Thursday, September 14, 2017
Speaker: Carrie Besnette Hauser, President and CEO, Colorado Mt. College
Dr. Hauser is president and CEO of Colorado Mountain College and has held leadership roles at the Kauffman Foundation, Metropolitan State University of Denver, and the Daniels Fund. Her background includes teaching assignments at UCLA, the University of Denver, and Colorado State University. Dr Hauser earned her master’s and Ph.D. degrees from UCLA and is a graduate of the Advanced Management Program at the Wharton School of Business. She has been recognized as the 9News Leader of the Year and one of the Fifty for the Future of Colorado. On Thursday, she spoke to Rotary about Colorado Mountain College and introduced CMC board of Trustee Charles Cunniffe, who explained the upcoming funding challenges facing all CMC campuses.
Celebrating 50 years, Dr. Hauser described the eleven CMC campuses as a "strange enigma" that covers 9 counties and 11 mountain passes. With the first classes starting in October of 1967, the original intent was to provide college access to mountain communities in an effort to keep residents at home. At the time 400 high school graduates were needed to start a junior college, so to make the CMC idea work, counties had to be connected. Led by the vision to be the most inclusive and innovative student centered college in the nation that elevates the economic, social, cultural, and environmental vitality of the Rocky Mountain communities, CMC has achieved tremendous succes.
With property owners serving as share holders, Dr. Hauser explained exactly how CMC continues to achieve its 50-year vision:
- Hosts the most DACA kids in the state (300)
- Third most affordable Bachelor's degree in the country ($65 per credit hour compared to $300+ at Colorado University)
- Lowest student debt in Colorado
- 87% on President's scholarship program
- Provides free college tuition through concurrent high school enrollment
- In Eagle County, over 700 kids are enrolled in college
- Every young person in its 9 county footprint will be ready for college
With 74% of jobs in Colorado that require post secondary education, the positive impact of CMC becomes clear. In Aspen, there are big visions of growth in infrastructure and programming. In an effort to better diversify, Aspen is working with other organizations to address housing issues and expand classrooms. Nearly $10 million has been earmarked for improvements, however $30-$40 million is needed to complete the expansion projects. Charles Cunniffe, the Pitkin County member of the CMC Board of Trustees, explained how the financial challenges may significantly impact campus growth goals.
Under the Colorado Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights and the 1982 Gallagher Amendment, residential property tax rate reductions are automatically triggered during times of housing market booms coupled with business downturns (the recent dip in the oil and gas industry). Under TABOR, rate decreases cannot go back up without voter approval, meaning that property tax rates will only decrease over time. Since 1982, residential rates have plummeted from 21% to 7.96%. Relying on property tax values to support CMC, college leaders are obviously concerned about long-term financial viability. The only solution at this point is an attempt to stop the reductions, and stabilize the current rate at 2017 numbers. Without any measures to stop the slide, it is predicted that the property tax rates will dip another 1% in 2018.
Visiting Rotarians
Rick Coulter from Williamsport, PA
Betty Beck from Redlands, CA and her husband
Guests
Linda Crockett, guest of speaker
Steve Haddad, guest of Emily Burr
Ellie Clark, daughter of Tom Clark and President of her high school’s Guatemala Literacy Program
Billie Erwin, wife of Greg Erwin
