First Year Experience
The First Year Experience (FYE) welcomes students to campus by offering a variety of programs aimed at smoothing the transition to college, helping students to embark on successful pathways by introducing them to academic support structures and the many academic and co-curricular opportunities available at CU Boulder. FYE offers Residential Academic Programs (RAPs), Living and Learning Communities (LLCs) and First Year Initiatives (FYI) that connect students to faculty and staff, and build a sense of community, both academically and socially.
The First Year Experience Advisory Board oversees FYE and includes representatives of the Office of Undergraduate Education, Student Affairs, and colleges, schools and programs. The Advisory Board is charged with assessing first-year programs, planning improvements, and implementing programs and initiatives focused on the entirety of the first-year college experience.
The first year experience empowers students to take ownership of their CU journey by providing students with a sense of community and belonging, by inspiring intellectual curiosity and academic engagement, and by cultivating students’ self-awareness and commitment to inclusive excellence.
New students to CU Boulder can choose from among several academically themed residence halls, co-curricular learning opportunities, and affinity or identity groups.
CU Boulder Buffs One Read fosters intellectual community and cultural exchange among students, faculty, and staff by establishing a unifying theme for the year that serves as a basis for classroom discussion, programming, social and civic development, and connection to campus.