Colorado State University facts for kids
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Former names
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Colorado Agricultural College (1870–1935) Colorado State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts (1935–1950) Colorado Agricultural and Mechanical College (1950–1957) |
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| Motto | "Education, Service, Research, Extension" |
| Type | Public land-grant research university |
| Established | 1870 |
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Parent institution
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Colorado State University System |
| Accreditation | HLC |
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Academic affiliations
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| Endowment | $558 million (2021) |
| Chancellor | Anthony A. Frank |
| President | Amy Parsons |
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Academic staff
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1,468 |
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Administrative staff
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4,379 |
| Students | 27,956 (fall 2022) |
| Undergraduates | 26,559 (fall 2019) |
| Postgraduates | 7,607 (fall 2019) |
| Location |
,
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United States
40°34′34″N 105°04′51″W / 40.5762°N 105.0808°W |
| Campus | Midsize city, 4,773 acres (19.32 km2) |
| Other campuses | |
| Newspaper | Rocky Mountain Collegian |
| Colors | Green and Gold |
| Nickname | Rams |
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Sporting affiliations
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NCAA Division I FBS – Mountain West |
| Mascot | CAM the Ram |
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Colorado State University (often called Colorado State or CSU) is a big public university in Fort Collins, Colorado. It's known for its research and is a "land-grant" university, which means it was given land by the government to focus on agriculture and mechanical arts.
CSU was started in 1870 as the Colorado Agricultural College. It changed its name to Colorado State University in 1957. Today, it's a top research university, meaning its professors and students do a lot of important scientific studies.
In 2022, nearly 28,000 students attended CSU. The university has about 1,500 teachers and offers many different study programs. You can get bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in lots of subjects, plus a special degree in veterinary medicine. CSU has cool places like the Engines and Energy Conversion Laboratory and a big Veterinary Teaching Hospital.
The sports teams at CSU are called the Colorado State Rams. They compete in NCAA Division I sports. Famous athletes, Pulitzer Prize winners, astronauts, and even former governors have graduated from CSU!
Contents
History of Colorado State University
How it All Began
Colorado State University started as the Colorado Agricultural College. It was created because of a law called the Morrill Land-Grant Acts in 1862. This law gave land to states to build colleges that would teach farming and engineering.
In 1870, the governor of the Colorado Territory signed the act to create the university. A group of 12 people was put in charge of buying land and building the school. However, they didn't have much money at first, which made things slow.
The first piece of land for the campus, about 30 acres, was given in 1871. Another 80 acres were added in 1872. The first money for buildings, $1,000, came in 1874. But the school had to find the same amount of money from local people and businesses, which they did.
A local group called the National Grange helped a lot in the early days. In 1874, they held a picnic and planted trees on campus. They also planted wheat on a nearby field. Soon after, the first building, a small red brick building nicknamed the "Claim Shanty," was finished.
When Colorado became a state in 1876, the law for the college had to be approved again. In 1877, the state created a group called the State Board of Agriculture to run the school. This board is now called the Board of Governors of the Colorado State University System.
The first main building, Old Main, was finished in 1878. On September 1, 1879, the first five students started classes. By 1880, there were 25 students.
In the beginning, the school was more like a high school because many students weren't ready for college. They learned subjects like math, English, and history. Students also worked on the college farm. The first president, Elijah Evan Edwards, left in 1882 after some disagreements.
Growth and New Ideas
The next president was Charles Ingersoll, who started in 1882. He had only two full-time teachers and 67 students, including 24 women.
Agricultural research grew quickly under President Ingersoll. A law called the Hatch Act of 1887 gave money to set up experiment stations at land-grant colleges. This helped the college study farming and crops even more. The school also started teaching engineering, animal science, and liberal arts.
President Ingersoll believed the school should offer more programs for women. In 1885, the college started to include liberal arts classes. By the time he left, there was a "Ladies Course" with classes like drawing, typing, and foreign languages. In 1884, the first three students graduated from the college.
Professor Louis G. Carpenter
One important early professor was Louis George Carpenter, known as "Professor Carp." He taught engineering and physics and started the first organized program for irrigation engineering. This taught students how to manage water for farming. He also strongly supported expanding education for minorities and women.
Professor Carpenter became the director of the Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station in 1889. He was a leading expert on irrigation systems and even worked as Colorado's State Engineer while still teaching. He helped change the college from just focusing on farming to becoming a university.
Entering the 20th Century
In the early 1900s, the college continued to grow. More women students joined, and new programs like domestic economy (home economics) were added. Sports also became popular. Football returned in 1899, and baseball was a favorite. In 1903, the women's basketball team won the college's first unofficial championship! New clubs and student groups also started.
President Charles Lory
Charles Lory became president in 1909. He helped the school become more stable financially and made sure it served the needs of the state.
When World War I started, it affected the college. CSU helped farmers produce more food for the war effort. Many male students also left campus to join the military. The Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) was created in 1916, and CSU started its own ROTC unit.
During the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl in the 1930s, CSU helped farmers in Eastern Colorado who were struggling with poverty and drought. President Lory worked to lower taxes for farmers and helped with projects to bring irrigation water to dry areas.
In 1935, the college's name was changed to Colorado State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, or Colorado A&M for short. This new name showed that the school offered more than just farming programs. President Lory retired in 1938 after 31 years of leading the college.
From World War II to Today
During World War II, Colorado A&M looked like a military base. Many students left to join the war, and the college trained up to 1,500 servicemen. After the war ended in 1945, many soldiers returned to college, and enrollment at Colorado A&M grew quickly.
Colorado A&M Becomes a University
In the 1950s, under President Bill Morgan, Colorado A&M changed from a technical college to a full university. More students needed places to live, so five new dorms were built between 1953 and 1957.
The school also started offering advanced degrees, like doctorates. President Morgan believed that students earning these high degrees should get them from a university. So, in 1957, the state approved the new name: Colorado State University.
Student Life in the 1960s
The 1960s and early 1970s were a time of big changes at Colorado State. Students started speaking up for their rights. They wanted fewer strict rules for women on campus.
The civil-rights movement also gained strength. In 1969, Mexican American and African American student groups asked the university to recruit more minority students and staff. Students also protested against the war in Vietnam. In May 1970, during a student strike, the old main building, Old Main, was destroyed by fire.
CSU in the 2000s
In the 2000s, CSU focused on becoming a leading public research university. Former President Larry Edward Penley wanted CSU to help the local and global community through research. CSU started "Supercluster" research, where different experts work together on big global problems like infectious disease and cancer research.
The university also built new dorms that were environmentally friendly. CSU worked with the city government and local businesses to connect better with the community. They also aimed to improve education for all students, especially those from low-income or minority backgrounds.
In 2019, Joyce E. McConnell became the first female president of CSU. In 2023, Amy Parsons became the 16th president.
Campus Life
Colorado State University is in Fort Collins, Colorado, a city of about 142,000 people at the base of the Rocky Mountains. The main campus is about 583 acres in the center of Fort Collins. CSU also has a Foothills Campus, an agricultural campus, and a mountain campus called Pingree Park.
Main Campus Highlights
At the heart of CSU's campus is the Oval, a large green area surrounded by 65 American Elm trees. It was designed in 1909 and is still a popular spot. The Administration Building faces the Oval from the south.
The Music Building, which used to be the university library, now helps students with academic and career advice. The music department moved to the University Center for the Arts when it opened in 2008.
Ammons Hall, once a women's recreation center, is now the University Welcome Center. Guggenheim Hall, built in 1910, was a gift to promote home economics and is now used for manufacturing and construction management.
Another important spot is the main plaza, where you'll find the Lory Student Center and Morgan Library. The Lory Student Center is named after former President Charles Lory and has student offices, places to eat, and study areas. Morgan Library has over 2 million books and documents. It also has a special "Study Cube" that students can use 24 hours a day.
CSU's oldest building is Spruce Hall, built in 1881. It used to be a dorm and now houses the admissions office. The newest academic building is the Behavioral Science building, finished in 2010.
In 2008, CSU opened its University Center for the Arts in the old Fort Collins High School building. This center is now home to music, dance, theater, and visual arts programs. It has theaters, a music hall, and art museums.
The campus has good public transportation, including the MAX Bus Rapid Transit route that opened in 2014.
Veterinary Hospital
The James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital was built in 1979. It has 28 different animal health specialties, from emergency care to cancer treatment. It's a place where veterinary students learn by helping real animals. In 2019, the hospital treated nearly 47,000 cases.
Foothills Campus
The Foothills Campus, about 1,705 acres, is on the northwest side of Fort Collins. It's home to the atmospheric sciences department and many research centers. You can find the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Engineering Research Center, and the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA) here.
Academics and Research
Colorado State University offers 150 different study programs across 8 colleges and 55 departments. CSU is known for its programs in health sciences, engineering, environmental science, agriculture, and nutrition. It also has great programs in business, journalism, and the arts. You can even take many classes online.
The university has about 1,540 teachers. For every 17 students, there is 1 teacher. In 2009–2010, CSU awarded over 6,000 degrees, including bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees, and degrees in veterinary medicine.
Research and Discoveries
CSU is a very active research university. In 1961, a study at CSU helped create the Peace Corps, a program where Americans volunteer to help people in other countries.
Researchers at the Engines and Energy Conversion Laboratory created a new technology to reduce pollution from small engines. This technology is now widely used in the Philippines. The Center for Disaster and Risk Analysis studies how to reduce harm from natural disasters and other emergencies.
CSU has many research centers outside the main campus that focus on crops, animal reproduction, public health, and water management. The Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES), started in 1888, does research on pest control, food safety, environmental quality, and farming.
CSU also has a strong research program in infectious disease. The Regional Biocontainment Laboratory works on developing vaccines and medicines for serious diseases. The university's Animal Cancer Center is the largest of its kind in the world and is a big part of CSU's cancer research.
International Connections
About 950 students from CSU study abroad each year. Also, nearly 1,300 students and scholars from over 85 countries come to CSU to study and do research. CSU is one of the top universities for recruiting Peace Corps volunteers. Since 1988, CSU and the Peace Corps have offered special master's degree programs where students combine their studies with volunteering abroad.
CSU offers many programs for students interested in international topics, like Asian Studies or Latin American Studies. The Global Village Living Learning Community is a special dorm option for students who want to live with others interested in different cultures.
Honors Program
The Honors Program is for students who want an extra challenge. It offers special classes and programs for high-achieving students in all majors. The Academic Village, which opened in 2007, allows 180 Honors students to live together in a special community. In 2007, over 1,100 students were part of the Honors Program.
Athletics
Colorado State University has 17 different sports teams that compete against other colleges. These include 11 sports for women and 6 for men. The teams are part of the Mountain West Conference (MW), which is an NCAA Division I conference.
The Colorado State Rams football teams have won or shared the Mountain West title several times. In 2014, the university approved building a new multi-use stadium on campus to replace the old one.
Mascots
CSU has had a few mascots over the years. In the early 1900s, a black bear cub and a bulldog named Peanuts were mascots. Sadly, Peanuts was poisoned in 1918.
The first ram became the mascot in 1946. Today, the beloved ram mascot is named CAM the Ram. This name was chosen during a basketball game contest.
Student Life
Fort Collins is about 65 miles north of Denver. It's close to major ski resorts and just a 45-minute drive from Rocky Mountain National Park. This means students have lots of chances to be active outdoors, with bike trails and hiking nearby. In 2006, Money magazine even called Fort Collins the "Best Place to Live" in the United States.
Clubs and Activities
CSU has over 450 student organizations, including 34 honor societies. Many students (60%) play intramural sports, which are sports played just for fun among students. About 10% of students join one of the 19 fraternities or 14 sororities. There are also 30 sport clubs, like cycling, baseball, and rugby.
Every year, the campus hosts about 300 music, theater, and dance performances, and art shows. The student government is called the Associated Students of Colorado State University. CSU also has its own student-run newspaper, Rocky Mountain Collegian, a campus TV station, and a radio station, KCSU FM.
Sport Clubs
Sport Clubs at CSU started in 1978. They are run and paid for by students and compete against other colleges, but not at the NCAA level. There are currently 30 Sport Club teams, with over 1,000 students involved. These clubs travel a lot and have won many national championships in sports like Men's Ice Hockey, Women's Lacrosse, Baseball, and Men's Lacrosse.
Student Media
The Rocky Mountain Collegian is CSU's student-run daily newspaper. Students make all the decisions about what goes in the paper. It started in 1891 and has a website and a mobile app. The paper has sometimes been controversial, supporting women's rights and opposing racism early on. It has won awards as one of the top student papers in the country.
KCSU is CSU's student-run radio station. It plays alternative and college rock music, along with news, sports, and talk shows. KCSU broadcasts at 10,000 watts, making it one of the larger college radio stations in the U.S. It reaches about 250,000 listeners.
CTV is CSU's student-run television station. It helps students learn skills like reporting, writing, and editing. CTV has won awards and broadcasts news, sports, and entertainment shows during the week.
College Avenue is a student-run magazine that started in 2005. It gives students a place to write about important issues on campus. It comes out four times a year.
Greek Life
Greek life at Colorado State began in 1915. About 10% of undergraduate students join a fraternity or sorority. These groups are involved in many charity activities around campus, like CSUnity (a day of service) and Cans around the Oval (collecting food). They have also raised money to build homes for Habitat for Humanity.
Residence Halls
CSU has 13 residence halls (dorms) that provide on-campus housing for over 5,000 students. First-year students are required to live in a dorm. Older students and graduate students can live in university-owned apartments like Aggie Village.
The dorms also have "Living-Learning Communities." These are special housing options where students with similar academic interests live together. For example, there are communities for Honors students, engineering students, and pre-veterinary medicine students. This helps students connect with others who share their goals.
University Apartments
Students, teachers, and staff can also choose to live in university apartments. These include University Village and Aggie Village. Aggie Village is known as a "global community" because about 60% of its residents and staff are from 80 different countries. This helps create a diverse and enriching environment.
Notable Alumni and Faculty
Many successful people have graduated from or taught at Colorado State University. You can find a full list at List of Colorado State University people.
See also
In Spanish: Universidad Estatal de Colorado para niños
- Colorado State University Pueblo
- List of colleges and universities in Colorado
- List of forestry universities and colleges
