Mile-High Higher Education
Published Nov 19, 2008
Front Range Community College has the largest enrollment in the Metro North region, including about 12,800 students in Westminster.
Students in the Metro North Region have a wealth of higher-education options right in their backyard. From vocational training to Christian-based studies to doctoral programs, the area has degree plans to fit each student’s needs and goals.
The region’s largest institution of higher learning, Front Range Community College, has about 13,000 students (including noncredit students), and its Westminster campus is one of 20 national sites in the Gateway to College program. Fifty students began in the program in August 2008, with 50 more to follow in spring 2009 and a target of 75 students in fall 2009.
“It’s a partnership with the school districts where students who have dropped out or are at risk of dropping out come to our school for a dual-credit program,” says Andrew Dorsey, vice president of the Westminster/North Metro campus.
“Front Range does three things very well,” Dorsey says. “We provide excellent training for job skills, we are the largest provider of transfer students in the state and we are an excellent resource for community training.”
Comprehensive offerings attract a wide range of students, from recent high school graduates to senior citizens.
The Westminster campus continues to add instructional opportunities, including paramedic and masonry training as well as an expanded pharmacy technology program that now has a component for high school students.
“We are looking hard at our health-information technology program, adding a high-level insurance-coding program that doctors’ offices and hospitals need these days,” Dorsey says.
New campus grows rapidly
A relative newcomer to the region’s educational scene is Colorado Technical University. The school opened its Denver North campus in Westminster in 2006 with 60 students. Enrollment is now nearly 300, validating the clear need for the campus.
“We offer professional certifications as well as associate’s, bachelor’s and master’s degrees,” says Debby Telfer, campus director. The university’s online offerings include Ph.D. programs in business and information technology.
Health science and computer science are particularly popular programs, Telfer says, as well as digital communication, which tends to attract younger students.
CTU Denver North also offers a popular surgical-technology program for students who want to assist in operating rooms, and an on-site RN-to-BSN nursing program for hospitals.
In 2008, the university was recognized as one of the top 10 in the country for the number of women studying information technology and computer science. “We have industry-current labs and industry-current experts teaching classes,” Telfer says.
She adds that the university is known for focusing on each student while helping all students keep an eye on the future. “We want them to gain skills, but we also want them to learn how to learn. That way they are prepared for 10 years down the road, for adapting to a changing environment. We all have to remain competitive in this global market.”
In addition to their primary educational mission, the colleges and universities are deeply involved in the communities they serve.
For example, Telfer says CTU Denver North has donated computers to the local Boys & Girls Club of America and participated in area charity races.
Front Range Community College has sponsored a local MS-150 race and participated in community-wide art fairs. “We are only as strong as our partnerships with others in the community,” Dorsey says.
Story by Leanne Libby
Photo by Todd Bennett
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