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When the University of Colorado at Boulder undertook a year-long strategic planning process last fall, CU-Boulder Chancellor G.P. "Bud" Peterson had two guiding principles for the work.

New furniture, retiled bathrooms, freshly painted rooms and updated wiring for the wireless Internet era are among the upgrades students will find in several University of Colorado at Boulder residence halls this fall. More than $22 million in renovations took place at a half dozen residence and dining halls this summer as part of the university's annual effort to increase conveniences and comfort for students adjusting to life away from home.

Professor Manuel Laguna has been named associate dean of faculty for the University of Colorado at Boulder's Leeds School of Business. Laguna, a professor of operations management in the Leeds School, will be responsible for research and technology support, faculty recruiting and evaluation, the doctoral program, faculty retention and resolving faculty issues. He assumed the position Aug. 1, succeeding Professor Ken Kozar.

An array of activities await new students at the University of Colorado at Boulder beginning Aug. 21 including a welcome convocation hosted by Chancellor G.P. “Bud” Peterson, a “Global Jam” featuring international food and music, hiking and biking tours, outdoor movies and picnics.

University of Colorado at Boulder students take their recreation seriously, and to prove it they voted to spend $5.7 million to improve campus intramural sports fields, such as Farrand Field. CU-Boulder's newly renovated Farrand Field, a longtime student favorite for studying, playing sports and relaxing, will be dedicated on Friday, Aug. 17, at 12:30 p.m. Chancellor G.P. "Bud" Peterson will give a speech during the ceremony. The dedication also will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony, talks from student representatives and yard games.

Paid enrollment deposits for new freshmen at the University of Colorado at Boulder this fall indicate that the campus can likely expect another large freshman class in the fall of 2007. Early numbers show the class will be between 5,500 and 5,600 students. The campus enrolled 5,617 new freshmen in fall 2006, its largest freshman class ever. Final enrollment figures for fall 2007 will not be available until mid-September, about a week after the official campus census date of Sept. 14.

A publication of Institutional Investor, "Foundation and Endowment Money Management," has named the University of Colorado Foundation a finalist for "large nonprofit of the year" in its 2007 Nonprofit Awards for Excellence program.

The University of Colorado at Boulder Leeds School of Business faculty and staff officially moved into their new home, the newly expanded and renovated Koelbel Building, today.

Sallye McKee, associate to the president for institutional diversity at Metropolitan State College of Denver, has been named the first vice chancellor for diversity, equity and community engagement at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

A reversal of tectonic plate motion between Acapulco and Mexico City in the last half of 2006 probably didnÂ’t ease seismic strain in the region or the specter of a major earthquake anticipated there in the coming decades, says a University of Colorado at Boulder professor.