Residential Academic Programs (RAPs)

Baker Residential Academic Program

Baker Residential Academic Program’s (BRAP) courses and activities focus on the Natural Sciences and the Environment. This program is ideal for students who see the importance of scientific awareness in their daily lives and career paths. BRAP inspires students to connect with nature and see the intrinsic value of the natural world. It challenges students to understand the complex biotic and physical interactions in the environment and to become mindful of the impact of humans on the future of life on earth. Intellectual development in environmental issues, health sciences, wildlife biology, sustainability and stewardship are emphasized. Students in diverse majors including all of CU’s Biology departments, Environmental Studies, Geology, Chemistry, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Environmental Design, History, and Philosophy bring different perspectives to the BRAP classroom. 

Baker RAP classes differ from those taught in the traditional departments in that they are small (fewer than 20 students) in contrast to lecture sections that contain a few hundred students. BRAP classes offer direct experiential activities, are much more interactive than large lectures, and most BRAP classes fulfill university core requirements. We convey to our students that faculty know them and care about them. Several unique classes offered through the Baker RAP offer applied learning; these include Creating a Sustainable Future, Colorado History and Ecology, Tropical Marine Ecology, and Oceanography and a field studies course at a marine lab in Florida.  

Extracurricular activities, run by program staff and faculty, include a variety of outdoor experiences, such as rock climbing, mountain climbing, snowshoeing, and hiking. Additionally, there are field trips to a working gold mine, the Denver Zoo, The Wild Animal Sanctuary, the local farmer’s market, the Center for Hard to Recycle Materials and the Denver Aquarium.

BRAP offers a living-learning environment that fosters a sense of community within an academic context, helps students identify with an academic and residence family, and eases the transition to university life. There is a fee for participation in Baker RAP in addition to tuition, fees and room and board. Students eligible for financial aid may request that their budget be adjusted to include the program fee. Their eligibility for aid will then be increased by an amount equal to the Baker RAP fee. Explore our website bakerrap.colorado.edu and contact us if you have any questions by email (bakerrap@colorado.edu) or by (303-492-3188).

Communication and Society Residential Academic Program

Buckingham Hall’s Communication and Society Residential Academic Program (COMM RAP) is a living-learning environment for 200 students designed around the theme of Communication and Society. It offers students an opportunity to engage with faculty and other students in a small college atmosphere within a major research university. Students explore the complex social problems and challenges of communication in contemporary society in seminar-sized courses. They also have opportunities to participate in co-curricular activities that stress civic engagement. The many opportunities for outreach and collaboration with the Boulder community provide an excellent venue for learning by doing. 

A unique feature of the program is its integration of courses from its three supporting areas, the Department of Communication, CMCI and the Program for Writing and Rhetoric. These courses emphasize the role of participation, deliberation and collaboration in shaping and resolving public problems and problems in daily life. Its offerings also include opportunities for upper-division courses on topics germane to communication and society. 

In addition to communication offerings, the curriculum includes courses that satisfy the writing and core requirements in Arts and Sciences. Across the year, guest lectures and seminars provide opportunities to interact on civic engagement and societal participation with leading experts on the CU faculty and distinguished visitors to the university. 

The COMM RAP is open to students with an interest in communication and society, regardless of major. A fee is charged for participation in the program. For more information, call 303-492-1996.

Farrand Residential Academic Program

Farrand’s small seminar courses in the liberal arts are taught by award-winning faculty especially selected to help create a close intellectual and social community. As the Humanities and Cultural Studies Residential Academic Program, Farrand focuses on the study of the humanities within the larger frame of culture and society.  The Farrand curriculum offers a wide range of popular core curriculum classes taught by faculty known for their teaching skills. These include service-learning classes, which provide a deeper cultural understanding by applying classroom learning to service to the community. 

All Farrand students are required to take a one-credit course called Passport to Literature in the Humanities to provide a shared academic experience. Additionally, they take a three-credit course each semester, such as Introduction to Philosophy, Women, Literature and the Arts, or Exploring Good and Evil Through Film, reflecting a commitment to the humanities that is central to Farrand's identity.

Because helping others contributes to the learning experience as well as to the whole community, Farrand offers several service-learning classes each semester. Service learning gives students the chance to apply what they study in their classes to real-life situations, such as a homeless shelter, a humane society or a tutoring program. These classes include Gandhian Philosophy; Nutrition, Health and Performance; and Global Women Writers.

Farrand’s many cocurricular opportunities include a wide variety of events and performances, active and well-supported student governance (Hall Council), and group projects benefiting the community and the environment. 

The program is designed primarily for students in the College of Arts and Sciences. Interested students in other colleges should contact the Farrand program for special admission procedures. It is administered by academic directors selected from the faculty and a hall director experienced in the operation of a large residence hall. There is a charge for the program in addition to regular tuition, fees and room and board.

Inquiries concerning any aspect of the academic program may be directed to the Farrand Academic Program, University of Colorado Boulder, 180 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309-0180, 303-492-8848.

Global Studies Residential Academic Program

The Global Studies Residential Academic Program (GRAP) promotes the recognition of global interdependence, encourages the study of foreign languages and international affairs and emphasizes the value of international education. This year long program, housed in Arnett Hall in the Kittredge complex, provides 200 freshmen and sophomore students with the foundational tools needed to serve as effective global citizens.

Global Studies RAP combines multidisciplinary, internationally focused courses with cocurricular activities, service learning opportunities and short term study abroad programs. Students select from a diverse range of course offerings each semester, including courses in anthropology, economics, foreign language, philosophy, political science and international affairs. The majority of the courses fulfill requirements from the arts and sciences core curriculum.  Students are required to take one of the above courses each semester and if space permits two courses. Small seminar style classes are limited to 15 to 18 students and are taught in classrooms located in Arnett Hall. Classes encourage active student participation. The instructors hold office hours in Arnett Hall to ensure enhanced accessibility for GRAP students. 

By participating in the Global Studies RAP, students gain access to staff and faculty with extensive and unique international experiences and interests, as well as access to each other as a group of like minded, globally conscious individuals. Additionally, the program offers participants access to student fellows, a group of outstanding former GRAP students who hold office hours in the residence hall each week to assist with course work, study sessions, paper writing or language tutoring. 

The Global Studies RAP is open to all students seeking to add an international component to their academic program, regardless of major. With students taking several classes together and living in the same residence hall, GRAP fosters a small community within the larger university setting. GRAP is proud to be a leader in the effort to globalize the campus.

There is a fee charged for participation in Global Studies RAP in addition to regular tuition fees and room and board. Interested students should visit globalstudiesrap.colorado.edu to read more, view current course offerings and browse cocurricular opportunities. For additional information, call 303-735-3189 or e-mail GRAP@colorado.edu. 

Health Professions Residential Academic Program 

The Health Professions Residential Academic Program (HPRAP) proudly resides in Kittredge West Hall, accommodating approximately 270 students. Joining our living/learning community is an excellent choice for students interested in exploring majors and careers in healthcare. These career paths may include, but are not limited to: chiropractic medicine, dentistry, medicine, nursing, occupational therapist, optometry, pharmacy, physical therapy, physician’s assistant, podiatry, public health, veterinary medicine and life sciences research. Students of all colleges and schools are welcome, although the curriculum does not lend itself to freshmen engineering majors. 

HPRAP provides highly desirable introductory courses taught by expert teachers in a supportive atmosphere where each individual is valued. HPRAP students will take at least one course offered by the program each semester. Courses are taught onsite within the hall, with an average of only 20 students per class. HPRAP offers two different introductory biology course sequences, two sequences for chemistry, as well as a variety of courses on bioethics, global health policy, writing and the social sciences that satisfy core curriculum requirements. A representative schedule of course offereings can be found on the program's website. Faculty have offices and/or office hours within Kittredge West.

As part of the HPRAP experience, faculty provide co-curricular activities to enhance the learning environment and integrate the health professions theme through experiences such as field trips and evening programs. The HPRAP hosts a live-in physician-in-residence that also provides programming and shadowing opportunities. The HPRAP also hosts a weekly selection of social activities and volunteer opportunities that are designed to build community and life-long friendships.

The Health Professions RAP will make the first year at CU a rewarding adventure and will serve as a gateway to opportunities on campus and beyond.

For more information about the program fee, application process and course offerings, visit hprap.colorado.edu, or contact hprap@colorado.edu or 303.492.4537.

Honors Residential Academic Program

The Honors Residential Academic Program (Honors RAP) is the residential component of the Honors Program of the College of Arts and Sciences. It is open to approximately 335 honors-qualified first-year and continuing honors-qualified students. Participants live in Smith Hall. Students of other colleges are welcome to participate although the curriculum may not lend itself as well to their degree requirements.

The Honors RAP promotes and sustains academic excellence within a lively community setting. First-year students take one onsite 3-hour seminar-style course each semester. Each semester the program offers a variety of honors courses, the great majority of which satisfy arts and sciences core curriculum requirements. Each seminar is taught by an experienced faculty member, emphasizes discussion and writing, and ordinarily enrolls about 15 students.  

Beyond the classroom and a variety of co-curricular activities that enhance the learning experience, Honors RAP fosters a variety of student-led activities, including evening social events and a lecture series that brings students into contact with leading teachers and researchers from the university community.

Members of the Honors RAP draw on a rich variety of academic, advising and informational resources. Responsibilities for community building, fostering a culture of academic success and for the planning and implementation of programming consistent with our Honors mission are shared among the student leaders, faculty and staff. The director who supervises Honors RAP’s daily functioning maintains an office in Smith Hall for academic advising and acts as liaison to the rest of campus. There is a faculty in residence for Honors RAP who lives in a faculty apartment in Smith Hall east wing.

Eligibility: Beginning each December, the Honors Program of the College of Arts and Sciences invites approximately the upper 10 percent of all admitted College of Arts and Sciences students to participate in honors courses during their first year on campus. These invitations are issued on the basis of high school grade averages and scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or American College Test (ACT). All students receiving an honors invitation are eligible to become members of the Honors RAP on a first-come, first served basis, determined by date of receipt of their online housing application. Students who wish to participate in Honors RAP beyond the first year must maintain a University of Colorado GPA of 3.30 or above. As with participants in all other residential academic programs, Honors RAP members pay a participation fee in addition to the standard charges for tuition, fees and room and board. Students eligible for financial aid may request their budget be adjusted to include the program fee.

For more information about the program, program fee, application process, course offerings and more, visit honorsrap.colorado.edu or contact hrap@colorado.edu or 303-492-3695.

Leadership Residential Academic Program 

This Leadership RAP is located at Kittredge Central and is dedicated to developing community, civic and global leaders for a culturally diverse and democratic society. When a student enrolls in the Leadership RAP they select one of two academic programs. 

The Ethnic Living and Learning Community (ELLC) Leadership Studies Program provides students with a multicultural living and learning experience while studying leadership from a cultural and multidisciplinary perspective.

The Chancellor’s Leadership Studies Program (CLSP) offers leadership development and an understanding of how institutions and communities solve problems. Students learn different leadership styles needed to work effectively in those settings. 

Students in both of these programs take leadership courses offered each semester that meet core requirements and may be applied toward graduation as well as toward a Certificate in the Study and Practice of Leadership. Students from all schools and colleges on the Boulder campus are eligible to participate. 

There is a program participation fee of $850. Scholarships are available to cover the cost of the fee for those with financial need. Contact the Leadership RAP, University of Colorado Boulder, 406 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309-0406, phone 303-735-1987, email leadership@colorado.edu or visit LeadershipRAP.colorado.edu. 

For additional information on this program, see the Other Academic Programs section. 

Libby Arts Residential Academic Program 

The Libby Arts Residential Academic Program (Libby RAP or LRAP) fosters individual creativity and personal expression to prepare students for success in a wide variety of fields. The curriculum is designed for students who consider study in the arts to be a valuable complement to a major in the humanities, social sciences or natural sciences, or who have an interest in the arts as a major. Prior art experience is not required for any Libby RAP class.

Libby RAP classes satisfy either core, major or elective requirements and are taught in Libby Hall by faculty with demonstrated excellence in teaching. Class sizes are limited to 19 students. Courses are offered in dance, acting, drawing, painting, writing, film criticism and theory, digital art, art history, music history and media studies. A range of popular core curriculum classes are also offered each year in disciplines such as economics, philosophy and nutrition. Libby RAP classes require a healthy curiosity and the willingness to be creative.

With students taking several classes together and living in the same residence hall, LRAP fosters a small community within the larger university setting.

Libby RAP also exposes students to the diversity of the arts through co-curricular activities, experiential learning opportunities and community events. Students are offered numerous chances to explore the breadth of the performing and visual arts, to investigate creativity and how it is applied outside the arts and to expand their social and cultural awareness. Other activities build a sense of community within Libby Hall and address social responsibility in the community at large. Activities regularly occur on and off campus, in the Denver metro area and even include travel to New York City.

Students enrolling in the program are required to take at least one course in the hall each semester. The LRAP faculty director and professional staff are located in Libby Hall and provide academic assistance to students. A limited number of scholarships are available. Students who are eligible for financial aid may request that their budget be adjusted to include the LRAP program fee.

To learn more, visit libbyrap.colorado.edu, or contact libbyrap@colorado.edu or 303-735-4211. 

Sewall Residential Academic Program

The Sewall Residential Academic Program (SRAP) is a program for first- and second-year students enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences who have an interest in the study of history and culture. Citizenship in the 21st century requires the ability to engage complex connections between the present and past, between local places and our global society and between the arts and sciences. SRAP combines classes ranging from history and biology to economics and English, with co-curricular activities (such as lectures, films and field trips) and local community outreach to help students recognize and think about these connections. 

Limited to 330 students, SRAP provides the opportunity to enjoy the advantages of a small liberal arts college within the broader context of a large research university. The program offers a selection of small seminar-style classes (limited to approximately 18 students) that meet in the Sewall residence hall. Classes encourage active student participation and emphasize analytical thought through intensive reading, discussion and writing. Most SRAP courses also fulfill College of Arts and Sciences core requirements.

Each semester all SRAP students must take a 3-credit course at Sewall. All students are further required to take SEWL 2020, a 1-credit Civic Engagement course, either fall or spring semester. In addition, students have the opportunity to take the lower-division writing course (WRTG 1150) at Sewall in either fall or spring semester.

SRAP facilitates a successful transition from high school to the university. Sewall courses are taught by faculty with a demonstrated excellence in teaching and a commitment to working closely with first-year students. Faculty members have offices conveniently located in Sewall Hall, which helps foster communication between students and faculty. Participants in the Sewall program are also fully involved in regular campus life, take the majority of their classes with the rest of the university and are encouraged to join in all university activities.

The SRAP director, associate director and program assistant are readily available to help students with planning schedules, making sense of the rules of the University and the College of Arts and Sciences and choosing majors. They can refer students to other university resources for specialized counseling when necessary, and the housing department office offers free tutoring in many subject areas. 

Interested first- and second-year students who are admitted into the College of Arts and Sciences should indicate Sewall Hall as their first choice on the housing application form and return it to the Housing Reservation Center as early as possible. Students are admitted on a first-come, first-served basis, determined by date of receipt of the housing application form. There is an extra charge for participating in the program in addition to regular tuition, fees and room and board. Some scholarships are available; please contact the academic program office for details.

Students who have questions about the program should address them to the Director, Sewall Residential Academic Program, University of Colorado Boulder, 353 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309-0353; visit the program online at srap.colorado.edu; or call the SRAP office at 303-492-6004. 

Sustainability and Social Innovation Residential Academic Program

The Sustainability and Social Innovation (SSI) RAP is an experiential skills-based program for students concerned about sustainability and innovation issues who want to participate in developing solutions while earning credits toward their degree in any college on campus. Students in the Sustainability and Social Innovation RAP are housed in the only LEED Platinum residence hall on campus, Williams Village North. The program is uniquely multidisciplinary, seeking a critical engagement of students interested in identifying sustainable solutions to diverse global challenges including resource depletion and conservation, climate change, poverty, environmental protection and economic instability. Our teaching faculty includes professors in architecture, engineering, political science, writing, biology, psychology, anthropology, business and sociology. Courses offered in the residence hall for RAP students vary each term but always include core curriculum courses from the College of Arts and Sciences, as well as other campus offerings. 

Sustainability and Social Innovation courses challenge the status quo and emphasize collaborative problem-solving and social innovation through design, debate, planning, project development, writing and creative enterprise. In small classes of usually 19-23 students, and through RAP activities and events (e.g., using a state-of-the-art kitchen, computer lab, facilities and grounds at Williams Village, visiting speakers, field trips) students develop a strong knowledge base, entrepreneurial savvy, communications skills, technology literacy, teamwork skills and compassionate understanding. SSI is one of the few RAPs with its own faculty-in-residence and with resident graduate student teaching resident assistants (TRAs) who live in the building and assist with RAP classes. As a result, mentoring, academic staff and informal support are close at hand for all RAP students. SSI students work closely with their peers in the Sustainable by Design (SbD) RAP, also located at Williams Village North.

Enrollment in the program includes an additional fee. Please contact wvraps@colorado.edu or call 303-735-1330.

The Sustainability and Social Innovation RAP provides students from across all academic disciplines study of a variety of practices that foster social innovation and sustainability.