Community Classes

Western’s certified nurse aide (CNA) course will provide students with the skillset and credentials needed to complete the state-mandated written and skills test. Testing is not included in the course and must be completed within 24 months of course completion to obtain state licensure as a CNA.

Those eligible for CNA courses at Western:
1. High School Students for Credit
2. Community Members and College Students for Credit
3. Community Members and College Students without Credit

The CNA course has a maximum capacity of 10 students. The first 10 registrants will be offered a spot in the course. Any subsequent registrants will be placed on a waitlist and contacted in order of their registration submission, assuming a spot opens up.

Time Commitment and Location: September 15, 2026 – November 17, 2026
This is a 10-week course. In-person skills sessions will be hosted at the Gunnison High School Pathways building ( 600 N. 8th Street, Gunnison, CO 81230) on Tuesdays from 2 to 6 p.m. All students will meet in person for skills training on the first and last day of class. For the Tuesdays in between, students will be assigned to one of two groups, and each group will attend a skills lab every other week on an alternating schedule.

Details about group assignments and meeting dates will be discussed during the first class meeting. Clinical rotation experiences will be held over three different weekends. The course instructor will collaborate with students to assign specific rotation dates and times after the course begins.

All clinical rotation experiences will be hosted at the current Senior Care Center (1500 W. Tomichi Ave. Gunnison, CO 81230). To inquire about specific course date ranges, please email CNA@western.edu.

Tuition and Fee Structure

• • High School Student: $300 3-credit tuition + $700 in fees = $1,000 Total – $500 billed to HS, $100 billed to student, and $400 covered by scholarship
  • Credit Seeking College Student/Community Member: $540 3-credit tuition + $700 in fees=$1,240 Total – $248 billed to student and $992 covered by scholarship
  • Non-Credit Seeking College Student/Community Member: $750 Total in fees – $150 billed to student and $600 covered by scholarship.

Tuition and fees must be paid in full one-week prior to the start of the course. Students that withdraw before the course begins will be reimbursed 50% of their tuition and fees. Once the course has commenced, students who withdraw or are dismissed from the course will not be offered any reimbursement of tuition or fees. Grades for students who are dismissed or withdraw from the course will be reviewed on an individual basis.

In addition to the application information, participants enrolling in the course will be required to submit the following items:

1. A photocopy of a passport or state-issued ID
2. 2-step TB skin test results (test must have been completed in the last 9 months)
3. Immunization record including documentation of a current flu shot, MMR, Varicella, Tdap, and Hep B
4. Scrub size (scrubs will be unisex in fit and are available in sizes ranging from X-small to XX-Large)

Details about how to submit these items will be provided following course enrollment.

Additional Requirements
Prior to the beginning of the course, all participants will need to complete a background check. Students are responsible for paying for their own background check. Individuals under the age of 18 years old will be charged $50. Those 18 years or older will be charged between $65-$181 depending on applicant specific details. Once enrolled you will be emailed directions on how to complete your background check.

• • Testing to verify drug-free status is not required for course enrollment; however, course participants may be asked at any time during the progression of the course to complete a drug test. Drug testing must be completed by a verified lab and payment for drug testing will be the student’s responsibility.
  • English Proficiency in Reading and Writing is Required.

Payment for the course will be collected by close of business one week before the course commences. Students who do NOT pay by this deadline will be disenrolled from the course.

Questions on billing? Contact the Center for Learning & Innovation at 970.943.2885 or email at Center@western.edu.

Questions about the course? Contact cna@western.edu.

October 15 – November 19.2026 – 8:00 am – 12 pm

Hurst Hall 107 – Price $325.00

Instructors: Paul Duba & Brenda Lucero

Soul-Centered Leadership will teach you about how leadership feels when you are on your own edge, the liminal space between hope for change, engaging others in a vision, and facing novel (and sometimes daunting) challenges. We rise to such occasions best when we access a level of authenticity and courage, that is the soul of how teams come together as part of something bigger than themselves. The French say < esprit de corps >, the spirit of a body. This is the hard work of leadership because it asks others to take a risk with you, for the sake of a future that will cause the team to find out more about themselves than they currently know. This class teaches the chemistry of such high performance, demystifies it, and will help you on your path to make a bigger difference in the world.