By RON GRANGER | Special to the Herald Times
RANGELY | We have been in school for two weeks, and I can say with confidence that we have had a very successful start to this semester. Although we are slightly down in enrollment, we are happy to see the students back on our campuses and know that we will continue to improve our enrollment over this academic year.
If you walk around the campuses you will see some changes from everyone wearing a mask to smaller group gatherings. However, you will also see some very familiar sights such as faculty and staff interacting with the students, students working together on classes, and the excitement on the faces of everyone. We can say that even though some things have changed, the most important things are still the same. We are excited to have this semester going again.
Our students on both campuses had the opportunity to enjoy a kick off event. On the Craig campus we hosted a cornhole tournament and on the Rangely campus we had a kickball tournament. Of course, at each event we provided food to those who joined in. Both of these events were very successful, and you could see the students, employees, and some community members joining in the fun and enjoying the time to relax and feel good about the start of this semester. We will continue to have these types of events throughout the year to give our students, employees, and community members a break from the “routine” and the stresses they face during this unusual time.
One thing that has remained constant throughout this time is that CNCC has thrived because of the effort of so many different groups. Our staff has worked diligently to make our campuses safe and inviting while at the same time providing the students with more opportunities to get admitted and enrolled in classes. Our faculty have come up with some very exciting initiatives so our students have options on the type of delivery they want for the classes they take. Our local boards have provided us with financial support so that our students have a great experience. Our local communities have worked with us by providing us with expertise in public health to providing host families for some of our students who live a long way from home. And of course, our students made the choice to attend CNCC and are making this semester a great experience for everyone.
We owe a great deal of thanks and want all to know that the success of CNCC is due to each and every one of you. To our students, welcome back. To our employees, you are doing a great job. To our communities, your support is what makes us great. To our boards, thank you for the support and for believing in us. We will have a great year.
