Welcome to the Program in Environmental Design

Meet Your Advisors

This team will serve as your primary first-year advisors, however, you have a full advising and coaching team to support you throughout your academic journey. Get connected with advising early so you can learn about the resources offered and the opportunities you can gain as you complete your Environmental Design degree.

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Alea Richmond Akins

Director of Undergraduate Education & Student Success

Undergraduate Education & Student Success • Program Leadership

Majed Alghamdi

First Year Academic Advisor

Undergraduate Education & Student Success

Caitlin Anderson

Course Scheduling and Curriculum Coordinator

Undergraduate Education & Student Success

Hugo Arreola

Recruitment & Diverse Scholars Coordinator

Undergraduate Education & Student Success

Bianca Delgado-Corchado

Professional Academic Advisor

Undergraduate Education & Student Success

Neal Evers

Associate Director of Undergraduate Education • Associate Teaching Professor

Architecture • Program Leadership • Undergraduate Education & Student Success

Sara Freix

Academic Coach

Undergraduate Education & Student Success

Nate Jones

Assistant Director of Advising & Professional Development • Lecturer

Undergraduate Education & Student Success

John Tran

Assistant Director of Advising & Student Retention

Undergraduate Education & Student Success

Getting Started

Orientation

Orientation is a comprehensive, multi-month experience designed to help you jump right into the Program in Environmental Design.

Once you have confirmed your offer of admission, New Student &听Family Programs will begin your SM调教所 onboarding process. During this time, you will be asked to complete an Online Orientation Course through Canvas.听

Once听the online experience ends, ENVD hosts a College Orientation Day each semester for both our fall and spring incoming students. As you prepare for these festivities, please note the following information:

Fall Start Checklist (August degree start)

Complete your 听
Take part in our monthly webinar series to learn more about how to be prepared for our degree program听
Connect with your advisor from late May to early听June. Information can be found on听Buff Portal Advising
Review your to-do Items in Buff Portal weekly throughout the summer
Register for Classes in July/August听
Attend your College Orientation Day in late August

Spring Start Checklist (January degree start)

Complete your 听
Set up a meeting with your advisor from听late November to early December听
Review your to-do items in weekly throughout the Fall semester
Register for classes in January听
Attend your College Orientation Day in mid-January

Familiarize Yourself with ENVD

Complete your Online Experience
The听New Student & Family Programs听office will be your guide to starting your undergraduate experience听at SM调教所 Boulder. Be sure to complete your听online experience听by the required deadline.

Enrollment Webinar Series
Participate in our summer webinar series to familiarize yourself with ENVD before the fall semester begins.听This webinar series will provide you with information about technology, tools, and the campus platforms needed to successfully navigate SM调教所 Boulder as an ENVD student.

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Preparing for Your First Semester

Register for Your Classes
Before the semester begins and we host you at College Orientation Day, you will be asked to enroll in your classes through the . Prior to your registration date, you will be provided the courses you will need to enroll in.

Please be sure to monitor your email and meet with your advisor prior to your registration window. Once you have completed your registration, check out the design faculty who will be part of your first semester.听

Supplies & Equipment
Environmental Design requires a specific set of studio supplies as you move through your design studio experience.听

All incoming Environmental Design students are required to have a personal laptop computer loaded with essential software for studios and classes. Review our听computer recommendations听to ensure that you start your first day with the appropriate computer and software.

Time to Engage

First-Year Experience Program
All first-year students will participate in our in-house, two-semester First-Year Experience Program. During this experience, students will create meaningful connections with their cohort, engage in social and academic events, and develop a deeper understanding of the importance of diversity, equity, inclusion and allyship.

Living Learning Community
The Environmental Design Living Learning Community (LLC), housed in Willard Hall, is a residential community for first-year ENVD students to engage in regular programming that will supplement the academic rigor of their design education.听

Join a Student Organization
Environmental Design student groups听are a great way to get involved, meet new people and network with professionals in your field of interest.

ENVD First Year Experience Program

As a first-year ENVD student, you are automatically enrolled in the Environmental Design First-Year Experience听Program and invited to live听in our Living Learning Community.听This program is designed to bridge experiences in the classroom to opportunities for further intellectual, social and cultural enhancement as a design student and community member of the SM调教所 Boulder campus.听

You will take part in co-curricular programming that promotes active engagement in your academics, community organization through student groups and DEI & allyship events that promote growth in understanding the diverse talent that exists in design spaces today. As you prepare for key pathways within our program, we offer ways to engage early in what it means to be a part of the Environmental Design community, as well as within your major.听

Our mission is to provide academic and social engagement between faculty, staff and students to ensure you find the right community and experience to be successful here as a design student.

Learn More about the ENVD LLC

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How it Works

Each month, you will find programming linked to key assignments and skills every design student needs to know on your studio drafting desk. For each event听you attend, you will earn three听points. The more events you attend the more points you will accumulate.听

At the end of your first academic year, you can submit your points to be eligible for one of our First-Year Engagement Scholarships.

Requirements for Scholarship

Fall start students must:

Achieve 60听points (attend 20听events)听
Hold a 3.5 cumulative GPA or higher听
Maintain full-time enrollment, 12 credits or more each semester

Spring start student must:

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Achieve 30 points (attend 10听events)听
Hold a 3.5 cumulative GPA or higher听
Maintain full-time enrollment, 12 credits or more each semester听
Be enrolled & complete required summer coursework

Meet the Student Leadership Team

Colton Burd

First-Year Mentor

Tyler Byrne

First-Year Mentor

Emma Friday

First-Year Mentor

Giovanny Gordillo

First-Year Mentor

Theo Johnson Mencimer

First-Year Mentor

Lleyton Karim

First-Year Mentor

Aspen Randolph

First-Year Mentor

Tyler Robinson

First-Year Mentor

Ethan Sevier

First-Year Mentor

Dennis Swanson

First-Year Mentor

Evie Warner

First-Year Mentor

Frequently Asked First Year Questions

During Orientation

Great question! For the first three semesters, you will see that you are required to complete two studios per semester. Our studios run for eight weeks听long, which means that halfway through the semester you will complete one studio, receive a grade, and then begin the other.

We keep your studio time consistent throughout the entire semester to offer maximum flexibility in your schedule. When your second studio begins halfway through the semester, it will remain at the same time as the studio you just completed.

All students will declare their major in the fall of their second year. You are allowed to make changes after that, but your major will dictate your coursework for the spring semester of your second听year.

Work with your faculty & advisors if you have any questions about the majors we offer.

It is best to address this with your advisor before you register for your first semester of classes. We will ask you to complete a writing & math placement exam, but completing听these courses can vary between students听and will depend on any credit you have coming in.

Please reach out to your advisor for your specific questions.

We have some great resources to help you out. Follow this link to听add a class. Follow this link to drop a class.

Yes, you can add a minor or certificate. Please talk with your advisor about options to consider.

Studios are听small-class听environments where students learn through hands-on projects, both individually and in groups. Lectures are traditional classroom environments where students learn through faculty lectures and homework assignments.听

No, you should have a sketchbook, pencils, and tracing paper to start, but everything else can be bought as needed.

Yes, all incoming Environmental Design students are required to have a personal laptop computer loaded with essential software for studios and classes. Review our听computer recommendations听to ensure that you start your first day with the appropriate computer and software.

During Your First Year

Our First Year Mentor team is a great place to start. They will be present at a variety of first-year events throughout your first year and you can request a one-on-one听mentor to help you with more specific questions.

We love hearing you want to get involved! ENVD has a variety听of student organizations ready for first-year and transfer students to engage as soon as classes begin. Your first-year experience program will be promoting all of their opening events so you know how to connect. If you are not sure, ask one of the first-year mentors or听advisors.听We are all here to help.

You can access your advisor through . Sign in and click on their photo under the student success team. That will populate their calendar and you can select any open appointment. If you cannot find an open slot, be sure to look at the following weeks or send an email directly to your advisor.听

Absolutely! Take a look at all the different programs we offer. Talk to your advisor about the best time to pursue a study abroad experience during your degree plan.听

As a first-year student, time management is a key component of student success. Studio assignments are set up so that a first-year student can get all work done with an average of 6-10 hours of homework each week, depending on the time of the semester. No late nights are expected of first-year students.

Studios and lectures are equally important, and students should plan to allocate the same amount of homework time for both types of classes each week.

Recitation sections are classroom sessions that augment regular lectures to address homework assignments and student questions.

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