In yesterday’s meeting of the Copper Mountain College Board of Trustees, the trustees voted unanimously to approve a settlement with a former faculty member. The college will pay the unnamed faculty member $30,000 in exchange for the faculty member releasing the college from any and all legal claims arising from his or her employment with the college.
In other business, President Daren Otten said the college is “nimble” – as well as “frustrated” – in dealing with the challenges of COVID-19. It is using funds from the CARES Act to support cameras and microphones in the classrooms. The college is also working with the county to continue testing for COVID-19 in the Bell Center into the fall. The basketball season will be postponed until January.
Sandy Smith, the executive director of the Copper Mountain College Foundation, said the foundation is moving its fall events online. The fall “dinner” will be a week-long event focusing on health sciences programs. It’s annual Festival of Wreaths fundraiser will also be a virtual event. The Jeff Tabor Memorial EMT scholarship fund has received $8,845 so far, and 75 percent of the donations are from new donors.
The Classified Senate’s annual bowl-a-thon fundraiser has been officially cancelled. Instead, it will hold a raffle for a three-day/two-night stay at Miracle Springs Resort and Spa. Tickets will be $10 each.
Enrollments for fall are lagging compared to last year, but the students who have enrolled are taking more credits.
However, one in three students withdrew from at least one course in Spring 2020; the percentage was even higher for students who are 35 years old or older. A higher percentage of Black students withdrew from CMC than any other ethnic group, and more male students withdrew than female students.
Hispanic/Latino students make up 39 percent of students at Copper Mountain College.
