RANGELY | The holiday season is here which means that our fall semester has ended at CNCC. This is the time of year when we all reflect on the year and what we have accomplished. We also take a closer look at what we hope to accomplish in the future. I would like to share a few things that happened this past year and how CNCC is working hard to accomplish even more in the future.
This year did present a few challenges. With all the snow last winter some of our buildings started leaking and need repairs. Overall, we replaced three roofs and patched two others. Thanks to the ingenuity of our maintenance department, monetary help from our local board of trustees, and the patience of our employees, the roofs were fixed or replaced and our buildings are again safe and dry. Because everyone worked together, we accomplished the repairs with no interruption of the services we provide our students and our community. The second big obstacle we faced was the failure of our air conditioning units on one of the residence halls. With the help of many community members, we were able to make the rooms livable until we could get the units repaired.
There were plenty of positive things that happened this year as well. We began a partnership with Metro State University to expand our aviation technology program. This partnership will continue in the future and hopefully expand. We have also expanded our equine program by offering courses at the Craig campus. Drone technology and welding courses have started with welding being offered through our community education program. Our dental hygiene students who graduated last spring again were among the highest in the state on passing the certification examination. Our NIFA (National Intercollegiate Flying Association) Team qualified and competed at the national competition last May and again represented themselves very well. Mario Sullivan, oceanography, was recognized in November as CNCC’s Outstanding Faculty Member by the State Board of Community Colleges and Occupational Education. Mario gave a short presentation and answered questions from the moard members. Mario is just one of our many outstanding faculty members that deserve these type of awards.
What are our next adventures? CNCC is working with the State of Colorado on a grant to help get a cybersecurity program on our campuses. We received an NSF (National Science Foundation) grant for $300,000 to help us move our drone technology program forward. We are working with the town of Rangely to find more recreational opportunities for our community members. CNCC is also working with several entities on possible business models including in the aerospace industry and coal fiber industry. This December a group from the college along with leadership members in AGNC (Associated Governments of Northwest Colorado), Rio Blanco County, and Moffat County will be visiting an Innovation Center in St. George, Utah to see what possibilities might be there for our region. The list of what we are working on can go on and on but these are the major projects the college is working on right now.
Looking back over the year it’s obvious that CNCC is successful because of the communities we serve. All of us at the college are grateful for having the opportunity to work here and work in an area that is unique in many ways. So from all of us to all of you—happy holidays.
By Ron Granger | CNCC President
