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With the end of the semester in sight and the holiday season approaching, I would like to extend my sincerest gratitude to each of you for your work and dedication to the university over the past year. As a way to show that appreciation beyond just words, I am pleased to announce that the ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥-Boulder campus will extend the university New Year’s holiday this year to include Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015 as a university holiday.

Want to have a summer you’ll never forget? ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥-Boulder Study Abroad offers summer study abroad programs called Global Seminars that are led by ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥-Boulder faculty. Learn more about these exciting opportunities in Australia, China, England, South Africa and beyond.

As the semester winds down and we look forward to Winter Commencement, it is a good time to reflect on what has been a wild semester here at ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥-Boulder. From everyday stresses to global events arriving on our doorstep, we know that many people in our community have been impacted by crisis and trauma. Please take care of yourself in this push to the end of the semester and finals – get some sleep, eat well, exercise and drink plenty of water – and, if you need additional support, please contact one of our many campus resources to get the help you need.

University of ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ Boulder scientist Steven Maier, who discovered a brain mechanism that not only produces resilience to trauma but aids in coping with future adversity, has won the 2016 University of Louisville Grawemeyer Award for Psychology. The award is among the most prestigious in the field of psychology and comes with a no-strings-attached $100,000 prize.

This Thursday, Dec. 3, the new Human Capital Management (HCM) system will debut and human resources functions in MyÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥Info, like Leave, Pay Stub, and Benefits Snapshot, will have a brand new look and feel. New ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ Careers functionality will also be introduced Dec. 3, and a new job applicant interface will roll out Saturday, Dec. 5. See how Elevate will affect your role at the university , what to expect from Elevate and the new-look HR resources , and check out the Elevate timeline to learn more about what to expect in the coming days and weeks.

Hello, everyone. I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving and fall break. This week's events include a public lecture on the mysteries of the Northern Lights, a screening of the holiday movie "Elf" and the ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ Swing Dance Winter Formal.

As state employees, you show your commitment to fellow Coloradans each and every day. When you join with other ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ state employees and make a donation to a nonprofit organization through the ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ Combined Campaign, your impact is increased. Just a few dollars per paycheck allows partner nonprofit organizations to strengthen ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ communities.

The University of ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥ Boulder is pleased to announce its selection by the U.S. Department of State, and its cooperative partner, World Learning, to host an EducationUSA Academy in summer 2016.

Whether it’s studying for a bio exam or finishing a paper, procrastination can stop anyone in their tracks. But does it have to keep you down? Dr. Koru, a mindfulness expert, says there are several things you can do in just a few minutes that have the potential to turn it all around: timed working, for example, and changing your environment can have a huge impact. For more tips, check out this month’s issue of Student Health 101 .

As we mourn the loss of life in Paris and conduct outreach it is important that we re-affirm our values as a campus by providing support to the French students studying with us in Boulder, to our American students studying in France, and to the valued members of our Muslim community on campus. I want us to rise to the challenge of this difficult international moment by greeting tragedy with healing and conflict with understanding, and by refusing to inject more rancor and reprisal into the mix.