Living On Campus

Residence Life

Colorado School of Mines offers eight residence hall options: Weaver Towers, the four Traditional Halls (Morgan, Thomas, Bradford, and Randall), Maple Hall, Elm Hall, and Spruce Hall. Each is staffed with Resident Advisors (RAs), who are upper-level students who will be mentors and guides while your student lives on campus; and professional Residence Life Coordinators (RLCs) who help build a positive, academically focused, and socially supportive community for our students.

We are professional educators who design our residential curriculum to meet the needs of our developing students to support their learning in and outside of the classroom. No matter what residential community you live in, we are confident you will have countless opportunities to build relationships, learn, connect with your peers in meaningful ways, and grow socially, emotionally, academically, and mentally. We are here to support you as you start your experience here at Mines.

First-year students are required to live on campus within the Mines residence halls to ensure a smooth transition into college and provide each student with a structured support network. Residential students are required to have a meal plan also, which ensures you have access to food to nourish your body and the social atmosphere of our dining venues to build relationships with your peers.

After your first year, you will have the option to apply to our upper-level housing options. Students entering their second year have the option of applying for our second-year Themed Learning Community on Environmental Justice housed in Maple Hall, and in 1750 Jackson, an apartment building where students live in suites of primarily four people. Both Maple Hall and 1750 Jackson have programming specifically designed for students in their second year.

For more information on the Department of Residence Life, please visit: mines.edu/residence-life.

We look forward to welcoming you to campus in August!

Mines Dining

We know a student’s life can be hectic, and sometimes meals take a backseat to classes, homework, clubs, sports, meetings…the list goes on. With convenient locations on campus and flexible dining hours, Mines Dining is here to make sure that students get delicious, nutritious food when and where they want it!

All students living in the Residence Halls are required to purchase a Residential Meal Plan. Students living off campus, in Greek Housing, 1750 Jackson or at Mines Park, may purchase a Commuter Meal Plan. Special dietary requests can be accommodated for students with food allergies or religious or medical dietary needs. Students simply use their BlasterCard (campus ID card) to access their dining plans. To purchase a meal plan, signup through the Housing Portal on Trailhead. For more information on Mines Dining, please visit minesdining.sodexomyway.com .

BlasterCard Program

The BlasterCard is the official identification card for the Colorado School of Mines and a student’s key to accessing life on campus. It is the policy of Colorado School of Mines that each on-campus student possesses a valid BlasterCard. The BlasterCard is a multi-function ID card and employs both proximity chip and magnetic stripe technology. A valid BlasterCard will be needed to access dining services venues, assigned residence halls, assigned academic buildings, library services, and the student recreation center.

For your convenience, there are two different ways for a member of the MINES community to receive a BlasterCard. The first would be to visit myphoto.mines.edu/myphoto and follow the instructions for the online process. Or you can visit us at the Student Life Services Office located in the Student Center (Room E140).

To learn more about the BlasterCard ID and its functions, please visit our website at mines.edu/student-life/blastercard

RTD Passes

All registered students are eligible to receive an RTD Transportation pass. This pass allows students to make use of all RTD transportation services. This pass can be requested AFTER the ID process is complete and a student receives their BlasterCard. All RTD Pass requests should be sent to blastercard@mines.edu .

Public Safety and Safety on Campus

Creating a safe environment is of utmost importance to the Department of Public Safety. Comprised of diverse law enforcement professionals, the Mines Public Safety team serves the campus community 24/7. Dedicated to the Mines mission, the Department of Public Safety works closely with federal, state, and local public safety and law enforcement agencies in an ongoing manner. In addition, the Department of Public Safety works collaboratively with a myriad of other campus stakeholders to enhance both the quality of life and overall campus safety.

To promote student safety, police officers are focused on getting to know students, staff and faculty through a strong commitment to community policing. Officers routinely attend campus events and support Residence Life staff with safety programming initiatives. In addition, Police Officers often accompany Residence Life staff members on their building walks and offer a variety of classes and training to all students, staff, and faculty throughout the academic year. Additionally, Public Safety and Residence Life teams share a communication network for emergency purposes and work closely with Mines Department of Environment, Health, and Safety (EH&S) Office, in planning, drills, exercises, and training opportunities.

The Mines Department of Public Safety also offers the following services:

• Vehicle, bike and foot patrols by police officers

• Escorts to and from campus facilities and parking lots provided by police officers 24 hours a day

• Training and education, to include alcohol and drug awareness, personal safety classes, and crime prevention tips

• Investigation and reporting of crimes and incidents, and traffic enforcement

• Mines Emergency Alert, which allows students to be immediately updated by text, phone, email and the campus public address system about any emergency situation on or near the campus

• Emergency (blue light) phones are located across campus that can access a 9-1-1 operator at the push of a button

• Vehicle assistance is available, such as: vehicle unlocks, jump starts, and flat tires

• Ride-a-longs with a police officer

• Free bicycle registration

• Free firearms storage for students residing on campus

For questions and a description of additional police services, contact Public Safety at (303) 273-3333 or visit the website: mines.edu/campus-safety. We also encourage you to review the Annual Safety and Security Report: 2022-Annual-Security-and-FireSafety-Report.pdf (mines.edu).

Parking

First-year students are not permitted to purchase parking permits. Waivers may be approved for extreme circumstances. Please visit the parking website at mines.edu/parking/students for more information regarding the waiver process, permit prices, and other parking information.

Transportation

The Golden Shuttle is a shuttle service operated by RTD, providing service to the Golden community. This includes the Colorado School of Mines campus. Students receive an RTD pass at the beginning of each semester for access to RTD services. The CollegePass allows students to enjoy unlimited rides on RTD buses and light rails including all the way to DIA!

Registrar’s Office

The Registrar’s Office is available to help your student with their academic needs, including enrollment verification letters, official transcript requests, registration help, graduation audits, various academic forms, and enrollment certification for veterans and their dependents who are eligible for education benefits under the various GI Bill programs.

CWID and Trailhead Password

Your student’s Campus-Wide Identification Number (CWID) is their student ID number. It is an eight-digit number used throughout their entire time at Mines. Students should memorize this number or have it with them at all times. The Trailhead Password is a password for the student web services. It is imperative that this password be kept private and used only by the student.

Course Registration

To ensure that each incoming undergraduate student is enrolled full-time (12+ credits), and on a path to graduate in four years, the Registrar’s Office creates a schedule for the first term based on the student’s selected major as indicated on the admissions application. Schedules are based on all applicable transfer credit, including AP and IB test scores. Transfer credits from other higher education institutions are typically processed within 10 business days of receipt of an “Official Transcript,” while AP and IB credits are typically received and applied to student records during the first two weeks of July. Students should make sure that final “OFFICIAL” transcripts and scores are sent to Colorado School of Mines ASAP. Both electronic and physical copies of transcripts are accepted when sent directly from school. AP scores should be requested before the College Board Free Score Deadline (June 20, 2023). When final schedules are released to students in early August , students can make changes but it is strongly recommended that students speak with their advisor beforehand to avoid accidentally dropping a required class before the start of the term.

For students who are officially recognized as varsity athletes, no classes are scheduled after 4 p.m. during scheduled practice times for varsity teams. Monday through Friday from 4–6 p.m. is the officially recognized “Activity Hour” when athletic practices normally take place.

Early Entry Enrollment (E3)

Some students have found it beneficial to begin their academic careers in our Early Entry Enrollment program. These courses are available to incoming freshmen during the summer and allow you to get a jump start on your degree.

Summer courses are offered during four different sessions:

• 14-week session

05/15/23–08/18/23

• First 6-week session 05/15/23–06/23/23

• Second 6-week session 06/26/23–08/04/23

• 8-week session 06/26/23–08/17/23

If students are interested in taking some classes during the summer prior to arrival, please reach out to your admissions counselor for more information about the E3 Summer Program Application.

Contact Information

A current local address and phone number must be listed in the student’s Trailhead account so that campus offices may reach your student concerning billing, registration, academic updates, deadline reminders, and other important matters. Colorado School of Mines requires that all students use their assigned Mines email account. This is the official means of communication between administrative offices and students. Students are responsible for checking this account on a regular basis, and spam filters do not absolve students of the responsibility of knowing the content of official emails sent to Mines accounts.

Enrollment Verification

Beginning the first day of class, students can access and print their enrollment verification online at no charge. Log in to Trailhead. Go to the Student Menu and go to the enrollment verification link under the Registrar’s Office area. For a nominal fee, parents and third-party verifiers can request this information online at mystudentcenter.org and select the appropriate link.

Transcript Orders

Once a course has been completed and graded, students can request an official transcript. Colorado School of Mines has partnered with Parchment Digital Credential Service to provide students transcripts in either electronic PDF format or the traditional paper format. Additional information along with directions for ordering a transcript can be found on our website: mines.edu/registrar/tr anscripts .

Emergency Notifications

The Mines Emergency Alert System requires a student to designate a cell phone number and a text address to which campus officials can send a message in the event of an emergency on campus. This contact information should be provided and updated in the Trailhead System under Self-Service > Personal Information > Mines "Alert" System.