Students study in CMC Leadville’s Learning Commons during fall 2020 semester. Students may apply for a new emergency fund to help pay for college expenses during COVID-19. Photo Stephanie Stocking

Emergency funds available to pay for CMC student expenses

Colorado Mountain College is offering emergency financial assistance to students demonstrating need because of COVID-19, but who haven’t previously received support.

In addition to the CMC Foundation’s No Barriers Fund, which provides emergency aid up to $500 per student, a new fund is now available thanks to a recent state grant the college has received. Called the Ayuda Fund, or “help” in Spanish, the emergency funding is being offered to students needing to pay for academic expenses related to disruptions caused by the pandemic. The maximum amount given per student is $1,500.

According to Yesenia Arreola, CMC executive director of Student Affairs strategic projects and initiatives, the Ayuda Fund is made possible by the Colorado Department of Higher Education with funds from the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund. The college received $105,000 to distribute to students through the fund. In total, 12 Colorado colleges and universities received $1 million in emergency aid to students.

To qualify for funding, students must not have previously received an award from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act or the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF). Students need to be enrolled in credit classes, or be in an English as a second language or high school equivalency program at CMC during the fall 2020 or spring 2021 semesters. Students need to qualify for in-state or in-district tuition and demonstrate financial need as a result of the pandemic, as well.

For more information or to apply for the Ayuda Fund, contact Yesenia Arreola , email Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative or go to Ayuda Fund. For more information on the CMC Foundation’s No Barriers Fund, go to cmcfoundation.org

Fall 2021 Welcome Video Transcript

Jacki Brazill

Hello families of CMC students!

I’m Dr. Jacki Brazill, the Coordinator of Enrollment Services here at the Steamboat Springs campus.

We are so happy your student has chosen CMC-Steamboat and can’t wait to get this fall semester started!

We usually offer a full day of parent orientation sessions, as we feel it’s just as important to connect our parents to our campus as it is our students. Unfortunately, as we all know, anything we usually do really hasn’t been an option lately. So, we’ve decided to welcome you and provide the parent information in a virtual format instead. We know it’s not the same as being able to meet you in person, but we hope that by reviewing the information we’ve provided you will get a feel for the friendliness of our faculty and staff, the dedication of our campus community to providing personal attention to students and our attention to student overall well-being and, of course, providing a great educational experience.

There are a wide variety of services that we offer our students.  Our College Counselors are an important resource, assisting students with a plethora of needs including Career Planning and Personal Counseling, Academic Advising, College Transfer Assistance, Placement Testing, Graduation verification as well as making referrals for mental health assistance and to other agencies in our community.

In the PowerPoint presentation attached on this website we offer a whole slew of very important information and tips that both students and parents will find valuable. In addition to introducing you to all the members of the Student Affairs Staff and the variety of services we offer to students, we also include a huge variety of additional resources and information that we hope you find both interesting and useful.

We conclude the presentation with an overview of what you as the primary caregiver can offer your student that will most effectively assist, guide and coach them through their academic experience in a way that will ensure their success while they are with us…and as they continue their ongoing academic and career trajectory.

Finally, I would like to provide some information about what is coming next for you and your student.

Please make sure your student is checking both their personal and CMC email accounts. All admissions information will be sent to the personal account, however very important financial aid and residence life information will be sent only to the CMC email account.

Additionally, make sure your student has submitted his or her final high school transcript and/or SAT or ACT scores. The state of Colorado also requires that all students provide their immunization records or a waiver of immunizations. The immunization form can be found on our website at www.coloradomtn.edu.

All new students will be required to attend an in-person Orientation Session on Thursday, August 19th. Information about this event will be sent to their personal email accounts.

We hope you will join us for the parent Question and Answer session via Zoom on August 12th! Please email your questions for this session to Patrick Gilliland at pjgilliland@coloradomtn.edu by 11:00 am on Wednesday, August 11th.

In the meantime, the entire staff at the Steamboat Springs campus of CMC is happy to assist you with any specific questions you may have. Please contact us with any questions or any of your needs!

We look forward to welcoming your student to campus this fall!

 

COVID-19 Information

Frequently Asked Questions about CMC’s response to the coronavirus outbreak

Preguntas frecuentes sobre la respuesta de CMC al brote de coronavirus

English
English

March 11, 2020

  1. What is the college doing in response to the novel coronavirus outbreak?

Colorado Mountain College is actively preparing for the possibility of a widespread COVID-19 outbreak in our communities or on campus. CMC leaders are in close communication with local health departments and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), and the college-wide emergency response team is convening every two days throughout this situation. CMC has designated a COVID19 webpage on the college web site to provide updates, information and guidelines.

  1. Can a campus close operations independent of an official college-wide closure?

No. Campus closures will need to be coordinated with Central Services. However, the president may, based on available information, choose to close one or several campuses without closing the entire college. Campus closures will only occur if the threat of infection is elevated above levels prevalent in the region. CMC will coordinate such decisions with other public agencies, including the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, local hospitals, school districts and county offices of health and public safety.

  1. May a faculty member elect to end face-to-face class sessions?

Contractually, faculty must request modifications to their course locations and delivery options, and a similar request must be made should a faculty member wish to move their course online/WebEx. If you are a faculty member and have any questions about this, please contact your supervisor or the vice president of Academic Affairs.

  1. When and how should CMC employees and students expect to receive communications about COVID-19?

CMC will post information about COVID-19 and its impact on college operations on the college’s web site: coloradomtn.edu/covid19. In addition, the college will provide information via Basecamp, social media and/or campus flyers. Instructions or information specific to employees or students may be posted on Basecamp or sent out by email. Please continue to monitor your email, Basecamp and the CMC web site through the duration of this situation. Emergency notifications will go out via CMC Alert emergency notifications.

  1. What guidance do you have from Human Resources for employees regarding isolation and leave?

CMC is working to ensure that critical CMC facilities and functions remain operational before, during and after an emergency closure, without jeopardizing the safety of employees. A decision to close should not be viewed merely as a day off.

Employees will be advised of an early release, late report or no report conditions through the CMC Alert emergency notification system, Basecamp and/or email. Employees designated as “critical personnel” will be expected to work even if the college closes.

Mandatory isolation due to illness would be considered as sick leave (pending notifications from the governor’s office regarding mandatory paid leave).

Under the following circumstances employees will record their time according to the college’s standard leave usage procedures and will use their available leave:

  • individuals with confirmed COVID-19
  • individuals exhibiting symptoms of and under investigation for COVID-19
  • for household members, partners and caregivers in a non-healthcare setting of individuals as identified above.
  1. If the COVID-19 outbreak continues, will the college close?

CMC is preparing for responses to various scenarios; our response would depend on the severity of a local outbreak and guidance from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and/or the Office of the Governor. These responses might include transitioning to online instruction, issuing incomplete grades (that could be completed in the next term), modifying the semester length where possible, encouraging employees to work from home, and, if necessary, temporary closure of one or more campuses.

  1. What additional measures will be taken by custodial staff for prevention of the spread of infectious diseases such as COVID-19?

Campus facility managers have been instructed to increase custodial services with an emphasis on cleaning and disinfecting commonly touched surfaces in accordance with Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment recommendations. Should a case of COVID-19 be confirmed on campus or at any CMC site, the college would follow specific public health guidelines for cleaning all potentially contaminated areas.

  1. I’m hosting an event on campus. Should I cancel it?

You may want to consider cancelling or postponing the event. Because the situation is evolving quickly you should plan for possible campus closure or a directive to implement “social distancing” practices. If there are widespread confirmed COVID-19 cases in our community or a confirmed case on campus, it is very likely that, at minimum, all special events would be temporarily cancelled.

  1. Will CMC cancel classes?

Temporary class cancellations are possible, as is a shift to online instruction and/or issuing incomplete grades that can be completed the next term. Field trips, course activities, internships and clinical components to courses may need to be modified or cancelled.

  1. I have a study abroad trip planned. Will it be cancelled?

Due to the rapidly evolving situation around the globe, uncertainties about medical care in other countries and the possibility of an extended unplanned quarantine situation for returning travelers, it is likely that study abroad trips will be cancelled. CMC is currently assessing trips that depart within the next eight weeks. The Himalayan India course schedule to depart in early May has been cancelled.

  1. How will I know if an on-campus event I am planning to attend is cancelled?

Information about cancelled events, limited access to facilities or campus closures will be communicated through Basecamp announcements, social media, local news media and/or the CMC web site at coloradomtn.edu/covid19. For details on the status of specific events, you may want to contact directly the host CMC campus.

  1. Should I cancel my on-campus conference, event or meeting that will bring visitors from outside of Colorado?

You may want to consider cancelling or postponing large events expected to bring people from out of state. Many organizations are already restricting travel, and it is difficult to predict how the COVID-19 situation will evolve locally. The earlier you cancel or make alternative arrangements for the event, the easier it will be for travelers to cancel their plans.

  1. If I feel I’m being treated unfairly, discriminated against or harassed based on my race or ethnicity, what should I do?

The fear of coronavirus has resulted in incidents of bias and harassment against Chinese nationals, Chinese Americans and people of Asian heritage in many places. Some members of our communities may be dealing with stigma. Please uphold our commitment to inclusivity and antiracism. See CMC’s Notice of Nondiscrimination. The Centers for Disease Control provides information on stigma related to this outbreak.

Español

Common Reader Author talk with Dr. Edith Eva Eger

Spring Valley Campus
Wednesday, 7pm, October 9, 2019

CMC Chaffee County graduate accepts her degree May 3.

From left, Matt Gianneschi, CMC chief operating officer and chief of staff, gives Jessica Green, CMC Chaffee County graduate, her Associate of Applied Science: accounting degree.

Chaffee County Grad: CMC Flexibility Helped Me Get My Degree

By Mike McKibbin

LEADVILLE/BUENA VISTA — ​Jessica Green was a new mother, recently married, when she started taking classes at Colorado Mountain College. Looking back now, the longtime Chaffee County resident praised the college’s flexibility for allowing her to complete classes toward her associate degree and care for her young daughter at the same time.

Green earned her Associate of Applied Science in accounting: bookkeeper in December and took part in Friday’s commencement ceremonies at the Leadville campus. More than 1,000 graduates are receiving degrees and certificates from Colorado Mountain College May 2-6, at 10 different graduation ceremonies held throughout the CMC district.

While a student at Chaffee County High School, Green started taking some CMC courses. After high school graduation, she attended Northwestern Colorado Community College in Rangely for a time before marriage. The couple moved back to Chaffee County and Green re-enrolled at CMC.

And her employer helped provide an opportunity to put what she learned in class to good use.

“I worked at the Brown Dog Coffee Co. (in Buena Vista) and the boss there was looking for someone to do the bookkeeping,” Green said. “So I took that over while I was attending CMC.”

Green said along with offering her flexibility, CMC taught her time management skills.

“It all helped to give me a richer and more rewarding experience,” she said.

Green was a member of Phi Theta Kappa, the national honor society for students earning two-year degrees, while attending CMC. After three years of taking classes in Buena Vista, Leadville and Breckenridge, and online, Green graduated with a 3.8 GPA.

“I took some extra math classes, too,” she said.

Green praised Dr. Susanna Spaulding, professor of business and entrepreneurship, for helping her stay on track.

“She would meet with me whenever to go over things and made my school experience a lot more manageable,” Green said. “She was absolutely amazing.”

photo: George Bagwell George Bagwell – Honorary Member

Colorado Mountain College hired George Bagwell in 1974 as full-time faculty member teaching anthropology and psychology at the college in Leadville. In 1985, he was appointed campus dean at CMC in Steamboat Springs, a position he held for four years. For the next 25 years, from 1989 to 2013, Bagwell served as a faculty member at the Steamboat Springs campus.

In addition to participating in a faculty exchange program in Hawaii, Bagwell was a pioneer in distance education. Bagwell was one of the first faculty to develop web and distance education courses at CMC. Bagwell also served as a consultant for North Central Association Commission on Institutions of Higher Education and was appointed to its Review Council from 1991-1995.

Bagwell retired from the college in May of 2013 after serving CMC for an impressive 40 years. His unwavering commitment to students and to the college is an example for everyone at Colorado Mountain College.