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When Colorado Mountain College conducted a community survey in Steamboat Springs last spring, a promise was made that the data would be shared with the community. That promise has been fulfilled. Printed copies of the results of the survey are now available at the front desk at CMC's Bristol Hall.

The Alpine Campus Community Survey contained 38 questions that assessed a number of factors ranging from the community's familiarity with CMC to preference for class schedules. The results encompass a 14-page document and the data indicate CMC plays a vital role in the Steamboat Springs community by fulfilling important educational needs. Summarizing the results of the entire survey would be beyond the scope of this commentary. There is, however, one category that indicated there is some information about CMC that is not well-known to our community constituents.

A majority of respondents - 54 percent - indicated they did not know that CMC offers more than 60 different certificates and two-year degrees. And an overwhelming majority of 70 percent did not realize more than 50 different financial aid opportunities are available to help pay for college. Several other services that seem to be relatively unknown in the community are that local students attending any institution can use CMC services, summer conferences of an educational nature can be scheduled on the Alpine campus, space is available during the day for rent, and members of the public have access to CMC libraries without being a CMC student.

The more commonly known facts about CMC include the understanding that CMC is a comprehensive community college with academic transfer classes that are identical to those offered at any Colorado college or university during the first two years of study; career-tech education classes are offered for preparation into the local, regional and national workforce; that CMC offers personal interest classes for life-long learning; and that training for business and industry can be accommodated through customized programs. Additionally, most respondents knew that single classes can be taken at CMC without enrolling in a degree program and that CMC is a multi-campus institution with residential campuses in Steamboat Springs, Leadville and Spring Valley outside of Glenwood Springs.

Three facts were evenly divided: 1) in-district tuition is the lowest in Colorado at $45 per credit hour and anyone living within the CMC district can attend any campus at the same tuition rate; 2) CMC is always interested in finding qualified instructors from the local community; and 3) some employers pay CMC tuition for their employees to attend CMC.

The community surveys are conducted every three years. In the interim, the administration is always interested in hearing, informally or formally, how CMC can better serve the needs of the community.

Dr. Kerry Hart is dean of Colorado Mountain College's Alpine Campus in Steamboat Springs. Contact him at 870-4414 or khart@coloradomtn.edu.