Common Reader Author Talk

February 25, 2021 By cmctestgenesis

Anthony Ray Hinton shares how he found life and freedom on death row and his insights into the U.S. criminal justice system

Join a live stream talk with Anthony Ray Hinton, 7pm, February 24 and 25

 Links to virtual talk will be published prior to events.

The Sun Does Shine is the story of Anthony Ray Hinton, a resilient and hopeful survivor. In 1985 Mr. Hinton was convicted of two counts of capital murder and spent thirty years in solitary confinement on death row at Holman State Prison in Alabama for crimes he did not commit.

In 2015, Mr. Hinton was acquitted on both counts of capital murder and released from prison with the help of Bryan Stevenson (Author of Just Mercy) and the Equal Justice Initiative.  This book will have you reflecting on the need for reform in our national criminal justice system, while at the same time rejoicing in Mr. Hinton’s ability to find freedom, hope, joy and love in darkest of times and environments.

See more details and how to get books

Tagged With: Home Page

Common Reader Author Talk

February 24, 2021 By cmctestgenesis

Anthony Ray Hinton shares how he found life and freedom on death row and his insights into the U.S. criminal justice system

Join a live stream talk with Anthony Ray Hinton, 7pm, February 24 and 25

 Links to virtual talk will be published prior to events.

The Sun Does Shine is the story of Anthony Ray Hinton, a resilient and hopeful survivor. In 1985 Mr. Hinton was convicted of two counts of capital murder and spent thirty years in solitary confinement on death row at Holman State Prison in Alabama for crimes he did not commit.

In 2015, Mr. Hinton was acquitted on both counts of capital murder and released from prison with the help of Bryan Stevenson (Author of Just Mercy) and the Equal Justice Initiative.  This book will have you reflecting on the need for reform in our national criminal justice system, while at the same time rejoicing in Mr. Hinton’s ability to find freedom, hope, joy and love in darkest of times and environments.

See more details and how to get books

Tagged With: Home Page

Read ‘The Sun Does Shine’ with Colorado Mountain College

January 4, 2021 By cmctestgenesis

Anthony Ray Hinton

Anthony Ray Hinton spent 30 years on death row for crimes he did not commit.

 

 

Read ‘The Sun Does Shine’ with Colorado Mountain College

In 1985, Anthony Ray Hinton was convicted of two counts of capital murder. He spent 30 years locked in solitary confinement on death row at Holman State Prison in Alabama for crimes he did not commit.

His memoir, “The Sun Does Shine,” describes how he was able to not only persevere but to triumph over an unjust criminal justice system.

“The Sun Does Shine” is Colorado Mountain College’s selection for 2021’s Common Reader. The book addresses such contemporary themes as racial inequality and the deep need for reform in the national criminal justice system, while telling a first-person account of how one man was able to find freedom, strength and empowerment on death row.

cover of The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton

“The Sun Does Shine" by Anthony Ray Hinton is Colorado Mountain College’s Common Reader book selection for 2021.

Now in its 14th year, the college’s Common Reader brings together faculty, students and community members to read a selected book together and to participate in talks with the author. Virtual speaking events with Hinton will be 7 p.m. on both Feb. 24 and 25, 2021. The author talks will be streamed live through the college’s website.

Books are available at local bookstores, libraries and CMC locations.

For more information, go to CMC's Common Reader  or call 800-621-8559.

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Home Page

Spring Valley buildings win engineering award

December 18, 2020 By cmctestgenesis

Haselden Construction received an Engineering News-Record regional award for the J. Robert Young Alpine Ascent Center, one of two campus structures the company recently completed at Colorado Mountain College Spring Valley.

Spring Valley buildings win engineering award

Two recently constructed buildings at Colorado Mountain College Spring Valley have won a coveted Engineering News-Record regional award. ENR Mountain States has named the J. Robert Young Alpine Ascent Center and the Outdoor Leadership Center & Field House the Best Project for Higher Education/Research in 2020.

The project, nominated by Haselden Construction, was selected from 138 entries across seven states. Winners in 19 different categories, including Higher Education/Research, were chosen as Best Projects.

Haselden Construction constructed both Spring Valley buildings, with direction from the college to ensure that both would meet silver LEED standards, in alignment with the college’s sustainability action plan. Both energy-efficient buildings are designed to accommodate photovoltaic panels and to complement the natural environment.

“When we thought about sustainability, we also thought about the way these buildings would sit on the landscape,” said Heather Exby, vice president and campus dean at Spring Valley and Glenwood Springs. “The architects mimicked the shed roofs and aluminum siding of ranching structures in our region.”

The J. Robert Young Alpine Ascent Center hosts student services, a bookstore and a coffee shop, plus three classrooms that can be combined to accommodate up to 100 people. Most important to Exby, the wood-beamed space provides a home base for residential and commuter students to gather between classes and activities.

The 32,673-square-foot Outdoor Leadership Center & Field House contains two full-size basketball courts, climbing and bouldering walls, a dance and yoga studio, a weight room, and an indoor track, treadmills and a meeting room positioned to take full advantage of the Mount Sopris view. Built into a hillside, the building looks and feels fully connected to the surrounding topography, overseeing the soccer fields below. Inside, the double-sized gymnasium can accommodate up to nearly 1,000 people when full occupancy is permitted, providing the college with new opportunities to host student and community events. The campus will offer punch passes and memberships for locals to use the facility for exercise and to climb on the 37-foot indoor climbing wall, pending changes in pandemic restrictions.

The Outdoor Leadership Center & Field House at CMC Spring Valley was included in the engineering award Haselden Construction recently won. Photo Ed Kosmicki

“We feel this project upholds the promise we made to landowners to be thoughtful stewards,” said Exby, referring to the neighboring ranch owners who donated 800 acres to start the campus in the 1960s. “Haselden was a wonderful partner,” she said, noting that the award-winning construction project came in on time and under budget.

“It’s an honor to be recognized for our work at Colorado Mountain College,” said Byron Haselden, president and CEO of Haselden Construction. “The Ascent Center and Outdoor Leadership Center projects represented our exceptional level of quality in the areas of innovation, craftsmanship and safety. We’re grateful for our longstanding relationship with CMC and the opportunity for these facilities, and the entire campus, to be acknowledged by ENR.”

For Exby, the recognition was great news for the college and the community. “Spring Valley is a hidden gem,” she said. “We’re excited for the community to come rediscover all it has to offer.”

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Home Page

Recreational and Professional Avalanche Training Courses in Leadville

December 16, 2020 By Lauren Swanson

Avalanche Training Today: The Professional/ Recreational Split

Anyone interested in exploring the backcountry should seek out formal avalanche training. Whether you are skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, or simply hiking around some of your favorite trails it is important to have an understanding about avalanche safety, awareness, and emergency strategies.

When it comes to avalanche training, the number of options and course types can be overwhelming. This guide will explain the different paths of recreational and professional avalanche training courses to help you safely recreate in the backcountry this winter.

REC or PRO?

The REC track—short for recreation—is the starting point for recreationalist and professionals alike. Working professionals like ski patrollers or outdoor educators may be interested in continuing their education with PRO (professional) courses after completing REC courses.

graphic explaining recreational and professional avalanche training courses at cmc leadville

Level 1 and Avalanche Rescue

Level 1 Avalanche Training

The Level 1 course, also known as Avy 1, is the starting point for recreationalists and aspiring professionals. The Avy 1 and Avalanche Rescue courses are the minimum training recommendation for anyone traveling in the backcountry. A Level 1 course is generally a 3-day course with a field component, where students begin to learn about avalanches and snowpack. You’ll study the basics about types of avalanches, and learn to identify hazardous terrain and avalanche conditions.

Most importantly, the Avy 1 course teaches students how to make educated decisions and have meaningful discussions about tour plans, risks, and mitigation. This course offers many opportunities to develop decision making skills in the backcountry and the field component allows students to make real world applications to class topics.

avalanche science student practicing a beacon search in an avalanche rescue class while two instructors overseeAvalanche Rescue

The Avalanche Rescue course focuses on companion rescue and what to do if someone in your group gets caught in an avalanche.This is a 1- day course with a focus on how to properly use avalanche rescue equipment effectively and make educated decisions in the case of emergency.

There is the opportunity for a lot of hands on practice with companion rescue, avalanche beacon use, and other professional tips. The companion rescue course is a great class to retake every couple years to hone your skills and learn about changes within the industry.

Both Avy 1 and Avalanche Rescue courses have no prerequisites. Students are able to take one or the other in any order, but be aware that any higher level avalanche courses requires both the Level 1 and Avalanche Rescue.

Level 2 Avalanche Training

The Level 2 Avalanche course, also known as Avy 2, allows backcountry users to continue to build off of topics introduced during the level I and rescue courses. This is a great course for the more experienced recreationalist looking to get more tools for their backcountry tool kit.

This course expands on topics about decision making, risk and terrain management, and group travel. Avy 2 courses tend to be particularly fun because most of the participants are excited to dive further into topics and really work on developing their skills.

PRO 1

The professional level 1 course is now the baseline for avalanche professionals. The primary focus of the PRO 1 course is on safe travel, snow and weather observations, and time spent in snow pits. PRO 1 runs for 5 days with a 2 days of assessments. The structure of this course shifts away from the recreational perspective and focuses on professional level risk management, observations, and rescue skills. This is a course designed for aspiring forecasters, ski patrollers, and mountain guides.

PRO 2

The American Avalanche Association describes Professional Avalanche Training 2 (PRO 2) as designed for developing avalanche professionals with several seasons of applied professional experience as well as seasoned professionals who are looking to develop skills applicable to leadership roles within their operation.

The PRO 2 is for experienced workers who desire to continue to develop their forecasting, risk management, and leadership skills. Workers will analyze information from various sources and make operational decisions on multiple spatial and temporal scales.

This course contains a much heavier workload than previous courses and is targeted to those already well into their career as forecasters and snow safety professionals.

Free Avalanche Education Resources

There are many free resources for the aspiring avalanche safety student. These are not substitutes for professional training but it is a great place to start.

The Know Before You Go program is a resource offered by the Utah Avalanche Center and the Colorado Avalanche Information Center/ Friends of CAIC. This is a great introduction to avalanche safety and an alternative to attending a live session.

Avalanche.org provides avalanche forecasts from all across the country, but it has free tutorials and a useful course finding tab.

Many nonprofits and organizations, like Friends of the CAIC, Colorado Mountain School, REI and Ski-Doo, also offer free avalanche awareness seminars.

Most Importantly, remember to check local avalanche forecasts for the area you plan to recreate in. Most of these forecast centers also have climate specific educational resources.

  • Colorado Avalanche Information Center
  • Utah Avalanche Center
  • Avalanche.org
  • Crested Butte Avalanche Center

Course Providers

When considering avalanche training courses you will often see American Avalanche Association (A3) and AIARE (American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education). The American Avalanche Association is responsible for setting curriculum guidelines and AIARE uses those guidelines to develop courses and instructors. People often believe that AIARE is the only course provider but there are other providers that follow the A3 guidelines as well. Colorado Mountain College is an AIARE and A3 certified professional course provider!

 

An avalanche in berthoud pass with the avalanche science program logo

Recreational and Professional Avalanche Training at Colorado Mountain College

Recreational Training

Colorado Mountain College offers both the recreational and professional tracks for avalanche training. Recreational backcountry users can begin their avalanche education with Level 1 Avalanche Training (OUT-168), Avalanche Rescue (OUT-268), and progress to Level 2 Avalanche Training (OUT-269).

Avalanche Science: Professional Avalanche Courses at Colorado Mountain College

Colorado Mountain College Leadville also offers professional level avalanche training and continued education for current or aspiring avalanche industry professionals. The Avalanche Science program is a two-year certification designed by industry experts from the Colorado Avalanche information Center, Colorado Mountain College, and U.S. Forest Service. Program graduates earn a Snow, Weather & Avalanche Field Technician certificate as well as an American Avalanche Association PRO certification.

Find a complete list of avalanche courses offered at CMC on the course catalog.

Filed Under: News, Programs Tagged With: Avalanche Science, Home Page

A Crucible Moment

December 1, 2020 By cmctestgenesis

A Crucible Moment

By Carrie Besnette Hauser

December 1, 2020

CMC President and CEO Dr. Carrie Besnette Hauser.

Certain dates resonate with us, historically, culturally, and personally. These dates often remind us that history is the greatest teacher of leadership, but that the future is limited only by our imagination, ingenuity, and resolve.

On this day, December 1, in 1862, Abraham Lincoln delivered a message to a despondent Congress to recommit itself to solving the most pressing challenges facing a deeply divided nation.

In his address, Lincoln did not attempt to sidestep the difficulty of the task at hand or its significance. He said to Congress, “The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew, and act anew. We must disenthrall ourselves, and then we shall save our country.”

Though he was eager to end the conflict quickly, it would be another three long years until Lincoln and the U.S. Congress would reunite and rebuild the nation. Lucky for all of us still benefitting from their efforts, they embraced the challenge and got to work.

On this December 1, our nation is not engaged in a civil war, but 2020 has important parallels to the situation more than a century and a half ago. As the recent election shows, our nation is divided on a number of economic and social issues. Our economy is slumped, certain industries are dying, and the benefits of our progress are concentrated in some states and among the powerful elite. Perhaps most insidious (and aided by social media), our citizenry has formed deeply entrenched identity groups that divide us from each other based on race, education, religion, socioeconomic status, and other factors, as was the case in 1862 (and 1962 and 2002).

And yet, in spite of these demanding conditions, I remain hopeful for the future of our country and of our state and its mountain communities.

December 1 is always an important personal day for me. Seven years ago, I joined the remarkable team at Colorado Mountain College. In most years, one’s work anniversary is cause for reflection, gratitude, and contemplation. However, this is not a year to celebrate or ruminate on a particular milestone. Instead, my entire attention is focused on the future and the ways CMC can continue to elevate educational and economic opportunities for residents across western Colorado, in spite of the challenges we face.

It is a crucible moment.

A crucible is a situation of severe trial, or in which different elements interact, leading to the creation of something new. What an accurate depiction of the conditions that face us and reason for CMC to focus on certain priorities in the year ahead.

First, our nation is divided socially, politically, and culturally. We are naturally drawn to information that reinforces what we already believe. However, understanding new and different ideas, perspectives, and experiences humanizes and contextualizes what we see, read, and hear. The result is a more open-minded, more harmonious, more prosperous society. Colleges and universities provide opportunities for this kind of engagement, both in the classroom and out. Therefore, Colorado Mountain College will strive to provide access to our campuses and programs in ways we’ve never attempted before, welcoming all students to CMC, including those who feel isolated and left behind by 2020. We will explore, acknowledge, and understand our blind spots and demonstrate that a college degree is emblematic of the best of the American spirit – grit, hard work, self-confidence, and sacrifice – and not a symbol of “elitism” or exclusion.

Second, the economic impact of a punishing pandemic has not affected our communities equally. Many of our highly educated citizens were able to shift work to their living rooms without interruption. Other residents, especially those in lower-wage jobs or professions, had their places of employment – and livelihoods – shuttered. Some have been considered “essential workers” despite the fact that their children were at home and not in school. This tale of two economies has deepened economic inequalities and increased “us versus them” perceptions. So, in 2021, CMC will double down on increasing financial assistance to nontraditional students and consider strategic investments and partnerships in housing – an increasingly acute access barrier for our students, most of whom contribute to our local economies by working full-time and are directly affected by the rapidly changing economy.

We know that many Americans are distressed and feel disenfranchised by the reality that one’s race or socioeconomic status can limit their potential outcomes. And yet our communities are ever-changing. The majority of students in many of our local K-12 schools are Latino. Historically, these students less often matriculate to college, resulting in depressed future economic outcomes for the entire region.

We are extremely proud that CMC is one of the few colleges anywhere that has closed achievement gaps among enrolled students. At CMC, Latino and white students perform equally well in terms of retention and graduation. Building on this trend and recognizing the upheaval across the K-12 sector caused by the pandemic, CMC will work closely with area high schools to restore concurrent enrollment programs battered by the pandemic and innovate to provide financial support to students often overlooked by traditional financial aid programs, including ESL and GED students. We are developing new tools for counselors and advisors to better identify and reach students who may be struggling, to connect these students to resources that can help them succeed. And internally, our employees will continue deep discussions centered on equity, inclusion and implicit bias. We can all learn, grow, understand, and improve the ways we relate to and accept one another.

Finally, as with all economic downturns, recoveries often welcome new industries and businesses and mourn the loss of those not well positioned for new realities. Though it is too soon to predict the 2021 economic outlook, it’s clear that certain skills will be in high demand. Next year, CMC will launch a variety of new academic programs designed to meet the needs of our mountain-resort region, thus allowing residents of our communities to secure a stable place in a recovering economy. Benefitting from a recently received $2.25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education, CMC will invest in high-demand and high-cost programs including expanded nursing and allied health careers and certified addiction counseling. New bachelor’s programs in early childhood education, human services, and ecosystems management will respond to the expressed needs of local employers.

Since arriving in 2013, I have had the honor and privilege to have a front-row seat to watch CMC become truly exemplary thanks to a talented team of faculty and staff at campuses and locations spread across 12,000 square miles. Together, and with the generous help of donors, volunteer advisors, and other community supporters; successful legislation and local ballot initiatives; and a committed board of trustees, we have dramatically increased graduation rates, expanded concurrent enrollment offerings and participation, broadened student diversity, and added academic programs, including a variety of new bachelor’s degrees.

At the same time, we intentionally slowed the growth of expenses to ensure that taxpayer and tuition funds are always used in prudent and effective ways. While other institutions across our state and country are facing very real financial emergencies, CMC’s financial rating remains very strong, putting the college in a unique position to renew and broaden its impact, investment, and relevance in a post-pandemic world.

At the start of my eighth year at CMC, I am more motivated than ever to forge ahead and position the college for success in the decades to come, standing on the shoulders of many great predecessors and visionaries.

In this final month of an unprecedented year, it seems important to reflect on Lincoln’s wisdom, that the road ahead will be piled high with obstacles and difficulty, and that we all must rise to meet the challenge. That to be successful we must come together and think and act anew. And that we must discard our differences and embrace our commonalities, and, in doing so, chart the course for a shared future.

It is a sincere privilege to be part of CMC and to work on behalf of and alongside the employees, students, community members, and other friends who make this college so special.

As with any crucible, the trials ahead will test and reshape Colorado Mountain College into something stronger, more resilient, and more relevant on the other side. What a rare and remarkable opportunity.

Dr. Carrie Besnette Hauser is President & CEO of Colorado Mountain College. She can be reached at President@Coloradomtn.edu or @CMCPresident.

Filed Under: CMC President, News Tagged With: Home Page

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