Steamboat Pilot & Today

Students, faculty and residents are invited to meet the finalists for Colorado Mountain College's Alpine Campus dean position tonight at the Depot Art Center.

Three candidates are scheduled to interview Thursday with the selection committee charged with finding Dean Robert Ritschel's replacement. Ritschel announced in June that he was leaving CMC after 5 1/2 years to become president of Spoon River College in Illinois.

The candidates are C.J. Law, who until recently was dean of instruction at Dawson Community College in Glendive, Mont.; Andrew Jackman, of Boring, Ore., vice president of education for the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry; and Dean Randy Smith of Gateway Technical College in Burlington, Wis.

CMC administrative assistant Denise Roach said a fourth finalist withdrew her application.

Jackman said he was attracted to the position at Alpine Campus because of a shared philosophy and because he thinks his background in outdoor education makes him a good fit at CMC.

"The main reason I'm coming to Steamboat Springs is the school has such a strong philosophical commitment to its students' success," Jackman said.

While on the faculty of Oregon State University in Corvallis, Jackman said, he researched the qualities and conditions that determined the success of students from communities that were economically dependent on industries based on natural resources. Specifically, he sought to learn what factors played a role in whether those students remained at the university or left campus.

Jackman said he also has 15 years of experience in outdoor education and resource education management.

"I've written books on backpacking and river rafting," he said.

Smith grew up outside Bozeman, Mont., and said he is eager to return to the West and raise his daughters in a tightly knit Western community such as Steamboat.

Gateway Community College is part of a statewide system of 16 community colleges in Wisconsin that offer more than 70 degree tracks. In addition to classes in general education, Smith said, the Burlington campus has concentrations in allied health professions as well as emergency medical services.

"All of our programs have waiting lists," he said.

Smith said he is a rodeo fan and dabbles in team roping. He is finishing his doctorate in higher education leadership this month.

Until recently, Law was the dean of education at Dawson Community College, but he has relocated to Silver City, N.M., since applying for the position at CMC. He was driving to Steamboat on Tuesday afternoon and could not be reached for comment.

The finalists were among 80 people who applied for the job and 21 who met the minimum qualifications for the position, Roach said. The search committee included members of the faculty and administration as well as Steamboat Springs School District Superintendent Donna Howell. The committee conducted telephone interviews with 10 candidates before deciding on the four original finalists.

Roach said the public is welcome to attend tonight's reception, during which dessert will be served. The reception is from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

A legislative community forum with state Sen. Jack Taylor, R-Steamboat Springs, and state Rep. Al White, R-Winter Park, which was scheduled to precede the CMC reception, has been canceled. The legislators were called to a water policy meeting in Denver.

-- To reach Tom Ross call 871-4205

or e-mail tross@steamboatpilot.com