The first week of December in 2013 was snowy and cold in Colorado’s Roaring Fork Valley. I remember it well, having just moved to Glenwood Springs to join Colorado Mountain College as its ninth president. While the decade seems to have vanished in a blink, it is one full of progress and hope for a very special institution.

Back then, CMC had seemingly limitless potential and one of the most unique missions in all of higher education. It was also exhibiting the effects of an extended period of instability. Many positions across the college’s 11 campuses were vacant, stalling momentum and straining resources. The board of trustees had weathered a tumultuous year, compromising its unity and effectiveness. The combined reputational hits prompted volunteers and donors to shift their support to other organizations.

Starting this new job, the challenges were many, as were the opportunities — the first of which was to assemble a talented team to propel CMC forward. That group of professionals represents my greatest point of personal pride; every other accomplishment celebrated below reflects its contributions to improving morale, addressing community needs, planning for a future packed with unknowns (including a global pandemic) and putting the interests of students above all other decisions.

Looking back to 2013, a few notable shared successes stand out — a sampling that tells the story of an institution transformed by dedicated and visionary people.  

Early on, this team took a hard look at CMC’s programs, and how those offerings served students and supported our mountain communities. We invested and expanded options in high-demand fields including healthcare, environmental science and sustainability, teacher education and business to name a few. Adding bachelor’s degrees in these areas meant students no longer had to leave our region to pursue these credentials or forgo them altogether. 

As a result, CMC now offers a range of undergraduate programs including associate and bachelor’s degrees, along with specialized certificates in a blend of skills-focused training and the liberal arts, making it the only Dual Mission institution in state law.

Ten years ago, CMC’s enrollment trends were largely indistinguishable from other similar colleges nationally, which meant fragile and undependable. We re-focused our efforts, doubling down on concurrent enrollment opportunities for high school students, dramatically expanding financial aid for students in CMC’s region including displaced workers and adults, and adapting academic programs to better meet the needs of employers.

Today, CMC’s student body is stable and growing, bucking national trends. Our students also better reflect our communities with nearly 30% Latino enrollment, garnering CMC a Hispanic Serving Institution designation by the U.S. Department of Education. We’ve also watched the persistence and graduation of Latino students rise to match or beat completion rates at CMC overall, which have doubled in the past 10 years.

Meanwhile, we identified and responded to other challenges our students face beyond academics. To address acute housing scarcity, we’ve invested heavily in new affordable apartment units so that more students can live and learn on campus. Most CMC students also work at least part time, so the added housing relieves pressure on our communities by giving them a home base while they pursue degrees and training relevant to the local economy.

Thanks to CMC’s careful fiscal stewardship, it now boasts one of Colorado’s highest public sector credit ratings. This financial strength has enabled the college to direct nearly $100 million of its own resources, including philanthropic donations, to new facilities or upgrades at every campus in the past 10 years.

Not shy to take on public policy when it impedes the college’s ability to serve its communities, CMC has been “on the ballot” several times since 2013 and local voters approved new communities (Salida and Poncha Springs) to join the college’s taxing district. The current CMC Board of Trustees was recognized nationally with the 2023 Nason Award from the Association of Governing Boards demonstrating what can happen when a group of elected officials dreams big and collaborates with internal management.

Without a doubt, it is the people who have made the past decade so impactful and fulfilling to me. As winter returns to the central Rockies, the future for Colorado Mountain College is sunny and bright thanks to a team I’m proud to call colleagues and partners.

Carrie Besnette Hauser has served as President and CEO of Colorado Mountain College since Dec. 1, 2013, making her CMC’s longest-serving president in the college’s history. She can be reached at president@coloradomtn.edu or @CarrieBHauser.