University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
Encyclopedia
The University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) is a campus of the University of Colorado
system, the state university system
of Colorado
.
UCCS has about 7,150 undergraduate and 1,500 graduate students, with 18% ethnic minority students and 58% female students.
In 2006, the U.S. News & World Report
college and university rankings
put the UCCS College of Engineering and Applied Science as ranking the fourth-best among public universities
and the 16th best overall among bachelor
and master's degree
engineering
schools. U.S. News ranked UCCS as the 32nd in regional universities in the West
for the 2011 rankings. For public universities in the Master's Universities-West category it was ranked 6th. It has been ranked in the top ten on that list each year since 2002.
Colorado Governor
John Arthur Love
and Hewlett-Packard Company co-founder David Packard
(whose company had a huge presence in the city) led a drive to establish a permanent home for the university. The solution came when George T. Dwire sold the Cragmor Sanatorium property for $1 to the state.
In 1965 UCCS moved to its current location on Austin Bluffs Parkway in the Cragmor neighborhood of northern Colorado Springs. The campus is located at one of the highest parts of the city.
Because of its ties to HP, initial university programs focused on engineering and business, and classes were held in the Cragmor Sanotorium building, what is now Main Hall, and Cragmor Hall, a modern expansion of Main Hall. The first building built exclusively for UCCS, Dwire Hall, was not complete until 1972.
A 1997 community referendum merged Beth-El College of Nursing with UCCS. In recent years, programs such as the Network Information and Space Security Center were added to connect the university with the military to improve national security
. Other programs, including the CU Institute for Bioenergetics and the Institute for Science and Space Studies, cast an eye toward the future.
In 2001 UCCS purchased an 87000 square feet (8,082.6 m²) building at the corner of Union and Austin Bluffs to house the Beth-El College of Nursing.
While on his campaign trail, Presidential Nominee Barack Obama
made a stop on the campus. His agenda was helping senators with current Colorado budget issues and answering questions of Colorado voters.
, art history
, biology
, chemistry
, communication
, economics
, English
, film studies
, geography
and environmental studies
, history
, mathematics
, philosophy
, physics
, political science
, psychology
, sociology
, Spanish
, and visual
and performing arts
. It offers graduate programs in biology, chemistry, communication, applied geography, history, applied mathematics
, physics, psychology, and sociology.
. It has two departments, Health Science and Nursing. The college is accredited with the Colorado State Board of Nursing and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
. Both departments are primarily located in the upper levels of University Hall about half a mile east from the main campus and in the northwest corner of the Austin Bluff at Union intersection. Degrees granted:
. It is located in the newly-renovated Dwire Hall. The college established in 1965. It is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
. Degrees granted:
. The College of Education is located in Columbine Hall on the UCCS campus. It is accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), the Colorado Department of Education (CDE), the Colorado Commission on Higher Education
(CCHE) and the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). It is primarily a Colorado state educator licensure
program.
In addition to its primary degree and educator licensure programs the COE operates many other auxiliary programs that are integral to the mission and objectives of the College.
The COE is also active in a number of special programs, including the following:
and public administration
.
. In the U.S. News & World Report
"America’s Best Colleges," the 2008 college rankings edition, "the magazine’s editors ranked the UCCS undergraduate engineering program ninth in the nation among public engineering schools offering bachelor’s or master’s degrees."
UCCS Engineering is rapidly expanding and includes many research institutes and laboratories
. It consists of three departments: the Department of Computer Science (computer science
); the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (electrical engineering
, computer engineering
), and the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (mechanical engineering
, aerospace engineering
). The college is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology
(ABET). In conjunction with the College of Business it offers the unique Bachelor of Innovation(BI) which won the 2008 ASEE new program innovation award
Because of its proximity to U.S. government
and military
installations and the technology
private sector
the college has partnerships several institutions, including defense contractor
s and semiconductor
manufacturers (Intel, Boeing
, Agilent
, Northrop Grumman
, Lockheed Martin
), national laboratory
(Sandia National Laboratories
), and the military (United States Northern Command
, Air Force Space Command
, and the United States Air Force Academy
). It provides outreach services to the local community through Project Lead the Way and the FIRST Lego League
.
In 2006, the American Society for Engineering Education
ranked the college seventh among U.S. public universities and 18th for all U.S. universities in the number of degrees awarded to woman.
The College is located in two buildings:
A new $56.1-million Science and Engineering Building has been completed at the center of campus to add needed laboratory and lecture space for the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering as well as the Physics, Chemistry, and Biology departments. The building opened for classes in fall 2009. It holds an expanded computer, wind tunnel, fluids, instrumentation, and other mechanical engineering laboratories with an enlarged machine shop and research space, design studios with payload and project areas.
The vision for CSS is to promote space through education and research in service to our nation and for the betterment of society. The Center functions as a focus of scholars and professionals working together to build and support a center of excellence in space technology and education. Specifically, the Center aims to achieve the following goals:
The Center for Space Studies solves technical problems facing government and industry in Colorado and across the nation with technical expertise in emergency management, astrodynamics, micro-propulsion, data fusion, and space systems engineering.
CSS projects include:
The CSS mission is to promote the educational development of the space workforce through graduate programs offered through the UCCS College of Engineering and Applied Science.
CSS, through its NISSSC affiliate Center for Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics Education (CSTEME), collaborates with regional educational partners to develop innovative educational experiences for the K-12 student population. Collaboration involves a workshop for regional high-school students titled the Near Earth Object project (NEO project).
The 2006–2012 plan calls for growth to 9,100 students with corresponding increases in faculty, staff, programs and campus infrastructure.
In addition to the completion of the recreation center, Dwire Hall renovation, and the third wing of the new science/engineering building, the seven-year plan also calls for the renovation and transition of the old Heller Center
on the other side of the bluff that campus sits in front of into a sort of "arts retreat." This project is expected to cost around $4.4 million. Also, by 2014, two new buildings are in the works for Summit, and by that year the Alpine Village should be built out with three additional buildings across from the current ones.
With construction on the new Austin Bluffs/Union interchange, the construction of a new frontage road from campus to University Hall began as well, enabling a closed circuit connecting Cragmor Campus with University Hall, making access to Austin Bluffs unnecessary.
From 2014 a new indoor athletics complex will be constructed along Nevada in the existing 4-Diamonds area. North Nevada is the 2nd phase of campus in the long-term, and extreme long-term build-out calls for dozens of new buildings, academic halls, and another resident village to be built along Nevada.
On March 5, 2009 UCCS announced they would be converting their entire fleet of patrol cars to the Toyota Prius
.
The school mascot
is the mountain lion, with official colors of gold and black, the same de facto school colors of CU-Boulder (actual colors gold and silver).
UCCS competes in NCAA Division II in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
(RMAC), fielding teams in men's basketball
, women's basketball
, women's volleyball, men's cross country, women's cross country, men's indoor track and field, women's indoor track and field, men's outdoor track and field, women's outdoor track and field, men's golf, men's soccer, women's soccer, and women's softball.
In addition to varsity sports, UCCS has a large number of club sports including a dance team and a cheerleading club, cycling, baseball, billiards, fencing, hockey, karate, kendo, kung fu, lacrosse, paintball, racquetball, rugby, tai chi, tennis, ultimate frisbee, volleyball, womans soccer, and an active intramural program. The intramural sports include flag football, ultimate frisbee, outdoor soccer, table tennis, rootbeer pong, volleyball, basketball, billiards, and a 3-point shooting contest. Snowboarding, skiing, rock climbing, bouldering, hiking, mountain biking, trail running, and lesser common slack roping and 4-wheeling are popular student activities at UCCS due to the extreme proximity to Pikes Peak
, Garden of the Gods
, and the surrounding mountainous terrain. It is not uncommon to see former or current professional or Olympic athletes on campus or training on the nearby trails also with the United States Olympic Training Center
in downtown Colorado Springs.
After projected costs for the field house more than doubled, the university decided that a permanent events center would be a better use of funds amid plans for a major sports arena to be built in less than 10 years. The events center to be completed by January 2010 will seat about 1,200 to 1,400 sporting event fans and have the ability to hold more conferences, camps, and convocation events. The new events center will not however, have an indoor track, weight room, as well as other athletic amenities promised with the field house.
An agreement between the university and the Colorado Springs Christian School nearby lead to the construction of a professional quality soccer and football field at the recently built 4-diamonds sports complex that also consists of three softball fields which are sometimes contracted for use by high school and little league teams. The varsity soccer and softball teams practice and compete at these facilities as well as club and intramural sports.
The varsity cross country, track and field, and golf teams find practice and competition spaces mostly off-campus often at nearby colleges, high schools, or other facilities and locations if required.
A brand new Student Recreation Center was completed in August and September 2007 which houses the Recreation Department overseeing club and intramural sports. The Recreation Center consists of a pool and hot tub, gymnasium, indoor jogging track, bouldering wall, aerobics room, and a cardiovascular and weight lifting floor as well as a small smoothie shop. The Recreation Center was certified as a LEED-Gold building in early 2009 by the U.S. Green Building Council. This was the first LEED-certified building in the campus' history and the first LEED-Gold public building in Southern Colorado. It is believed to be the second recreation center in the U.S. to receive LEED-Gold designation.
Professional fraternities: Phi Alpha Delta
(pre-law) and Delta Sigma Pi
(business)
, since 1976.
The university is home to Writers' Forum
, a national literary journal founded in 1974.
The student literary/poetry journal, Riverrun.
URJ-UCCS: Undergraduate Research Journal at UCCS (http://ojs.uccs.edu/index.php/urj)
University of Colorado
The University of Colorado system is a system of public universities in Colorado consisting of three universities in four campuses: University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, and University of Colorado Denver in downtown Denver and at the Anschutz Medical Campus in...
system, the state university system
State university system
A state university system in the United States is a group of public universities supported by an individual state, or a similar entity such as the District of Columbia. These systems constitute the majority of public-funded universities in the country...
of Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
.
UCCS has about 7,150 undergraduate and 1,500 graduate students, with 18% ethnic minority students and 58% female students.
In 2006, the U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
college and university rankings
College and university rankings
College and university rankings are lists of institutions in higher education, ordered by combinations of factors. In addition to entire institutions, specific programs, departments, and schools are ranked...
put the UCCS College of Engineering and Applied Science as ranking the fourth-best among public universities
Public university
A public university is a university that is predominantly funded by public means through a national or subnational government, as opposed to private universities. A national university may or may not be considered a public university, depending on regions...
and the 16th best overall among bachelor
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
and master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
schools. U.S. News ranked UCCS as the 32nd in regional universities in the West
Western United States
.The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...
for the 2011 rankings. For public universities in the Master's Universities-West category it was ranked 6th. It has been ranked in the top ten on that list each year since 2002.
History
As early as the 1920s, CU offered classes in the Colorado Springs area at various locations, mostly Colorado College. By the 1960s, however, a permanent campus was desired.Colorado Governor
Governor of Colorado
The Governor of Colorado is the head of the executive branch of Colorado's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Colorado General Assembly, to convene the...
John Arthur Love
John Arthur Love
John Arthur Love was a United States attorney and Republican politician who served as the 36th Governor of the State of Colorado from 1963 to 1973....
and Hewlett-Packard Company co-founder David Packard
David Packard
David Packard was a co-founder of Hewlett-Packard , serving as president , CEO , and Chairman of the Board . He served as U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense from 1969–1971 during the Nixon administration...
(whose company had a huge presence in the city) led a drive to establish a permanent home for the university. The solution came when George T. Dwire sold the Cragmor Sanatorium property for $1 to the state.
In 1965 UCCS moved to its current location on Austin Bluffs Parkway in the Cragmor neighborhood of northern Colorado Springs. The campus is located at one of the highest parts of the city.
Because of its ties to HP, initial university programs focused on engineering and business, and classes were held in the Cragmor Sanotorium building, what is now Main Hall, and Cragmor Hall, a modern expansion of Main Hall. The first building built exclusively for UCCS, Dwire Hall, was not complete until 1972.
A 1997 community referendum merged Beth-El College of Nursing with UCCS. In recent years, programs such as the Network Information and Space Security Center were added to connect the university with the military to improve national security
National security
National security is the requirement to maintain the survival of the state through the use of economic, diplomacy, power projection and political power. The concept developed mostly in the United States of America after World War II...
. Other programs, including the CU Institute for Bioenergetics and the Institute for Science and Space Studies, cast an eye toward the future.
In 2001 UCCS purchased an 87000 square feet (8,082.6 m²) building at the corner of Union and Austin Bluffs to house the Beth-El College of Nursing.
While on his campaign trail, Presidential Nominee Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
made a stop on the campus. His agenda was helping senators with current Colorado budget issues and answering questions of Colorado voters.
College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences
The College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences is the UCCS college of liberal arts and sciences. It is the largest college at UCCS, offering undergraduate programs in anthropologyAnthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
, art history
Art history
Art history has historically been understood as the academic study of objects of art in their historical development and stylistic contexts, i.e. genre, design, format, and style...
, biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
, chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
, communication
Communication
Communication is the activity of conveying meaningful information. Communication requires a sender, a message, and an intended recipient, although the receiver need not be present or aware of the sender's intent to communicate at the time of communication; thus communication can occur across vast...
, economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
, English
English studies
English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
, film studies
Film studies
Film studies is an academic discipline that deals with various theoretical, historical, and critical approaches to films. It is sometimes subsumed within media studies and is often compared to television studies...
, geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
and environmental studies
Environmental studies
Environmental studies is the academic field which systematically studies human interaction with the environment. It is a broad interdisciplinary field of study that includes the natural environment, built environment, and the sets of relationships between them...
, history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
, physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
, political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
, psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
, sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, and visual
Visual arts
The visual arts are art forms that create works which are primarily visual in nature, such as ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, design, crafts, and often modern visual arts and architecture...
and performing arts
Performing arts
The performing arts are those forms art which differ from the plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artist's own body, face, and presence as a medium, and the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some physical art object...
. It offers graduate programs in biology, chemistry, communication, applied geography, history, applied mathematics
Applied mathematics
Applied mathematics is a branch of mathematics that concerns itself with mathematical methods that are typically used in science, engineering, business, and industry. Thus, "applied mathematics" is a mathematical science with specialized knowledge...
, physics, psychology, and sociology.
Beth-El College of Nursing & Health Sciences
The Beth-El College of Nursing & Health Sciences is the UCCS nursing schoolNursing school
A nursing school is a type of educational institution, or part thereof, providing education and training to become a fully qualified nurse. The nature of nursing education and nursing qualifications varies considerably across the world.-United Kingdom:...
. It has two departments, Health Science and Nursing. The college is accredited with the Colorado State Board of Nursing and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education is an autonomous nursing education accrediting agency that contributes to the improvement of the public's health. The CCNE is recognized by the U.S...
. Both departments are primarily located in the upper levels of University Hall about half a mile east from the main campus and in the northwest corner of the Austin Bluff at Union intersection. Degrees granted:
- Undergraduate: Bachelor of ScienceBachelor of ScienceA Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in forensic science, nutritionNutritionNutrition is the provision, to cells and organisms, of the materials necessary to support life. Many common health problems can be prevented or alleviated with a healthy diet....
, allied healthAllied health professionsAllied health professions are clinical health care professions distinct from dentistry, nursing and medicine. One estimate reported allied health professionals make up 60 percent of the total health workforce...
(self-defined), or sports health and wellness (Department of Heath Science); Bachelor of Science in NursingBachelor of Science in NursingThe Bachelor of Science in Nursing is an American four year academic degree in the science and principles of nursing, granted by a tertiary education university or similarly accredited school...
(Department of Nursing) - Graduate: Master of ScienceMaster of ScienceA Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
in forensic health, health promotion, or sports medicineSports medicineSports medicine is a branch of medicine that deals with physical fitness, treatment and prevention of injuries related to sports and exercise...
(Department of Heath Science); Master of Science in NursingMaster of Science in NursingA Master of Science in Nursing is an advanced-level postgraduate degree for registered nurses and is considered an entry-level degree for nurse educators and managers. The degree also may prepare a nurse to seek a career as a nurse administrator, health policy expert, or clinical nurse leader...
and the Doctor of Nursing Practice (Department of Nursing).
College of Business and Administration
The College of Business and Administration is the UCCS business schoolBusiness school
A business school is a university-level institution that confers degrees in Business Administration. It teaches topics such as accounting, administration, economics, entrepreneurship, finance, information systems, marketing, organizational behavior, public relations, strategy, human resource...
. It is located in the newly-renovated Dwire Hall. The college established in 1965. It is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business was founded in 1916 to accredit schools of business worldwide. The first accreditations took place in 1919. The stated mission is to advance quality management education worldwide through accreditation and thought leadership. It is regarded...
. Degrees granted:
- Undergraduate: Bachelor of Science in Business AdministrationBachelor of Business AdministrationThe Bachelor of Business Administration is a bachelor's degree in Commerce and business administration. In most universities, the degree is conferred upon a student after four years of full-time study in one or more areas of business concentrations; see below...
; Bachelor of ScienceBachelor of ScienceA Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in accounting, financeFinance"Finance" is often defined simply as the management of money or “funds” management Modern finance, however, is a family of business activity that includes the origination, marketing, and management of cash and money surrogates through a variety of capital accounts, instruments, and markets created...
, general business, human resource managementHuman resource managementHuman Resource Management is the management of an organization's employees. While human resource management is sometimes referred to as a "soft" management skill, effective practice within an organization requires a strategic focus to ensure that people resources can facilitate the achievement of...
, information systemsInformation systemsInformation Systems is an academic/professional discipline bridging the business field and the well-defined computer science field that is evolving toward a new scientific area of study...
, international businessInternational BusinessInternational business is a term used to collectively describe all commercial transactions that take place between two or more regions, countries and nations beyond their political boundary...
, marketingMarketingMarketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
, marketing/professional golf management; organizational management, services management and sport management. - Graduate: Masters in Business Administration in accounting, finance, general business, health care administration, homeland defenseHomeland securityHomeland security is an umbrella term for security efforts to protect states against terrorist activity. Specifically, is a concerted national effort to prevent terrorist attacks within the U.S., reduce America’s vulnerability to terrorism, and minimize the damage and recover from attacks that do...
, information systems, international business, management, marketing, operations managementOperations managementOperations management is an area of management concerned with overseeing, designing, and redesigning business operations in the production of goods and/or services. It involves the responsibility of ensuring that business operations are efficient in terms of using as little resources as needed, and...
, project managementProject managementProject management is the discipline of planning, organizing, securing, and managing resources to achieve specific goals. A project is a temporary endeavor with a defined beginning and end , undertaken to meet unique goals and objectives, typically to bring about beneficial change or added value...
, services management, and technology management.
College of Education
The College of Education is the UCCS school of educationSchool of education
In the United States and Canada, a school of education is a division within a university that is devoted to scholarship in the field of education, which is an interdisciplinary branch of the social sciences encompassing sociology, psychology, linguistics, economics, political science, public...
. The College of Education is located in Columbine Hall on the UCCS campus. It is accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), the Colorado Department of Education (CDE), the Colorado Commission on Higher Education
Colorado Commission on Higher Education
The Colorado Commission on Higher Education was established in 1965 by the Colorado General Assembly. The Commission replaced an association which met informally to consider matters related to higher education....
(CCHE) and the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). It is primarily a Colorado state educator licensure
Certified teacher
A certified teacher is a teacher who has earned credentials from an authoritative source, such as the government, a higher education institution or a private source. These certifications allow teachers to teach in schools which require authorization in general, as well as allowing educators to...
program.
In addition to its primary degree and educator licensure programs the COE operates many other auxiliary programs that are integral to the mission and objectives of the College.
- Culturally Responsive Teaching, Leadership, and Counseling: CRTLC is a program designed to help prospective teachers and educators learn to customize curricula and fine-tune classroom interaction in order to maximize teaching effectiveness and increase cultural awareness. Annually the COE holds a symposium at UCCS for local teachers and administrators that discusses various sub-topics and special topics that involve culturally responsive education. Speakers at this symposium are nationally known for their research on CRTLC.
- Quality and Excellence Community Learning Series: The QECLS series are biannual events that highlight various educational topics, everything from emotional literacy to an analysis of civil rights in the classroom and how they have evolved.
- Daegu Gyeongbuk English Village: In 2006 UCCS and Yeungjin College, a prominent national university in South Korea, joined forces to construct a world-class English language learning campus in Daegu. The English Village offers a full immersion curriculum for children to adults, complete with various miniature versions of everything from an airport to a bank to a police station where students can interact and utilize English in real-world situations and scenarios.
- Office of Global Education: The OGE is the newest COE endeavour. It was established in 2009 in order to facilitate the growth of the global educational endeavors of the College of Education by expanding on the Daegu English Village project. The Office oversees the English Village as well as sponsoring Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) and Foreign Language (TEFL) certificates. Also, OGE co-sponsors a Yeungjin Summer College program and is in the process of implementing a new Oaxaca Spanish Language and Culture Tour in Mexico among other Summer Study and Culture Tours.
The COE is also active in a number of special programs, including the following:
- EduStat: EduStat university is an annual conference for teachers and administrators from across the nation designed to facilitate modern education solutions. UCCS last hosted the event in 2008.
- Pikes Peak Educational Research Center: The PPERC was established to allow UCCS to collaborate with local school districts in order to meet accountability challenges. Currently, the associate dean directs two major research projects through the Center. The PPERC is an operating unit in the new campus-wide Education Outreach Center.
- Reading Clinics: The Graduate Reading Program of the COE biannually offers two programs designed to both provide assistance for teachers in diagnosis and remediation of reading difficulties for children K–12, and also to directly assist children in such a position.
- SuperSaturday: A program designed to cater to gifted children of elementary age. The program's purpose is to challenge students' intellectual and creative abilities in one academically-orientated Saturday.
- Teacher-in-Residence Program: A partnership with the Pikes Peak Board of Cooperative Educational Services, TIRP's purpose is to allow working professionals to make a career transition to education.
- Troops-to-Teachers: A cooperative program of the Department of Education and of Defense which provides referral and placement assistance to military personal interested in becoming a teacher.
- UCCS Teacher/Cadet Alliance: A project designed to encourage outstanding students to enter and complete undergraduate teaching programs offered by the COE.
Degrees offered
- Undergraduate: Licensure programs in elementary education, linguistically diverse educationEnglish language learning and teachingEnglish as a second language , English for speakers of other languages and English as a foreign language all refer to the use or study of English by speakers with different native languages. The precise usage, including the different use of the terms ESL and ESOL in different countries, is...
(LDE), secondary educationSecondary educationSecondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university...
, and special educationSpecial educationSpecial education is the education of students with special needs in a way that addresses the students' individual differences and needs. Ideally, this process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials,... - Graduate: Master of ArtsMaster of Arts (postgraduate)A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in counseling and human services, curriculum and instruction, special education, and leadership; Ph.DDoctor of PhilosophyDoctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in educational leadership and research and policy.
Awards & Accomplishments
- President's Award: In 2007 the COE received the President's Diversity Award in the academic unit category from the Regents of the University of Colorado.
- Educator of the Year: The Colorado School Counselor Association awarded Assistant Professor Rhonda Williams the 2008 Educator of the Year award.
- National Board for Certified Counselors: In 2009 Professor Joseph Wehrman was appointed as a board member for the NBCC, an international credentialing body for professional counselors.
School of Public Affairs
The School of Public Affairs offers degrees in criminal justiceCriminal justice
Criminal Justice is the system of practices and institutions of governments directed at upholding social control, deterring and mitigating crime, or sanctioning those who violate laws with criminal penalties and rehabilitation efforts...
and public administration
Public administration
Public Administration houses the implementation of government policy and an academic discipline that studies this implementation and that prepares civil servants for this work. As a "field of inquiry with a diverse scope" its "fundamental goal.....
.
College of Engineering and Applied Sciences
The College of Engineering and Applied Sciences is the UCCS engineering collegeEngineering college
Engineering colleges generally refer to institutes of higher education which offer an engineering course at degree level. The duration of the course is four to five years depending upon the university to which the college is affiliated. The students learn little of basic science concentrating...
. In the U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
"America’s Best Colleges," the 2008 college rankings edition, "the magazine’s editors ranked the UCCS undergraduate engineering program ninth in the nation among public engineering schools offering bachelor’s or master’s degrees."
UCCS Engineering is rapidly expanding and includes many research institutes and laboratories
Laboratory
A laboratory is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. The title of laboratory is also used for certain other facilities where the processes or equipment used are similar to those in scientific laboratories...
. It consists of three departments: the Department of Computer Science (computer science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
); the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (electrical engineering
Electrical engineering
Electrical engineering is a field of engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. The field first became an identifiable occupation in the late nineteenth century after commercialization of the electric telegraph and electrical...
, computer engineering
Computer engineering
Computer engineering, also called computer systems engineering, is a discipline that integrates several fields of electrical engineering and computer science required to develop computer systems. Computer engineers usually have training in electronic engineering, software design, and...
), and the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...
, aerospace engineering
Aerospace engineering
Aerospace engineering is the primary branch of engineering concerned with the design, construction and science of aircraft and spacecraft. It is divided into two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering...
). The college is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology
Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology
ABET, Inc., formerly the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, is a non-profit organization that accredits post-secondary education programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and technology...
(ABET). In conjunction with the College of Business it offers the unique Bachelor of Innovation(BI) which won the 2008 ASEE new program innovation award
Because of its proximity to U.S. government
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
and military
Military of the United States
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
installations and the technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
private sector
Private sector
In economics, the private sector is that part of the economy, sometimes referred to as the citizen sector, which is run by private individuals or groups, usually as a means of enterprise for profit, and is not controlled by the state...
the college has partnerships several institutions, including defense contractor
Defense contractor
A defense contractor is a business organization or individual that provides products or services to a military department of a government. Products typically include military aircraft, ships, vehicles, weaponry, and electronic systems...
s and semiconductor
Semiconductor
A semiconductor is a material with electrical conductivity due to electron flow intermediate in magnitude between that of a conductor and an insulator. This means a conductivity roughly in the range of 103 to 10−8 siemens per centimeter...
manufacturers (Intel, Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
, Agilent
Agilent Technologies
Agilent Technologies , or Agilent, is a company that designs and manufactures electronic and bio-analytical measurement instruments and equipment for measurement and evaluation...
, Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman Corporation is an American global aerospace and defense technology company formed by the 1994 purchase of Grumman by Northrop. The company was the fourth-largest defense contractor in the world as of 2010, and the largest builder of naval vessels. Northrop Grumman employs over...
, Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin is an American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology company with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area....
), national laboratory
United States Department of Energy National Laboratories
The United States Department of Energy National Laboratories and Technology Centers are a system of facilities and laboratories overseen by the United States Department of Energy for the purpose of advancing science and helping promote the economic and defensive national interests of the United...
(Sandia National Laboratories
Sandia National Laboratories
The Sandia National Laboratories, managed and operated by the Sandia Corporation , are two major United States Department of Energy research and development national laboratories....
), and the military (United States Northern Command
United States Northern Command
United States Northern Command is a Unified Combatant Command of the United States military. Created on 1 October 2002 in the aftermath of the 11 September 2001 attacks, its mission is to protect the United States homeland and support local, state, and federal authorities...
, Air Force Space Command
Air Force Space Command
Air Force Space Command is a major command of the United States Department of the Air Force, with its headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. AFSPC supports U.S. military operations worldwide through the use of many different types of satellite, launch and cyber operations....
, and the United States Air Force Academy
United States Air Force Academy
The United States Air Force Academy is an accredited college for the undergraduate education of officer candidates for the United States Air Force. Its campus is located immediately north of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States...
). It provides outreach services to the local community through Project Lead the Way and the FIRST Lego League
FIRST Lego League
The FIRST® LEGO® League is an international competition organized by FIRST for elementary and middle school students ....
.
In 2006, the American Society for Engineering Education
American Society for Engineering Education
The American Society for Engineering Education is a non-profit member association, founded in 1893, dedicated to promoting and improving engineering and engineering technology education....
ranked the college seventh among U.S. public universities and 18th for all U.S. universities in the number of degrees awarded to woman.
The College is located in two buildings:
- The Engineering Building houses the Department of Computer Science, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, dean'sDean (education)In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
office, Advanced Development and UNIXUnixUnix is a multitasking, multi-user computer operating system originally developed in 1969 by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs, including Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, Brian Kernighan, Douglas McIlroy, and Joe Ossanna...
Laboratory, Specialized Software DevelopmentSoftware developmentSoftware development is the development of a software product...
Laboratory, Software Development Laboratory, Communications and Signal ProcessingSignal processingSignal processing is an area of systems engineering, electrical engineering and applied mathematics that deals with operations on or analysis of signals, in either discrete or continuous time...
Laboratory, Control SystemsControl systemA control system is a device, or set of devices to manage, command, direct or regulate the behavior of other devices or system.There are two common classes of control systems, with many variations and combinations: logic or sequential controls, and feedback or linear controls...
Laboratory, Electronics Laboratory, ElectromagneticsElectromagnetismElectromagnetism is one of the four fundamental interactions in nature. The other three are the strong interaction, the weak interaction and gravitation...
Laboratory, MicroelectronicsMicroelectronicsMicroelectronics is a subfield of electronics. As the name suggests, microelectronics relates to the study and manufacture of very small electronic components. Usually, but not always, this means micrometre-scale or smaller,. These devices are made from semiconductors...
Research Laboratories (MRL), and VLSIVery-large-scale integrationVery-large-scale integration is the process of creating integrated circuits by combining thousands of transistors into a single chip. VLSI began in the 1970s when complex semiconductor and communication technologies were being developed. The microprocessor is a VLSI device.The first semiconductor...
Circuit Design Laboratory.
A new $56.1-million Science and Engineering Building has been completed at the center of campus to add needed laboratory and lecture space for the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering as well as the Physics, Chemistry, and Biology departments. The building opened for classes in fall 2009. It holds an expanded computer, wind tunnel, fluids, instrumentation, and other mechanical engineering laboratories with an enlarged machine shop and research space, design studios with payload and project areas.
National Institute for Science, Space and Security Centers
The National Institute for Science, Space and Security Centers (NISSSC) is a multi-disciplinary institute established to better focus on developing and implementing sound academic and research deliverables in the science, space and security disciplines, for meeting the nation’s challenges. The NISSSC includes the Center for Homeland Security (CHS); the Center for Space Studies (CSS); the Center for Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics Education (CSTEME); and the Trauma, Health & Hazards Center (THHC).Center for Space Studies
The Center for Space Studies (CSS) is an educational and research & development organization formed under affiliation with UCCS and the NISSSC. Founded in 2004, the Center’s mission is to promote research, education and outreach in the domain of space technology. The CSS is led by Dr. Scott Trimboli, Associate Dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science at UCCS. CSS is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, just minutes away from key military space activities including: Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Headquarters Army Space Command, Shriever AFB, and Headquarters US Northern Command.Vision
The vision for CSS is to promote space through education and research in service to our nation and for the betterment of society. The Center functions as a focus of scholars and professionals working together to build and support a center of excellence in space technology and education. Specifically, the Center aims to achieve the following goals:
- Research: Investigate space-related questions relevant to our nation’s future
- Education: Sharpen the skills of our nation’s space professionals
- Outreach: Promote technical learning to sustain the nation’s capacity for technological innovation
Research
The Center for Space Studies solves technical problems facing government and industry in Colorado and across the nation with technical expertise in emergency management, astrodynamics, micro-propulsion, data fusion, and space systems engineering.
CSS projects include:
- Satellite Thermal Modeling for FalconSAT (Dr. Andrew Ketsdever)
- Tethered Satellite Orbit Determination (Dr. Steven Tragesser)
- Emergency Response Operations System Integration (Dr. Roger Sambrook)
- Terahertz Technology for Multiphase Flow Applications (Dr. Andrew Ketsdever & Dr. Hoyoung Song)
- Small Satellite Simulator Development (Dr. Scott Trimboli)
Education Programs
The CSS mission is to promote the educational development of the space workforce through graduate programs offered through the UCCS College of Engineering and Applied Science.
- Master of Engineering in Space Operations
Outreach
CSS, through its NISSSC affiliate Center for Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics Education (CSTEME), collaborates with regional educational partners to develop innovative educational experiences for the K-12 student population. Collaboration involves a workshop for regional high-school students titled the Near Earth Object project (NEO project).
Campus Buildings
- Main Hall (1914) – Administration building containing admissions, student success center, etc.
- Cragmor Hall (1959) – Administration building containing bursar's office, orientation rooms, student recruitment, counseling, and financial aid.
- Dwire Hall (1972) – Renovated from 2006 to 2007, it serves as the building for classes in business, economics, languages and cultures, and film studies.
- The El Pomar Center (1975) – Home to the Kraemer Family Library and technical support. Renovated at the beginning of the millennium to expand the library and add the University Center.
- Engineering and Applied Sciences (1985) – Engineering, math, science classes, currently undergoing a massive expansion.
- Campus Services (1996)
- Columbine Hall (1997) – The new home for most LAS classes, also containing writing center, communications lab, and a lecture hall.
- Summit Village (1997) – This is the first of UCCS's student housing, now catering to freshmen only. Divided into Vail, Steamboat, Telluride, Aspen, Keystone, Monarch, and Brekenridge (laundry, computer facilities, and seminar rooms). Summit houses altogether about 800 freshmen.
- University Center (2001) – Addition to El Pomar, this is the center of campus life where activities and seminars are held. The information desk, bookstore, news room, and campus recreation offices are housed in the lower level. A basketball court and gym will soon to be expanded to include larger facilities for games and a multi-use area to help ease strain on the facility until permanent facilities near 4-Diamonds are constructed sometime during the mid twenty-teens.
- University Hall (2001) – Building purchased for Beth-El Nursing and other programs.
- Services/Campus Police/Health Clinic/Parking Garage (2004)
- Alpine Village (2004) – The second village in student housing, Alpine is divided into Shavano, Antero, and Crestone Houses, and caters now to all non-freshmen choosing to live on-campus. Students who live here must access campus via a trail or shuttle.
- Campus Recreation Center (2007) – Recently completed, this new state-of-the-art recreation building for students, replacing the current facilities at the University Center, features a swimming pool, a climbing wall, and a full basketball court, along with the full complement of equipment.
- Osborne Center for Science and Engineering (2009) – Formerly the "Science and Engineering Building", renamed in May of 2011, this building provides a twofold expansion of science and engineering classrooms and facilities, and connects via a bridge to the Engineering and Applied Sciences building.
- Centennial Hall (2010) – The building was completely gutted and rebuilt inside with the exception of new classrooms added in 2006. Formerly called the Science Building, it was built in 1981 and used for science and anthropology classes along with the student art gallery.
- UCCS Events Center (2010) – Money originally allocated to construct a temporary new home for Mountain Lion athletics was instead added to a larger budget to significantly expand the current athletics gym and create a new Events Center, which will, in addition to providing a larger gym for volleyball and basketball, will serve as a venue for conferences and large lectures when completed. The center is projected to open in early 2010.
- South Hall (2011) – Preliminary plans call for a new building to be constructed either where Lot 1 is currently adjacent to Cragmor Hall or on newly purchased property in between Campus Services and University Hall. The smaller facility would house general classrooms and be a new home for the Psychology department and a non-UCCS clinic that specializes in geriatric care.
- Summit Village Expansion (2011?) – Preliminary plans call for the construction of two additional dormitories adjacent to the current Aspen House.
Master plan and future growth
In 2000, the CU Board of Regents designated UCCS as the CU growth campus. In 2003, the Colorado Legislature approved revisions in the university's statutory role and mission to remove geographic and program restrictions. In 2005, the Regents approved a seven-year plan that calls for the university to add to its base of 7,650 students (Fall 2004), 347 FTE faculty and 254 FTE staff.The 2006–2012 plan calls for growth to 9,100 students with corresponding increases in faculty, staff, programs and campus infrastructure.
In addition to the completion of the recreation center, Dwire Hall renovation, and the third wing of the new science/engineering building, the seven-year plan also calls for the renovation and transition of the old Heller Center
Heller Center
The Heller Center at Eagle Rock, Colorado Springs, Colorado is a nature preserve bequeathed to the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs to support local arts and humanities education.-Introduction:...
on the other side of the bluff that campus sits in front of into a sort of "arts retreat." This project is expected to cost around $4.4 million. Also, by 2014, two new buildings are in the works for Summit, and by that year the Alpine Village should be built out with three additional buildings across from the current ones.
With construction on the new Austin Bluffs/Union interchange, the construction of a new frontage road from campus to University Hall began as well, enabling a closed circuit connecting Cragmor Campus with University Hall, making access to Austin Bluffs unnecessary.
From 2014 a new indoor athletics complex will be constructed along Nevada in the existing 4-Diamonds area. North Nevada is the 2nd phase of campus in the long-term, and extreme long-term build-out calls for dozens of new buildings, academic halls, and another resident village to be built along Nevada.
On March 5, 2009 UCCS announced they would be converting their entire fleet of patrol cars to the Toyota Prius
Toyota Prius
The Toyota Prius is a full hybrid electric mid-size hatchback, formerly a compact sedan developed and manufactured by the Toyota Motor Corporation...
.
Athletics
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
is the mountain lion, with official colors of gold and black, the same de facto school colors of CU-Boulder (actual colors gold and silver).
UCCS competes in NCAA Division II in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the western United States, mostly in Colorado with some members in Nebraska and New Mexico...
(RMAC), fielding teams in men's basketball
NCAA Men's Division II Basketball Championship
The NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Championship is an annual championship tournament for colleges and universities that are members of NCAA Division II, a grouping of schools in the United States that are generally smaller than the higher-profile institutions of Division I...
, women's basketball
NCAA Women's Division II Basketball Championship
Division II women's basketball champions for the NCAA The finals are played at St. Joseph Civic Arena in St. Joseph, Missouri.-Championships:- Schools ranked by titles :-See also:*NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship...
, women's volleyball, men's cross country, women's cross country, men's indoor track and field, women's indoor track and field, men's outdoor track and field, women's outdoor track and field, men's golf, men's soccer, women's soccer, and women's softball.
In addition to varsity sports, UCCS has a large number of club sports including a dance team and a cheerleading club, cycling, baseball, billiards, fencing, hockey, karate, kendo, kung fu, lacrosse, paintball, racquetball, rugby, tai chi, tennis, ultimate frisbee, volleyball, womans soccer, and an active intramural program. The intramural sports include flag football, ultimate frisbee, outdoor soccer, table tennis, rootbeer pong, volleyball, basketball, billiards, and a 3-point shooting contest. Snowboarding, skiing, rock climbing, bouldering, hiking, mountain biking, trail running, and lesser common slack roping and 4-wheeling are popular student activities at UCCS due to the extreme proximity to Pikes Peak
Pikes Peak
Pikes Peak is a mountain in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, west of Colorado Springs, Colorado, in El Paso County in the United States of America....
, Garden of the Gods
Garden of the Gods
Garden of the Gods is a public park located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA.-Genesis of the park:Entrance to the park is free according to the wish of Charles Elliott Perkins, whose children donated the land to the city of Colorado Springs in 1909....
, and the surrounding mountainous terrain. It is not uncommon to see former or current professional or Olympic athletes on campus or training on the nearby trails also with the United States Olympic Training Center
United States Olympic Training Center
The United States Olympic Training Centers are three campuses created by the United States Olympic Committee as training facilities for its Olympic and Paralympic athletes. They are located in Colorado Springs, Colorado; Lake Placid, New York; and Chula Vista, California. There is a U.S. Olympic...
in downtown Colorado Springs.
Athletic facilities
Varsity basketball and volleyball are currently played in the Lions Den gymnasium at the University Center, which seats 400 and is the smallest venue in all Division II schools, the size of many smaller high school gymnasiums. With the recent success of men’s basketball, achieving the best record in UCCS history, amongst other things, led to an acceleration of plans to replace the facility with mounting pressure from students and athletes alike. A temporary fix that was completed in early 2007 cost $40,000 and only slightly expanded and upgraded seating. Attempts at separating seating sections did not significantly help in alleviating overcrowding where students are often turned away at popular events. There also exists major problems with the lack of locker room space for use by the athletic teams during competitions. $2 million of CU Presidential Initiative funds were directed towards the construction of a new athletic field house. “Intercollegiate athletics is an important facet of student life and the campus experience, and we’re pleased to be able to help with a desperately needed new home for Mountain Lion student-athletics,” said CU President Hank Brown.After projected costs for the field house more than doubled, the university decided that a permanent events center would be a better use of funds amid plans for a major sports arena to be built in less than 10 years. The events center to be completed by January 2010 will seat about 1,200 to 1,400 sporting event fans and have the ability to hold more conferences, camps, and convocation events. The new events center will not however, have an indoor track, weight room, as well as other athletic amenities promised with the field house.
An agreement between the university and the Colorado Springs Christian School nearby lead to the construction of a professional quality soccer and football field at the recently built 4-diamonds sports complex that also consists of three softball fields which are sometimes contracted for use by high school and little league teams. The varsity soccer and softball teams practice and compete at these facilities as well as club and intramural sports.
The varsity cross country, track and field, and golf teams find practice and competition spaces mostly off-campus often at nearby colleges, high schools, or other facilities and locations if required.
A brand new Student Recreation Center was completed in August and September 2007 which houses the Recreation Department overseeing club and intramural sports. The Recreation Center consists of a pool and hot tub, gymnasium, indoor jogging track, bouldering wall, aerobics room, and a cardiovascular and weight lifting floor as well as a small smoothie shop. The Recreation Center was certified as a LEED-Gold building in early 2009 by the U.S. Green Building Council. This was the first LEED-certified building in the campus' history and the first LEED-Gold public building in Southern Colorado. It is believed to be the second recreation center in the U.S. to receive LEED-Gold designation.
Honor Societies
In addition to its honors programs, UCCS has chapters of the following honor societies on campus:- Phi Beta Kappa
- Alpha Lambda DeltaAlpha Lambda DeltaAlpha Lambda Delta is an honor society for students who have achieved a 3.5 GPA or higher and are in the top 20% of their class during their first year or term of higher education.-History:...
(freshman) - Alpha Kappa DeltaAlpha Kappa DeltaAlpha Kappa Delta is an international sociology honor society.Founded in 1920 by Emory S. Bogardus, of the University of Southern California sociology department, the name is derived from the Greek anthrôpos meaning mankind, katamanthanô, meaning to examine closely or acquire knowledge, and...
(sociology) - Alpha Phi SigmaAlpha Phi SigmaAlpha Phi Sigma is the only Criminal Justice Honor Society accredited by the Association of College Honor Societies. Traditionally a national organization serving United States universities, recent expansion into Canadian universities has distinguished Alpha Phi Sigma as an international honor...
(criminal justice) - Psi ChiPsi ChiPsi Chi is the International Honor Society in Psychology, founded in 1929 for the purposes of encouraging, stimulating, and maintaining excellence in scholarship, and advancing the science of psychology. With over 1,050 chapters, Psi Chi is one of the largest honor societies in the United States...
(psychology) - Chi Sigma Iota (counseling)
- Sigma Tau DeltaSigma Tau DeltaSigma Tau Delta is an international collegiate honor society for students of English. It presently has over 800 active chapters located in Europe, the Caribbean, the United States, and 1 chapter in the Middle East , with more than 1,000 faculty sponsors...
(English) - Pi Delta PhiPi Delta PhiPi Delta Phi is the French National Honor Society for undergraduate and graduate students at accredited public and private colleges and universities in the United States. The society was admitted to membership in the Association of College Honor Societies in 1967.Pi Delta Phi was founded as a...
(French) - Delta Phi AlphaGerman National Honor SocietyThe German National Honor Society or Delta Phi Alpha , seeks to recognize excellence in the study of German and to provide an incentive for higher scholarship...
(German) - Omicron Delta EpsilonOmicron Delta EpsilonOmicron Delta Epsilon is an international honor society in the field of economics. Resulting from the merger of Omicron Delta Gamma and Omicron Chi Epsilon, ODE was founded in 1963 . Its board of trustees includes well-known economists such as Robert Lucas, Kenneth Arrow, and Robert Solow...
(economics) - Pi Alpha AlphaPi Alpha AlphaPi Alpha Alpha is the national honor society for students of public administration. It is administered by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration in the United States....
(public affairs) - Sigma Theta TauSigma Theta TauThe Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International exists to improve the health of people by increasing the scientific base of nursing research...
(nursing)
Professional fraternities: Phi Alpha Delta
Phi Alpha Delta
ΦAΔ , or P.A.D., is the largest co-ed professional law fraternity in the United States of America. Phi Alpha Delta has members who are university students, law school students, lawyers, judges, senators, and even presidents. It was founded in 1902 and today has over 300,000 initiated members...
(pre-law) and Delta Sigma Pi
Delta Sigma Pi
ΔΣΠ ' is one of the largest co-ed professional business fraternities. Delta Sigma Pi was founded on November 7, 1907 at the School of Commerce, Accounts and Finance, New York University, New York, New York and is currently headquartered in Oxford, Ohio...
(business)
School publications
The official campus newspaper is The ScribeThe Scribe (UCCS)
The Scribe is the official newspaper for the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs campus, published since 1976.A typical issue has 26 to 30 pages, featuring Letters to and from the Editor; Opinion; Campus News, events and news relating to the student body; In Your World, a hodgepodge of...
, since 1976.
The university is home to Writers' Forum
Writers' Forum
Writers' Forum is a American literary magazine founded by Alexander Blackburn in 1974 and based at University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. -Other Awards:Stories that appeared in Writers' Forum received "honorable mention" for the O...
, a national literary journal founded in 1974.
The student literary/poetry journal, Riverrun.
URJ-UCCS: Undergraduate Research Journal at UCCS (http://ojs.uccs.edu/index.php/urj)
Notable students, alumni, and staff
- Teresa A. H. DjuricTeresa A. H. DjuricTeresa A. H. Djuric is a Brigadier General in the United States Air Force.-Career:Djuric joined the Air Force in 1983 and was assigned to North American Aerospace Defense Command at Cheyenne Mountain...
(B.S. 1983) - U.S. Air Force Brigadier General - Yusef KomunyakaaYusef KomunyakaaYusef Komunyakaa is an American poet who currently teaches at New York University and is a member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers. Komunyakaa is a recipient of the 1994 Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award, for Neon Vernacular and the 1994 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. He also received the Ruth Lilly...
(B.A. 1975) - first African-American to win Pulitzer PrizePulitzer PrizeThe Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
for poetry. - John HerringtonJohn HerringtonJohn Bennett Herrington is an American business executive, former US Navy officer and former NASA astronaut. He is a veteran of one Space Shuttle mission. He is the first enrolled member of a Native American tribe to fly in space....
(B.A. in mathematics, 1983) - first Native AmericanNative Americans in the United StatesNative Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
to go to space, aboard Space Shuttle EndeavourSpace Shuttle EndeavourSpace Shuttle Endeavour is one of the retired orbiters of the Space Shuttle program of NASA, the space agency of the United States. Endeavour was the fifth and final spaceworthy NASA space shuttle to be built, constructed as a replacement for Challenger...
in 2002. - Apolo Ohno- OlympicOlympic GamesThe Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
athlete.
International exchange
- Dual degree -
Ching Yun UniversityChing Yun UniversityChing Yun University（; Hakka: Ciàng-iŭn Tai-hok; abbreviation CYU）is a university in Zhongli City, Taoyuan County, Taiwan. CYU is also known as Ching Yun Tech .- Present Situation :...
, TaiwanTaiwanTaiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
（3-2 programs）
External links
- Official website
- UCCS Athletics (gomountainlions.com)
- The ScribeThe Scribe (UCCS)The Scribe is the official newspaper for the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs campus, published since 1976.A typical issue has 26 to 30 pages, featuring Letters to and from the Editor; Opinion; Campus News, events and news relating to the student body; In Your World, a hodgepodge of...
at www.uccs.edu/scribe - College of Education
- Center for Space Studies
- University of Colorado Main campus-wide Page
- Boulder Campus of the University of Colorado