Happy 2023! We at Colorado Northwestern are pleased to welcome back students and employees as we embark on this exciting new year. A few months ago, I shared that the college contracted with a consulting firm to identify how we might best invest taxpayer and student dollars in the future of the college. Expansion or addition of specific academic programs were identified, and our team has been diligently working to prioritize programs based on needs and funding.
Additionally, it was recommended that we resurrect and expand upon the Colorado Northwestern experience, a component of our brand. The focus of our new Strategic Plan will be to achieve our vision statement “Colorado Northwestern Community College will be the college of choice for students seeking a unique education grounded in the Colorado experience.” What students learn outside of the classroom is as important in defining their success as what takes place inside it.
In the fall, three teams were assembled with focus on a couple of academic programs, campus life, and the outdoor experience. The latter team is chaired by CNCC’s Vice President of Instruction and is anchored by members of CNCC’s Advisory Council, College faculty, staff, administration, and community leadership.
The goal of this team is to craft recommendations for a comprehensive outdoor recreation experience on both our Rangely and Craig campuses. These experiences would be in line with town and city goals, and complimentary to current community activities.
CNCC’s outdoor recreation goals are: To provide a variety of quality recreational and educational outdoor experiences for CNCC students, focusing on strengthening leadership skills, enriching relationships, and experiencing new adventures.
Along with student and family field excursions, youth programs, and student skill development opportunities, the college intends to cultivate the development of student clubs for both recreation and competition.
Given the differing opportunities and interests of each community, a program unique to each location will be crafted taking advantage of the five biomes that uniquely exists in our region. These will include activities such as hunting, fishing, caving, climbing, rafting, riding and opportunities in our paleontology program.
If you have ideas that you wish to share or want to lend a hand to our efforts, please contact me. Thank you and happy new year!
By DR. LISA JONES | CNCC President
