MEEKER | Colorado Northwestern Community College is preparing to make changes in Meeker.
“To offer more diverse affordable learning opportunities we determined it was necessary to make several fundamental changes to our operations in Meeker,” said Director of Community Education Sasha Nelson.
Nelson, who began her work with the college in April, oversees non-credit offerings across the college’s entire service area. She was tasked by President Ron Granger with redesigning community education to provide more efficient and effective services.
“We want to do more for our communities and that means strategically making changes that better leverage the College’s resources in Meeker,” Granger said.
One of the first changes in Meeker will see Community Education Coordinator Iris Franklin, who has worked to develop and grow opportunities for concurrent and dual credit classes available to Meeker high school students, reassigned to Concurrent Education.
“Iris is a pillar of the community. Most of her work has been for a different department and it makes sense to align her under the Director of Concurrent Education to provide the best possible service for CNCC’s Meeker students,” said Vice President of Instruction Keith Peterson.
For the short-term Shawn Sweeney, who is the coordinator of Community Education in Rangely, will work with Nelson to continue to offer programs at the Meeker Center through December.
Another change will result in the relocation of the Meeker Center from one room space rented at 345 Sixth St.
“We would like to find a space that would allow us to do more for the community,” Nelson said. “Before making the decision to move the center we worked with our current landlord to review options to stay in the building. However cost and ADA accessibility have proven to be barriers we simply could not overcome.”
College officials are exploring a partnership with the Town of Meeker that could see operations move to the top floor of town hall.
“The top floor has been vacant for about a year after the relocation of county services to the Fairfield Center,” said town manager Lisa Cook. “When council discussed possible options for the space, the college rose to the top of the list. Our missions to serve the community as well as our structure as tax-payer funded entities are similar.”
The college is expected to propose a Memorandum of Understanding to town council in November.
“The space at town hall could be renovated to allow for multiple ADA accessible classrooms, testing center, offices and eventually clinical space needed to expand the type and number of classes we provide in Meeker,” Nelson said.
CNCC is optimistic about the future and reaffirmed their commitment to serving the Meeker community
“We hope to have a new location secured prior to leaving our current space, however we also have a plan in place for using the amazing public spaces available in Meeker to continue to bring learning opportunities to the community until we settle into a new location.” ~ Sasha Nelson, CNCC
For more information about CNCC Community Education contact Sasha Nelson by calling 970-824-1118 or emailing [email protected].
Special to the Herald Times
