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Continuing Education

Has My Class Been Cancelled for Weather?

Winter means cancelled classes – it is as simple as that. Whether it is a snow storm, icy streets or an sick instructor, each winter we have to cancel a few classes.

How can you make sure you find out about your class?
Here are four things you can do to check if you class has been cancelled:

1) Check for signs posted outside of the classroom next to the door.

2) Check the message on the Continuing Education ‘s Severe Weather/Course Cancellation phone line. All you have to do is call 303-735-5000 to hear an up-to-date recording of what classes have been cancelled.

3) Check your email. We will email you about your specific class cancellation. You need to make sure we have the best email address to use to reach you.

4) Get automatic weather cancellation updates through our Twitter feed. You can sign up for Twitter and follow “CUEveningAlerts”. Change the settings so that updates from CUEveningAlerts are sent to your mobile phone. We promise not to tweet about anything other than a class cancellation. When you are done with the semester, you can unfollow CUEveningAlerts.

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Sam Siewert

Sam Siewert: Inventor, Engineer, Instructor

Throughout his career working in such diverse industries as aerospace and telecom, Sam Siewert consistently saw a need for deeper understanding of real-time automation of things that are human in nature, such as vision or hearing, as well as traditional digital control systems. This insight, combined with his first-hand understanding of what employers look for in new employees, inspired Sam to begin teaching so that he could help people learn how to push technology to do things it can not yet do.

In addition to his career, Sam is a veteran instructor at the Center for Advanced Engineering and Technology Education (CAETE), the distance learning and professional studies arm of the College of Engineering and Applied Science at CU. He teaches Real-Time Embedded Systems, a topic on which he has published a book used in classrooms world wide, and written several professional articles. He also teaches Real-Time Digital Media and Control Systems, a new Linux-based course he developed.

What is your specialty?

The area I have worked in for 20 years and have been teaching for eight years is what I call “embedded systems software and firmware.” Firmware exists somewhere between hardware and software. Real-time systems use firmware to glue together hardware and software to deliver a product needed in a specific industry. I like to work with a combination of robotics, computer vision and audio real-time systems. What strings all of these seemingly diverse areas together is the idea that we can automate things in computing that are humanlike.

I call this “debugging with headphones” or “debugging with our eyes,” because we are building systems that operate in the same timeframe as humans. This is very different, because computers usually work either faster or slower than the human body or brain. A simple example of this is the idea that we can use a seeing robotic arm, and write the code to find recognize and grab objects from a space.

How does this power the workings of our world?

It is important for a variety of different industries, including hard real-time systems, critical systems like an airplane’s flight control system where failure is not an option, to soft real-time systems, where the outcome is not critical but can have important consequences. An example of a soft real-time system is the ability to stream news feeds and audio/video messages to mobile devices like a Blackberry, which can affect the smooth flow of information for commerce.

As a teacher, I take very seriously that my students will go out into the world and make things happen. They will be responsible for designing and building systems that are critical to how our world works.

What is the biggest challenge this area of computing faces?

There are no systems out there that can see, recognize and parse what we as humans see with the same accuracy and performance. In our work, we are constantly working to solve problems that seem unsolvable. But this is also the best part. We create computers that do things way beyond what they can do now. And, the fun of having a really challenging problem is that infinite learning can occur.

As a specific challenge is overcome, less attention is paid to it and we move on to the next unsolved problem. For example, five years ago voice-over IP was hot, but it has by and large been figured out – for example Skype. Now things like digital video on demand from large content pools and computer vision systems are the new exciting things because they have yet to be figured out.

I always tell my students that this is a great career choice; it never gets boring and there is great employment opportunity because we are always on to the next unsolved problem.

How do real-time systems interface with the Internet?

The Internet is being reinvented as we speak and real-time systems will play an important role in the next life of the Internet, or Web 2.0 as some call it. This metamorphosis is happening because the Internet is forming cultural intelligence that is beyond the individual. This collective intelligence will be used for things we don’t yet know, but one example we can understand today is on-line gaming. This is all interactive and real time.

It is exciting unsolved challenges like this – where we don’t yet know how real-time systems will interface with the next development – that inspired me to teach.

How do you prepare students to embark on a career working on real-time systems?

To be successful in their careers, engineers will need to not only enter the workplace being experienced and self-guided, but will also need to know how to constantly reeducate themselves to stay ahead of an ever-changing industry. I help my students learn how to teach themselves to push technology to do things it can not yet do.

In my own career I have always approached a new problem by learning the theory behind it, then practicing on hardware or software to make sure I really understand the theory and, finally, putting together an actual product. This last part, which leverages what I learned from theory and practice, is the most important.

Based on my own experience, I developed what I call the “one-third, one-third, one-third method.” The first third starts with the presentation of theory through traditional lecture and reading. The second third is a lab and the last third is a project component. This is the exploratory learning part – something I wished I had in my own education. In this segment I ask students to be creative and think of new ways to put things together to build a new and interesting system. I am there as a resource and a guide when they need help, but the students are ultimately doing it on their own.

Another element that drives creativity and learning in the classroom is encouraging students with differing backgrounds and outlooks to work together on projects. For example, if you have an engineer with 20 years of experience working with a young student just starting out, you get cross education, which is extremely valuable. I, too, am constantly learning from my students. They may create something I never thought of, which can spark my creativity in teaching.

How do you define success as an instructor?

It is a great experience for me to see the light bulb go on for a student. This always happens in the third section of class when they connect theory and practice to put something together that works predictably and is repeatable. I am also inspired by my students when we work together as collaborators and they take things further than I would to discover something new.

And, just like projects I have worked on in my own career, I am proud of students who put the theory and practice they learned in class to work on the job as significant contributors to the development of important things like aircraft flight software, space telescope instrumentation, or on-demand digital media systems.

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2008-2009 Awards

COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE AND PLANNING

International Film Series featuring Children and Youth
Professor Willem Van Vliet
Children, Youth, and Environments Center
This international film series will highlights the social and physical spaces of children in a variety of countries from around the World.  Targeted for middle and high school students in the Boulder area, the series will include seven films that feature children in primary roles and will provide an entree into the lives of children from diverse countries. Visit http://thunder1.cudenver.edu/cye/ for more information.

Learning Landscapes: A University-Community Partnership to Improve School Grounds in BVSD through Service-Learning Courses
Professor Willem Van Vliet
Children, Youth, and Environments Center
This project will work with in the Boulder Valley School District to help create 32 Learning Landscapes at area school grounds during the next three years. Through service learning courses taught at the CU-Boulder campus, undergraduate students will work with administrators, teachers, students, parents, and community members to co-develop detailed plans for each schoolyard. Visit http://thunder1.cudenver.edu/cye/ for more information.

Multi-Cultural Youth Engagement: A Certificate Program for CU-Boulder Undergraduates to Engage Local Youth in Community Action Projects
Associate Dean and Professor Peter Schneider
The primary goal of this project is to engage a diverse population of Boulder County youth (14-19 year olds) in meaningful community-based action projects. To accomplish this systematically, a multi-cultural youth certificate program will be established for undergraduate students that will connect the City of Boulder and the Boulder Valley School District with a interdisciplinary campus coalition with direct focus on supporting the development of youth leaders that reflect diverse demographics. Visit www.colorado.edu/news/releases/1999/28.html for more information.

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

5th Day of the Dead Annual Celebration at the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History
Associate Professor Arturo Aldama
Department of Ethnic Studies
This multi-cultural project features a series of exhibits and events hosted at the CU Museum, each designed to provide a greater understanding of the richness of Day of the Dead cultural traditions. Visit http://cumuseum.colorado.edu for more information.

Attention, Behavior, and Learning Clinic
Associate Professor Erik Willcutt and Research Associate Nomita Chhabildas
Department of Psychology
This clinic provides comprehensive evaluations for children who are experiencing academic, behavioral, and/or emotional difficulties.  The clinic operates on a sliding scale, which allows many low-income families to access these services at low to no cost. The clinic also provides a valuable educational experience for graduate students working in the clinic. Visit http://psych.colorado.edu/~clinical/raimy/child.html for more information.

Boulder Café Scientifique
Professor Michael Breed, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Professor Darin Toohey, Baker Residential Academic Program and PAOS; and Professor Martin Walter, Department of Mathematics
These monthly talks are hosted in a downtown Boulder restaurant and designed specifically to share scientific expertise.   The 20-25 minute presentations are followed by dynamic conversation and discussion around the topic. Visit www.cafesciboulder.org for more information.

Colorado Math Circle
Professor Congming Li and Senior Instructor Anne Dougherty
Department of Applied Mathematics
Math Circle brings together Colorado’s top students for adventures in mathematical problem solving, while challenging them to use creativity and ingenuity. The project’s primary goal is to stimulate, support and enrich the best young math minds in Colorado. Visit www.coloradomath.org for more information.

Dance Outreach Initiatives
Associate Professor Toby Hankin and Professor Nada Diachenko
Department of Theatre and Dance
This project brings the work of the dance faculty directly to K-12 students across Colorado to encourage youth of many backgrounds to express creativity through dance, to educate K-12 teachers and students about the variety of approaches to the dance arts, and to nurture a vital level of interaction among various populations of Colorado. Visit http://www.colorado.edu/theatredance/dance/outreach.html for more information.

Developing Evidence-Based Treatment for Postpartum Depression: Partnership with Community Clinicians
Assistant Professor Sona Dimidjian
Department of Psychology
This project assists the Community Infant Program in developing of a specialty program focused on the treatment of postpartum depression. The pilot of the program will involve 15 new moms and their children in order to evaluate the efficacy of treating postpartum depression through dialectical behavior therapy. Visit http://psych-www.colorado.edu for more information.

Educating Lawmakers and Criminal Justice Professionals About Parole Revocation
Associate Professor Sara Steen
Department of Sociology
This project consists of data collection and analysis of about how criminals find themselves returning to prison due to technical parole violations.  Colorado’s state legislature has made it a priority to find ways of reducing society’s reliance on incarceration and this project serves to directly provide the necessary data and information for the commission’s review.  Many of those currently serving time in Colorado prisons are there now because of technical parole violations. Visit http://sobek.colorado.edu/SOC/ for more information.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of a School-Based Curriculum to Improve Outcomes among Latina Adolescent Mothers: Partnership with Community Clinicians
Assistant Professor Sona Dimidjian
Department of Psychology
Dr. Dimidjian and CU-Boulder students will provide evaluation assistance for a new program that uses a school-based curriculum created by the Community Infant Program. The new tools aim to teach teen mothers positive parenting, distress tolerance, and self-regulation skills. Visit http://psych-www.colorado.edu

Fossils and the Natural World: Museum Training and Support for 3rd Grade Teachers
Assistant Professor Dena Smith
Department of Geological Sciences and CU Museum Curator of Invertebrate Paleontology
This project will work to develop and implement a professional K-12 program that incorporates the state’s new science standard, “fossils are evidence of past life.”  Teacher workshops, fieldtrips to the CU Museum, and other support will be facilitated directly with the science curriculum coordinator from the Boulder Valley School District. Visit cumuseum.colorado.edu for more information.

Girls At the Museum Exploring Science (GAMES): An after-school science program at the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History
Assistant Professor Christy McCain, Museum and Field Studies/Ecology and Evolutionary Biology with Dr. Cathy Regan, Museum and Field Studies
GAMES is a unique program developed to encourage interest and excitement about science in preadolescent girls (4th and 5th grade).  Consisting of 7 weekly after school visits to the CU Museum, it allows the girls to explore archaeology, botany, entomology, paleontology and zoology through hands-on activity and direct interaction with scientists and museum professionals.  Visit cumuseum.colorado.edu for more information.

Intercultural Communication: Problem-centered research and student engagement in the local community
Senior Instructor Jane Elvins and Lecturer Melinda Cain
Department of Communication
Faculty and students from the Department of Communications will engage with community efforts to build respectful communities through cultural understanding and effective intercultural communications. In partnership with the highly successful local nonprofit group serving immigrant populations, Intercambio de Comunidades, faculty and students will design and customize intercultural trainings and workshops for adult immigrant English-learning students, volunteers, and donors in Boulder County. Visit http://comm.colorado.edu for more information.

INVST Community Studies and Centaurus High School: Helping Youth Become Active Citizens
Instructor Sabrina Sideris and Instructor Elaina Verveer
INVST Community Studies
Through development and delivery of the “Active Learners, Active Citizens” workshop to Centaurs High School in east Boulder County, this project will introduce teachers to the idea of using service learning in their classes as a tool for school and community reform. It will establish a community dialogue on leadership development and the power and potential of the youth voice. Visit www.colorado.edu/communitystudies for more information.

Making Government Local
Professor Kenneth Bickers
Department of Political Science
This project works to introduce high school students in the St. Vrain Valley School District to social science modes of inquiry; specifically those used by scholars and college students.  The project will develop a set of modules on social surveys and a set of surveys conducted by high school students with local and state government candidates. Visit http://polsci.colorado.edu

Math Year 3
Professor Eric Stade
Department of Mathematics
This program provides monthly professional development workshops for teachers, weekly after-school math workshops for students, resource support for the Talented and Gifted Program, and individual tutoring at Escuela Bilingüe Pioneer Elementary School in Lafayette. Now in its third year, the project has invigorated the mathematics program at Pioneer by providing requested support for both teachers and students. It also strengthens the mathematics education of the CU-Boulder students by providing them with significant experiential learning opportunities. Visit math.colorado.edu for more information.

The Robert D. Sutherand Center for the Evaluation and Treatment of Bipolar Disorder
Professor David Miklowitz and Research Associate Alisha Brosse
Department of Psychology
The Center provides comprehensive psychological and psychiatric services, at a greatly reduced fee, to people in the community who could not otherwise afford them. The project involves weekly case conferences with graduate student therapists and the Center director. The Center also covers laboratory costs that are a key component to providing expert psychiatric care to its patients, most of who cannot afford the lab work and therefore comprehensive care. Visit http://www.rdsfoundation.org/sutherlandcenter for more information.

Saturday Physics Series
Professor John Cumalat
Department of Physics
Now in its 7th year, this program features monthly public presentations that highlight research and the application of physical sciences, while exposing high school students and the community to the work of some of CU-Boulder’s best physical sciences faculty. Talks are presented at the high school junior and senior level and generally attract between 80 to 180 audience members. Visit www.colorado.edu/physics/Web/Saturday for more information.

Shakespeare Unplugged
Associate Professor Bud Coleman
Department of Theater and Dance
Theatre faculty and students will create an educational performance that will make Shakespeare’s language and characters accessible to school-aged audiences grades 3-5. The program will be toured to local schools and will incorporate teacher feedback. Visit www.colorado.edu/TheatreDance for more information.

Workshop for K-12 Educators in Hearing Loss Prevention
Associate Professor Kathryn Hoberg Arehart
Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences
Now in its fourth year, this program works to educate school children about the importance of taking care of their hearing. Workshops, for teachers and others who work with Colorado’s students, include instruction in the science of sound, human hearing, hearing health, and dangerous decibels. Interactive materials and activities that educators can use in their schools are also provided. Visit slhs.colorado.edu for more information.

LEEDS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

Economic Development Information Outreach
Associate Professor Richard Wobbekind
This project works to provide Colorado counties with updated information about the current conditions of their local economies and potential opportunities for growth and development. Communities can then utilize this custom information in their local decision-making and economic marketing. Faculty serve as principal researchers, analysts, and lead presenters, while students work to update county specific materials and assist in the work sessions with the individual communities. Visit leeds.colorado.edu for more information.

SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

Amazing Space: Re-Imagining Literature Instruction in a Public High School
Associate Professor William McGinley
This partnership engages teachers and students from Boulder’s Monarch High Scholl and CU-Boulder faculty in conversations about the nature of literature instruction.  It works to explore a range of topics from pursuing a more humanities-based approach to English/Language Arts instruction, to improving writing instruction through a seminar series for teachers, formal and informal forums for teachers and students, and a regular re-examination of specific day-to-day teaching practices. Visit http://www.colorado.edu/education/centersoutreach/outreach.html for more information.

Golaso! The Boulder County Goals for Life Project
Associate Professor Jeffrey Frykholm
This program will enhance the academic, athletic, and community experiences of low SES and potentially at-risk Latino/Latina youth in Boulder County through a unique and inventive educational approach. After school mathematics and literacy tutoring will be provided twice a week, alternating daily with high level soccer training, to help shepherd these 5th and 6th grades through middle school transition. Visit http://www.colorado.edu/education for more information.

Helping Teachers Implement the Haitian National Math Curriculum (“Curriculum de L’Ecole Fondamental: Les Mathematiques”) in a Rural School
Associate Professor Jeffrey Frykholm
A mathematics education instruction program will be created to familiarize Haiti’s teachers with the national math curriculum and standards and incorporate daily formative assessment. The teacher education program will be delivered in conjunction with the nonprofit organization, Colorado Haiti Project, to provide teachers with engaging and effective instruction techniques. Visit http://www.colorado.edu/education for more information.

TREO
Assistant Professor Elizabeth Dutro
This research collaboration with five K-12 teachers in the Boulder/Denver area will work to examine and intervene in areas related to equity and opportunity for culturally and linguistically diverse and low-income students. The goal is to create a research model to build and disseminate understanding about how students are positioned within the classrooms, the factors that influence opportunities to build positive schooling relationships, and strategies for increasing school engagement and success. Visit http://www.colorado.edu/education for more information.

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND APPLIED SCIENCE

Assessing the Extent of Mercury Contamination in the Reservoirs, Lakes, and Streams of Southwestern Colorado
Professor Joe Ryan
Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering
In conjunction with the Mountain Studies Institute in Silverton, the Southern Ute Tribe’s Environmental Programs Division, and the Pine River Watershed Group, Professor Ryan and CU-Boulder Engineering students will augment the efforts of the community groups in assessing the sources, deposition, and risks of mercury in the southwestern Colorado region. The research will focus on sampling, analysis, and evaluation of mercury in reservoirs, lakes, and streams in the area. Visit www.colorado.edu/ceae/environmental/ryan/ for more information.

Geometry on the Sphere: An Interactive Exploration of Non-Euclidean Ideas for K-12 Students
Associate Professor Michael Eisenberg
Department of Computer Science
This project develops an interactive programming environment for Fiske Planetarium’s new Science on a Sphere display.  Designed for middle and high school students, the tool will allow for real-time interaction with the globe. Visit http://fiske.colorado.edu for more information.

Tele–Education in the Amazon Region of Peru: The Second Phase
Associate Professor Alan Mickelson, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Professor Bernard Amadei, Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering
The Engineering for Developing Communities (EDC) Program has been working to implement tele-education (distribution of educational materials via the internet) in a portion of the Loreto Region of Peru for several years. Now in the second phase, the project will work to test the capability of inexpensive cell phone technology to be used to develop a cell phone modem based network for education and medical service throughout the region surrounded by the Napo and Amazon rivers. Visit http://www.edc-cu.org/ for more information.

SCHOOL OF LAW

Natural Resources Law Center: Intermountain Oil and Gas Best Management Practices
Research Assoc. Kathryn Mutz
A database and subsequent web site will be created to serve as a resource for Colorado stakeholders affected by oil and gas development to better understand what are the most innovative and environmentally sensitive practices in current use. A forum and workshop will be held to reach a broader Colorado audience and will focus on public participation in oil and gas development and encourage a wide variety of stakeholders to both use and contribute materials to the database. Visit http://www.colorado.edu/Law/centers/nrlc/ for more information.

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2000-2001 Awards

Flute Orchestra
Associate Professor Alexa Still, College of Music
Amount Awarded: $2,824
Target Audience: Middle and High School age flutists from the Denver Metro area
A day of rehearsal involving up to 100 young flutists in preparation of an outdoor public summer 2000 concert.

Partnerships and Resources in Music Education
Associate Professor James R. Austin and Associate Professor Janet Montgomery, College of Music
Amount Awarded: $2,194.80
Target Audience: 50 high school juniors enrolled in Denver Public Schools are selected based on their interest in a career in music, particularly music education.
High school students, primarily those of minority ethnicity, visit campus to participate in a College of Music Day. The students attend classes, visit with CU-Boulder students and faculty, and tour the campus. In addition, participants attend information sessions that focus on financial aid, College of Music requirements and career opportunities in music education.

College Prep Support for Migrant Hmong Communities
Assistant Professor Maria Franquiz, School of Education
Amount Awarded: $6,000
Target Audience: Clients served by Longmont’s Casa de la Esperanza and the Boulder County Community Action Program for Asian students.
This grant provides a college preparatory liaison person, who works closely with high school students who are at risk for non-completion.

Pre-Collegiate Development Middle School Program
Coordinator Johanna B. Maes, Student Academic Services Center in partnership with the School of Education
Amount Awarded: $4,500
Target Audience: Approximately 400 Colorado middle school students
This program utilizes School of Education teaching and research resources to enhance the Pre-Collegiate Development Middle School Program (PCDMSP). The project’s Saturday Academic Enrichment Academies attract approximately 400 6-8th graders and parents annually. PCDMSP is an academic enhancement program designed to motivate educationally and/or economically disadvantaged middle school youth to complete their pre-secondary school career with at least a 2.74 GPA and be adequately prepared to enroll in a college prep high school curriculum.

English as a Second Language Technical Assistance Project
Professor and Director Leonard Baca, BUENO Center for Multicultural Education, School of Education
Amount Awarded: $5,400
Target Audience: Teaching staff in Sterling School District, No. Re-1 and approximately 60 students and their families who are acquiring English as a second language.
Based on a needs assessment, training and technical assistance are provided to the teaching staff so that they may more effectively meet the academic and linguistics needs of the district’s growing minority student population.

Simply the Best
Professor Margaret Eisenhart, School of Education
Amount Awarded: $10,000
Target Audience: Middle and high school African American and Hispanic girls from Five Points in Denver, their parents, their teachers and school principal, other teenagers from the area and various adult members of the community.
This program focuses on science and technology topics and is a collaboration among adults from the Five Points community, CU faculty and students, and Five Points youth to provide science and technology instruction to this underserved population.

Science Explorers
Director Carol McLaren, CU-Boulder Science Discovery, School of Education
Amount Awarded: $6,700
Target Audience: Students and teachers in 5th through 8th grades. Many of the locations served are rural and/or have high percentages of minority students. Locations include Montrose, Grand Junction, Craig, Sterling, San Luis Valley, Bayfield/Ignacio, Lamar, Springfield, Colorado Springs and Pueblo.
Science Explorers is a unique professional development program for teachers, offering daylong, activity-based science workshops to teams each composed of a teacher and 5 of their students. Teams return to their classrooms to share the learning experience.

Science From CU
Director Carol McLaren, Science Discovery, School of Education
Amount Awarded: $4,000
Target Audience: annually more than 38,000 students and their teachers, primarily in grades K-12 in rural communities such as Alamosa, Trinidad, Grover, Delta, Montrose, Grand Junction, and Steamboat Springs.
Science from CU conducts science oriented hands-on assemblies and workshops.

Learning to Teach Mathematics in an Urban Community Center
Associate Professor William McGinley and Assistant Professor Jeff Frykholm, School of Education
Amount Awarded: $4,950
Target Audience: approximately 50 young children and adolescents from the Neighborhood Ministries Community Center in Downtown Denver
An after school program which provides children from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds with literacy and mathematics instruction. The project uses education students from the University to teach program participants.

Leadership Training through Service and Outreach
Professor Richard Kraft, director, Chancellor’s Leadership Residential Academic Program, School of Education
Amount Awarded: $4,050
Target Audience: Boulder community youth, CU students
CU-Boulder students learn leadership skills through in-depth experiences in the community. This program works with 18 different schools and community agencies. CU-Boulder students working in teams of 2-5 at these sites to complete a minimum of 40 carefully monitored service hours, to participate in feedback and training sessions, and to keep a journal of their outreach experience.

Rural Immigrant Outreach
Professor Hiroshi Motomura, School of Law
Amount Awarded: $4,400
Target Audience: Rural immigrants. Clinics hosted in Alamosa, La Junta, Grand Junction, Greeley, Leadville and Carbondale. The immigrants served are ethnic minorities, primarily from Mexico and other Latin American regions.
Under the guidance of CU-Boulder Alumni Attorneys and law school faculty, volunteer CU-Boulder law students assist immigrants in completing citizenship applications and preparations for the naturalization process, thereby providing a much needed service to an under-served population and introducing law students to public service.

Navajo Nation Supreme Court Project
Director Jerilyn DeCoteau, Indian Law Clinic, School of Law
Amount Awarded: $4,340
Target Audience: The audience includes primarily Native American students, the law school’s faculty and students.
The Navajo Supreme Court agreed to come to campus in October 2000 in order to conduct their court on-site as they would in the Navajo nation.

Summer High School Development Program in Journalism
Instructor and Assistant Dean Stephen B. Jones, School of Journalism and Mass Communication
Amount Awarded: $5,000
Target Audience: Academically and/or economically disadvantaged high school students from throughout western Colorado
A minimum of 15 high school students is selected to participate in the summer campus program for 5-6 weeks. The students live in the dorms and receive introductory, hands-on training in basic journalism.

Virtual Chautauqua
Associate Professor Bruce Henderson School of Journalism and Mass Communication
Amount Awarded: $5,000
Target Audience: Colorado K-12 teachers and students; specifically rural schools that have limited access to Colorado performing artists.
Virtual Chautauqua is a web site with access to more than 50 other sites by Colorado performing artists and more than 75 digitized performance clips (dance, poetry readings, music and theatrical productions). CU-Boulder student assistants provide onsite technical support for K-12 teachers using Virtual Chautauqua in their classrooms.

University Libraries Secondary Schools Outreach Program
Associate Professor Keith E. Gresham, University Libraries
Amount Awarded: $8,981.25
Target Audience: educational partnerships with more than 30 secondary schools in communities such as Nederland, Parker, Kremmling, Steamboat, Denver/Boulder, Granby, Estes Park, Evergreen, Golden, Northglenn, and Longmont
The program offers partner schools onsite and on-campus workshops as well as instruction sessions designed to teach students various literary skills. The skills taught include: how to develop and focus research topics, access and use information databases appropriate to their research needs, incorporate scholarly information sources into their own research papers and projects, and how to make use of the full array of scholarly information sources available at CU-Boulder University Libraries.

A Colorado-wide Boost for K-12 Education Through the Citizen Explorer-I Mission (CX-I)
Research Associate and Director Elaine Hansen, Colorado Space Grant Consortium, College of Engineering and Applied Science
Amount Awarded: $1,800
Target Audience: Students and teachers from K-12 schools in disadvantaged and underrepresented communities.
Teachers participate in two-day training workshops that facilitate bringing the Citizen Explorer-I satellite project into their classrooms. Students share data and experiences from across the country by using the handheld ground monitoring “EduStations” and instrumentation. Citizen Explorer-I is a satellite designed and built by CU-Boulder students; it takes ozone, weather, atmospheric and many other measurements as it orbits Earth, and sends data to the “EduStations”.

Pre-College Engineering Success Institutes for Under-Served Students
Senior Instructor Janet Degrazia, ITLL, College of Engineering and Applied Science
Amount Awarded: $9,019.75 per year for 4 yrs
Target Audience: Under-served high school students who live within 40 miles of campus
This program provides an introduction to the joys and challenges of engineering. 9th graders are on campus for 2 days to do hands-on projects that explore general engineering principles; 10th graders are on campus with the 9th graders, but participate in more advanced thermodynamics and heat transfer engineering activities; 11th graders are on campus for 4 days to complete an engineering design project; AND 12th graders spend an entire 5-day week completing a rigorous design project similar to that offered in CU-Boulder’s first-year engineering courses.

Investigating the Effects of Off-Road Vehicles on the Macro invertebrate Population and Water Quality of James Creek with the James Creek Watershed Initiative
Associate Professor Joseph Ryan, Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering, College of Engineering and Applied Science
Amount Awarded: $4,050
Target Audience: James Creek Watershed Initiative, a 30-member citizens group and advisory board, Jamestown residents (300 people), Jamestown Elementary School (about 30 students, one teacher), and the three Boulder County Commissioners (information for assessing the continuation of the road closing to protect the watershed).
This is a continued study of the James Creek Watershed. It further tests the hypothesis that off-road vehicles (ORV) exacerbated the water quality problem in James Creek. The results of a previous study of the James Creek Watershed resulted in the closure of County Road 102J by the Boulder County Commissioners.

Middle School Chemical Engineering Outreach
Professor Alan W. Weimer, Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering and Applied Science
Amount Awarded: $750
Target Audience: 6th and 7th grade middle school students
Science students generate an oil spill (olive oil in an aluminum pie pan) and discuss and carry out various methods for clean up. They see the impact oil has on bird feathers (animal life), and discuss key issues such as who are responsible and how does one’s affiliation (oil company vs. environmentalist) impact the decision on “best methods” for cleanup.

Colorado’s Planets and Galaxies
Professor Juri Toomre, Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences
Amount Awarded: $2,365.65
Target Audience: 5th grade students in the St. Vrain Valley School District.
Every week throughout the Fall semester one facilitator, from a team of astronomy graduate students and faculty, visits an elementary school to demonstrate a key concept in astronomy or physics.

CU-Boulder Refugee Youth Outreach Program
Assistant Professor Donna M. Goldstein, Department of Anthropology, College of Arts and Sciences
Amount Awarded: $6,000
Target Audience: 10 students from Boulder County High Schools, representing at least 5 different homelands.
Refugee Youth Outreach Program engages young refugees from various cultures, to teach them the skills necessary to serve as researchers who then collect life histories within their own families and community. Colorado refugees come from countries including the former Yugoslavia and Kosovo, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Nepal, Russia, Ivory Coast, Somalia, Sudan, Democratic Republic, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Mauritania, Angola, Eritrea, Burundi, and Uganda.

High School Students’ Visit to EALC
Senior Instructor Kyoko Saegusa, Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations (EALC), College of Arts and Sciences
Amount Awarded: $2,000
Target Audience: more than 250 7th through 12th grade Colorado students currently enrolled in Japanese classes. Targeted schools are Boulder HS, Fairview HS, New Vista HS, Smoky Hill HS, Eaglecrest HS, and East HS
Students of Japanese visit EALC classes to participate at their level. They also visit a literature or culture class, take part in hands-on activities and have lunch with EALC faculty.

Humanities and Arts Community Programming
Professor and Director Jeffrey N. Cox, Center for Humanities and the Arts, College of Arts and Sciences
Amount Awarded: $4,000
Target Audience: Various exile and immigrant communities within the Boulder-Denver area, including members of the Hispanic, Tibetan, Chinese and Arab communities
This is a yearlong exploration of the theme “The Persistence of Exile.” Programs are hosted/moderated by CU-Boulder faculty who are themselves in exile or who study exile. One program, “Exile on Pearl Street,” focuses on the experiences of exiles and asylees living in the Boulder area, and provides a frame for presentations by members of the community about their experiences.

K-12 Foreign Language Exploratory Program
Director Kuan-Yi Rose Chang, Anderson Language and Technology Center, College of Arts and Sciences
Amount Awarded: $5,000
Target Audience: Students and teachers in grades K-12 in Chaffee, Montrose, Park and Lake County School districts.
During the 2000-2001 academic year, CU-Boulder language teams make 2 visits to each school in these 4 counties, offering lectures about target languages and cultures, and providing communicative foreign language instruction to the children. Each language team consists of one faculty member, one graduate assistant and at least one undergraduate student currently enrolled in a foreign language degree program at CU-Boulder.

Philosophy Outreach Program of Colorado
Associate Professor Claudia Mills, Department of Philosophy, College of Arts and Sciences
Amount Awarded: $6,816
Target Audience: middle and high school students teachers from across the state
Now in its 4th year, this program sends faculty and graduate students from the Department of Philosophy to middle and high schools to lead classes and daylong workshops in philosophy.

Prison Writing and Literacy
Assistant Professor Bruce W. Holsinger, Department of English, College of Arts and Sciences
Amount Awarded: $4,300
Target Audience: Middle and high-school-aged students (grades 8-12) in Boulder’s juvenile facilities, women taking courses at the Boulder County Jail, and several dozen inmates at prisons in Golden and Denver.
Making available CU-Boulder student-taught classes at 4 facilities in the Boulder-Denver area, this project includes several GED preparation courses at Boulder’s juvenile detention facilities, a semester-long team-taught Shakespeare course for women at the Boulder Jail, and basic adult literacy instruction at a state medium-security facility.

Safe Communities – Safe Schools
Professor Del Elliott, director, Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, College of Arts and Sciences
Amount Awarded: $5,000
Target Audience: Communities and schools in every county of Colorado. Individuals targeted include representatives from the business community, law enforcement, faith community, legislators, educators, parents and students.
Safe Communities – Safe Schools shares with schools and communities their research information on how to create safe places for kids to live and learn. It includes providing all Colorado communities with safe school planning, violence prevention publications, and basic technical assistance, (20 sites in Colorado receive in-depth technical assistance).

Summer Philosophy Institute of Colorado
Associate Professor Claudia Mills, Department of Philosophy, College of Arts and Sciences
Amount Awarded: $10,000
Target Audience: Philosophically curious high school students from across Colorado.
A weeklong residential program on the CU-Boulder campus that offers interested high school students an intensive introduction to philosophy and college life. Participants live in a CU-Boulder residence hall with graduate student counselors and attend 6 hours of class per day. Classes involve philosophy lectures and debates led by graduate student counselors, and guest lectures by members of the Department of Philosophy faculty.

Will Power Tour 2000: Colorado Shakespeare Festival Outreach
Professor Richard Devin, Department of Theater and Dance, College of Arts and Sciences
Amount Awarded: $9,000
Target Audience: A broad mix of K-12 students and community members in Colorado.
Performance-based Shakespeare education for students, teachers and communities, particularly in regions with limited access to Shakespeare and theatre classes, and for metro-area schools with a high percentage of at-risk students There are 5 programs that tour to different types of schools and audiences.

Colorado History Day
Professor Thomas Zeiler, Department of History, College of Arts and Sciences
Amount Awarded: $5,000
Target Audience: Colorado students in grades 6 through 12.
More than 4,000 students embark on a yearlong historical adventure to examine how people have struggled to create and react to critical turning points in history. The student projects are showcased in a series of local and district competitions, which culminate each year in the Colorado History Day statewide competition on the CU-Boulder campus. State winners go on to regional and national competitions.

Colorado Regional Ocean Sciences Bowl: Partnerships for Science Education
Professor Hartmut Spetzler, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), College of Arts and Sciences
Amount Awarded: $4,160
Target Audience: Approximately 80 high school students from across Colorado

The Colorado Regional Ocean Sciences Bowl is part of the National Ocean Sciences Bowl program (NOSB). The NOSB is a “quiz bowl” format where participating teams of 5 students plus a teacher-coach travel to Boulder for the regional competition in February. The winning team goes on to the national competition in Washington, DC.

Community Literacy Outreach
Professor Lise Menn, Professor Barbara Fox, Department of Linguistics, College of Arts and Sciences
Amount Awarded: $9,200 per year for two yrs.
Target Audience: Participants in the Boulder Public Library program are all families from Boulder, primarily members of lower socio-economic groups. They represent all ethnic groups and range in age from preschoolers to older adults.
The linguistics department has an ongoing service learning partnership with the Boulder Public Library’s Learning to Read Program, and now also with the Family Learning Center. This program places undergraduates, who are in Linguistics 1000 Language in US Society, as ‘reading buddies’ for children of non-literate families, as assistants to tutor-adult learner pairs.

The Convection Connection
Senior Instructor Michael Dubson, Department of Physics, College of Arts and Sciences in partnership with CU-Boulder Science Discovery and CIRES
Amount Awarded: $4,950
Target Audience: 4th through 8th grade teachers and students throughout Colorado. Convection Connection aired on Channel 4 News November 6-17, 2000. The enhanced version is distributed initially to 200 teachers, representing over 12,000 students.
The Convection Connection is a 10-day curriculum that includes short video clips, with Larry Green, Drs. Michael Dubson (Physics), and Alex Weaver (CIRES). In the curriculum, convection is explained by breaking it down into underlying principles of physics. Then it is illustrated as a phenomenon that occurs throughout the earth’s systems, as seen in the atmosphere (convective storms), the oceans (ocean currents), the Earth’s mantle (plate tectonics), and inside the Sun (in the convection region of the sun).

On Line Archive of Life Science
Associate Professor Kathleen Danna, Department of MCD Biology, in partnership with the Hughes Initiative, College of Arts and Sciences
Amount Awarded: $4,950
Target Audience: K-12 teachers in Colorado. The number of teachers who currently participate in Hughes Initiative opportunities exceeds 800, most teach in the Denver Metro area.
The goal is to increase K-12 community access to learning activities that highlight the research themes of CU-Boulder’s science faculty by placing these activities on an improved and enhanced UCB Hughes Initiative web site.

Living Shakespeare Summer Partnerships
Professor Richard Devin, Department of Theater and Dance, College of Arts and Sciences
Amount Awarded: $4,950
Target Audience: High school and middle school students from Boulder County.
The primary goal of “Living Shakespeare Summer Partnerships” on-site in-reach program is to make Shakespeare’s works and the CSF productions more accessible to young people and their parents and teachers by providing opportunities to experience the educational activities and offerings on the CU-Boulder Campus.

The Natural History of Humankind
Associate Professor Herbert Covert, Department of Anthropology in partnership with the Hughes Initiative, College of Arts and Sciences
Amount Awarded: $1,890
Target Audience: Middle and high school teachers in the Denver/Boulder metro area.
This program features a graduate level continuing education course that provides K-12 teachers with information on the latest research in human history and evolution, better equipping them to teach this subject in their classrooms.

Earthworks
Professor Hartmut Spetzler, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), College of Arts and Sciences
Amount Awarded: $4,950
Target Audience: 25 teachers and 3 on-site educators from the Cal-Wood Environmental Education Center. Each teacher works with 100-150 students per year, while Cal-Wood serves 2000 students per year.
Earthworks is an established community of teachers and scientists who provide encouragement and support to one another (e.g., funding sources, teaching and curriculum ideas) through e-mail. Earthworks borrows or obtains free equipment and materials from sources that include the City of Boulder (i.e., invertebrate sampling equipment), University science departments (i.e., GPS units, dissection microscopes), the Natural Resources Conservation District (soil augers), and other institutions for the direct benefit of Colorado’s K-12 education system.

Montrose and Neighbors Dance Project
Associate Professor Nada Diachenko, Department of Theatre and Dance, College of Arts and Sciences
Amount Awarded: $3,600
Target Audience: K-12 students in Montrose and surrounding towns, children and young adults in private dance studios, and senior citizens
Teams of dancers teach daily in 2 or 3 different communities and schools. Montrose serves as the hub for the residency, surrounding communities include as far away as Salida, Buena Vista, and as close as Ridgeway.

History Day Outreach to San Luis Valley Schools
Professor James Jankowski, Department of History, College of Arts and Sciences
Amount Awarded: $3,780
Target Audience: 60 to 100 students from San Luis Valley Schools, as well as 10 to 15 teachers and mentors
Students from San Luis Valley receive ongoing support and advice as their students prepare to participate in the state’s Colorado History Day competition, hosted each spring on the CU-Boulder campus.

Updating and Making the Ceren Electronic Archeological Site Available to K-12
Professor Payson Sheets, Department of Anthropology, College of Arts and Sciences
Amount Awarded: $3,240
Target Audience: Users from the United States, Latin America, Europe, and the Far East frequently access the Ceren web page.
The Ceren Electronic Archeological web site features a three dimensional view and tour of the dig. Archaeology, as well as anthropology, is making a contribution to the literature of natural disaster research by investigating the effects of powerful volcanic eruptions during the first millennia on Central American society. Thousands of square kilometers of fertile Mayan farmland were rendered uncultivable from a massive volcanic disaster that occurred circa 300 AD in the center of what is now El Salvador. The site shares the research findings and learning opportunities with K-12 students.

Program of Education and Outreach on Global Issues
Associate Professor Anthony Bebbington, Department of Geography (Developing Areas Research and Training Program), College of Arts and Sciences
Amount Awarded: $3,600
Target Audience: 500 K-12 students and 75 teachers in the Denver Metro Area
A pilot Global Education Program involving 20 presentations to 500 students, and another 5 presentations to 75 teachers. It also involves the development of a web site that provides international environment and development resources for the public. This project will expand resources within Colorado for education and outreach on international environment and development issues.

Integrating the Public into Field Archeology
Associate Professor Douglas Bamforth, Department of Anthropology, College of Arts and Sciences
Amount Awarded: $1,800
Target Audience: Approximately 60 students and 6 teachers in the St. Vrain Valley DIG THIS! Program, as many as 24 teachers from a variety of school districts in the Project Archaeology program, and approximately a dozen CAS volunteers from many northern Front Range communities.
This project will use CU-Boulder Anthropology faculty and graduate students to train and supervise middle school students and adult vocational archaeologists in archaeological fieldwork in association with the CU-Boulder Anthropology Department’s summer archaeological field school.

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Independent Learning

How much do Independent Learning courses cost and how do I pay?

Tuition and fees are set by the Colorado Department on Higher Education (DHE) and must cover all costs of instruction and administration. Tuition and fees are due at the time of registration. A 1% service charge will be assessed on the unpaid balance, and a financial stop will be placed on your record. All tuition and refund determinations are subject to audit. Independent Learning and DHE reserve the right to change rates without notice.

Current Tuition:

Online semester-based course: $280 per semester hour
Online self-paced course: $237 per semester hour
Print correspondence self-paced course: $237 per semester hour

You should pay for your course by check, money order, or credit card at the time of registration.

Is financial aid available for Independent Learning courses?

Generally, no. However, the Division of Continuing Education and Professional Studies has some scholarships for nontraditional students who are at least 22 years of age. Funds are limited. Call 303-492-5148 for more information on the Nontraditional Student Scholarship or download the Scholarship Application.

You may also seek alternative student loan options from private lending institutions. Call the Office of Financial Aid at 303-492-4518 for more information on alternative student loans.

To receive VA benefits (cost of course reimbursement only), you must be accepted into an approved degree or certificate program or have submitted to the VA Office a statement of professional objectives with an outline of courses to achieve those objectives. To receive full benefits, more than one-half of each term’s course work must be taken in regular campus classes. Benefits are not granted for proficiency-increasing postgraduate studies. For information contact the CU-Boulder Veterans’ Services in the Office of Financial Aid at 303-492-7322.

Can I have my Independent Learning tuition put on my main campus schedule/bill?

No. Continuing Education tuition is separate from main campus tuition.

Are refunds offered if I withdraw?

Self-paced courses:

You may drop a course within 40 calendar days of registration without any mark on your transcript. You will receive a full refund of tuition. You may drop the course in person, by mail, fax, or e-mail. Refunds will typically be issued within six weeks. You may withdraw from a self-paced course without a refund anytime before you take the final examination. Your transcript will show a mark of W.

Term-based courses:

Each term there will be a drop/refund calendar published. You’ll be notified of the refund schedule in your registration confirmation. Pay careful attention to the fact that you may drop the course only during the full-refund period; if you withdraw during the partial-refund period, a mark of W will appear on your transcript. View more information on term-based course procedures.

My company is paying for this course. What do I need to do?

Businesses handle these payments in different ways. You will need to obtain a letter (or purchase order, or other official document) from your employer indicating that they will pay for your course(s). You must to bring this letter (or other document) with you at the time of registration. You may also fax or mail this letter with your registration form to Independent Learning, University of Colorado at Boulder, 178 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309-0178. Fax: 303-492-5335. Payment may be made by check, money order, or credit card.

If your company will also be paying for your textbooks for the course, please indicate this on the letter (or other document) and we will arrange billing with the bookstore and bill your textbooks to your employer with the tuition. The Bookstore will ship books via UPS.

How long do I have to complete the course? How fast can I complete my course?

You have 12 calendar months to complete a self-paced course. Term-based courses follow a set schedule established by the instructor, usually the span of a whole term.

While we require a minimum of 6 weeks (or, two weeks per credit hour) between registration and final grade, don’t expect to complete a course in this time period. All of the courses are the equivalent of a regular, main campus course. You should plan and prepare assignments carefully and allow time for thoughtful responses from your instructor (10-14 days). Most instructors limit the number of assignments to two in a seven day period.

Our students report that the typical course takes 3-5 months to complete. Plan ahead, and don’t expect RUSH or special treatment.

What about extensions? Can I extend the time limit required to complete a course?

Term-based courses may not be extended. Self-paced courses may be extended for an additional 12 months and only one extension is allowed. There is a $65 per credit hour fee for extending your course. You will not be notified that you need to extend.

What if I don’t complete my course?

If you do not complete your course within the time limit, you must formally withdraw before the expiration date in order to receive a “W” on your transcript. If you do not withdraw before the expiration date, you will receive an “F”. If you need additional time to complete your course, you can request a 12-month extension for a fee of $65 per credit hour. It is your responsibility to keep track of your expiration date. We will not notify you when your course is about to expire.

What is the Course Repetition Program?

The Course Repetition program allows students who received a grade of D+ or lower in their original course (for graduate students, a grade of C+ or lower) to repeat the course. The original grade will still appear on the transcript, but will be removed from both the total credit hour calculation and GPA. This gives students the ability to try to improve their GPA by repeating a course in which they did poorly the first time. Additional deadlines, rules, and guidelines can be found on the Office of the Registrar website – registrar.colorado.edu.

NOTE: If you plan to apply Course Repetition to a course being repeated through ACCESS, Boulder Evening, or Independent Learning you MUST SUBMIT THE FORM IN THE SEMESTER IN WHICH YOU ENROLL IN THE COURSE. If the deadline for the semester has passed, please contact one of our Academic Advisors at 303-492-8252 to discuss your options.

How many courses can I take at one time?

Students from outside the University may take as may courses at once as they like, but we strongly suggest no more than two courses at a time. Students from within the University in the College of Arts and Sciences, Journalism, and Business may take up to two courses at once, and may petition the dean to take more than two. All Engineering students within the University must petition their dean to take any Independent Learning courses.

When can I enroll?

You may enroll in self-paced courses at any time. Term-based courses have specific enrollment periods that change every term. Go to this link for information on term-based courses.

Are any courses online?

Yes. Independent Learning offers online term-based and self-paced courses. View the course list. There is also general information about the online course format along with instructions on how to log on to a course.

Can I see the syllabus for a course?

Print versions of all study guides are available (for preview only) at Independent Learning in the Continuing Education building, 1st floor, 1505 University Avenue in Boulder. If you register for a print version correspondence course, you will receive a complimentary copy of the study guide from the CU Book Store when you purchase your books. Replacement copies of the syllabus are $10. All information for online courses is on the Web.

View our course list and choose the course that meets your needs. Click on the course detail at the end of the course description to get more information about the course.

The course description lists a prerequisite. Do I have to take the prerequisite?

The prerequisite is required unless you already have the equivalent experience/education. In this case, you may proceed without taking the prerequisite. Please be aware that if you begin a course without the prerequisite, you may not get the best experience out of a class, particularly with term-based courses. The instructors will not have time to review the basics you should already know. Some institutions will not allow transfer credit for a course if you don’t have the prerequisite. Check with your advisor if you are uncertain.

I’m a full-time student at one of the other CU campuses. Am I eligible to take Independent Learning courses?

Yes, you are eligible to take up to two Independent Learning courses at one time.

Will my grade appear on a transcript?

Yes, your grade will appear on your CU-Boulder transcript.

I need a particular course to graduate. How can I be sure that my grade will go through in time for graduation?

It is solely the student’s responsibility to make sure all course work and exams are completed in a timely basis so that a final grade will be posted to your transcript in time for graduation. This usually means completing all coursework and exams (getting them to the instructor) at least 5 weeks before you expect to graduate.

Can I earn a certificate in any area?

Yes. Independent Learning offers certificate programs in Sustainable Practices and Speech Language Pathology Assistant (SLPA).

Who should I talk to for advising?

We provide the services of academic advisors for Independent Learning students. Call 303-492-8252 or toll free 800-331-2801 and the advisor will return your call at a mutually convenient time.

Where are the Boulder campus computer labs located?

Go to www.colorado.edu/its/labs for a list of computer labs on campus. You will most likely have to set up an IdentiKey account to access most public computers on campus. See www.colorado.edu/its/accounts for more information.

What are the benefits of taking a course through Independent Learning?

Even before you register for a course through Independent Learning, you can receive personalized academic advising and scheduling assistance. After you register, you will have a study guide prepared specifically for students who are learning at a distance and who need flexibility for scheduling time. You will have access to your course 24 hours a day. This means that you can post discussion responses or turn in assignments anytime in an online course. And the U.S. Postal Service serves well for print-based courses.

In addition, you can reread the instructor’s commentary – something you can’t do in a lecture hall. In many of the web-based courses, the instructors are going beyond the traditional quiz approach and providing “out in the field” assignments for real-life individualized feedback from the instructor. Other benefits include multiple web-based resources that you can access even after the class is over as references in your future studies. Many instructors also are gearing their assignments to fit your learning style preferences and to support your areas of interests within the subject area. You learn at a pace you choose, with control over when and where to study, all without disrupting family or career responsibilities.

How does an Independent Learning course compare to a regular course on CU’s campus?

The appropriate academic department has approved all independent learning courses. In addition, the department has approved the instructor. Courses are accredited as a part of the campus accreditation process. Courses are designed to match the course on campus, though they may not be exactly the same and may not use the same textbook. Students tell us that the courses take about the same or slightly more effort than a live campus course. Finally, there tends to be more written work and instructor feedback in independent learning courses and, obviously, no face to face interaction with instructors or classmates.

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