Colorado Mountain College
PRE-2: Points of Distinction

Bachelor of Arts: Sustainability Studies: The Bachelor of Arts in Sustainability Studies gives students the skills to drive collective social and environmental action through systems thinking and ethical grounding. This degree prepares students for meaningful careers in climate change adaptation, sustainability coordination, responsible activism, community planning, food systems, and much more. Through hands-on practice, the Sustainability Studies Bachelor of Arts gives students a deep understanding of the complex relationships between humans and the environment, and how to turn that knowledge into a meaningful career with a positive impact. In addition, students pursuing a degree in this program have many opportunities for internships with local companies, governments, and nonprofits that either focus on sustainability or are sustainability conscious. One important opportunity for internships is the Rocky Mountain Land Management internship program sponsored by CMC and the U.S. Forest Service.

Possible Career Options for Sustainability Studies Graduates, Among Many More:

• Climate change adaptation and mitigation 


• Renewable energy transition 


• Regenerative food systems 


• Water Stewardship 


• Public lands management


• Community organizing and activism 


• Environmental justice 


• Environmental education 


• Science communication 


• Sustainability consulting 


• Circular economy entrepreneurship 


• Creative pursuits in sustainability 


• Agro-ecological applications 

Sustainability Studies Bachelor of Arts with a Business Minor: The Business Minor in Sustainability Studies prepares students to pursue sustainability within the business environment as entrepreneurs, employees, leaders, and change-makers. Students who pursue this degree learn to function effectively in the business world while embedding their work within a larger framework of sustainability-oriented thought and action. The Bachelor of Arts in Sustainability Studies is offered at Colorado Mountain College in the following locations:

• Breckenridge 


• Dillon 


• Spring Valley at Glenwood Springs 


• Steamboat Springs 


• Vail Valley at Edwards 

Affordability: Most affordable bachelor's degree in Colorado.

Spring Valley Solar Array: Offsets the total electricity consumption of three Colorado Mountain College Campuses: Spring Valley, Aspen, and Edwards. Additionally, the avoided annual greenhouse gas emissions of the project’s solar photovoltaic system are expected to be 6,853 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent annually, which equates to the emissions benefit of removing each year 1,481 passenger vehicles from the road or not burning 7,551,050 pounds of coal. This effort will move CMC towards its 2050 carbon neutrality goal.

• 4.5 megawatts 


• 22 acres 


• Holy Cross Electric Co-op as installation and management partner 


• Fixed panels and solar tracking capabilities 


• Battery power storage system includes 68 battery stacks located in four on-site storage containers that can hold five megawatts 


• Battery backup in case of natural disaster or other disturbance

Permaculture Design Certificate: Through pursuing the Permaculture Design Certificate of Completion, students learn the basic principles and applications of permaculture. Dr. Tina Evans, CMC Steamboat Springs Professor of Sustainability Studies, explains "Permaculture is a vision, set of ethical and practical principles, design system, and practice. Permaculture is aimed at equitably supporting human needs in culturally and environmentally diverse communities while simultaneously promoting the long-term health and integrity of nature and culture. It is sustainability in action with a particular focus on creating food systems that mimic the dynamic stability of healthy ecosystems."

Permaculture Design is offered at two Colorado Mountain College campuses: Steamboat Springs and Spring Valley at Glenwood Springs. Colorado Mountain College at Steamboat Springs features the Bear Park Permaculture Design Center:

• Two thirds of an acre site 


• 1,400 square foot geodesic dome greenhouse 


• -Wide variety of plants and foods grown here using companion planting and permaculture-design-based systems thinking to optimize beneficial relationships among system elements


• Dome features a Wadsworth-Controls-based climate system that helps regulate high and low temperatures 


• Dome features a climate battery located four feet underground where the temperature steadily remains 55 degrees Fahrenheit. During the summer, hot air is pulled into the climate battery through a fan system where heat is absorbed into the soil; the cooled air is pumped back into the dome. During winter months, cold air is pulled from the dome and heated up by the climate battery then pumped back into the dome. 


• The student Bee-keeping club is involved with Bear Park 


• Community members have the opportunity learn and to harvest food 


• Rocky Mountain Youth Corps is able to learn about permaculture through experiential opportunities at Bear Park 


• Permaculture classes are offered to the community at Bear Park

Data Sources:

• Course, degree, and permaculture information were pulled from coloradomtn.edu. 


• During the Fall 2021 semester, SUS 4500 (Sustainability Assessment and Reporting) students were asked to highlight points of distinction at their campuses. A compiled list of accomplishments was retrieved from the SUS 4500 students and reviewed by STARS researchers and faculty to determine which accomplishments were most notable.