state-supported institution with campuses in Boulder, Colorado Springs, and Denver. The University of Colorado offers numerous undergraduate and graduate programs in the fields of arts and sciences, architecture, business, dentistry, education, engineering, journalism, law, medicine, music, nursing, and pharmacy. All the branches operate on the semester system, and about 90 percent of all the full-time faculty hold doctorates. Located at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, Boulder is the largest of the divisions. Its campus covers about 600 acres (240 hectares) and includes some student housing. Buildings feature sandstone walls and red-tiled roofs. A rock formation called the Flatirons towers over campus. The school contains the only student-run space satellite in the nation. The Boulder campus is also the oldest division, being founded in 1876. It has expanded over the years to offer more than 2,500 courses a year to about 20,000 undergraduates and 5,000 graduate students. A substantial number of students are not Colorado residents. For the most promising freshmen the university offers a program called the President's Leadership Class. It provides the opportunity to attend lectures and recitals of prominent people and to visit various businesses and governmental and community agencies. Students at the Boulder campus have more than 350 extracurricular organizations from which to choose, including a large number of fraternities and sororities. The University of Colorado Buffaloes participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, mostly playing in Division I. School colors are silver, gold, and black. The school's location promotes much student interest in skiing. An annual event is Alfred Packer Day, named for a Colorado man convicted of cannibalism in 1883. The social extravaganza appropriately includes strange eating contests. More than 9,600 students attend the Denver branch of the University of Colorado, with a significant percentage pursuing graduate degrees. The urban campus was founded in 1912 and is situated on more than 170 acres (70 hectares). The campus has some 40 extracurricular groups but does not compete in intercollegiate sports. Also in Denver is the 40-acre (16-hectare) University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. This institution was founded in 1883 to offer bachelor's and graduate degrees in health professions and related sciences. About 2,300 students are enrolled. Its program in family medicine is ranked among the best in the United States. The campus at Colorado Springs was founded in 1965. It hosts about 6,000 students on its 400-acre (160-hectare) suburban location. Like the campus at Denver, it does not offer student housing. More than 50 extracurricular options exist for students; athletic teams play in Division II of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. |