College celebrates inaugural recipients of sustainability, business degrees
By Stefanie Kilts
[STEAMBOAT SPRINGS] – Although some students of sustainability studies may be among the first class to graduate with bachelor’s degrees from Colorado Mountain College, they are already making a lasting impression on their community.
“I’m connected to the land,” said Georgie Weber, who is graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in sustainability studies from Colorado Mountain College in Steamboat Springs May 4. “I’ve grown attached to protecting it and, now that I have kids, I want to leave it so they have a more sustainable future.”
Weber moved to Steamboat in 2003 and graduated from Colorado Mountain College with an associate degree in outdoor education. She got married and had two children, and at the back of her mind was a desire to continue her education while protecting the mountain town she loves.
Weber is now working as an events and volunteer coordinator at the Yampa Valley Sustainability Council. She is also the president of CMC’s Students for Sustainability Club and is completing a documentary on local foods for her senior project.
“The community-building is very inspiring,” she said. “My class is working to keep these projects growing so they can continue after we graduate.”
Inaugural bachelor’s grads honored at campuses May 3, 4
This spring, 58 students have petitioned to be the first to receive bachelor’s degrees at the multi-site community college. More than one-third of those have been studying at the college’s campus in Steamboat Springs.
“We are very pleased with the strong response to these new degrees,” said Dr. Charles R. Dassance, interim president of the college. “Enrollments are in line with what we’d anticipated, and we love hearing stories of how our students are able to put their education to immediate use.”
Only three years ago, Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter signed the bill to allow Colorado Mountain College to offer a limited number of bachelor’s degrees. The bill was a result of extensive research the college conducted, showing unmet demand from employers and students in north-central Colorado.
“There was no physical location where our local residents could earn a bachelor’s degree within our service area, which is the size of the state of Maryland,” said Dr. Brad Tyndall, senior vice president of academic affairs at the college. “With overwhelming support from our communities and students, and a lot of hard work to prepare the curriculum and find excellent instructors, we were able to convince our legislators and accrediting body that we could meet this need.”
A few short months later, in the fall of 2011, CMC started offering bachelor’s degrees in business administration and sustainability studies. And now two years later, the first enrollees who brought with them previous college credits or an associate degree will be among a historic class of graduates. All students earning bachelor’s degrees this spring will be given a place of honor in the college’s inaugural Alumni Hall of Fame.
Sustainability encourages collaboration, out-of-the-box activism
“The sustainability program is more than a collection of classes,” said Tina Evans, one of CMC’s sustainability faculty. “It’s an opportunity to develop ideas to a new depth and increase connections to the community.”
Evans said a core mission of the program has been to work on building partnerships with local nonprofits. “The students are building a better understanding of what it takes to work in sustainability,” she said. “They are making real connections and skills as they go out into the job market.”
For Gary Keeling, a graduating student who has worked in public agencies, state parks, county parks and the Forest Service for the past 10 years, a bachelor’s degree provides a way to reach his goals. “I wanted to further my career, but not having a degree was holding me back,” he said.
The focus for his sustainability degree was collaboration and interaction, pushing him to think outside the box, he said. After researching the history of logging and sawmills in Steamboat Springs for his senior capstone project, he wanted to further the discussion on timber affected by the pine beetle. As a result, Keeling recently organized the college’s first forest expo, bringing in local and regional forestry experts to brainstorm solutions for using beetle-killed pine and other affected wood.
“I feel like I’ve grown as a person through this program,” he said. “I’ve learned how to express myself and collaborate.”
And as the first bachelor’s degree students finish their final weeks of college, a whole new class of sustainability students is collaborating on new projects and ideas. Evans said that incoming bachelor’s students have partnered with the Yampa Valley Sustainability Council to educate local middle and high school students on energy conservation.
“It’s a very integrated and progressive program,” Evans said. “We’re encouraging a whole new level of activism.”
Spring commencement ceremonies for Colorado Mountain College students in Steamboat Springs will take place Saturday, May 4, at 11 a.m. at the Steamboat Grand Resort Hotel, Priest Creek Ballroom, at 2300 Mount Werner Circle.