not endorse any storage or shipping company and does not have responsibility for damaged or lost belongings.
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Mail Services
CC's Mail Services team provides detailed information on their web page. Colorado College's student mailing address for both mail and packages is:
Student Name
Colorado College Campus Mail
819 North Tejon St. CC Box #
Colorado Springs, CO 80946
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Parking and Transportation
Our campus is compact enough that getting from one end to the other by foot takes only 10 minutes or so, but many students will choose to supplement walking with a bike or a skateboard. No matter which mode of transportation is used, we encourage all members of the campus community to use common sense and practice good personal safety techniques at all times, especially when crossing the main thoroughfares that go through campus.
Students are also encouraged to travel in groups of three or more, especially during the hours of darkness. However, when this is not possible, Colorado College provides a safe ride service for the immediate campus vicinity. The service is student-run and available to all campus community members free of charge.
We do not have enclosed, secured bike storage on campus. Students may keep their bicycles in the bike racks outside each residence hall or inside their individual rooms if space permits. Storage in the residence hall hallways is not permitted due to fire regulations. If your student will store a bike outside, we encourage the use of a heavy-duty lock, such as a U-lock, to attach the bike to a rack at all times.
We also encourage students to register their bikes with our campus safety office. In the event that a bike is stolen, registration helps campus safety and the CSPD to track and possibly recover it. Unfortunately, bike theft on college campuses is not uncommon.
Colorado College partners with Mountain Metro Transit to offer free transportation for CC students around Colorado Springs. All CC students can ride any of Mountain Metro Transit's set bus routes at no cost using their Gold Card!
Uber and Lyft are both also available in Colorado Springs, as well as a local taxi service.
Airport shuttles to both Denver International Airport and Colorado Springs Airport are typically coordinated through the Worner Desk for Thanksgiving, Winter, Spring, and Summer breaks. Schedules will be advertised to students through the student digest. Reservations and payment are accepted at the Worner Desk. Group transportation is only provided for the beginning of a break. Return transportation is the responsibility of the student.
For all other breaks, transportation options for the Colorado Springs airport include standard options such as Uber, Lyft, and taxis. Mountain Metro Transit, which is free for all students with their Gold Card, also has routes to the airport.
The Denver airport is served directly by Groome Transportation (formerly Colorado Springs Shuttle). Students also often arrange their own carpools through social media groups.
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Safety
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Study Abroad
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