By Dr. lisa jones
CNCC President
A few short months ago, I crafted my first CNCC Corner message as the College’s incoming President. Since then, we have welcomed the incoming class of 2023, shared experiences with longtime friends, and made some new friends. We have implemented plans to improve academic and campus life of our students while obtaining resources to expand signature programs and improve our infrastructure. As ONE COLLEGE team, we identified ways to improve the employee experience and further elevate our standing as a future focused, higher educational institution of excellence. Finally, we closed out our 59th year as a college and welcomed the start of CNCC’s 60th year. A few of our fall semester highlights include:
• In collaboration with the Town of Rangely’s Septemberfest, CNCC hosted yet another successful Rockin’ Bulls event.
• CNCC hosted its first regional athletic tournament on Nov. 5-6, bringing in hundreds of visitors to Rangely. The NJCAA Region 18 volleyball tournament was well attended and received.
• Along with several other grants received, the college was thrilled to receive a full award for its Teaching Excellence Grant application designed to promote classroom equity and inclusion and a state workforce grant to buy new equipment for its nursing simulation lab.
• As a part of a coal-impacted community, CNCC worked to expand through strategic investment, academic programs that yield high paying jobs for graduates. These include expanding enrollment opportunities for CNCC’s nursing program; adding certificates, and class offerings for the cybersecurity program, and; hiring new staff for the aviation flight (pilot) and aviation maintenance technology programs. Finally, CNCC is partnering with Tri-State Power plant to provide its employees with skills mapping and opportunities for accelerated paths to degrees and credentialing.
We will soon congratulate the graduating class of the December 2021 National Park Ranger program. As one of only six accredited Park Ranger programs in the nation, our graduates are not only proud of their credential, but in the college from which they graduated.
As we look forward to winter break, we can say with sincerity that we have much to be grateful for. More importantly, we have much to look forward to in the new year.
With the support of elected and volunteer leaders in Moffat County CNCC will be outlining the expansion of its agricultural business program and movement of its rodeo team to the Craig campus. This will be done in conjunction with CNCC’s sponsorship of the Ranching For Profit event presented by Dallas Mount on Jan. 28, 2022. This event titled “Economic Leverage of Grazing Management and Consideration for Responding to Drought,” will offer educational and networking opportunity for ranchers.
This January, we look forward to welcoming back our faculty, staff and students, unveiling our 60th anniversary events, and embracing the many opportunities that the new year will bring. On behalf of CNCC and the Spartan family, we wish each of you, health, peace, a season of joy and a new year filled with promise!
Special to the Herald Times
