Get to Know the New Dean at PCC SW

Two months after starting her job as the new Dean at Pueblo Community College Southwest, Dr. Lisa Snyder is settling into the role. You’re watching the “Local News Network”, brought to you by Choice Building Supply, and the Lor Foundation. I’m Connor Shreve. Dr. Lisa Snyder became Pueblo Community College Southwest’s Executive Dean on February 1st.

When the position came open, I thought it would be a great fit for me, a great way for me to bring my experience to serve our community. I think there’s a lot of potential for PCC Southwest here in this area, and just wanted to be a part of it.

Prior to joining Pueblo Community College Southwest, Dr. Snyder served as the Dean of the School of Humanities at San Juan College in Farmington, New Mexico. She says she’s worked in education most of her professional life, but she recognizes the scope Pueblo Community College Southwest covers makes it unique.

We go all the way from Dove Creek to Pagosa for the communities that we work with. So, really working with all of the individual community needs, seeing how we can best serve the community members and the students. We work with high school students and adult learners. So our goal, my goal, is to really strengthen each of those, individually, see those needs and create programs that benefit them.

She’s embracing the school’s ability to meet all kinds of learners in a variety of situations as the school’s strength, as an institution that provides multiple pathways for students who might not be on a traditional four year track.

My goal is to be able to provide learners with those pathways that they can get on and off. So they may start with the CNA, our CNA program, but that CNA program will lead them right into our LPN program. They can go to work as an LPN, and when they’re ready, they can get right back on that academic pathway.

Growing enrollment will be one of Dr. Snyder’s priorities, but she says she also views fostering relationships a large part of her role, both with the school’s academic and workforce partners.

So we’re able to meet with our workforce partner and ask them specifically what their needs are, and then develop programs or certificates that meet those needs. So we are not looking only for the two year student to commit to the two years, of course, we love that and help them move on to our BSN programs or our bachelor’s programs, but we can really help all students along that pathway.

Next month, Dr. Snyder will oversee the school’s Durango location shift from Durango High School back to The Commons, which is a space the school previously occupied. She says that will help Pueblo Community College Southwest accommodate every level of student, from high school through adult non-traditional. As a first generation college graduate, Dr. Snyder champions Pueblo Community College Southwest’s ability to step students through an educational path that includes certificates, two year degrees, and four year degrees. To learn more about this story and others, visit online, montezumalocal.news. Thanks for watching the “Local News Network”. I’m Connor Shreve.