CMC trustees approve new bachelor’s degree, $5 tuition increase

Bachelor of Arts in human services to be CMC’s latest bachelor’s degree

The Colorado Mountain College Board of Trustees held a regularly scheduled meeting via Zoom on Jan. 25. At the meeting, trustees unanimously approved the addition of CMC’s seventh bachelor’s degree and a $5 per credit hour increase in all Colorado resident tuition rates for the 2022-23 academic year.

Bachelor’s degree in human services

Trustees unanimously approved the addition of a Bachelor of Arts in human services with three related minor fields in behavioral studies, addictions or psychology. The need for the degree followed a two-year feasibility study that explored regional and national demand for mental and behavioral health professionals.

“This new degree aims to meet the tsunami of need for mental health and addiction support in our mountain communities,” said CMC Dean Dr. Anne Moll, School of Humanities, Social Science, Sustainability and Education. “Graduates will be in very high demand for a wide range of well-paying behavioral support positions and will be prepared to enroll in graduate-level programs in psychology, social work, counseling, addictions, behavioral and public health.”

Jobs associated with a bachelor’s degree in human services include but are not limited to mental health and addiction recovery, law enforcement/parole officer, child advocacy and family support services. Currently in Colorado, there are over 8,200 jobs open in these fields.

Pending approval of the state of Colorado and the Higher Learning Commission, CMC’s accrediting body, the program would be the seventh bachelor’s degree offered by the college.  Students should be able to begin enrolling in the program in the fall of 2022.

Proportionate rates and fees

Trustees voted unanimously to increase tuition for 2022-23 by $5 per credit hour, for all categories except non-resident students, who will see a $14 increase. Tuition rates for 2022-23 will be $95/credit for in-district students, $185/credit for service-area students, $195/credit for in-state students and $480/credit for non-resident students. Though other colleges have not yet announced their tuition rates for next year, CMC administrators expect that the college will continue to have among the most affordable tuition and fees in the state and the nation.

Trustees also unanimously approved fee increases in culinary, ecosystem science and law enforcement training courses as well as a new fee for the new EMT-Advanced offering.  A student activity fee at CMC Leadville, proposed by that campus’s student government, was also approved and will take effect starting in the 2022-23 academic year pending a vote by students.

Also, trustees unanimously approved:

  • The second quarter year-end 2021-22 financials
  • A Colorado Workforce office lease at CMC Leadville
  • A land transfer in Montezuma County
  • A Breckenridge utility license (2nd reading)
  • An agreement regarding posting meeting notices