Program Director, Wellness, Outdoor Studies, and Wilderness, Leadville

About Colorado Mountain College

Imagine working at a college that welcomes everyone — students, faculty, staff, and community members — regardless of their backgrounds, beliefs, or traditions. An institution that is also integrally connected to, appreciated by, and supported by those same communities.

Envision yourself at a dynamic, innovative, forward-leaning college that has a highly entrepreneurial spirit and deep commitment to every learner – from first-generation college students and new-traditional and adult learners to academically motivated students seeking a more traditional liberal arts education – all within a robust and highly personalized learning environment.

Visualize applying your energy and skills for an organization that respects and cares about its employees enough to offer competitive compensation and benefits while encouraging every team member to renew and recharge in places of inspiration, reflection, and world-class outdoor recreation.

Welcome to Colorado Mountain College and its eleven campus locations sprinkled across a spectacular region of Colorado’s central Rocky Mountains.

Our vision

Colorado Mountain College aspires to be the most inclusive and innovative student-centered college in the nation, elevating the economic, social, cultural, and environmental vitality of its beautiful Rocky Mountain communities.

The college

CMC is a comprehensive, public, open-access dual-mission institution offering 136 academic programs ranging from specialized certificates to associate and bachelor’s degrees, a wide range of online, non-credit and lifelong learning courses, as well as extensive concurrent enrollment opportunities in close partnership with neighboring school districts.

Over 15,000 students attend CMC annually, and 40% of degree-seeking students earn a certificate or degree every year. The college’s Latinx enrollment has doubled in six years to 27%, making CMC eligible for federal Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) status. CMC courses are highly personal and many are highly experiential by design, each with a maximum registration of 25 students.

Colorado Mountain College campuses are located in Aspen, Carbondale, Breckenridge, Dillon, Steamboat Springs, Glenwood Springs, Glenwood Springs-Spring Valley, Leadville, Rifle, the Vail Valley, and Salida. Of these locations, three are residential—Spring Valley, Leadville, and Steamboat Springs — and students in Breckenridge have access to college-owned off-campus housing. CMC campuses are close-knit communities, on average serving between 1,000 – 2,000 students.

The majority of the college’s financial support comes from local property taxes, not tuition or state revenues. Consequently, CMC is uniquely positioned to be entrepreneurial, nimble, mission-focused, and responsive to community and workforce needs. The college’s Central Services administrative office, which provides administrative support to all campus locations, is located in historic downtown Glenwood Springs, the town from which CMC originally launched in 1965.

Colorado Mountain College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and authorized by the Colorado Commission on Higher Education. For general information about CMC, its programs, locations, students, faculty, and offerings, go to: www.coloradomtn.edu .

Our commitment to an environment where everyone belongs

Our college and beloved mountain communities are enriched by a variety of voices and experiences.

At Colorado Mountain College, we continually work to improve learning and working environments that welcome everyone. We are deeply committed to promoting a free and open exchange of ideas, improving critical thinking, deepening mutual empathy and respect, and ensuring that every learner and team member has equal opportunities for personal and professional success.

The college prioritizes the recruitment, hiring and retaining of a highly engaged workforce that reflects and supports the backgrounds, characteristics and aspirations of the students enrolled at the college. CMC therefore values applicants who demonstrate prior accomplishments, training, and a commitment to the concepts of inclusive and equitable practices, as well as an understanding of historic and current social issues that impact groups of different socio-economic and cultural backgrounds.

CMC employees enjoy regular opportunities to raise their awareness about pressing societal issues, develop individual critical thinking skills, and expand their understanding of and empathy toward others regardless of race, gender, ethnicity or other factors. Our goal is to deliver highly personalized teaching methods and effective student support services that enable students to achieve their goals, regardless of academic or financial barriers.

Applicants to Colorado Mountain College must demonstrate a commitment and competence to work effectively with students, employees, and community members of all backgrounds.

For more information about CMC, go to: www.coloradomtn.edu .

The position

The Program Director is responsible for the administration and leadership of the Physical Education (PED), Outdoor Education (OUT), Outdoor Recreational Leadership (ORL), Ski Area Operations (SAO), Avalanche Science (Avi Sci), and Wilderness First Responder (WFR) programs. This Program Director will also advise on coursework supporting the Outdoor Recreational Management (ORM) minor and Wilderness aspects intersecting with other programs, such as, Wilderness EMS and Wilderness Medicine.

The program provides instructional and administrative leadership and support to the assigned program areas college-wide. This position recruits, supervises, contracts, orients and evaluates full-time instructors; schedules courses; teaches classes; manages all aspects of the program budgets to comply with CMC standards; attends program advisory committee meetings for the disciplines, engages in outreach, marketing, & recruiting activities, and coordinates program and discipline assessment. The program director also serves as a liaison with relevant external agencies in the CMC service area to ensure compliance with regulatory matters and ensures the programs meet the needs of the communities served.

This position reports to the Dean of Nursing, Health Sciences, Public Safety, Wellness, and Outdoor Studies and works collaboratively with campus academic and student affairs leaders.

This program director is a year round administrative, non-faculty, staff position with teaching responsibilities. The incumbent must be qualified to be credentialed to teach in the assigned areas, however, is not assigned a faculty rank.

View/download job description including hiring salary range: Program Director, Wellness, Outdoor Studies, and Wilderness

Pre-requisites for Position (Qualifications Standards)

Qualified candidates must be credentialed to teach, or eligible to be credentialed to teach, in one or more of the programs overseen (PED, OUT, ORL, SAO, Avi Sci). Examples of ideal qualifications may include a wide variety of specialized certifications and proficiencies in these areas, such as professional experience in the disciplines, Wilderness First or other emergency response certifications, experience with permitting processes, outdoor education gear and risk management.

A minimum of a Master’s Degree in Outdoor Recreation, Environmental Education or related field, or a Master’s Degree with a minimum of 18 graduate credits in Outdoor Recreation or related field is required. Minimum of one-year full time teaching experience required, or equivalent as adjunct. At least 100 documented field days leading adventure education experience in a variety of terrain and conditions. Wilderness First Responder & CPR certified.

Ability to be credentialed to teach course including but not limited to: OUT Orientation Courses, OUT 221 – Top rope climbing with a single pitch instructor certification, OUT 210 Kayak Touring Leadership, OUT 244 – Wilderness First Responder, OUT 135 – Risk Management for Outdoor Professionals, PHI – 218 Environmental Ethics (preferred).

Higher education teaching experience is preferred. A candidate with full time higher education teaching experience is preferred.

Specific skills and experience must match College credentialing requirements for one or more of the programs overseen, as determined by Academic Affairs. Experience in program administration, staff and budget management, permitting, and risk management essential.

Welcoming. Innovative. Focused on Student Success. These principles reflect the soul of CMC. They guide us in building our teams, cultivating leaders, and expanding our approaches and mindset. They guide us to be an institution of higher education that’s the right fit for every faculty member, staff, student, and community member in its trust. Applicants must demonstrate a commitment to working effectively with students, employees, and community members of all backgrounds.

Bilingual (English/Spanish) or conversational language abilities preferred.

Please submit a letter of interest, a resume, and a list of three professional references. CMC is an EOE committed to diversifying its workforce.

To Apply: Please submit the required letter of interest, resume, and list of three professional references. CMC is an EOE committed to diversifying its workforce.

External Applicants: Apply Online

Internal Applicants: Please proceed to the HR page of Basecamp or by searching in Learning Hub for instructions on applying for a full-time position as an internal applicant.

Review of application material will begin June 24, 2021.