Principles of Community
Colorado State University is a land-grant institution, which is “a uniquely American idea built on the belief that anyone who wants a college or university education should have the opportunity to get it.” This foundational belief underlies our Principles of Community and drives the mission and values of our university. It is also important to acknowledge that CSU’s land-grant status is tied to the history of land dispossession, as the university exists on land taken directly from Native American nations who inhabited it for centuries. Learn more about the history of the land-grant tradition.
CSU Mission: Inspired by its land-grant heritage, CSU is committed to excellence, setting the standard for public research universities in teaching, research, service and extension for the benefit of the citizens of Colorado, the United States and the world.
Colorado State University acknowledges, with respect, that the land we are on today is the traditional and ancestral homelands of the Arapaho, Cheyenne, and Ute Nations and peoples. This was also a site of trade, gathering, and healing for numerous other Native tribes. We recognize the Indigenous peoples as original stewards of this land and all the relatives within it. As these words of acknowledgment are spoken and heard, the ties Nations have to their traditional homelands are renewed and reaffirmed.
CSU is founded as a land-grant institution, and we accept that our mission must encompass access to education and inclusivity. And, significantly, that our founding came at a dire cost to Native Nations and peoples whose land this University was built upon. This acknowledgment is the education and inclusivity we must practice in recognizing our institutional history, responsibility, and commitment.
Student Wellness and Access Committee
| Department Code | Department | Site Code |
|---|---|---|
| 1170 | Soil and Crop Sciences | SOC |
| 1172 | Agricultural and Resource Economics | EAC |
| 1173 | Horticulture & Landscape Architecture | HLC |
| 1177 | Agricultural Biology | BPC |
| 1370 | Chemical and Biological Engineering | CBC |
| 1371 | Atmospheric Science | ASC |
| 1372 | Civil and Environmental Engineering | CEC |
| 1472 | Forest & Rangeland Stewardship | WRC |
| 1474 | Fish, Wildlife, & Conservation Biology | FWC |
| 1476 | Ecosystem Science & Sustainability | ESC |
| 1480 | Human Dimensions of Natural Resources | HDC |
| 1482 | Geosciences | GLC |
| 1588 | School of Education | SEC |
| 1678 | Clinical Sciences | CLC |
| 1682 | Microbiolgy, Immunology & Pathlogy | MIC |
| 1771 | Economics | ECC |
| 1782 | Political Science | POC |
| 1787 | Anthropology and Geography | ANC |
| 1872 | Chemistry | CHC |
| 1873 | Computer Science | CSC |
| 1878 | Biology | BIC |
The purpose of a degree committee is to make available to the student a broad range of knowledge and expertise. The committee provides general advising to the student and assists in planning the major elements of the academic program. The committee also evaluates student progress throughout the graduate program. The committee may provide assessments at various stages and it administers the PhD preliminary and MS/PhD final examinations. The committee is not responsible for reminding students of published deadlines, nor for monitoring procedural details. The student needs to work with GDPE and their advisor and monitor Graduate School deadlines.
Students should begin discussing the formation of their graduate committee as early as possible. Formal selection of the graduate committee must occur before the student registers for their fourth regular semester, or the student will be prevented from registering by the Graduate School.
Along with the GDPE and advisor guidance, the following are specifically required of GDPE graduate Committees:
- The primary advisor must be a member of the GDPE advising faculty and have advising privileges in a CSU academic department. Criteria for advising eligibility may vary among departments.
- Co-advisors must also be GDPE faculty members.
- All members of the committee must maintain a current appointment with CSU in order to serve as a voting member of the committee. Scientists without an appointment at CSU may contribute to a committee but are not allowed to be voting members.
- The GDPE Director serves as an ex officio member of all graduate committees.
- Graduate committees for MS students in GDPE consist of at least three members, two of whom must be on the GDPE faculty. Graduate committees of PhD students will have at least one additional GDPE faculty member, making a total of four faculty members on a PhD committee.
- The outside committee person may or may not be a member of the GDPE faculty but must be from outside the department of the major advisor. The outside committee member represents the Graduate School, ensuring that CSU’s expectations are met and that the student’s needs are being met by GDPE. For these reasons, the outside member may not hold an affiliate or temporary appointment only. If the primary advisor holds a joint appointment in two departments, the outside member must represent a third department.
- The student, major advisor, and other committee members collaborate to develop a program of study (logistically, this entails agreeing upon coursework and submitting a GS6 form) and together are responsible for monitoring the progress toward completion. Each graduate committee is also responsible for determining whether satisfactory progress is being made toward completion of the degree according to CSU and GDPE requirements.
- GDPE students often would like scientists without a CSU appointment to be on their committees. Students should work with their advisor to gain affiliate status for the scientist in their advising department. Once the scientist has affiliate status in an advising department, they may apply for GDPE faculty affiliate status (http://www.ecology.colostate.edu/faculty-affiliation.aspx), which will allow them to serve on committees. Such applications must be approved by the GDPE Executive Committee, which meets approximately monthly during the academic year.
If you have questions about committee composition, contact the GDPE Assistant Director or the advisor.