Graduate applicants must be admitted by both the department and the Graduate School.

Recipients of MS degrees from the ESS Department who wish to continue in a PhD program must reapply to the Department. The application will consist of the student’s existing file plus a personal essay describing the PhD program the student wishes to pursue, and one or more letters of recommendation, including one from the student’s graduate advisor for the MS degree.

CSU’s application process and portal can be found here.

It is your responsibility to take steps to establish residency immediately upon arrival in Colorado and before the start of the first semester to avoid being charged out-of-state tuition starting in the second year. The university’s tuition premium program covers out-of-state tuition for domestic, non-resident graduate research assistants (GRAs) in just the first year of enrollment. International GRAs receive the tuition premium through their entire tenure. If you do not establish residency by your second year of enrollment, you will be required to pay the difference between non-resident and resident tuition during the second year and thereafter.

To change a student’s grade in a course after the final grade has been entered in ARIESweb and rolled to academic history, log into ARIESweb and, under Instructor Tools, select Grade Change. This will bring up a page with all the sections for which you were assigned as an instructor since Fall 2007. Follow the instructions at the top of the page to initiate a grade change for a student.

To change a student’s grade for a term before Fall 2007, a paper Grade Change Form will need to be completed. These forms are available through your department. If your department does not have any, the Office of the Registrar can provide some as well.

New students will find valuable information in the current students section of the Graduate School website. There are several things that new graduate students should do right away: 

• Review important steps for newly admitted graduate students. 
• Establish Colorado Residency.

Advising Students for Course Registration:

• Get Your NetID
  • You must have your NetID before you can register for classes.
  • Get it here: https://eid.colostate.edu
• Late Registration Fee
  • If you register on or after the first day of the semester, you’ll be charged a $50 late registration fee.
• Where to Register
  • Use RamWeb to register for classes and view your schedule.
• On-Campus vs Online Registration
  • On-campus students 
  • Online students: Note: Graduate students do not need to complete the “Registration Ready” section. 
• Course Catalog
  • Use the catalog to explore courses, but confirm offerings in “Plan Ahead” before registering.
• Course Numbers and Sections
  • Graduate courses are numbered 500 and above.
  • Some 400-level courses may count towards your degree.
  • 100-300 level courses do not count, but you can still take them.
  • Section numbers indicate delivery type:
    • 001 = in-person
    • 401 = online/hybrid
    • 801 = CSU online
• Prerequisites
  • Check all prerequisites before registering. If you are unsure if you meet them, email the course instructor.
  • Overrides can be given in special cases
• Multiple Course Sections
  • Courses may often include a lecture + a lab + a recitation, make sure to register for all required parts of the course at the same time! This can be tricky, so contact the course instructor and/or your advisor for assistance if needed!
• Variable Credit Courses
  • Courses like research, thesis, independent study, group study, and supervised teaching require departmental approval and an override. Email our ESS Graduate Coordinator for permission: [email protected]

BEFORE Your Students Register, Keep in Mind:

• Students must obtain their NetID before accessing the registration portal. Those who register on or after the first day of the semester will be charged a late registration fee of $50.
• Class schedules can be accessed online via RamWeb. On-campus and online students follow distinct registration processes:
  • Registration for on-campus students
  • Registration for online students
• Graduate students are not required to complete the “Registration Ready” portion of the instructions. Additional course information can be referenced on the designated site.
• Graduate-level courses are numbered 500 or above, and graduate students may count a limited number of 400-level courses toward their degree. Courses at the 100, 200, or 300 level do not count toward a graduate degree, although enrollment is permitted. Course section numbers follow the course number and indicate the delivery method. For example, ESS 692-001 is an in-person course, while ESS 692-401 is offered online. Sections numbered 801 are available through CSU Online.
• Students must review course prerequisites before registration to ensure they have the necessary foundational knowledge. Those uncertain about their preparedness should contact the course instructor for guidance.
• For courses with multiple required components, such as a lecture with a mandatory lab or recitation, students must enroll in all components simultaneously. Attempting to register for a lecture without its required lab will result in an error.

Registering for Classes How-To:

1. Log onto RAMweb.
2. After completing Registration Ready, select “Go to Registration” at the bottom of the Registration box on the RAMweb homepage.
3. After reading the Course Registration Information, select “Continue to Registration.”
4. Select “Register for Classes.” On the following page, select the term for which you would like to make registration changes.
5. You will need to verify your identity using Duo and a second factor device. (More information on Duo authentication).
6. Enter your search criteria and then select “Search.” When the classes appear and you find what you would like to register for, select “add.” (For information about the “view linked” and “add all” options, refer to the registration help documents page. You have to sign in with your NetID to view these documents.)
7. The selected course(s) will appear in the Summary section with a status of “Pending.” With the action of “Register on Web” selected, click “Submit.” (For information regarding the “Conditional Add/Drop” button, view the registration help documents pages.)
8. For any courses for which registration was not successful, an error message will appear in the upper right-hand corner of the page.
9. To verify that the registration was successful, check if the status has turned green with the word “Registered.”

Please include your Net ID when requesting support.

• Course Overrides
  • Instructor Override Requests should go to the course instructor directly.
  • Department Overrides requests should go to [email protected], and copy in the instructor and the student’s advisor.
• Credit Overloads
  • Graduate students are limited to a maximum credit load of 15 credits per semester.
  • Credit Overload requests should go to the Graduate Coordinator and copy in the student’s advisor.
    • Graduate Coordinator will submit overload requests for 16-18 credits go through the Registrar.
    • Graduate Coordinator will submit overload requests above 18 credits go through the Graduate School.
• Variable Credits – All Group Study, Research, Thesis, and Dissertation credits automatically revert to just (1) credit, please follow instructions to update.
  • Group Study, Research, Thesis, and Dissertation are variable credit courses and will always require an override for registration.
  • The Graduate Coordinator must always be informed of these variable credit courses so that we can ensure the person supervising your credits is entered into the system.
• Late Registration
  • Registering after Add/Drop requires a Dynamic Form that must go through several channels and may require additional fees. Registering before Add/Drop is advised to save time, money, and stress.

Course Section Numbers – what do they mean? Complete and detailed information is available here.

• 001 or other courses that start with a double zero (00X) are scheduled as in-person and are the most common section types you will see
• 401 or other courses that start with a 4 (4XX) are courses that will meet online instead of in-person, but they are designed for students in on-campus degree programs
• 801 or other courses
• RXX are Recitations
• LXX are Labs

If your student needs to register for a variable course or supervised course such as Thesis or Dissertation credits, please:

• Email [email protected].
• Include yours and the student’s Net ID.
• Follow the instructions to update variable course credits as needed.
• Allow sufficient time before deadlines when making your requests.

• Late Registration
  • Waiting too long to register or set a meeting with an Advisor to discuss classes can have negative implications for your student’s financial aid, cause issues with teaching assistantships, leave them without a seat if the course capacity is limited, and have them pay late fees. Planning is a great way to prevent unnecessary stress.
• Continuous Enrollment
  • Per Graduate School policy, students must be continuously enrolled in a degree program every fall and spring semester as well as during the semester they plan to complete their degree, which includes the summer semester. To remain continuously enrolled, students may register for any graduate credit-bearing course, or they must register for Continuous Registration (CR). Students enrolled in CR do not qualify for Graduate Assistantships. If they are on a GRA or apply to be a GTA, they must be enrolled in at least one credit.
• Overrides
  • Per Graduate School policy, students must be continuously enrolled in a degree program every fall and spring semester as well as during the semester they plan to complete their degree, which includes the summer semester. To remain continuously enrolled, students may register for any graduate credit-bearing course, or they must register for Continuous Registration (CR). Students enrolled in CR do not qualify for Graduate Assistantships. If they are on a GRA or apply to be a GTA, they must be enrolled in at least one credit.
• Catalog Inaccuracies
  • Assuming everything in the catalog is offered every semester can be dangerous, as the catalog updates are often behind. Although the catalog can help determine what courses could be available, actual course offerings can vary for many reasons. It is best to keep plans flexible and wait until Plan Ahead opens to finalize selections.

This live toolkit streamlines advising by providing quick access to deadlines, forms, and guidance for ESS graduate programs. Suggestions for additional tools or edits are welcome. 

Deadlines are communicated to students through Department newsletters, Graduate Coordinator emails, and Graduate School emails. Advisor reinforcement of these dates is strongly encouraged and appreciated. 

• ESS Graduate Advising Toolkit

• As a reminder to all students and faculty, we must handle hazardous waste with care to ensure the safety of our labs and maintain the privilege of operating here on campus. Improper disposal of potentially hazardous materials can jeopardize the University’s ability to continue this important work.
• If you or your students regularly handle hazardous waste, please ensure you are up-to-date on your hazardous waste training. If you’re unsure about how to properly dispose of waste, or if you’re new to handling hazardous materials, we strongly encourage you to take the appropriate training.
• For any questions or guidance, please reach out to Rod Simpson (Ecocore Business Manager) or Dan Reuss (Analytical Facilities Manager), who are available to assist you.

And always remember: When in doubt, don’t toss it out! Proper disposal is essential for maintaining safety and compliance in our labs. Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

• The ESS department has two large conference rooms available for reservation:
  • B218 Swift and B215 Clark.
  • There is an additional conference room in the main graduate office, A105.
• There is a convenient, small bookable space available for private calls or meetings: NESB B247.
• All NESB conference rooms can be reserved using Microsoft Teams/Outlook calendar.
• All Warner faculty and staff are also welcome to utilize conference spaces in the Michael Smith Natural Resources Bldg.

• NESB Printing Overview
  • Main printer/scanner: NESB B209 (large color copier)
  • Extra printer: NESB A216 (small black & white)
  • Student printers: NESB A105 & A216 (use WCNR student print system)
• Student Printing (Warner College)
  • Print in any WCNR lab (Michael Smith Natural Resources building)
  • Labs have black & white and color printers
  • Select the correct printer when printing in color
• Plotter Printing (Posters, Maps, etc.)
  • Only in CAL Lab (MSNR 107A)
  • Bring CSU ID card and a USB with PDF file
  • Ask CAL lab desk staff for help
• Other Printers & Scanners
  • Coin/card printers in Morgan Library and Lory Student Center
• NESB Billing Setup
  • We use print queues for billing instead of project codes
  • Print to specific queues like wcnr-ess-b209-1 or wcnr-el-b209-1
  • Same device, different billing depending on queue
  • Charges are split by usage at year-end
• Windows Setup (WCNR domain)
  • Printers auto-install if on the WCNR domain
  • If not, go to Settings → Devices → Printers & Scanners → Add printer → “The printer I want isn’t listed” → “Select a shared printer by name”
  • Enter: \\print.warnercnr.colostate.edu\
• Printer Queues
  • NREL (EL):
    \\print.warnercnr.colostate.edu\WCNR-EL-A216-1
\\print.warnercnr.colostate.edu\WCNR-EL-B209-1
\\print.warnercnr.colostate.edu\WCNR-EL-B209-BW-1

  • ESS:
    \\print.warnercnr.colostate.edu\WCNR-ESS-A216-1
\\print.warnercnr.colostate.edu\WCNR-ESS-B209-1
\\print.warnercnr.colostate.edu\WCNR-ESS-B209-BW-1

  • A216 = small black & white printer

  • B209 = large Xerox copier (use BW option for cheaper printing)

• Mac, Linux, and Non-Domain Setup
  • Visit https://col.st/jWvnj
  • Click “Connect and Get My Printers”
  • Click “Open PaperCut Mobility Print Client”
  • Wait ~5 minutes for all printers to install
  • Remove extras by going to Settings → Devices → Printers & Scanners → Remove Device
• Login Info
  • Use [email protected] (not email)
  • Password = your NetID password
  • NetIDs may be alphabetical (old) or numeric (new)

• CSU AAR – Administrative Applications and Resources – links out to Aries, Banner, HR, KFS, KR, TMS, and TimeClock Plus/Manager
• CSU Acronym List
• CSU Bookstore
• CSU Library
• Provost site for Faculty Policies Forms and Resources – includes a significant amount of resources for faculty, including the Academic Faculty Manual, Provost Calendar, Promotion and Tenure, Sabbatical, and much more.
• Warner College of Natural Resources website
• Ecosystem Science and Sustainability website

• View or change your name, address, and phone number through Employee Self-Service. Please note: if you update your name in employee self-service, you must contact your departmental HR liaison so they can verify the change (SSN card or ID).

• Alumni Information to Nikki Foxley: [email protected]
  For any updates, announcements, or inquiries related to alumni, including alumni events, outreach efforts, or maintaining alumni records, please direct all information to Nikki. This helps centralize alumni-related communications and ensures timely follow-up and consistency.
• General Department Info, Events, and Graduate Student-Specific Information to Morgan: [email protected]
  Morgan is the primary point of contact for general department-wide communications, event planning and coordination, and graduate student-specific matters. Whether it’s sharing departmental news, scheduling events, addressing graduate student needs, or managing departmental communications, Morgan ensures this information is effectively shared. Additionally, Morgan oversees the department’s website and social media updates and is the main contact for multimedia communications, including social media, SOURCE articles, press releases, and other related content.
• Undergraduate Student Information to Kaye: [email protected]
  All information, updates, or inquiries specific to undergraduate students should be directed to Kaye. This includes advising updates, undergraduate events, or academic concerns. Kaye focuses on supporting and communicating with undergraduate students, ensuring their needs are addressed efficiently.

Not sure who to contact about those questions? Take a look at this document for an outline of who does what in ESS. For further inquiries, please refer to the WCNR Directory.

See below for a link to the ESS Course Syllabi Archive, featuring syllabi dating back to 2021.

• ESS Course Syllabi Archive

ESS Department List Servs:

• [email protected] – This list serv includes all ESS Faculty plus Kaye, Anika, Nikki, Rita, Lauren, and Morgan; we manually add/remove folks from this list. Anyone should be able to send an email to this list, but we kindly ask that departmental communications, events, and opportunities be distributed via the Communication Channels to prevent overuse.
• [email protected] – This list serv includes all ESS Faculty. This list is generated automatically by Oracle and is restricted to WCNR IT, ESS Faculty.
• [email protected] – This list serv includes ALL ESS Faculty and Staff, including post-Docs. This list is generated automatically by Oracle and is restricted to WCNR IT, Rich, Morgan, and Lauren.
• [email protected] – This list serv goes out to all ESS-advised graduate students. If you have events, job opportunities, or other information for grad students, please send them to Kaye, Nikki, and/or Morgan.

ESS Incoming Email Addresses:

• [email protected] – General graduate program inquiries; monitored by Lauren as Grad Coordinator with backup support by Nikki.
• [email protected] – General ESS inquiries and/or undergrad program inquiries; monitored by Lauren as Admin with backup support by Nikki; front office students will be taking this over. Restricted to those on the listserv + Morgan, Rich, Nathan, Lauren

All Faculty Affiliate requests should be submitted via email to our ESS Administrative Assistant Heather Pollard: [email protected], and should include:

• Faculty Affiliate Form with the top portion filled out completely
• Recent CV for prospective Affiliate
• Brief Justification (Serving on student committees, research collaboration, etc.)

ESS Staff

• Nikki Foxley – Academic Success Coordinator, ESS Committee Rep
  📧 [email protected]
  Contact Nikki for:
  • Undergraduate advising
  • AMP-PSM, GIS, Diversity & Inclusion Minor
  • Graduate Certificate Advising
  • Alumni communications
  • Community belonging ideas or concerns
• Kaye Holman – ESS Instructor, Academic Success/Internship Coordinator, WCNR Learning Communities Director
  📧 [email protected]
  Contact Kaye for:
  • Undergraduate advising
  • Internship advising, enrollment & instruction
  • ESS communications/news
  • Warner Learning Community
• Lauren Hibbard – Office Manager, Graduate Coordinator, Department Comms/Marketing
  📧 [email protected]
  Contact Lauren for:
  • Department marketing or communications
  • Course overrides
  • Digital content
  • Event, seminar, and graduate defense support
  • ESS graduate application processing
  • Outreach support
• Morgan Gardner – Department Communications Coordinator
  📧 [email protected]
  Contact Morgan for:
  • Marketing/communications strategy
  • Digital content, social media, digital screens
  • Photography, videography, editing
  • Event planning and promotion
  • Website maintenance and SEO
  • Storytelling, press releases, newsletters
  • Community belonging and advocacy
  • Carbon Management (TUNE) communications
• Heather Pollard – Administrative Assistant
  📧 [email protected]
  Contact Heather for:
  • Affiliate/associate requests
  • Course scheduling, instructor entry, and textbook adoption
  • Key/space requests
  • Onboarding/offboarding
  • Syllabus retention
  • HR and financial questions
  • Promotion, tenure, sabbatical support
  • Inventory management
  • Pre-proposal and research support

Specific Contacts

• HR, IT, Travel, and Purchasing Requests
  • Go through the WCNR Central Team. See the Technical Support, HR Support, and Fiscal Support tabs for more info.
• Prospective Undergraduate Students
  • Contact Carmyn Ginnetti | 📧 [email protected] | 📞 (970) 491-3613
• Undergraduate Students Switching to ESS
  • Contact ESS Peer Mentor Amelia Anderson

The WCNR Intranet is the primary resource for Fiscal Actions – a link to the Intranet is found at the bottom of any WCNR website

Purchasing

• To perform a request, click here to access the WCNR Intranet, select Business Office, then select Purchasing Request.
• Types of Purchases:
  • Items to Order: Purchases will be made by WCNR Budget on your behalf. Please attach a quote or link to the product and include an account number.
  • PCard Purchases: Submit a scanned PDF within 2 weeks of any PCard purchase.
    • For a quick reference guide on how to use a University PCard, click here.
  • Motor Pool: Business-related vehicles rented through CSU – requires MVR check.
  • Reimburse Vendor: Purchase has been made on account/credit, and the invoice is attached.
  • Personal Reimbursements: Personal purchases should be made only if other methods are not possible. Reimbursements cannot exceed $1,000 per 30-day period. Receipts required.
  • Direct Billing: The Purchase will be made directly by the requester upon approval.

Travel

• To perform a travel request, access the WCNR Intranet, select Business Office, then select Travel Request.
• CSU Travel Quick Guide
• Submit pre-travel requests as soon as you know you will be traveling, even if it’s no cost to CSU.
  • If a Travel Advance is needed, detail that you are in need of a TA within the memo box on the intranet form. The College will then reach out to you if it needs further information to submit this request on your behalf.
• All post-travel requests must be completed and approved within 60 days of the travel end date.
• Submit scanned copies of all receipts.
• Travel Services site offers lots of detailed instructions and resources
• It is required to use CSU-approved travel Agents to book flights:
  • Frosch – 970.223.0442 – [email protected]
  • Travel Society – 303.321.0900 – [email protected]
• International Travel policies and procedures can vary greatly, Please review CSU resources here.
  • You can contact [email protected] for questions and assistance related to personal/group travel.

After submitting an intranet request, to follow up on a request or for further questions relating to finance or travel, please reach out to Heather Pollard, [email protected]

The WCNR Intranet is the primary resource for HR/Technical Actions – a link to the Intranet is found at the bottom of any WCNR website! 

• To perform a request, log in to the WCNR Intranet, select Business Office, then select HR Request
  • Types of requests that go through the HR portal: New Hires, All GRA/GTA actions, Summer Salary, Supplemental Pay, Position/Supervisor update requests
• Always submit with plenty of time to allow for processing – most HR actions require review from the WCNR Fiscal Team before the HR team will receive it in their queue.
• Employees are not allowed to work prior to being fully approved by HR.
• Email: [email protected]

After submitting an HR request through the intranet, to follow up on a request or for further questions relating to HR, please reach out to Heather Pollard, [email protected]

For all other technical support and WCNR-specific resources, visit the Services Portal.

• NESB front doors are locked between 7:00 PM and 7:00 AM. A physical key or ID should be used to access the building after hours. If you need help gaining access with your ID, please contact Heather Pollard [email protected]
• All faculty should have a key to access the building, 2nd floor, and your office space – if you do not, or if you need additional keys, please let Heather Pollard, [email protected], know as soon as possible!
• Graduate student keys should be requested from the ESS Main Office
  • If keys are required for additional spaces or labs within NESB, please ask your advisor to contact the ESS Main Office.
• Interns, Affiliates/Associate Scientists, and Student Hourly employees are not allotted space or keys in NESB.

• To address on-campus mail, include the recipient’s name, followed by their department and the department code. The department code is also the last four digits of the department zip code.
• For example, the ESS Department zip code is 80523-1476, so the department code is To send on campus mail to Rich Conant, you would address it: Rich Conant, ESS, 1476. The outgoing mail bin in NESB is located on the second floor, directly outside of the elevator.
• Off-campus mail must have appropriate postage; on-campus mail does not need to be stamped. To receive mail, use the following address: 1476 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523.
• Transtream is CSU’s Multi-Carrier Shipping Software. From this application you can pre-ship your package(s) by creating a Shipment Request Form for FedEx, UPS, DHL, and USPS that is then processed by our Shipping Desk & Mail Services team. This system is open to all Faculty, Staff, & Student Employees shipping for CSU business only. No personal packages are allowed at this time. Transteam can be located here.
• For more information, please visit CSU Mail Services.

Natural and Environmental Sciences Building, First Floor
1231 Libbie Coy Way, Office A104

(970)-491-5589

[email protected] 

Building Emergencies

• Please call 970-491-0077 to reach Facilities Dispatch
• Building Maintenance or other non-urgent issues should be reported to the Building Proctors:
• Proctor: Ty Boyack, NREL | [email protected]
• Assistant Proctor: Heather Pollard, ESS | [email protected] 

NESB Labs
For NESB Lab assistance, please reach out to either:

• Dan Reuss
  Analytic Facilities Manager | [email protected] 
• Rod Simpson
  Research and Eco-Core Business Manager | [email protected] 

• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Trainings
• Diversity, Inclusion, & Belonging Module
• Sexual Harassment Awareness Training
• Student Disability Center
• Cultural and Resource Centers
• Adult Learner and Veteran Services
• Women and Gender Advocacy Center
• All Gender Restrooms

• If conflict arises, graduate students may seek support from trusted mentors, committee members, the ESS Graduate Program Coordinator, or the ESS department head. In some cases, it may be helpful to schedule a confidential appointment with an expert trained in conflict resolution through CSU’s Student Resolution Center
• For general information on filing complaints, see CSU’s student complaint policy and the associated student complaint form
• Bias incidents can be reported here
• A harassment or discrimination complaint can be filed with the Office of Equal Opportunity
• Any sexual misconduct or interpersonal violence must be reported to the Office of Title IX
• Students can obtain confidential legal advice on personal matters from Student Legal Services  where most services are covered by student fees.

• Emergency text alert system
• CSU police department: 970-491-6425
• SafeWalk service is provided by campus service officers from dusk to dawn
• RamRide to request a safe ride on weekends
• Bicycle registration is required
• Bicycle safety classes
• Campus lost and found

CSU offers several services and centers to help with research and writing:

• Information technology services
• Computer diagnostic and repair services
• Library resources
• Research integrity, safety, and compliance
• Statistical consulting
• Geospatial Centroid for spatial (GIS) modeling assistance 
• Writing Center and CSU Writes

• Off-Campus Life housing resources
• CSU gym and recreation
• University Center for the Arts
• Parking and transportation services
• FC Bikes
• Public transit
• City of Fort Collins
• City of Fort Collins Natural Areas
• Larimer County Parks

• Self-paced Canvas course on graduate well-being
• Medical, counseling, and wellness resources
• Basic needs resources
• Crisis intervention
• Tell Someone for concerns about safety or mental health

It is important to file an incident report whenever an injury occurs whether medical care beyond a first aid kit is needed or not.