‘No place on Earth like CMC’

July 1, 2020 By cmctestgenesis

‘No place on Earth like CMC’

Ali Henry graduates with a bachelor’s from CMC Breckenridge

Ali Henry was working in a Breckenridge restaurant when she decided that she needed to shift her focus.

“One day the cook asked me, ‘If you care so much about animals and nature, why do you still eat them and why don’t you do something to help Earth?’” Henry said. “That evening I went home and educated myself. I went vegan overnight and enrolled at CMC the next day. I then learned about sustainability studies and my entire life fell into the perfect pathway for this degree.”

Henry said that her time at Colorado Mountain College Breckenridge expanded her mind in new ways.

“I learned about environmentalists who have changed the world,” said the graduate, who earned a Bachelor of Arts in sustainability studies in May 2020. “I learned about biomimicry, conservation, endangered species, TerraCycling and so much more that I will use throughout my life.”

The knowledge she gained also prepared her to create the “Not-so-Silent Auction: Australian Wildlife Relief” this past February at CMC Breckenridge. Along with fellow CMC students, the fundraiser generated nearly $5,000 for wildlife injured by Australia’s devastating wildfires.

Now that her bachelor’s program at Colorado Mountain College is complete, Henry wants others to know what a special and unique experience CMC offers.

“I want people to know that there is no other place on Earth like CMC,” she said. “If you have an opportunity to attend classes or get a degree at CMC, take it. We are so blessed to have a college throughout the Rocky Mountains with people who care about your well-being and have such incredible energy. It’s made me a better and much more educated human being.”

Supreme Court allows DACA to stand • La Suprema Corte permite que la DACA se mantenga

June 18, 2020 By cmctestgenesis

Supreme Court allows DACA to stand

La Suprema Corte permite que la DACA se mantenga

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Colorado Mountain College celebrates with DACA recipients after court decision

June 18, 2020

Today, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision that overturns the administration’s attempt to end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. The court stated that the Trump administration did not correctly follow procedural steps before deciding to terminate the DACA program. This means that the DACA program can continue for now.

DACA provides protection from deportation and the ability to work in the United States for those who qualify and register in the program, and enabled more than half a million undocumented students to enroll in colleges and universities in the United States.

“This decision from the Supreme Court reflects strict adherence to the rule of law and corresponds with the overwhelming majority of Americans’ support of some of the best and brightest students and workers in the United States,” said CMC President and CEO Dr. Carrie Besnette Hauser. “From kindergarten to postsecondary education, our nation has consistently invested in Dreamers, and this decision allows our nation to be able to fully benefit from these educational investments. We celebrate this decision alongside DACA recipients and their families.”

CMC has long supported students and employees who have been authorized by the federal government to work in the U.S.

Recognizing the unique financial circumstances of DACA students, in 2018 CMC created Fund Sueños, a financial assistance program for students ineligible for federal financial aid, the first program of its kind in the nation. Fund Sueños uses no taxpayer money; it is entirely funded through private philanthropy. In 2019, a year after CMC created Fund Sueños, the Colorado Legislature passed a law permitting access to state financial aid for most undocumented students in the state, which provides CMC students with additional access to financial assistance.

In October 2019, CMC joined over 165 colleges and universities from across the country in signing an amicus brief supporting over 700,000 young immigrants who came to the United States as children and who are entitled to protection under the DACA program. This “friend of the court” brief was coordinated by the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration.

At the time of the signing of the amicus brief, Hauser said, “DACA recipients are American in every way; they built their lives here and contribute to our state and region, our campuses and communities, and our local economies every day. Our college – which has been open and accessible to all students since its founding in 1965 – is proud to support DACA recipients; we believe in standing up for and protecting vulnerable populations when their futures are in question.

“DACA has provided work authorization and protection from deportation to numerous Dreamers, enabling them to better support themselves and their families financially, build their careers, sustain a healthy workforce and access higher education,” she said.

In January 2018, the elected CMC Board of Trustees voted unanimously in favor of a resolution to endorse immigration reform and in support of CMC students who have benefited from the DACA program.

The board stated then in its resolution, “The CMC Board of Trustees stands with the nation’s leaders to express its strongest support for meaningful and permanent immigration reform, including legal status and citizenship opportunities for our Dreamer children who know no other home outside the United States of America, and authorizes college management to join in local, regional, state and national efforts urging for such a solution.”

“It is indeed a wonderful day,” exclaimed President Hauser after hearing of the court’s decision. “However, the work to safeguard the hopes and dreams of all Americans is not finished. Today’s decision closes one chapter in this decades-long process, but additional steps are needed to provide assurances to our immigrant families. It is time for Congress to act — once and for all — in passing permanent legislation to support these Americans and secure their future prosperity in our great nation.”

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Colorado Mountain College celebra con los beneficiarios de la DACA después de la decisión de la corte

18 de junio de 2020

[GLENWOOD SPRINGS, CO] – El 18 de junio, la Suprema Corte de EE.UU. emitió una decisión que anula el intento de la administración de poner fin a la Acción Diferida para los Llegados en la Infancia (DACA). El tribunal declaró que la administración de Trump no siguió correctamente los pasos de procedimiento antes de decidir terminar el programa DACA. Esto significa que el programa DACA puede continuar por ahora.

La DACA ofrece protección contra la deportación y la posibilidad de trabajar en los Estados Unidos a quienes califiquen y se inscriban en el programa, y ha permitido que más de medio millón de estudiantes indocumentados se inscriban en colegios y universidades de Estados Unidos.

"Esta decisión de la Corte Suprema refleja la estricta adhesión al estado de derecho y corresponde a la abrumadora mayoría del apoyo de los estadounidenses a algunos de los mejores y más brillantes estudiantes y trabajadores de los Estados Unidos", dijo la Presidenta y CEO de la CMC, Dra. Carrie Besnette Hauser. “Desde el jardín de infancia hasta la educación post-secundaria, nuestra nación ha invertido consistentemente en los Soñadores, y esta decisión permite que nuestra nación sea capaz de beneficiarse de estas inversiones en la educación. Celebramos esta decisión junto con los beneficiarios de la DACA y sus familias.”

El CMC ha apoyado por mucho tiempo a los estudiantes y empleados que han sido autorizados por el gobierno federal para trabajar en EE.UU.

Reconociendo las circunstancias financieras únicas de los estudiantes de DACA, en 2018 CMC creó el Fondo Sueños, un programa de asistencia financiera para los estudiantes no elegibles para la ayuda financiera federal, el primer programa de este tipo en la nación. El Fondo Sueños no utiliza el dinero de los contribuyentes; se financia totalmente a través de la filantropía privada. En 2019, un año después de que CMC creara el Fondo Sueños, la Legislatura de Colorado aprobó una ley que permite el acceso a la ayuda financiera estatal para la mayoría de los estudiantes indocumentados del estado, misma que proporciona a los estudiantes de CMC un acceso adicional a la ayuda financiera.

En octubre de 2019, la CMC se unió a más de 165 colegios y universidades de todo el país en la firma de un amicus curiae para apoyar a más de 700,000 jóvenes inmigrantes que llegaron a Estados Unidos cuando eran niños y que tienen derecho a la protección del programa DACA. Este escrito de “amigo de la corte” fue coordinado por la Alianza de Presidentes sobre Educación Superior e Inmigración.

En el momento de la firma del amicus curiae, Hauser dijo: "Los beneficiarios de la DACA son estadounidenses en todos los sentidos; construyeron sus vidas aquí y contribuyen a nuestro estado y región, a nuestros campus y comunidades, y a nuestras economías locales todos los días". Nuestra escuela – que ha estado abierta y accesible a todos los estudiantes desde su fundación en 1965 – se enorgullece de apoyar a los beneficiarios de la DACA; creemos en la defensa y la protección de las poblaciones vulnerables cuando su futuro está en juego.

“La DACA ha proporcionado autorización de trabajo y protección contra la deportación a numerosos Soñadores, permitiéndoles mantenerse mejor a sí mismos y a sus familias económicamente, construir sus carreras, mantener una fuerza de trabajo saludable y acceder a la educación superior,” dijo.

En enero de 2018, el Consejo de Administración de la CMC votó unánimemente a favor de una resolución para apoyar la reforma de la inmigración y en apoyo de los estudiantes de la CMC que se han beneficiado del programa DACA.

La junta declaró entonces en su resolución, “El Consejo Directivo de la CMC está junto a los líderes de la nación para expresar su más firme apoyo a una reforma migratoria significativa y permanente, incluyendo el estatus legal y las oportunidades de ciudadanía para nuestros niños soñadores que no conocen otro hogar fuera de Estados Unidos de América, y autoriza a la dirección de la universidad a unirse a los esfuerzos locales, regionales, estatales y nacionales que instan a dicha solución.”

"Es un día maravilloso", exclamó la Presidente Hauser después de escuchar la decisión del tribunal. "Sin embargo, el trabajo para salvaguardar las esperanzas y sueños de todos los americanos no ha terminado. La decisión de hoy cierra un capítulo de este proceso que ha durado décadas, pero se necesitan medidas adicionales para dar garantías a nuestras familias inmigrantes. Es hora de que el Congreso actúe — de una vez por todas — en la aprobación de una legislación permanente para apoyar a estos americanos y asegurar su futura prosperidad en nuestra gran nación”.

A student, an advisor – now a BSBA graduate

June 16, 2020 By cmctestgenesis

A student, an advisor – now a BSBA graduate

Residential advisors at Colorado Mountain College are mentors to students, providing peer-to-peer guidance while living on campus.

After working through numerous career changes, Dakota Roark is graduating from CMC Spring Valley with a bachelor's degree in business administration.

Dakota Roark perfected the role of the RA in his six years at the residence halls at CMC Spring Valley. He graduated May 15 with a Bachelor of Science in business administration, though that was not always his major. First drawn to study education, and then possibly to develop a career in the field, he worked with CMC staff to develop his degree path.

“Lisa Runck [CMC Spring Valley associate dean for student affairs] helped talk me through the 18-plus career changes that I worked through while here,” he said.

He is also grateful for Alisha Maes, CMC Spring Valley director of student life and housing, who he said “was my boss, mentor and friend throughout my entire time as an RA at CMC.”

Roark said he especially appreciated the connections he made with faculty while he studied at CMC Spring Valley. Even if he only had one class with one professor one semester, those connections remained.

“CMC has changed who I am for the better, and I am excited to tackle the future with the skills that I have learned here,” Roark said.

Let us be a beacon of hope • Seamos una luz de esperanza

June 1, 2020 By cmctestgenesis

Let us be a beacon of hope

Seamos una luz de esperanza

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English

June 1, 2020

Statement from CMC President & CEO, Dr. Carrie Besnette Hauser

It is hard to believe how the past three months have unfolded – both close to home and in parts of our country that seem very far away from our beloved mountain towns.

We find ourselves in a nation that stands divided. Over the weekend, we witnessed protests, riots, and civil unrest from coast to coast. And, here in Colorado.

Our history as a country is marked by inequity, socioeconomic disparity, and intolerance for people who may seem different – whether because of their religion, skin color, immigration status, sexual orientation, language, political disposition, or otherwise.

And, even with periodic waves of progress toward a more just, equal, and loving society, profoundly tragic events like the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer rip open our collective wounds that never fully have a chance to heal.

Add to this a global pandemic that has crippled our economy, separated us from loved ones, and disrupted our daily lives in ways we never could have envisioned. Our collective anxiety is high, revealing a very real layer of fear, uncertainty, and tension just below the surface.

The combination has left many of us confused, disoriented, angry, and heartbroken.

But it is in times like these that our resolve to fight for the values we hold dear to us at CMC should become stronger than ever.

Inclusion. Equity. Civility. Tolerance. Acceptance. Dignity.

And, simply, caring for others.

Each of us individually is a beacon of hope, love, and change.

As a college, let us join together in turning this tide. To make every effort to respect others and their perspectives. To shed prejudices we might hold – consciously or unconsciously. To care about neighbors, families, and children who are not our own.

Let’s double down – once again – to ensure our college and communities are places where everyone is safe, belongs, and knows they have value. Rather than assumptions, let’s seek understanding, disagree agreeably, call out injustice and hate bravely and constructively, and allow our actions to be guided by hope and resolve. Resolve to live by the “platinum rule” where we treat others as they wish to be treated.

More than ever, let us be reminded of CMC’s vision and aspiration to be “…the most inclusive, innovative, student-centered college in the nation…” and by doing so, “elevate the economic, social, cultural and environmental vitality of our beautiful Rocky Mountain communities.”

Together, let us strive for the day when there is no longer a need for this call to action.

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1 de junio de 2020

Comunicado de la presidenta y CEO de CMC, la Dra. Carrie Besnette Hauser

Es difícil creer cómo se han desarrollado los últimos tres meses – tanto cerca de casa como en partes de nuestro país que parecen muy alejadas de nuestros amados pueblos de montaña.

Nos encontramos en una nación que está dividida. Durante el fin de semana, presenciamos protestas, disturbios y agitación civil de costa a costa. Y aquí en Colorado.

Nuestra historia como país está marcada por la inequidad, la disparidad socioeconómica y la intolerancia por las personas que parecen diferentes – ya sea por su religión, color de piel, estado de inmigración, orientación sexual, idioma, disposición política o por otras razones.

Incluso con oleadas periódicas de progreso hacia una sociedad más justa, equitativa y amorosa, eventos profundamente trágicos como la muerte de George Floyd a manos de un oficial de policía de Minneapolis rasgan las heridas colectivas que nunca hemos tenido la oportunidad de sanar completamente.

Sumada a esto, una pandemia global que ha paralizado nuestra economía, nos ha separado de nuestros seres queridos y ha perturbado nuestra vida cotidiana en maneras que nunca habríamos imaginado. Nuestra ansiedad colectiva está elevada, revelando una muy real capa de miedo, incertidumbre y tensión justo bajo la superficie.

La combinación nos ha dejado a muchos confundidos, desorientados, molestos y con el corazón roto.

Pero es en tiempos como estos que nuestra voluntad de luchar por los valores que atesoramos en CMC deben hacerse más fuertes que nunca.

Inclusión. Equidad. Civilidad. Tolerancia. Aceptación. Dignidad.

Y, simplemente, interesarnos por el prójimo.

Cada uno de nosotros, individualmente, es una luz de esperanza, amor y cambio.

Como universidad, unámonos para cambiar el curso de estos hechos. Para hacer todo lo posible respecto a los demás y a sus perspectivas. Para desprendernos de los prejuicios que podamos tener – consciente o inconscientemente. Para interesarnos por vecinos, familias y niños que no sean nuestros.

Fortalezcámonos – nuevamente – para asegurar que nuestra universidad y nuestras comunidades sean lugares donde todos estén a salvo, donde pertenezcan y sepan que valen. En lugar de hacer suposiciones, busquemos el entendimiento, aceptemos nuestros desacuerdos, denunciemos la injusticia y el odio de manera valiente y constructiva, y permitamos que nuestras acciones sean guiadas por la esperanza y la voluntad. La voluntad de vivir de acuerdo con la “regla de platino”, donde tratemos a los demás como ellos quieren ser tratados.

Más que nunca, permitámonos recordar que la visión y la aspiración de CMC es ser “…la universidad más inclusiva, innovadora y enfocada en el estudiante del país…” y, al hacerlo, “elevar la vitalidad económica, social, cultural y ambiental de nuestras hermosas comunidades de Rocky Mountain”.

Juntos, luchemos por el día en que ya no exista la necesidad de esta llamada a la acción.

CMC Dean of Nursing Earns Prestigious National Fellowship

May 7, 2020 By cmctestgenesis

CMC dean of nursing, health sciences, public safety earns prestigious national fellowship

The Association for Career and Technical Education has selected CMC Dean Susan Moreland, Ph.D. to participate in its 2020 Postsecondary Leadership Success Program.

The Association for Career and Technical Education has selected Colorado Mountain College administrator Susan Moreland, Ph.D., as a 2020 Postsecondary Leadership Success Program fellow.

The review committee selected just 20 participants from across the nation for this year’s cohort. The yearlong program provides professional and career growth opportunities to the next generation of leaders at nonprofits and postsecondary institutions where career and technical education programs are offered.

“As Susan undergoes this professional development training in the field of career and technical education, among a cohort of national leaders, students can rest in the knowledge they are receiving an excellent education,” said Kathryn Regjo, Ph.D., vice president for academic affairs at Colorado Mountain College. “This is especially important when our communities are in need of more well-trained nurses, law enforcement officers, and emergency medical services and fire science personnel.”

Moreland is a former senior military officer and current dean of the School of Nursing, Health Sciences and Public Safety at CMC. Over her career, she has directed the functions of curriculum development, distance education, and academic and student support, among other things. She currently oversees career and technical education programs across all CMC campuses.

The ACTE program will require participants to create personal development plans, attend virtual and in-person professional development sessions, share best practices and engage with mentors. Fellows will also participate in a research study to help determine which efforts best contribute to leadership development among postsecondary CTE professionals and how to create resources that can be widely distributed to support others in the field.

As an ACTE fellow, Moreland is especially eager to learn about ongoing national and statewide reforms and to apply her knowledge to help students access the most beneficial CTE programs, as a way to help secure their success and meet the needs of their communities. According to the U.S. Department of Education, over half of school districts nationwide are located in rural areas, but a recent CTE study reveals that only 16% of associate degree programs are located in these regions.

“Providing access to quality career and technical education programs is really important, especially in rural areas,” said Moreland. “I’m thrilled that CMC is supporting my participation.”

Riding the rails

March 13, 2020 By cmctestgenesis

Colorado Mountain College Breckenridge student and Leadville resident Sean Fay pedals one of his RailRiders bikes. The bikes are used in France and Portugal, and some parts of the U.S. RailRiders produces some of the only wheels that conform to railroad track specifications.

By Carrie Click

We’ve all seen those 19^th century sepia-toned photos of railroad workers pumping a seesaw contraption down a section of railroad tracks. Called handcars, these little hand-powered vehicles propelled railroad workers where they needed to go to check tracks and repair rails.

Sean Fay of Leadville is a railroad fanatic and go-cart enthusiast. Trains and those hand-powered carts had a lifelong effect on him.

“From the time I was 4 years old, I can remember playing with my grandpa’s model trains,” said Fay.

Fourteen years ago, Fay’s fascination with trains and tracks led him to Ron Forster, a New Hampshire cyclist who, in 1980, devised a bicycle attached to an outrigger contraption that could be ridden on railroad tracks. Numerous improvements later, the bike became a four-wheeled rail vehicle propelled, not by hand cranking, but by foot pedaling. Forster sold a bunch of the carts and created the Rail Riders Association to promote the hobby.

“They’re like aluminum roller coasters that weigh about 120 pounds,” Fay said.

A group of rail rider enthusiasts pedals down a section of railroad track in Oregon. Colorado Mountain College Breckenridge business student, Leadville resident and RailRiders owner Sean Fay is working to expand rail riding in the U.S.

Fay stayed in touch with Forster, and when he began hearing that the latter might want to sell his unique RailRiders company, Fay took notice. This was right about the time he was taking business classes from Dr. Robert Cartelli at Colorado Mountain College. It couldn’t have happened at a better time.

“Everything I learned in that entrepreneurship class with Robert Cartelli was a godsend,” Fay said. “It was so weird. It applied to everything I needed to know about buying and operating that business. I applied it all right away.”

Coolest bikes

For the past several years in Breckenridge, Fay has been attending Colorado Mountain College Breckenridge while also working full time at Beaver Run Resort and Conference Center. He’s worked first as a security guard and now, he’s an assistant maintenance manager.

He likes resort business. That’s why he’s working toward an associate degree in resort management as well as a Bachelor of Science in business administration at CMC.

“That’s my fallback,” he said, grinning.

Fay bought the company from Forster a few years ago, inheriting a clientele of avid yet highly selective people interested in riding abandoned train tracks with the human-powered vehicles. Fay concentrates on creating specialized railroad wheels for the bikes. He also will build full four-wheeled bikes for customers.

“I call them the coolest bikes you’ve never heard of,” said Fay.

In Europe, RailRiders bikes can be seen in France and Portugal, where unused tracks aren’t ripped up to make way for walking and bicycling paths, which is often the norm in the U.S. Instead, dedicated railroad tracks are set aside specifically for people who want to pedal down tracks using these specialized vehicles.

Future in Colorado?

Fay said in the United States, riding the rails using his bikes is not as common as in other parts of the world. Track sections dedicated to rail riders are now established in New Hampshire, Maine, Washington, Nevada, South Dakota, upstate New York, Oregon and West Virginia.

Fay said he is talking with railroad track owners in South Fork, Creede and Glenwood Springs, among other locations, in hopes of several track sections being dedicated to this new mode of “train” travel. “We’ll likely see them in Colorado,” he said.

Even Hollywood is in on the trend. The TV series “Teen Wolf” used one of RailRiders’ platforms for filming several of its episodes.

Safety is paramount in the use of rail rider bikes on railroad tracks. Fay stresses the importance of asking for permission to ride on any railroad line, since tracks are private property no matter how unused they look. And publicly owned tracks, whether in use or abandoned, are off limits.