Colorado Mountain College recently promoted Amy Dennis to the position of assistant dean of Student Affairs at CMC Salida.
Dennis originally began her career at the college in 2016, as the site coordinator for Chaffee County. With her knowledge of the region and her background in education, she has been instrumental in the formation of the college’s newest location.
“Being a part of the establishment of the Salida campus in 2019 was an amazing experience,” she said. “I am extremely excited to work with the new team to guide and help students through the many challenges of being a college student, from high school students concurrently enrolled to the senior citizen taking a lifelong learning class.”
In her new role, Dennis supports students in accessing and successfully completing their academic goals. The assistant dean provides a unified approach to campus operations and student success and has direct oversight of disabilities services, financial aid, academic advising and counseling services.
Years in education
In Ohio, Dennis earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from Youngstown State University, and a master’s in anthropology from Kent State.
“I realized I really liked working with teenagers and young adults while serving a year in AmeriCorps after college, where I worked as a mentor and academic support specialist in a middle school,” she said. She also spent two years at a private boarding high school as admissions and residence staff.
Dennis worked in student affairs in higher education for 13 years in a variety of roles in Ohio, West Virginia and Colorado. She also taught anthropology and sociology at West Virginia University at Parkersburg.
“We are so excited to promote Amy to her new job at CMC Salida,” said Rachel Pokrandt, CMC vice president and campus dean of Leadville and Salida. “She’s an essential member of our campus team.”