University of Colorado Boulder
EN-5: Civic Engagement

1) CU Volunteer Resource Center founded in 1965 fosters a culture of service by connecting CU Boulder to engagement opportunities that positively impact our communities. https://www.colorado.edu/volunteer/ VRC offers numerous programs for the campus community. CU in the Community is a series of one-time, student-led volunteer projects offered each semester in collaboration with local nonprofit organizations. Projects are based on community needs and include various types of service related to social and environmental justice. The Sko Serve program sends teams of students to engage in meaningful service during breaks from school. The Service and Social Action Living Learning Community (LLC) welcomes first-year students from all colleges and majors. We seek to develop leaders and propel them into a life dedicated to equity-based social action through purpose-driven service, education and reflection. 2) Launched in July 2014, CU Engage https://www.colorado.edu/cuengage/ supports programs and initiatives that work collaboratively with community groups to address complex public challenges through academic courses, research projects, and creative work. We do this by developing and sustaining equity-oriented partnerships, organizing opportunities for students to learn alongside community members, and supporting faculty and students to implement ethical and rigorous engaged research. CU Engage supports two focal activities: Community-Based Learning Pathways and Community-Based Research (CBR). These activities are linked through the formation of partnerships with community groups, public agencies, and schools. We utilize the definition of community engagement provided by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching: Community Engagement describes the collaboration between higher education institutions and their larger communities (local, national, global) for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity. In community-based learning, undergraduate students work with community organizations as a required component of an academic course. It is based on a commitment to foster student learning through experience while simultaneously advancing the mission of the community partner. Some great examples of community-based courses are taught in the INVST program, although many others exist in various departments on campus.

Report of all total impacts and volunteer hours logged onto the CU Serves/GivePulse Platform. CU Serves - colorado.givepulse.com - The VRC, through CUSG funding, has purchased the GivePulse platform allowing all CU students access to use the platform free of charge. Each student is automatically given an account tied to their student ID that allows them to search for community organizations and events where thy can participate and earn community service hours. This platform also allows them to track their hours and engagement over the course of their college career and beyond. The report removed non-students as well as deleted duplicates to give a total of 3,551 students which is 10% of the 35,565 student FTE enrolled. As CU Serves is a newer platform for the campus, many offerings for community service and civic engagement are not captured in the CU Serves platform. Notably, additional participation data from the CU Engage program is not documented as of reporting submission.  

CU's GivePulse platform advertises opportunities on campus and in community. Hours performed by staff can be tracked. Fall Welcome and Commencement programs actively advertise and rely on staff volunteerism. Facilities Management has participated in community service events, including the 2023 I&S and ISC Day of Service with over 80 team members participating. CU administrative policy 5201 allows university staff and classified employees to use short-term paid administrative leave for volunteer work https://www.cu.edu/doc/1800volunteer-hourspdf University Staff/Research Faculty/12-Month Faculty: Administrative leave for volunteering in community or school activities may be authorized. Such leave may be granted at the discretion of the supervisor and cannot exceed 10 working days over 12 months.

CU administrative policy 5201 allows university staff and classified employees to use short-term paid administrative leave for volunteer work https://www.cu.edu/doc/1800volunteer-hourspdf University Staff/Research Faculty/12-Month Faculty: Administrative leave for volunteering in community or school activities may be authorized. Such leave may be granted at the discretion of the supervisor and cannot exceed 10 working days over 12 months.

Individuals affiliated with the institution have played significant roles in developing public policies to address sustainability challenges within the previous three years. Kirsten Schuchman, Associate Vice Chancelor of Public Policy and Lori Call, Associate Vice Chancelor of Local Government and Community Engagement have worked to develop public policies that address sustainability challenges at the federal, state, and local levels with the support of the Office of Government and Community Engagement staff and stakeholders across campus.

Both Associate Vice Chancellors serve on the campus Sustainability Council, with Kirsten on the executive committee and Lori as a co-chair of the engagement committee. Lori meets regularly with Boulder City Council and senior staff to address questions around sustainability, informing them of policies and advocacy that the University is doing.

Lori’s work at the local level has led to the development of the Buy Local program, which addresses sustainability concerns by looking to shorten the distance of supply chains. City to encourage micromobility and public transportation options for not only the University but also the larger community to reduce our carbon footprint. Lastly, the Give and Go program helps to reduce, reuse and recycle items at move out, collecting 17 tons of donations during the 2023 move-out period.

Additionally, CU’s footprint at CU South and CU Louisville will be expanded with transit-oriented housing. The CU Boulder South Annexation Agreement, which is both contractual and legislative, is a legal document that explicitly sets the requirements and conditions for transferring 155 acres of land at CU Boulder South to the city for flood protection and the dedication of permanent open space. The agreement also guarantees continued access and use of the property by the public, which has been permitted since the university opened the property to the public after purchasing it in 1996.

In addition to maintaining public access, the agreement addresses one of Boulder’s most pressing challenges: housing. A portion of the annexed acreage will provide housing for faculty, staff, graduate and non-first-year students so members of the CU community can reside where they work and learn. This will reduce emissions and traffic congestion from commuting.

The annexation agreement reflects the concerns and priorities of Boulder residents and elected leaders, and it codifies the university’s commitment to upholding our shared values: vital flood protection for our neighbors, critically needed housing and preservation of open space and natural habitats.

CU Boulder has purchased the 8.85 acre property at 1164 W. Dillon Road in Louisville, previously home to a Cinebarre movie theater. Campus’s intention for the property is to build a transit-oriented mixed use development that includes housing for faculty, staff and possibly graduate students.
A comprehensive plan for development is expected to be completed by December 2025. CU Boulder will continue to engage campus constituents, community members and City of Louisville leaders as plans for the site take shape

Kirsten leads the work at the state and federal levels to ensure the University is aligned with new legislative and state budget items and supports the development of policies that support sustainability, such as transit-oriented housing, the restriction of single-use plastics, and the support of federal funding to address sustainable wastewater management research and geothermal grants for facilities use. CU advocated and received federal passage of SB 24- 37 will implement in-stream water quality monitors in the Yampa River and the Cache de la Poudre watersheds to measure environmental outcomes and the impact wildfires have on watersheds.

University of Colorado seeks to promote and support public policy at the federal, state and local level that aligns with its sustainability goals. For example, during the seventy-fourth General Assembly of 2024, the University of Colorado Boulder actively advanced SB24-037 Study Green Infrastructure for Water Quality Management, concerning alternative mechanisms for achieving compliance with water quality standards. Senate Bill 24-037 requires the University of Colorado and Colorado State University, in collaboration with the division of administration in the department of public health and environment, to “conduct a feasibility study of the use of green infrastructure [and] establish up to 3 pilot projects in the state to demonstrate the use of green infrastructure and the financing of an alternative compliance program”, complying with pursuant deadlines. The University of Colorado Boulder and CU System took an official position of support on the bill and leveraged university resources, including lobbying, to advocate for the bill and to ensure its passage. Dr. Evan Thomas, CU Mortenson Endowed Chair in Global Engineering, provided expert testimony before the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee highlighting the university’s support for the bill and collaboration with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) to study the feasibility of substituting green infrastructure. Throughout the bill process, CU Boulder and CU System leadership maintained a significant role in advocating for and against amendments to the bill aligning with the university’s ability to be a good steward of sustainable practices and research. SB24-037, Study Green Infrastructure for Water Quality Management, was signed by Governor Polis in May 2024.

1) We chose not to use available survey data since these numbers are only from the First and Second Year Experience Surveys and represent only half of undergraduate students. Students were asked "How often did you engage in volunteering or community service projects through CU?" Of the 908 second year students who responded to this question, 55% said never, 26% said rarely, 15% said sometimes, and 4% said often. Of the 906 first year students who responded to this question, 59% said never, 23% said rarely, 13% said sometimes, and 4% said often. Using the sometimes and often responses gives an average of 18% for first and second year students. 2) Participation data for CU Engage programs not tracked in CU Serves requested but not provided in time for report.