Colorado School of Mines History Timeline

In the 1980s the university was reworking the curriculum and placing more emphasis on research. The number of  students needing financial aid to attend Mines tops the 50% mark. With changes in the mining, geology, and energy industries, newly graduated students and alumni have more difficulties finding jobs; the university responds with job placement and co-op programs.

There is increased awareness of the quality of student life and the negatives (stress, alcohol abuse, depression, etc.) associated with the demanding curriculum. The Board of Trustees and administration put additional effort into the Student Experience at Mines. The Board of Trustees annual conference in Keystone focused on the examination of student life. "How will CSM find the balance between technical competence and the mature, well-being of the whole person?" Students invited to attend the conference expressed a high regard for the School, but also described the stress, competition for grades, uneven teaching practices, and lack of opportunities for healthy pursuits. Their suggestions included setting up peer group counseling, a better faculty advising system, and an alcohol abuse program.

• Brown Hall is dedicated as a new mining and engineering building.
• The new Hewlett-Packard 3000 Series II in Chauvenet Hall has 15 terminals, a CPU, a magnetic tape unit, console terminal, and a line printer.
• Resident tuition is $347 per semester. There's a reported 56.5% retention rate for freshmen to complete their education at CSM.
• Mines establishes the Student Development Center, a student counseling program, and stress management workshops.
• Average faculty salary for 1979-80 is $25,735.
• Dr. Edward Teller is the guest speaker at the AMAX Distinguished Lecture series.
• SWE (Society of Women Engineers), Mines chapter, is established. (It reportedly had a presence here by 1970.)
• Student Council hosts "The Big Event," a huge party for Winter Carnival after a day of skiing in Geneva Basin.
• A demonstration of Dungeons and Dragons is held in the Student Center's Fireside Lounge.

• An employment analysis finds that students graduating between June 1979 and May 1980 have an average starting salary of $21,708.
• Mines is proud to state that there were no women professors in 1972 and now there are 27 "professional women with 14 in teaching positions."
• EPICS (Engineering Practices Introductory Course Sequence) is created as a pilot program for freshmen and sophomores.
• The Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering (ESEE) is established after 4 years of controversy over its relationship with the extraction industries.
• This year's E-Day theme is, "The Engineer Strikes Back."
• The Gay and Lesbian Support Group, composed of students and university employees at Mines, offers support on campus.

• CSM buys steam from Coors Brewery to save on campus heating costs.
• The Board of Trustees considers 2 scenarios: 1) Continue to provide the best engineering education, or 2) Expand this direction to include advancing the frontiers of mineral and energy knowledge, engage with policy makes, and provide leadership to the mineral and energy communities.
• In Spring there are a reported 11 African-American students out of a population of 2,900 at CSM.
• Mines graduates the first woman PhD in petroleum engineering in the US.
• The CSM chapter of the Society of Hispanic Engineers invites students to its upcoming picnic.

• There's a new campus bookstore supported by student groups. Prior to this the School avoided the book business.
• The Engineering Department now offers a B.S. in Engineering with concentrations in civil, electrical and mechanical engineering.
• Academic Advising for Freshmen is started as a new program by the Student Development Center.
• Jeane Kirkpatrick, US Permanent Representative to the United Nations, is the guest speaker at this year's Commencement.
• Mines hosts the Summer Minority Engineering Training (SUMMET) Program, to encourage minority students to pursue careers in mineral engineering, computers, math, chemistry and geology.
• CSM hosts an "Effects of being learning disabled" workshop to improve understanding of disabled people.
• The Computing Center cracks down on system abusers, which includes sending excessive "computer mails" to one person and bothering students who are trying to work.
• CSM hosts the 5th Annual Intercollegiate Mining Contest here for the first time.