The College

Colorado Mountain College (CMC) is a public “open access” institution with 11 campuses and learning centers sprinkled across a nine-county service area – a geographic region spanning 12,000 square miles.  The college enrolls nearly 20,000 students and has 1,500 employees, making it one of the largest employers in the central mountains. It specializes in programs needed in rural resort economies, such as police and firefighter training, emergency medicine (EMT), culinary/hospitality, teacher education, outdoor studies, ski area operations, nursing and others.  CMC is home to the Isaacson School for Media, Arts, and Communications and enjoys a close relationship with the Aspen Institute.

The majority of CMC’s students are local and from other parts of Colorado; 15% come from out-of-state. CMC offers two and four-year degrees as well as a range of specialized certificate programs, on-line learning, cooperative statewide GT Pathways General Education curriculum, non-credit courses, extensive dual enrollment programs through close partnerships with dozens of school districts, General Educational Equivalent (GED) and English as a Second Language (ESL) programs. CMC makes life-long learning opportunities available to all.

CMC prepares Colorado’s workforce through apprenticeships, internships, experiential, and outdoor learning in beautiful mountain settings. The college is uniquely positioned to be entrepreneurial, nimble, responsive to community and workforce needs, and to fulfill its vision to be “…the most inclusive and innovative student-centered college in the nation, elevating the economic, social, cultural, and environmental vitality of our beautiful Rocky Mountain communities.”

As a local district college by statute, the college’s funding primarily comes from property taxes. With an annual operating budget of nearly $70 million, the college is governed by an independent 7-member elected Board of Trustees and is not part of the Colorado Community College System or the state’s comprehensive regional college/university system.

Colorado Mountain College is located in Steamboat Springs, Rifle, Carbondale, Glenwood Springs (downtown), Glenwood Springs (Spring Valley), Aspen, the Vail Valley, Dillon, Breckenridge, Leadville and Buena Vista. Of these locations, our three campuses in Spring Valley, Leadville and Steamboat Springs are residential. The college’s central administrative offices, which serve all other locations, are located in downtown Glenwood Springs.

Founded in 1965 with a mission to provide a dynamic student-centered learning experience, Colorado Mountain College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. CMC students have gone on to become world renowned chefs, Pulitzer Prize winners, influential entrepreneurs, and award winning experts in their fields. For general information about CMC, its programs, locations, students, faculty, and offerings, go to: www.coloradomtn.edu.

Glenwood Springs, Colorado

Glenwood Springs sits at the confluence of the Colorado and Roaring Fork rivers. Originally inhabited by nomadic Ute Indian tribes, Glenwood Springs became fueled by tourism, coal mining, farming and ranching, commerce and outdoor recreation. Today, Glenwood Springs is the county seat and most populous city of Garfield County, Colorado. Glenwood Springs is home to the Colorado Mountain College Central Services Administrative team.

Minutes from Glenwood Springs, the Spring Valley campus, one of three residential campuses in the CMC system, is a spectacular setting for living and learning. It is a comprehensive campus with residence halls and food service, a gym, student center, library and other amenities. A downtown center in Glenwood Springs is located near the heart of the business district and delivers career, noncredit, and transfer courses at convenient times to the area residents.

The Position

Reporting to the President & CEO and working closely with the Chief Operating Officer & Chief of Staff, the Vice President of Academic Affairs provides executive-level strategic and innovative leadership, exploring and developing new models of inclusive educational programming and sustainable business practices.

As chief academic officer, the VPAA leads college-wide programs, policies and initiatives to recruit, retain, and support outstanding faculty, and efforts to promote diversity, equity and inclusion, and innovative approaches to student learning and success.

The VPAA leads college-wide Academic Affairs, including a team of discipline-based school deans, along with a dean of academic support and other staff, collaborating closely with campus and college leaders to further the vision of the college. The VPAA monitors and ensures good standing with accreditation through the Higher Learning Commission, manages the college’s Master Academic Plan and operational needs of Academic Affairs in accordance with policies of the Board of Trustees and with federal, state and local laws and regulations.

The VPAA will travel frequently throughout the 12,000 square mile CMC service area and beyond, working closely with College team members as well as additional travel customary for an executive level leadership role.  

Qualifications 

Candidates will possess a minimum of a Master’s degree and seven years of relevant experience, or equivalent education and experience in support of the responsibilities of the position. Terminal degrees are preferred. Teaching experience is strongly preferred.

Ideal candidates will be capable of innovative, creative, and strategic thinking; have knowledge of current principles, practices and trends in higher education; knowledge of applicable state and federal laws, regulations and codes; awareness of trends and developments in technology that support areas of responsibility; expertise with preparation and management of budgets. Ideal candidates will have the aptitude to facilitate cooperation through discussion and consensus building; ability to analyze problems, identify alternate solutions, project consequences of proposed actions, synthesize information and implement recommendations; skilled in responding to public, senior level administrative and Board of Trustees issues and concerns with College-wide impact; and the capability to provide leadership to implement institutional and divisional goals. Essential to the success of this position will be the ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing; establish cooperative working relationships in the course of performing assigned duties; and exercise humor, teamwork and fidelity in all aspects of work.

The anticipated hiring salary range is $133,077 – $147,864. A comprehensive benefits program complements the base salary for a competitive total compensation package.

Apply online at www.coloradomtn.edu/employment. Initial review of application material will begin on January 7, 2019. Applications are welcome until the position is filled.

To be considered, applicants must submit a letter of interest, a resume, a list of three professional references and salary and compensation history. Applicants are also asked to submit a separate document in response to the following question (maximum two pages): “Briefly describe higher education 10 – 20 years from now as you envision it. How does CMC innovate and remain relevant in the higher education landscape and what is the role of Academic Affairs in the future state you have described?” 

Colorado Mountain College is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to diversifying its workforce.

Please contact us with questions at jobs@coloradomtn.edu.

To learn more about Colorado Mountain College go to: www.coloradomtn.edu