CMC Sets Course For Fall Semester

‘Flex’ Classes; Reduced Housing

Earlier this week, Colorado Mountain College (CMC) released its plan about out how the college will operate during Fall Semester 2020.

“Maintaining the health and safety of our students, employees and local communities is central to our planning for this fall semester,” said CMC President and CEO Dr. Carrie Besnette Hauser.  “Our flexible plan also permits us to continue complying with evolving state and local public health orders.

The three ways courses will be offered are: Flex, In-Person and Online Anytime:

• Flex: These courses will have a designated class schedule. The designated schedule will have virtual meetings conducted using videoconferencing technology like Webex or Zoom. Students must have access to technology to attend the course and attend the Webex or Zoom sessions. Some of these courses may have optional face-to-face components such as small group discussions, group projects or similar.

• In-Person: These courses – or portions of these courses – cannot be delivered remotely, and will be offered face-to-face at a designated time and location, adhering to enhanced social distancing and safety guidelines. These courses may have parts of the course online, or using videoconferencing technology like Webex or Zoom, but will require a student to be physically present for all or portions of the course.

• Online Anytime: These courses will not require in-person attendance and will not have a designated schedule or videoconferencing time. Students must complete the course and homework in the time frame outlined in the syllabus.

“Our goal is to provide a blended and high-quality set of options that leverage CMC’s long-standing signature and experiential programs, small class sizes, innovative approaches and personalized learning, along with its nearly two decades of expertise in distance education,” Hauser said. For all categories of courses, additional and intentional efforts to support students will come in the form of on-campus technology access, tutoring, advising and regular communications. Registration for the fall semester is underway; fall semester starts Aug. 24.

The CMC Residence Hall on the Leadville campus will see reduced capacity for the Fall semester.

Limited Residence Halls Available

Also this fall, CMC intends to open, with reduced capacity, its residence halls at its Steamboat Springs, Spring Valley and Leadville campuses. The halls will contain more single rooms and a limited number of double rooms. For the 2020-21 academic year, the college will also waive the requirement that new students live on campus.

In Breckenridge, CMC’s college-owned apartments will continue to operate as self-contained units available to eligible students.

Taking Care of Community

“As always, our focus is on providing the high-quality, personalized, affordable education our communities have come to expect – while also doing everything we can to maintain a safe learning environment,” said Hauser.

As the college has been doing since the onset of COVID-19 in the state, college leaders will continue to monitor conditions in Colorado and in CMC communities. The vice president and dean of each campus remains in close collaboration and coordination with local public health officials and other community health partners. College leadership is also in regular contact with departments at the state level, so that administrators can make the best decisions regarding measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

CMC President Dr. Carrie Besnette Hauser

“If conditions change locally or at the state level, we will be ready to act,” said Hauser. “We believe this format for offering classes, as well as our reduced population in the residence halls, will allow us to adapt quickly as needed.”

The college continues to closely follow guidance from the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the state health department on maintaining cleanliness. “While no environment can be free from contamination, we have heightened sanitation in all facilities,” said Hauser.

As the start of the fall semester approaches, the college will share information about specific local and campus requirements for social distancing, face coverings or masks, and other considerations. In the meantime, current and prospective students are asked to familiarize themselves with the latest information from the CDC. For more information on fall classes and registration, or on housing, check their website.

Colorado Mountain College in Leadville will operate differently in the 2020 Fall Semester

College Offers Business Support Resources

In response to the unprecedented challenges facing mountain economies and small business owners, Colorado Mountain College has created a Back to Business program. The program consists of individual business counseling and a variety of webinars addressing common challenges that businesses are facing during the pandemic and along the road to recovery.

• Webinars have been created on marketing, finance, accounting, communications, COVID-19 safety protocols for reopening, food safety and human resources. Several of these seminars are also offered in Spanish.
• Many of the seminars offered over the past several weeks have been recorded and are conveniently available on CMC’s website.
• Individual and confidential business counseling is also available from CMC faculty and experienced volunteer business professionals.The webinars and business counseling are free to individuals and business owners in the Colorado Mountain College district. For information on upcoming webinars or to find a business counselor please visit their website.

Workforce Offers Help for Planning in a Crisis

Many small business owners are looking for help in navigating the current economic waters. There is a growing catalog of helpful FREE online resources available. Here’s information on an upcoming webinar on Tuesday, June 23 by the Colorado Workforce Center. It’s a couple of hours from 9 – 11 a.m. and will address the level of uncertainty in the workplace. Join the group for an interactive workshop to go over the current state of small businesses, the effects that the pandemic has made on them, and what business decisions you can make in efforts to retain employees while being as cost-effective as possible.

The discussion will business owners learn how to think through a staffing and labor force plan that aligns with their business needs and services. Topics covered will include:

• Retaining employees
• Workforce planning in the face of changing business conditions
• Why using a skills-based approach to hiring and performance evaluation is critical

Register for free HERE.