FAQs for Parents and Families

The Office of Parent and Family Programs is here to address questions and concerns regarding your student. Many of the questions asked most frequently by parents are listed below. If you can't find the answer you need, please call (719) 389-6103 or email parents@mblayst.com. If we cannot give you an immediate answer, we will work to connect you with those at the college who can provide assistance and support.

Please visit this resource page for the most up-to-date FAQs regarding COVID-19.

Academics: General

College students' records are protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which restricts institutions from releasing grades and other educational records without the student's written permission. Students may view their grades online through the Self-Service Banner (SSB) after the grades have been submitted and recorded by the Office of the Registrar. Since the system is student-controlled, students are encouraged to share grade information with their parents. Colorado College does not mail grade reports home. If parents want an official copy of their student's grades, the student can submit an online request to have a copy sent to their parents by following these instructions.
The Colket Center for Academic Excellence provides collaborative learning opportunities for all Colorado College students, as well as tutorial assistance when needed. Please see the Academic Support section below for additional information about the Colket Center.

Students who are having trouble resolving their schedules may work with the Advising Hub and/or their academic advisor.

The Advising Hub works in collaboration with all faculty and departments across CC to connect students with campus resources, academic advisors, fellowships, and upcoming campus events. The Advising Hub serves as students' one-stop shop for exploring academics and other resources available at CC. While appointments are not necessary, they are encouraged. Schedule an Appointment.
If you have questions about how your student is doing at Colorado College, you should talk first with your student. If you are not satisfied with that discussion, you can contact Pedro de Araujo, the Vice Provost at (719) 389-6687. It is best not to contact faculty members, as it is important that the faculty-student relationship be built directly by those individuals. In addition, faculty will not know whether a FERPA form has been signed, so they will not be certain what information your student has given permission to communicate. Dean de Araujo will have access to your student's FERPA status.
Yes, Colorado College does have a Summer Session. The Summer Session offers Colorado College students an opportunity to make progress toward their degrees, take courses not offered during the spring or fall, or engage in intercultural study programs offered only through the Summer Session. After one semester of study at Colorado College, each Colorado College student is provided with a "Wild Card" tuition credit that can be used once before graduation to cover the tuition for one summer block of regularly scheduled classes. See the Registrar's office transfer credit guidelines for more information.

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Academic Support

In a competitive academic environment, all students, regardless of their ability or preparation, will experience academic challenges. Every student can benefit from learning how to manage challenges, persist through difficulty, and develop academic resilience. The Colket Center for Academic Excellence works to promote a culture of learning in which seeking help, consulting with professionals, and collaborating with peers to problem-solve are understood and embraced as a natural part of the learning process.

The Colket Center provides students with a supportive environment, individualized instruction, and opportunities for collaborative learning. The Colket Center approaches learning from a social constructivist perspective, as a process in which learners actively construct knowledge, building upon or transforming their existing understanding as a result of their social encounters and participation in an academic community.

The Colket Center has three distinct units: support for writers through the Ruth Barton Writing Center, support for math, the sciences, and quantitative social sciences through the Quantitative Reasoning Center, and support for English Language Learners through our English as a Second Language specialist. A thesis-writing specialist works with students writing senior theses and capstone projects and a writing center specialist works with students applying for highly competitive scholarships and fellowships. The Colket Center also offers programs for students at transitional moments in their academic careers through the First Year Program and Sophomore Jump.

More than 55% of students enrolled at Colorado College use the services of the Colket Center in a given year. The Colket Center serves the most accomplished students alongside the most at risk, seniors alongside first-years, and students studying math and science alongside students who are writing papers for a humanities course. All students, regardless of ability or preparation, come to the Colket Center to seek help, consult others, and collaborate - skills that are valuable far beyond the CC experience.

The Ruth Barton Writing Center provides students with opportunities for individual consultations and tutorial assistance with peer and professional staff, as well as adjunct courses and workshops focused on critical academic skills - reading, writing, study strategies, and English language learning. Students can schedule writing consultations that target each stage of the writing process up to a block in advance, with either peer or professional tutors. They can access tutor profiles, online resources, and our scheduling system by visiting the Writing Center website, and can always email professional staff with any questions they have about the process of working with a tutor at the Writing Center.
The Quantitative Reasoning Center (QRC) offers tutoring by peer and professional staff for students in mathematics, science, computer science, social science, and other classes with quantitative components. The QRC offers drop-in tutorials, group problem-solving sessions, review sessions before exams, and one-on-one tutoring with subject-specific tutors. Students can study at the QRC with their tutors, review answers for homework, get feedback on lab reports, prepare for exams, or just chat with knowledgeable tutors.
Both the QRC and the Writing Center offer a wide range of hours to serve student needs on the block, and both have peer tutors and professional staff available to assist.

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Accessibility

The Accessibility Resources office collaborates with the Colorado College community to ensure that all aspects of campus life are accessible, equitable, and inclusive for people who experience disabilities.

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Calendar

The academic calendar provides information on all breaks in the regular schedule. Before students or parents purchase tickets for plane travel around breaks, students should consult with their professors about their course schedules and exams.
Due to the unique nature of the Block Plan, it is difficult for a student to know at the beginning of a semester when an exam might be scheduled for each block class. In general, students should not plan to leave campus any earlier than noon on the last day of class prior to a block or holiday break. While families can use the academic calendar as a general guideline, some professors will schedule exams or assignments on the last day of class before the break, and some professors have attendance requirements that only allow a certain number of missed classes. Your student is responsible for knowing the specific requirements and exam schedules for their classes.

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Dining and Meal Plans

All students living in traditional residence halls, small houses, language houses, Western Ridge apartments, and fraternity housing are required to be on a meal plan. Students living in cottage housing, Synergy House, or off campus are not required to be on a meal plan.
Meal plans are managed through the student accounts office. Visit their webpage to get information about different meal plan costs or answers to common questions. You can also contact the office via phone at (719) 389-6698.
Campus dining offers service during block and holiday breaks, except for Winter Break when the entire campus is closed. There may be changes to the normal dining schedule and some locations may be closed during breaks. If your student is staying on campus during break times, he or she will want to look for information about posted hours of closings.
Bon Appétit is able to accommodate a wide variety of dietary needs/restrictions and is accustomed to working with students to meet their requirements, including developing a plan that may include special menu items, ingredient identification, special preparation, and communication to necessary staff to ensure that your student can eat safely. The Bon Appetit website provides information and contacts for student needs. The Office of Accessibility Resources may also be able to assist with dietary accommodations.

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Emergencies: Campus

CC students, faculty, and staff are notified through the Rave Mobile Safety messaging system, a multi-modal service that helps college officials provide emergency information via:

  • Voice messages to home, work, and cell phones
  • Text messages to cell phones, PDAs, and other text-based devices
  • Written messages to e-mail accounts
  • Messages to TTY/TDD receiving devices for individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing

All students are automatically enrolled in this system based on the directory information that they provide and/or verify through the check-in process at the beginning of each semester. If a change in information occurs either before or after semester check-in, please encourage your student to keep their contact information updated through the "personal information" menu in the Self Service Banner (SSB) portal.

The Rave Mobile Safety messaging system is used only when there is an emergent (immediate) situation posing a threat to the campus. It is not used for incidents that have ended. We want to assure that messages are sent only when there is a true emergency so that students, faculty, and staff are not de-sensitized by non-emergency messages from the system.

There are three types of messages, in order of severity, that might be sent by the college to communicate about emergencies:

  1. Emergency notification of an emergent threat to the campus; sent immediately after Campus Safety learns of the emergency.
  2. Timely warning email when a crime has occurred on or near campus and a suspect is at-large; sent soon after Campus Safety learns of the situation.
  3. General email to campus community and parents; this may communicate resources for support or other information. Timing varies.

Please be aware that taking care of our students is the top priority for the college. Before messages are sent to parents, we need to make sure that information is accurate, that the next steps in our emergency response protocols are activated, and that the campus community has been notified.

If the Colorado College website is operational, any notifications that are sent to the campus community via the Rave Mobile Safety messaging system will also be posted on the emergency preparedness webpage.

Students have the ability to add your contact information to their accounts during semester check-in. Please discuss your notification preferences with your student.
Encourage your student to download and use the personal safety app from Rave Mobile Safety and available for both iPhone and Android platforms. In addition to providing a direct access point for Campus Safety, your student can designate you as a "guardian" within the app, enabling you to check your student's status when the app is activated.
Nothing is more anxiety-producing than not being able to reach your student. While there are many possible reasons for an inability to communicate (your student turned their phone off, cell phone or internet service is disrupted, power is out, etc…), please know that our first priority is always our students' safety. You can be assured that our Emergency Management Team is hard at work from the very start of any emergency situation and that college staff members are available to support student needs on an around-the-clock basis.
Yes. The campus emergency preparedness plan, an emergency preparedness guide, and other information are provided on the emergency preparedness webpage. Emergency protocol quick reference cards are also posted across campus in multiple locations in every building.

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Emergencies: Personal

If you are aware of a medical or life-threatening emergency involving your student, call CC Campus Safety at (719) 389-6911, 24 hours a day. Additional contact information for non-emergency situations is available.
If a student experiences a medical emergency or life-threatening health concern, informing parents/guardians, especially when we are aware that a student has been transported to the emergency room, is a high priority. Emergency medical incidents may include a severe injury or illness, mental health crisis, or substance-related incidents. Response to emergency incidents is coordinated and supervised by the Student Life Office (Vice President for Student Life/Dean of Students). If an incident occurs during regular business hours, contact will be initiated by the Student Life Office. If an incident occurs outside of regular business hours, response and support are available from a rotation of trained, on-call professional staff, called dean's representatives, who are available from 5 p.m. - 8 a.m. during the week and 24 hours on the weekend.

In the event of a life-threatening emergency, students should call 911 (9-911 from an on-campus phone) or Campus Safety at 719-389-6911 (6-911 from an on-campus phone). Students should always give their location, and nature of the emergency, and be prepared to respond to the dispatcher's questions or instructions. Students should not hang up until told to do so.

In case of a medical or psychological crisis, students should call Campus Safety at 6911. Campus Safety can initiate a response from police, fire, medical, counseling support teams, and other appropriate campus resources. If an emergency involving CC students occurs off campus, students should notify Campus Safety immediately at 719-389-6707.

To report a serious illness, family emergency, or other matter that could affect your student's well-being and/or academic progress, please call the Student Life office at (719) 389-6689 or (719) 389-6684 to inform the dean or assistant dean of students of the situation. If it is after business hours and you have an urgent concern that requires immediate attention, please call Campus Safety at (719) 389-6707, and your call will be directed to a campus on-call representative. In an emergency situation, please call Campus Safety's emergency line at (719) 389-6911.
If your student is having travel difficulties (for example, due to winter storms or flight delays) and will not be back on campus in time for the start of classes, your student should contact his or her professor directly to let them know of the delay. If the student is unable to contact the professor, he or she may also call the Student Life office at (719) 389-6689 or (719) 389-6684 to inform the dean or assistant dean of students of the situation.

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Financial

Questions regarding billing and payment can be answered by the Student Accounts office.
Colorado College uses an online billing system. Email billing notifications are sent to students at their Colorado College email address. An email notification is also sent at the same time to valid email addresses for each authorized payer that has been granted access to the system by their student. If you are not receiving email reminders for e-bills, it is most likely because your student has not yet granted access to you for their account.
A Gold Card is the Colorado College "one card" identification card. It communicates by the magnetic stripe on the back of the card to computers that access dormitory and other building doors, meals, Tiger Bucks, and spending money if you have funded a Gold Card Plus account. The Gold Card Plus Account is a debit account used to purchase goods and services on campus. The student account is where tuition, room, board, etc. are billed. Do NOT make a deposit into the Gold Card Plus Account with the intention of paying any part of a student account bill. Meal plans are charged to the student account.
Yes, there is a Wells Fargo ATM on the first floor of the Worner Center.

The college has secured relationships with the following banks which will provide banking services to our students, faculty, and staff.

Bank of Colorado
421 N Tejon Street
(719) 473-2100

  • Check cashing for students, faculty, and staff (with Gold Card & ID)
    • Unlimited denomination if Colorado College check
    • Up to $200 for non-Colorado College check
  • Free checking account

Wells Fargo Bank
90 S Cascade Avenue
(719) 577-5496

  • Check cashing for students, faculty, and staff (with Gold Card & ID)
    • Unlimited denomination if Colorado College check
    • Up to $200 for non-Colorado College check

Questions about financial aid should be directed to the Financial Aid office. They maintain a comprehensive website with detailed information on a variety of financial aid issues.

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Health and Wellness

Colorado College is committed to helping students develop and maintain healthy lifestyles. The Wellness Resource Center is the keystone of this educational commitment.

Encourage your student to:

  • speak with his or her student residential advisor (RA) or professional residential life counselor (RLC). Residential life staff are trained to assist students with accessing campus resources;
  • talk with someone from the Chaplain's office;
  • make an appointment at the Colorado College Counseling Center. The counseling center offers 24-hour mental health services and a myriad of other counseling services. The counseling center is open to all Colorado College students. There is no fee for the first six counseling sessions.

The College has made health care services available to students since 1936 and continues its commitment to delivering high-quality health care to our students through our partnership with Optum which provides health services to students on campus through the Student Health Center

The college and the health professionals with whom we partner are committed to supporting Colorado College students' health with an understanding that healthy students are best equipped to fully engage in the educational opportunities available through Colorado College curriculum and programs. We are also committed to educating our students on how to become savvy and informed users of healthcare for a lifetime.

Information about Telehealth and Off-campus care can be found here on the Student Health Center site.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) is a federal law that sets rules for health care providers and health plans about who can look at and receive health information, including family members and friends. Parents should be aware that all students 18 years and older are considered legal adults when it comes to their medical care, even if parents are providing full financial support. Unless your adult student has given written permission authorizing disclosure of their health information to you, healthcare providers are prohibited by law from providing you with any health information.

If your student is treated at the Student Health Center, your student can sign a HIPPA release form which will give you access to information about the treatment provided thereby Colorado College's medical provider, DaVita Medical Group.

In the event that your student is treated at another facility, or is unable to provide authorization at the time they are being treated, it may be a good idea for you to have a signed authorization on hand that you can send to the healthcare provider, which will allow them to provide you with your student's health information. You may also want to consider completing a durable power of attorney and/or health care proxy with your student. These forms authorize you to make medical and financial decisions in the event that your student becomes incapacitated. Read more about these documents and find helpful links in these articles from Forbes and Consumer Reports.

All students enrolled at Colorado College are required to be covered by insurance, either under a family health insurance plan or under the college's student insurance plan. Students and their parents should confirm their coverage with their plan prior to arrival at Colorado College and prior to any appointments to determine their exact benefits.

All students are required to provide proof of health insurance coverage every year. Students will be charged for the CC health premium on their fall invoice. Students have the option either to enroll in the college student insurance plan or to waive enrollment in the college's plan by providing proof of private insurance coverage. Please review student health insurance details including requirements, waivers, and enrollments. For questions and more information about student health insurance, please contact Kim Taylor at 719-389-6386.

Most insurance plans require a copayment or have a deductible. Depending upon the student's specific plan, students may be responsible for a payment of some kind. Answers to frequently asked questions about billing, as well as staff contact info are available on the Student Health Center page. Otherwise, contact your insurance provider.

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Housing

Details about the room assignment process, roommate selection, and timing for notification, can all be found on the Housing website.

Many factors influence the room assignment process and create movement in housing through the month of July, including:

  • admitted new students may still choose not to come;
  • returning students may change their housing plans due to transfer or late acceptance to study abroad;
  • returning students may decide to take a leave of absence or apply to live off campus if eligible.

As we attempt to balance these factors with our effort to meet as many individual requests as possible, both incoming students, as well as returning students who did not secure an assignment during the housing selection process, can expect to receive their assignments in early August.

Yes, it is very likely. CC first-year housing includes double and triple rooms. Rooms are assigned after all housing applications are received. The exact number of each type of room fluctuates from year to year depending on a variety of factors, including first-year enrollment and upperclass housing needs.

Although there are spaces available at the end of the selection process, some students (primarily sophomores) may end up with no housing assignment at the end of the year.

The most common reason for this is that the student had a later time slot, and a room that fit their preferences wasn't available (i.e., they really wanted a single, and only doubles were left). As a result, the student will elect not to choose a room.

In some cases, a student may simply have chosen not to participate in room selection. For a relatively small number of students, room selection isn't a priority, and they're content to simply be assigned a room.

Students are able to specify a particular roommate through the online housing agreement process. Both students must name each other, as we don't intentionally place students together unless the request is mutual. Naming a specific roommate does not guarantee that students won't be placed in an overflow triple room with a third, random roommate.
Our staff works with students to help them explore ways in which to resolve roommate conflicts, but there is a waitlist process that students can utilize if attempts to solve issues are unsuccessful.
Colorado College is a residential college with residence halls that are meant to foster social unity and enhance the total learning environment and experience for our students. Details about off-campus living options are available on the Housing and Residential Experience site.
Yes, students may ship belongings to the school. Please see the details provided by Mail Services.

Colorado College's student mailing address for both mail and packages is:

[Student Name]
Colorado College Campus Mail
819 North Tejon St. CC Box #
Colorado Springs, CO 80946

Each student is supplied with a bed, mattress, desk, desk chair, dresser, and closet or wardrobe. Each room is also furnished with at least one mirror and a MicroFridge (combination refrigerator and microwave).
Your student will need extra-long (80-inch) twin sheets.
  • Alarm Clock
  • Bedding - sheets, pillow, pillowcase, blanket, mattress pad
  • Caddy to store/carry shower items
  • Desk lamp (no plastic shades allowed)
  • Desk supplies
  • Fan
  • Hand soap
  • Hangers
  • Headphones
  • Laundry detergent
  • Iron (although there are typically irons available in residence halls)
  • Laundry basket/bag
  • Sewing kit
  • Swimsuit
  • Phone and charger
  • Towels and washcloths
  • UL-approved power strip with a surge protector
  • Umbrella
  • Wastebasket
  • Electrical Appliances (halogen lamps, electric blankets, space heaters, heat lamps)

  • Kitchen Appliances (The only things permitted are coffee pots with automatic shut-offs)
  • Flammable Items (Incense, candles, gasoline, propane, sterno, and hookahs)
  • Animals (No animals, other than fish or crustaceans that live underwater, are permitted.)
  • Excessive Amounts of Furniture (lofts, waterbeds, personal desks or beds)
  • Weapons (Guns, ammunition, pellet guns, air guns, smoke devices, bow and arrows, large knives, and fireworks)
  • Large Stereo Bass Units (Subwoofers). These create a loud disturbance in surrounding rooms. Stereos without these units are acceptable.

Please check your homeowner's or renter's insurance to see if it covers your student's property while they are away at school. The college does not take responsibility for the students' personal belongings, even if personal items are damaged as a result of a facility issue. Students are strongly encouraged to obtain renter's insurance.

We ask that students make common sense decisions and that they leave their room in the same condition in which they found it. It's always a good idea to check with hall staff before doing anything that might be permanent.
All of the large residence halls have common area kitchens for student use. Irons, vacuums, and the like can be checked out from the front desk.
Air conditioners are not permitted in the residence halls. However, they can bring small room fans.

Laundry facilities are provided in all college-owned residences.

Students are required to vacate their rooms and remove all belongings for summer break, as we have both academic and conference activities on campus over the summer and utilize all the residence halls for those purposes. Unfortunately, we do not provide on-campus storage for students. We simply don't have the space. Students are encouraged to take their belongings home with them.

If that is not an option, students can rent space in a local storage facility. Students who choose this option are responsible for packing and transporting their belongings to the storage facility prior to the posted closing of their residence hall. Students will often carpool with friends to accomplish this task.

Students and families who don't live within easy driving distance of Colorado College might consider companies that provide door-to-door summer storage and shipping services. Colorado College does not endorse any storage or shipping company and does not have responsibility for damaged or lost belongings.

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Mail Services

CC's Mail Services team provides detailed information on their web page. Colorado College's student mailing address for both mail and packages is:

Student Name
Colorado College Campus Mail
819 North Tejon St. CC Box #
Colorado Springs, CO 80946

The mailroom is now located in the Yalich Student Services Center on Tejon St., adjacent to the Ed Robson Arena.

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Parking and Transportation

No, Colorado College does not allow first-year students to have a car on campus, and most students do not feel that they need one. However, they can park their car off campus at their own risk.
As an urban campus bordered by residential neighborhoods, parking space in campus parking lots and on the streets surrounding campus is very limited. Permits are required for all student parking lots and most street parking. Please contact the parking office with any questions about having a car on campus.

Our campus is compact enough that getting from one end to the other by foot takes only 10 minutes or so, but many students will choose to supplement walking with a bike or a skateboard. No matter which mode of transportation is used, we encourage all members of the campus community to use common sense and practice good personal safety techniques at all times, especially when crossing the main thoroughfares that go through campus.

Students are also encouraged to travel in groups of three or more, especially during the hours of darkness. However, when this is not possible, Colorado College provides a safe ride service for the immediate campus vicinity. The service is student-run and available to all campus community members free of charge.

We do not have enclosed, secured bike storage on campus. Students may keep their bicycles in the bike racks outside each residence hall or inside their individual rooms if space permits. Storage in the residence hall hallways is not permitted due to fire regulations. If your student will store a bike outside, we encourage the use of a heavy-duty lock, such as a U-lock, to attach the bike to a rack at all times.

We also encourage students to register their bikes with our campus safety office. In the event that a bike is stolen, registration helps campus safety and the CSPD to track and possibly recover it. Unfortunately, bike theft on college campuses is not uncommon.

A public-private partnership between Downtown Ventures and the City of Colorado Springs has implemented PikeRide, a bike share system that serves downtown Colorado Springs. The phase one service area includes the Colorado College campus with bike stations located outside the Fine Arts Center and Tutt Library.
Colorado College students operate a Facebook group, "CC Ride Share," which is available to any student who requests membership with a current Colorado College email address. We do not offer a car-sharing program (e.g. Zipcar) on campus.

Colorado College partners with Mountain Metro Transit to offer free transportation for CC students around Colorado Springs. All CC students can ride any of Mountain Metro Transit's set bus routes at no cost using their Gold Card!

Uber and Lyft are both also available in Colorado Springs, as well as a local taxi service.

Airport shuttles to both Denver International Airport and Colorado Springs Airport are typically coordinated through the Worner Desk for Thanksgiving, Winter, Spring, and Summer breaks. Schedules will be advertised to students through the student digest. Reservations and payment are accepted at the Worner Desk. Group transportation is only provided for the beginning of a break. Return transportation is the responsibility of the student.

For all other breaks, transportation options for the Colorado Springs airport include standard options such as Uber, Lyft, and taxis. Mountain Metro Transit, which is free for all students with their Gold Card, also has routes to the airport.

The Denver airport is served directly by Groome Transportation (formerly Colorado Springs Shuttle). Students also often arrange their own carpools through social media groups.

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Safety

Providing an environment where all feel safe, supported, and empowered to learn, teach, and work is critical to our educational mission. Colorado College's Campus Safety department is committed to ensuring this environment for students, faculty, staff, and guests of the College by providing high-quality service with excellent standards of personal integrity and ethics. You can read more about Campus Safety staff, programs, policies, and procedures at the Campus Safety website.
Colorado College is located in a neighborhood that borders downtown Colorado Springs. The campus is in an urban setting and is not secluded. The college has historically been less susceptible to the types of violent crimes that are more prevalent in large cities. However, personal safety should not be taken for granted in any circumstance. We urge all members of the campus community to share in the responsibility for safeguarding our community.
If you have an urgent concern that requires immediate attention, please call Campus Safety at (719) 389-6707, and your call will be directed to a campus on-call representative. In an emergency situation, please call Campus Safety's emergency line at (719) 389-6911.

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Study Abroad

Over 80% of Colorado College students will study off-campus for academic credit at least once during their undergraduate education here. Off-campus study is an academic endeavor that can add perspective, challenge, and insight into any area of study at Colorado College, for all majors and minors. The Center for Global Education and Field Study supports students who study off-campus, incoming international students, faculty who lead students on off-campus programs, and international faculty who require immigration services.

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Report an issue - Last updated: 08/26/2022