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News for the Community from the Maricopa Community Colleges
Citation preview
Spring 2015
In general, students of color – especially males – have a lower college
completion rate than white students. At the Maricopa Community
Colleges, however, there’s a program designed to change that.
In 2008, the Minority Male Initiative (MMI) was created to improve
the retention and degree completion rates of minority male students
attending the Maricopa Community Colleges. In 2013, the District Office
of Student Affairs collaborated with the colleges to establish Male
Empowerment Network (MEN) Chapters at each site. The Chapters
have grown to a brotherhood of more than 250 members across all ten
Maricopa Community Colleges.
The percentage of Maricopa Community Colleges’ students identifying
as persons of color (i.e., Black, Hispanic, American Indian, or Asian/
Pacific Islander) has risen to 43%. That number represents significant
growth. In 2005, less than one third of the Colleges’ students identified as
persons of color. At the same time, the percentage of White students has
decreased from 58% in 2005 to less than 48% today.
Kenney Pratt, a recent graduate of Paradise Valley Community College’s
(PVCC) Administration of Justice Studies program, first came to the
college in 2011. When looking for classes, he started by checking the
professors’ names in the class listing. “I just needed something to
connect to,” says Pratt, who is Black. “Call it stereotyping, but when I
saw there was a Professor Sharif…I wasn’t expecting that. I was looking
to create some sort of comfort, and taking his Sociology class was the
best thing I ever did.” Pratt soon became involved with the MEN group.
Cranston Forte, PVCC’s MEN Chapter Advisor, says the group provides
a safe haven and support. “The MEN group offers a place where we can
feel comfortable and safe, and no one is going to judge us. We have
Issue Highlights
25
69
11
CHANCELLOR GLASPER ON FINANCING
BIOTECH PROGRAMS OFFERED
STUDENTS WORK TO HELP OTHERS SLEEP
GILA RIVER COMMUNITY PARTNERS
THEN AND NOW
MARICOPAMatters News for the Community From the
Maricopa Community Colleges
MEN continued on Page 7
Economy continued on Page 8
Maricopa’s MEN Program Helps Men Work Toward Academic Completion
Maricopa Community Colleges Adds $7.3 Billion to Local Economy AnnuallyThe Maricopa Community Colleges adds $7.3 billion in various kinds of income to the Arizona economy each year, according to a research
report released in March 2015. The report, Demonstrating the Economic Value of Maricopa County Community College District, summarizes
economic impact and return on investment of the Maricopa district in fiscal year 2013-14. The analysis was conducted by Economic Modeling
Specialists International (EMSI), an organization that specializes in providing economic impact studies and labor market data to educational
institutions.
Among the report’s findings, based on EMSI’s calculations:
• The combination of spending by the Maricopa organization, its students and its alumni employed in the regional workforce amounted to $7.3 billion in added income.
• For every dollar contributed by taxpayers to the Maricopa Community Colleges, $4 in benefits are returned to taxpayers
• Society as a whole benefits from Maricopa both because of increased earnings and because of savings generated by the improved lifestyles of students who attend and graduate from college. For every dollar that society spent on the Maricopa Community Colleges
Cranston Forte with PVCC MEN chapter members
Meet Kenney PrattVolunteer, community leader and graduate of a Maricopa Community College
Leadership2Future Community College Financing Will Require Discussion, Innovationby Dr. Rufus Glasper, Chancellor, Maricopa Community Colleges
The Arizona Legislature approved a budget that
eliminates the remaining $8.8 million in state
aid for the Maricopa Community Colleges.
This plan effectively ends state funding for an
educational asset that contributes billions of
dollars to the state’s economy every year.
We regret that the state no longer wishes
to invest in this vital enterprise. From an
historic and education policy perspective,
this withdrawal is also significant given the
levels of state support to community colleges
seen previously in Arizona. From a highpoint
of 29% of our operating budget in 1981, the
adopted budget for 2016 drops state funding
to Maricopa Community Colleges to $0. From
2007 alone, the state has eliminated about $57
million in funding to the Maricopa Community
Colleges’ operating budget and $11 million in
capital budget.
It is ironic that in the same week that the
budget plan was passed, a research organization released a report that found the Maricopa
Community Colleges adds $7.3 billion in various kinds of income to the Arizona economy every
year. [ See related story, page 1 ]
You can find the report here: http://goo.gl/SNqy5f
This withdrawal in state investment in community college education to Maricopa forces very
difficult conversations about our ability to serve the growing education needs of our community
and to contribute to the economic development goals of our state. The fact is that without
adequate funding from the state, tuition, and property taxes, we will face decisions about how
many students we can educate and prepare to fill quality jobs.
As we’ve implemented since 2007 and before, we will continue to apply entrepreneurial
solutions to provide education and workforce opportunities in our region. These solutions
include public-private partnerships and generating revenue through corporate enterprises.
However, our ability to do so at scale is limited by state regulation. We need relief from
regulatory disincentives and more flexibility to generate revenues to replace state aid if we are
to continue to be Arizona’s leading workforce trainers.
To capture the full benefit of our entrepreneurship, no time is better than now for the state to set
the regulatory framework that encourages and incentivizes a new community college education
funding model.
We look forward to future engagement with our internal and external community, business
leaders, the Legislature, and the Governor in making these critical decisions.
Dr. Maria Harper-Marinick
Dr. Rufus Glasper
Maricopa
Community
Colleges
Executive Vice
Chancellor and
Provost, Dr.
Maria Harper-
Marinick, has
been selected
for two
distinguished
fellowships. In
March, she joined the 2015 class of Aspen
Institute Ascend Fellows, which recognizes
and invests in diverse leaders from a range
of sectors who have breakthrough ideas
to build economic security, educational
success, and health and well-being for
low-income families in the U.S.
“Poverty and inequality are the central
economic, political, and moral issues of
our time,” said Walter Isaacson, CEO of the
Aspen Institute. “The Ascend Fellowship
is part of our commitment to advancing
opportunity and equality in America.”
In November 2014, Dr. Harper-Marinick
was named an ASU Morrison Institute
Distinguished Fellow, which recognizes
Arizona’s best and brightest in public policy.
“Maria is a tireless proponent for better schools and brighter futures,” said Thom Reilly, director of the Morrison Institute for Public Policy. “Anyone who’s involved in education knows her. She seemingly is everywhere – wherever and whenever she’s needed to push education forward, especially Latino education.”Dr. Harper-Marinick serves on several
boards and councils, including chair of the
federal Advisory Committee on Student
Financial Assistance by appointment of U.S.
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.
Dr. Harper-Marinick Awarded Fellowships
The 2014 election marked the first time that candidates were chosen for two at-large
Board seats, elected by voters across the entire county. Ms. Tracy Livingston won her seat for a
four-year term. Another new Board member, Mr. John Heep, was elected to a two-year term.
A fourth new member, Ms. Jean McGrath, was elected from District 4, which encompasses
northwest Maricopa County. Mr. Alfredo Gutierrez, who was chosen to fill the remaining term
of a Board member, Ben Miranda (deceased), won election in District 5, southwest Maricopa
County. Ms. Livingston, of Peoria, a newly-elected at-large member, was selected as Board
President for 2015. Ms. Johanna Haver of Phoenix, elected from District 3, was elected
Secretary.
The new members join Mr. Doyle Burke of Tempe and Mr. Dana Saar of Fountain Hills, both of
whom were elected in 2012.
Maricopa Welcomes New Governing Board
Board members, back row: Ms. Tracy Livingston Mr. John Heep | Mr. Alfredo Gutierrez | Mr. Dana Saar
Front row: Mr. Doyle Burke | Ms. Jean McGrath | Ms. Johanna Haver
Focus on Faculty3
Phoenix College (PC) mathematics professor
James Sousa is the 2014 Arizona Professor
of the Year. The honor is awarded each
year by the Carnegie Foundation for the
Advancement of Teaching and the Council
for Advancement and Support of Education
(CASE).
“James brings innovation and enthusiasm to
our math department,” said Dr. Anna Solley,
President of Phoenix College. “I am delighted
for him to be recognized for his outstanding
commitment to student success, not only
here at Phoenix College, but across the
country and around the world.”
Dr. Solley, who described Sousa to members
of the Maricopa Governing Board as “a rock
star,” noted that Sousa is known nationally
and internationally for creating thousands
of short math videos that are available free
of charge on YouTube to students needing
help with math concepts. Sousa said that
altogether, those videos are viewed an
average of 35,000 times a day.
Sousa, who has been at PC for 12 years, was
chosen from 400 top professors nationwide.
“It is an honor to receive this award because
I know there are so many other dedicated
instructors who work extremely hard to help
students succeed,” said Sousa. “I enjoy
helping students reach their educational
goals and it is an honor to provide students
with resources that they can use whenever
and wherever they need them at no cost.”
Phoenix College’s Sousa Named Arizona Professor of the Year
Trimble Honored for Long Career Preserving Arizona Historyby Jonathan Higuera
After 37 years of teaching at
Scottsdale Community College
(SCC), Marshall Trimble is
hanging up his spurs and putting
on a new pair to mark another
phase of life.
To commemorate the moment,
SCC held a retirement
celebration for Trimble.The
longtime SCC instructor and
Director of Southwest Studies
listened to tributes from friends,
a former student, colleagues,
and even Sen. John McCain.
While Trimble is retiring, he still will maintain an office at SCC and carry on with appearances and
projects. The difference will be that his salary will be drawn from his retirement pension. So it was a
farewell celebration, but not really a good-bye.
The breakfast event was supposed to be a roast, but comments were kind, appreciative, and
humorous, reflecting Trimble’s generous contributions to students and Arizona history. Jack
Graham, a former student of Trimble’s at Coronado High School, where Trimble started his teaching
career, said his former teacher encouraged him to pursue his dream of being an artist. Graham
became a graphic artist and named his first son after Trimble. “He took the time to listen to the
dreams of a skinny 16-year-old kid and always had an encouraging word,” Graham recalled.
Senator McCain lauded Trimble’s books and writings on Arizona history. “What Marshall has done
with his ability to write is make those characters come alive,” said Senator McCain.
Former SCC President Art DeCabooter recalled with a chuckle that on his first day on the job in
1970, he asked Trimble where the president’s office was located, and Trimble replied, “I don’t even
know who the president is.” Trimble would end up having an adjacent office for 30 years.
His efforts to preserve the history and culture of Arizona have made him an icon and earned him the
designation as Arizona’s official historian, a gubernatorial appointment he first received in the late
1990s. At the tribute, two proclamations in his honor were issued – one from the City of Scottsdale
Mayor’s Office, and another from Governor Jan Brewer. He also received a guitar from SCC with an
SCC design on the body featuring SCC’s “Fighting Artichokes.”
Trimble said none of it would have occurred if he hadn’t pursued a career in the teaching profession
and if he hadn’t landed at SCC. “Somebody asked me what I wanted on my headstone. I told them
I only want it to say one thing. ‘He was a teacher.’ All I ever wanted when I was a little kid was to
make a difference. As a teacher and educator, I got that opportunity.”
Senator John McCain, Marshall Trimble, and SCC President Jan Gehler
Professor James Sousa
View math videos created by Sousa:
http://goo.gl/Ki78Kq
NISOD Honors Faculty MembersThe Maricopa Community Colleges have eight faculty members, along with 12 non-faculty employees, who will be honored in May at the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development’s (NISOD) annual International Conference on Teaching and Leadership Excellence. NISOD is part of the University of Texas at Austin; the program honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions to their institutions.
The 2015 conference will feature nearly 300 sessions facilitated by leading community and technical college practitioners covering everything from recruiting and retaining students for STEM-related programs to more effectively engaging students in instruction.
Faculty winners this year are: Estrella Mountain – Shannon Manuelito, (Biology), Stephanie Natividad (STEM), Peter Turner (Education); Phoenix College – Cristie Roe (English), Jeni Ussery (Reading), Lucia Kisiel (Mathematics); Scottsdale Community College – Susan Moore, (English), Matthew Bloom (English).
Maricopa Welcomes New Governing Board
Student Success4 BILL GATES Blogs about Rio Visitby Bill Gates, November 18, 2014
Entrepreneur and philanthropist Bill Gates visited the Maricopa Community Colleges’ Rio Salado College in November 2014. He was so impressed with the college’s activities that he wrote this blog entry on the subject:
Online, All Students Sit in the Front RowI went to Arizona earlier this month to see what the college of the
future might look like. What I found taking shape is an exciting new
era of higher education that will help more students get a great,
personalized education at an affordable price.
This future may not always include the lecture halls, dormitories,
football teams and other features of the traditional college experience.
Instead, the colleges I visited are experimenting with ways for
students to get their degrees online, allowing them to take courses
anyplace and at any time.
These “colleges without walls,” as they are sometimes called, are
at the forefront of the effort to broaden access to higher education,
especially for low-income students juggling their studies with full-time
jobs and families. During my visit, I heard inspiring stories of students
who are taking advantage of these flexible learning models to pursue
degrees that can put them on paths to new careers.
Tucked away in an industrial park in Tempe, Rio Salado doesn’t look
much like a traditional institute of higher education. There were no
students running to class. No ivy-covered walls. Just a couple of
glass-faced office buildings.
As we walked inside for a tour, there was an even bigger surprise.
The college has just 22 full-time faculty serving 60,000 students, with
more than half of them attending their classes online. (The full-time
faculty depend on 1,400 part-time teachers who manage individual
class sections, review/grade assignments, and consult with students.)
Students can start any of the school’s 1,000 courses almost any
Monday of the year. Classes cost $84 per credit hour, far less than
what other colleges charge.
Rio Salado and other institutions are researching new approaches
to student advising. Using the growing body of data available about
online students’ learning habits—for example, are they completing
assignments and logging onto their courses regularly?—the institution
can intervene to help students at risk of falling behind or dropping
out. “Students don’t get lost because no one can just sit in the back
corner. Everyone is in the front row,” a Rio Salado faculty member
told me.
I left Arizona feeling quite optimistic about what the future holds for
higher education. It also reminded me how much work still needs
to be done. What’s most exciting is that the institutions I visited are
not standing still. They are taking risks and using their creative and
intellectual powers to reinvent themselves for the future. In doing so,
they will give many more students the opportunity to do the same with
their own lives.
Dr. Jennifer McGrath, VP of Academic Affairs at Rio Salado; Bill Gates, Co-Chair, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Kishia Brock, VP of Strategy and Compliance, District Office; Due Desmond-Hellmann, CEO, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Maricopa Chancellor Dr. Rufus Glasper; Allan C. Golston, President, United States Program, Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation Photo credit: (c) Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation/Mark Makela
John Dalen and his home-baked energy bars
John, hard at work in his kitchen
Paradise Valley Community
College (PVCC) student John
Dalen wants to bring joy to
as many people as possible
through home-baked energy
bars. He created his own
product and is using his baking
talents and faith to grow a
successful business, serving
and connecting people.
Dalen’s form of autism makes
him unable to communicate
verbally. He uses a cutout
paper keyboard to type out
letters into words that are then translated by his mother – a process
known as facilitated communication (FC). When asked about his
inspiration and goals, he says he wants to create a community center
café to serve and help people.
He created the energy bars as a healthy alternative to store-bought
snacks, and packages them in eco-friendly materials. Ingredients
include a healthy mix of dates, almonds, pecans, and essential oils that
provide multiple flavors. Their high fat content comes from nuts and
the bars are approved for both vegan and Paleo diets.
The Rising Entrepreneurs® program through the Southwest Autism
Research & Resource Center (SARRC) provided Dalen the opportunity
for creating a recipe for a satisfying energy bar. That effort went hand
in hand with classes Dalen was taking at PVCC to develop a small-
business model. Currently, he attends college part-time and is working
toward earning his Associate’s Degree in Business Marketing, with an
emphasis on entrepreneurship.
Dr. Dina Preston-Ortiz, business/marketing faculty at PVCC, taught
Dalen in one of her online marketing classes.
“In that class,
students really learn
about how to create
business strategies,”
said Dr. Ortiz. “John
really embodies
entrepreneurship
and small business
development. He
took the concepts he
learned and applied
them to create his
own product.”
Outside of school and his business, Dalen works part time at the
Arizona Centers for Comprehensive Education and Life Skills (ACCEL)
as a part of their maintenance crew. Balancing work, school, and
a business is no easy task, but Dalen feels blessed to have to the
opportunity to reach others through baking.
“I’m a college student with goals for marketing,” said Dalen. “PVCC
has helped me live my dream.”
See John Dalen’s story online at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgzBeLbPzd0.
Student With Autism Finds Business Success
Innovations 5
Dr. Pilar Ramos
Dr. Anna Solley, President Phoenix College and All-American Recipient Gilberto Sosa
Biotechnology Programs Available at Two Maricopa Colleges
Despite the fact that biotechnology is a
growing field, community-college-based
biotech programs are not common. But
two Maricopa Community Colleges,
Glendale (GCC) and Mesa (MCC), offer
the cutting-edge subject.
It’s a timely subject because biotech-
nology is a buzzword when civic leaders
talk about the advantages of their region
to attract businesses. It’s also important,
because biotechnology innovation can
lead to major breakthroughs in healthcare.
Pilar Ramos, currently a postdoctoral
fellow at Phoenix-based Transformational
Genomics Research Institute (TGEN), was
among the first group of students to take
GCC’s two-year biotechnology track.
“I’ve always liked science,” says
Dr. Ramos, who graduated from GCC in
2005 before transferring to ASU for her
bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees.
“The university seemed a little bit overwhelming so, for me, community college was a perfect
place to get started.” She entered an internship at TGEN in 2007 and hit the ground running.
“I noticed that most people in my laboratory classes had no lab experience. Coming from GCC, I knew how to do all of it. I felt very prepared,” Dr. Ramos said.
In less than ten years after graduating from GCC, Dr. Ramos made an enormous contribution to
medicine. In 2011, she began studying an aggressive type of ovarian cancer that mainly affects
women in their twenties; less than 35% of women survive more than two years after diagnosis.
One day she and her team discovered something amazing: a genetic marker for this cancer.
“We sequenced the coding regions of several tumors and found one gene that mutated in the
majority of the cases. It was an incredible moment when we put it all together.” Her research was
published in Nature Genetics, the world’s leading genetic research journal.
Not everyone makes the path that Dr. Ramos carved out for herself, however. In fact, many
students don’t even know the program exists or where it can lead.
“The problem is that the career progression is rather ill-defined,” says Dr. James Tuohy, who
directs the Biotechnology program at GCC. “In my opinion, it’s the best pre-med curriculum
available. And it’s really the best preparation for any STEM career. If people want to go to
medical school, to pharmacy school … if they want to work in biofuels … ours is the perfect
curriculum for them.”
You might think that people who choose the Biotechnology program need a science background.
In fact, that’s not necessarily the case, says Stanley Kikkert, MCC’s Biotechnology Director. “The
program is designed so you can start with nothing,” he says. “We get students who are just
starting college. We get students who are going for a bachelor’s degree and want to build up
their lab skills. We get students who have finished their bachelor’s and are looking at medicine as
a career. First, you learn about DNA. Then you learn how to work with DNA.”
GCC’s Dr. Tuohy adds that being smart isn’t necessarily the most important trait for
biotechnology students. “The right sort of person for this field is incurably curious, stubborn,
motivated, inquisitive, persevering, and won’t be easily dissuaded from what they’re doing,” says
Dr. Tuohy. “And they’re interested in doing something of worth – contributing to curing cancer or
Alzheimer’s disease.”
Pilar Ramos certainly fits that bill. “We’ve made incredible advances in our understanding and
treatment of cancer,” she says. “We’ve gotten better at extending people’s lives but not getting
rid of the disease yet. So that’s the challenge.”
26 Maricopa Students Named Academic All-AmericansAt its 20th Annual
All-Arizona Academic
Awards Luncheon
on Feb. 18, the
Phi Theta Kappa
(PTK) organization
honored academic
all-stars from Arizona
community colleges,
including 26 students
from across the
ten Maricopa
Community
Colleges. To be eligible for the award,
students must maintain a GPA of 3.5 or
higher on a 4.0 scale, be in good academic
standing, be working on an associate’s
degree, demonstrate leadership, and
interact with their community as a college
ambassador.
PTK recognizes and encourages scholarship
among two-year college students by
providing opportunity for the development
of leadership and service, for an intellectual
climate in which to exchange ideas and
ideals, for lively fellowship with scholars,
and for stimulation of interest in continuing
academic excellence. www.ptk.org
MCC Wins National Conservation AwardMesa Community College at Red Mountain
was honored with the North American
Native Plant Society’s (NANPS) 2014
Founders Conservation Award, which
recognizes major contributions to the
natural habitat.
When the Red Mountain campus was
built, preserving as much of the desert as
possible during construction was a goal.
Keeping the building footprint small and
creating a culture of educational excellence
and environmental preservation, MCC Red
Mountain is home to roadrunners, quail,
rattlesnakes, coyotes, desert tortoises,
occasional bobcats, and most recently,
endangered desert pupfish.
Harold Smith, a member of the NANPS
Awards Committee commended MCC
in its letter to MCC stating, “Our Awards
Committee was very impressed with the
work to maintain the natural heritage and
native flora of the Sonoran Desert.”
View the acceptance video played
during the conference at:
http://youtu.be/3Pyh-X8h33A
Community6
Sherman Alexie
A GateWay Community College (GWCC) program is preparing
students for careers helping others get a good night’s sleep. The
Polysomnography Technologist program, which began at the college
in 2010, graduates highly trained technologists with associate’s
degrees, ready to take their place in sleep labs across Arizona.
It’s a necessary profession because many Americans suffer from
undiagnosed sleep disorders, said Wendi Nugent, Director of the
GWCC program. She said that the number has been estimated at
more than 70 million. Some don’t recognize that they have a problem,
while others cannot afford the tests, she said, adding, “With the
Affordable Care Act, there are likely to be more people who want to
get tested.”
Students who enroll in the program can finish it in about two years.
They must complete the general college education courses that
qualify them for an associate’s degree and must also take courses in
electroencephalography, or EEG, the recording of electrical activity
along the scalp; neuroanatomy and physiology, to understand the
brain and how it functions; biomedical engineering, to understand
sleep study equipment; respiratory care, to learn respiratory anatomy
and physiology; and sleep, to understand the various phases of sleep.
The average salary of board-certified respiratory technicians is about
$20 per hour.
Nugent, who started working in the area of sleep studies in 1985, said
that growth in the industry is cyclical. Right now is a good time to be
entering the job market in Arizona. “All my students who graduated
in the spring got job offers,” she said, “and I know of nine open
positions and no one to fill them.” Longer-term prospects also look
good because of aging Americans.
Still, students thinking about a career in sleep studies have to
remember one important fact: This is nighttime work. “Working nights
isn’t for everyone,” Nugent observed. The reward, she said, is in the
reaction of patients who are diagnosed and are helped by treatment,
usually with a CPAP machine, which provides a continuous stream
of air to the sleeping patient. “The treatment is so efficacious,” she
reports. “People say, ‘I haven’t felt like this in 20 years.’”
GWCC Students Work to Help Others Get a Good Night’s Sleep
Wendi Nugent with student and patient in the sleep lab
Chancellor Receives East Valley Partnership Award
Chancellor Rufus
Glasper was given
the Dwight Patterson
Lifetime Achievement
Award by the East
Valley Partnership in
December 2014. This
award is given to a
person who lives or
works in the East Valley,
is well respected, has
made significant lifelong
contributions to their
community, and is a
true leader.
“He’s taken the Maricopa Community Colleges, which involves
hundreds of thousands of individuals and touches the lives of millions
all at a very small expense, to a higher level of performance,” said
ASU President Michael Crow. “He’s done that in a way that makes
education available to any member of the community regardless
of ethnicity, income, and age. I don’t think people realize how hard
things like that are to accomplish.”
“In his 28 years of services, he has helped shape education policy
throughout Arizona,” said U.S. Congressman Matt Salmon. “I thank
you, the East Valley thanks you, and countless students thank you for
your tireless dedication to education,” said Congressman Salmon in
a video message prepared for the event.
See the short video from the awards ceremony online at: http://vimeo.com/119280343
Chancellor Glasper receives the East Valley Partnership’s Lifetime Achievement Award from John Wolfe, Senior
Vice President and Southwest Region Manager of Cox Communications
Sherman Alexie visits SCC for Inspiring Talkby Jonathan Higuera
Author-poet-screenwriter Sherman Alexie kept the audience laughing
while injecting poignant moments and observations from his
childhood on an American Indian reservation and his transition into
the person he is now during a one-hour presentation at Scottsdale
Community College.
Addressing an audience of
more than 300, the author
of 25 books, including, The
Absolutely True Diary of a
Part-Time Indian, shared
stories and experiences from
his childhood as a “poor rez
boy” with a humorous take
on his path to become a
nationally acclaimed writer
and social commentator.
Alexie compared his thoughts on today’s institutional barriers for
people of color to his own people’s attitudes that hurt and limited him.
He challenged the young people in the audience to “pile up the
degrees” and end any debilitating addictions to alcohol or drugs.
“An Indian with a degree is a powerful person,” he commented.
Sherman Alexie
Community 7
that sports team mentality; we’re here to
win this battle of getting through higher
education. Life happens, and that means
lots of distractions. We want them to stay
focused so they finish.”
The exact moment when Pratt actively
connected with the MEN group was his
recognizing the first and most difficult
barrier for men of color to break when they
want to succeed in school: asking for help.
“Some factors are most predictive of
success,” says Dr. J. Luke Wood, an
Associate Professor of Community College
Leadership at San Diego State University. “First, help-seeking behavior – the willingness to ask for
help – is a common challenge and a critical determinant of success for men of color.”
Dr. Wood is Co-Director of the national Minority Male Community College Collaborative (M2C3),
which supports colleges in building capacity around men of color. To date, Dr. Wood and his
Co-Director, Frank Harris III, have partnered with 45 community colleges in eight states.
“Maricopa’s program is unique because leaders were very thoughtful and use institutional
effectiveness data, and to state goals and outcomes to inform strategic planning. The MEN program
is a priority from the Chancellor’s office down to each college chapter. We don’t always see that level
of leadership support,” says Dr. Wood.
Hector Cedillos is a graduate of Scottsdale Community College and was in its MEN program. “Men
of color – we’re naturally standoffish and suspicious,” he says. “That’s one of the reasons it’s so hard
to reach us on campus. I was ashamed of my past and couldn’t talk to many people about it. But just
because I didn’t share personal information didn’t mean I don’t have anything to say. It wasn’t until I
joined the MEN group that I was able to start letting go of a lot of stuff.”
“MEN provides the platform for any male student to commit to his educational path, to connect with
our colleges, and to reach his goals,” says Felicia Ganther, Associate Vice Chancellor for Student
Services, who oversees MEN. “All three steps are critical to their success.”
Cedillos, now pursuing a bachelor’s degree at ASU, and Pratt are both still involved with their friends
from the MEN program. And they’re giving back to the community. Cedillos is working for Release the
Fear, a Phoenix-based group that helps at-risk kids in juvenile facilities get on the right track. “I used
to think that everyone who went to college graduated,” said Cedillos. “I had no idea there was such a
gap with men of color. I want to change that and close up the gap.”
Pratt started his own non profit, U-Belong, to help men being released from prison get used to life
again. “When they get out, they have nothing,” says Pratt. “They don’t have any education or life
skills, or even know how to write a résumé. I want to make sure that when they get out, they stay out.
U-Belong is my way of giving back. It’s what keeps me motivated.”
MEN (continued from front page)
Hector Cedillos
Breaking ground for the new Aquila Hall
Black Mountain Campus Plans ExpansionParadise Valley Community College
(PVCC) at Black Mountain celebrated its
fifth anniversary December 4, 2014, with a
groundbreaking for the new Aquila Hall.
The building, a $10 million project
designed by Dick and Fritsche Design
Group (DFDG), will add approximately
20,000 square feet of classroom and lab
space to house Science Division courses.
The building will comprise three multi-
purpose classrooms, two science labs and
one science classroom, a computer lab, a tutoring center, an astronomy high-powered telescope
and a viewing deck, student study and collaboration areas, faculty offices, and classrooms.
Black Mountain Campus is a multigenerational facility providing lifelong learning opportunities,
community services, and health and wellness programs. A partnership among PVCC, Desert
Foothills YMCA, and Foothills Community Foundation, the campus is designed as a neighborhood-
gathering place for people of all ages to exercise both their minds and bodies. It is located at the
foot of the iconic Black Mountain at 60th Street, just south of Carefree Highway.
All of the facilities at Black Mountain are being named after constellations. The new building is
named Aquila Hall after the constellation that is viewable in the clear night skies at Black Mountain.
CGCC, MCC Win Top Service Honors
The Carnegie Foundation for the
Advancement of Teaching has recognized
Chandler-Gilbert (CGCC) and Mesa
(MCC) Community Colleges by awarding
each a 2015 Community Engagement
classification. This represents a significant
and competitive recognition that
highlights the institutions’ dedication to
community service.
This is the first classification for MCC
and a renewal of CGCC’s initial 2006
designation. The colleges represent two
of only three Arizona schools and just 361
colleges and universities nationwide that
currently hold the designation. Between
MCC and CGCC, more than 5,000
students performed upward of 115,000
hours of community service last year.
“As guided by our Governing Board
outcomes, we value student learning and
development through community and
civic engagement on and off campus,”
said Dr. Shouan Pan, President, Mesa
Community College.
“I want to express my deep appreciation to our faculty, students, and staff for their leadership and commitment to living out our value.”Dr. Shouan Pan
“Community engagement is part of
our culture,” said Linda Lujan, CGCC
President. “From its early years, nearly
30 years ago, until today, CGCC has held
community engagement as an enduring
core value through service-learning,
global and civic engagement, curricular
and cocurricular linkages, and community
partnerships in our region.”
Both colleges were also named to the
2014 President’s Higher Education
Community Service Honor Roll in
December. The recognition highlights
the role colleges and universities play in
solving community challenges and helps
students pursue a lifelong path of civic
engagement.
Jobs8
Grant Allows for Expansion, New Directions for Machining Programs
When Larry Geczy learned that Maricopa Skill Center (MSC) would
receive part of the federal Trade Adjustment Assistance Community
College and Career Training (TAACCCT) grant, he said he would
have done a somersault if he were 20 years younger. Geczy, the lead
instructor for Precision Machining at MSC, a division of GateWay
Community College, is responsible for spending $2.1 million of the
federal money to upgrade the Center’s Machining program. The
money comes from the $10 million federal job-training grant given in
late 2014 to a local consortium lead by Central Arizona College.
Geczy has big plans to expand the reach of his program, including
a new lab space that will open in fall 2015. “There is a critical skills
shortage today,” says Geczy. “We need to get more students in so
we can train them as entry-level machinists and prepare them for
the growing aerospace industry.”
Geczy is ordering upgraded mills, lathes, and a nine-color 3D
printer, just to name a few items. The new lab space expects to
accommodate three shifts of students, running 18 hours a day. The
grant will allow Geczy to hire another instructor as well as a lab
technician, and new hires that also will enhance the curriculum.
Students can attest to the program’s quality. “I guess I was made to
be a machinist,” says Reggie Williams, a recent MSC graduate. “As
a kid, I always took things apart and put them back together. This
program gave me a chance to learn different types of math, which
was a challenge that I liked. I was supported every step of the way.”
Geczy, who has been in the profession for more than 40 years, is
passionate about his students’ success and is quick to turn the
spotlight away from himself. “Reggie is one of the students I almost
lost to lack of interest,” says Geczy. “I entered him into a team
competition that they won, and that lit the fire under him. This career
is going to set him up for a lifetime. Before he came to us, he was
doing cold call telemarketing. I told him he could do something
about it. He took off, and hasn’t stopped since.”
Larry Geczy and Reggie Williams
during 2013-14, society will receive a cumulative value of $12.10 in benefits for as long as the 2013-14 student population at Maricopa remains active in the state’s workforce.
• For every dollar that a student spends on a Maricopa Community College education, that student gets back $4.20 in higher future income. A student’s average annual return is 16.6 percent.
• The spending of students who relocated to the region to attend college in Maricopa County added approximately $240.6 million in income to the economy during the 2013-14 fiscal year.
• The Maricopa report was issued at the same time as Demonstrating the Economic Value of Arizona Community Colleges, EMSI’s study of the impact of community colleges located throughout Arizona on the statewide economy.
“This report confirms the fact that an
education at the Maricopa Community
Colleges is a great investment, both for
students and taxpayers,” said Maricopa
Community Colleges Chancellor Rufus
Glasper.“A $4.20 return on every dollar
spent means students’ money is being
spent wisely. From the taxpayers’ point of
view, a 10.3% rate of return is better than
they can get almost anywhere else.”
Economy (continued from front page)
Girl Power: EMCC Student Achieves First Nuclear CertificateThis month, Estrella Mountain Community
College (EMCC) is honoring recent Power
Plant Technology (PPT) program graduate,
Fadwa Sandoval, as the first Arizona student
to receive an accredited and nationally
recognized nuclear certification.
Launched at EMCC in the summer of 2012,
the Nuclear Uniform Curriculum Program
(NUCP) is a certification offered to degree-
seeking students pursuing a career in the
nuclear energy industry. The certification is
a component of the College’s PPT degree
pathway and is recognized by all U.S.
nuclear power plants. EMCC is currently the
only college in Arizona accredited to offer the
NUCP to students and is proud to announce
its first recipient of this distinction.
On February 12, Sandoval was formally
recognized as the first EMCC completer of
the NUCP, which required her to achieve a
grade of at least 80 percent in each core
class of her PPT degree pathway. She was
a member of the charter, cohort class of
NUCP-eligible students and graduated from
the PPT program in fall of 2014.
“We are thrilled to have Fadwa lead our program as the first NUCP graduate,” said Dr. Clay
Goodman, Vice President of Occupational Education at EMCC. “She has demonstrated what
it means to be a leader by serving as a model student in our program.”
Sandoval has always enjoyed math, science and hands-on learning, which motivated her to
pursue a career in the nuclear energy industry. She is hopeful that her story can inspire other
young women who may be intimidated by the thought of working in an industrial environment.
PPT students Teresa Tipps (left) and Fadwa Sandoval (middle) practicing with radiation monitoring equipment with PPT faculty Gregory Haught (right). The equipment shown in the photo is used to determine if personnel have picked up any radioactive contamination
News in the District 9EMCC Receives Crescordia Award for Campus LandscapeEstrella Mountain Community College (EMCC) has been named recipient of the coveted
Crescordia Award for Site Development and Landscape in the Public Sector category of the 2014
Arizona Forward Environmental Excellence Awards.
Sponsored by the
environmental organization
Arizona Forward, the highly
competitive Crescordia
Award sets standards
for outstanding physical,
technical, and social
development of Arizona
while maintaining a high level
commitment to sustainability.
EMCC completed construction
of the Estrella Hall and
Conference Center in fall 2013.
Crescordia is a Greek term that means “to grow in harmony.” The Arizona Forward awards
spotlight distinguished projects throughout the state that demonstrate a high level of
environmental commitment and contribute to the region’s overall sustainability. The Crescordia
Award sets standards for Arizona’s exceptional physical, technical, and social development.
According to Arizona Forward, the low-maintenance landscape surrounding EMCC’s new
structures appears complex and wild. However, it consists of all low-water-use, climate
appropriate planting with drip irrigation. The success of the landscape reveals that even with an
extremely modest budget, meaningful and engaging learning settings can be created if coupled
with a critical understanding of microclimate, plants, materials, and detail.
Two Maricopa Community Colleges are
celebrating their 50th anniversaries this
year. Mesa and Glendale Community
Colleges held separate celebrations
throughout the school year.
Mesa Community College (MCC) began in
1963 as an extension of Phoenix College,
with classes in what is now known as The
Landmark Restaurant. Over the years,
MCC has grown from 330 students to more
than 40,000 learners annually. The college
opened its 160-acre campus at Southern
and Dobson Roads in 1966.
Glendale Community College (GCC) began
classes in 1965, also as an extension of
Phoenix College. That same year, ground
was broken for the college’s 147-acre
campus at 59th and Olive Avenues. Classes
began at the new facility the following
year. On its first day of classes at the new
campus, 4,082 students were enrolled and
taught by a faculty of more than 100.
Both colleges have expanded over the
years to meet the growing needs of
students in their regions. MCC opened its
Red Mountain campus in 2001, while GCC
opened the North Campus in 2000.
Mesa, Glendale Community Colleges Celebrate 50 Years
Gila River Community, SMCC Partner to Promote EducationIn a historic Indian mission, some 35 miles southeast of downtown Phoenix, lives are being
changed. South Mountain Community
College (SMCC), partnering with the Gila
River Tribal Education Department, has
enrolled a group of community members in
its Teacher Prep program.
The program teaches Gila River Community
members the basics of teaching, but
means a great deal more then that to the
community, said Matthew Molina of the Tribal
Education Department. “This program is
not just responsible for teaching kids in the
classroom, but is responsible for teaching the
whole community-wide base,” he observed.
“The partnership has allowed us to educate our
own people to start teaching ourselves, and it’s going to be growing in the future.”
The program started in 2011, according to Dr. Shari Olson, President of SMCC. “It’s really taken off.
We have a beautiful partnership.”
The first cadre of students graduated with certificates in Instructional Assistance last spring. Many
of those students have continued their education at Arizona State University.
Students from the first graduating group were enthusiastic about the experience, some for deeply
personal reasons. “Doing this really made me feel like I am worth something, and I really want my
students to know they can do it,” said graduate Sharon Shelde. Her classmate Marcella Hoover
added: “What I value is to see a lot of our people continue their education, get a master’s, get a
bachelor’s, or even an associate’s. There is a limited number of us who have a degree, and I just
want our numbers increased.”
New cohorts are currently underway in Culinary Arts and Phlebotomy, with future cohorts being
planned for Medical Assistants and Early Childhood Education.
GCC Earns Its First Volleyball National TitleThe Glendale Community College Volleyball team celebrated winning its first National title with fans, coaches, family, and fellow students.The team received national championship rings and ended what was the best, most memorable season in Glendale volleyball history. Congratulations to Coach Lisa Stuck, the players, and her staff for a great season.
GCC Women’s Volleyball Champs
Gila River Community and SMCC cohort
Foundation Board Member Attends State of the Union Event at White House
A Phoenix attorney and member of the Maricopa
Community Colleges Foundation was chosen to attend
President Obama’s State of the Union address this year.
Ashley Kasarjian said that attending the event in
Washington presented a unique opportunity. “I wanted
to attend the event as a result of the President’s current
community college initiative,” she said. “I was intrigued
by his proposal to make two years of community college
free for qualifying students.”
For the past four years, the White House has invited
various industry and social media leaders to watch the
President’s State of the Union address at the White
House, participate in the interviews following the State of
the Union, and speak with administration officials.
After the White House viewing, Kasarjian took part in the post-State of the Union White
House discussion with senior-level White House officials, including Dan Pfeiffer, Senior
Advisor to President Obama, and Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez. “Secretary Perez stated
that ‘community colleges are the secret sauce to success in America,’” Kasarjian recalled.
Community colleges are, as Secretary Perez alluded, the most important ingredient in that
recipe for success.”
At the event, social media was encouraged to further promote engagement with those watching
the State of the Union. Accordingly, Kasarjian live-tweeted the event on Twitter and posted
about the event on her employment law blog.
“To view Ashley Kasarjian’s play-by-play Tweets during the State of the Union Social, follow
her on Twitter: @Employment_Atty
You can subscribe to Kasarjian’s blog at: http://employmentandthelaw.com.20946052
Foundation10 Foundation Spotlight: Dominique Hunter
Dominique Hunter
is a young woman
determined to
succeed. After
her plan to attend
the University of
Saskatchewan fell
through because
of unforeseen
and unfortunate
circumstances, she quickly formulated a
second option.
Mesa Community College (MCC) became
her second chance to achieve a higher
education; an opportunity made possible
through scholarships. She is just one of many
Maricopa students who are helped every year
by scholarships offered through the Maricopa
Community Colleges Foundation.
Dominique is now one semester away from
finishing her associate’s degree and transferring
to Arizona State University, where she will study
Therapeutic Recreation and American Indian
Studies. Her ultimate goal is to begin helping
Native American families through counseling
and other therapeutic methods.
“With the help provided by scholarships from
many generous donors, and delineated through
the Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation,
my dreams are an active and present reality,”
she said. “As my goals are already beginning
to be achieved even during my education at
MCC, I’m now able to participate in and
co-coordinate community events such as
social- and human-rights-themed art shows
that directly help Native American people right
here in Maricopa County.”
Ashley Kasarjian
Dominique Hunter
Autumn Barber
Our Quest for Student SuccessThe Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation is
embarking on a comprehensive campaign to ensure that
students have the resources they need to succeed. The
Foundation’s goal is to raise $50 million over four years to
support student success in these three thematic areas:
• $25 million to fund scholarships that will directly support student success;
• $15 million in support for faculty and staff innovation, creativity, and excellence to develop new programs, initiatives, and methodologies to enhance student success; and
• $10 million to support community partnerships that expand opportunity for students.
The Foundation distributes over $2 million in scholarship funds annually to an average of
2,000 students, and your gift can really make a difference to a student.
By contributing to the Maricopa Community Colleges and Maricopa Community Colleges
Foundation, you will:
• Expand the access to – and quality of – a college education, as well as increase the opportunity to graduate;
• Increase the number of educated, productive, employed and engaged citizens, and taxpayers;
• Maintain a highly prepared and skilled workforce; and
• Ensure a robust economy and community where people want to live and work.
Won’t you join us? Visit us at mcccdf.org and become acquainted with the college campaign projects and how you can partner with the Foundation.
S T U D E N T S U C C E S ST H E C A M P A I G N F O R
F O R T H E M A R I C O PA C O M M U N I T Y C O L L E G E S
Endcating our Community,Ensuring our Future
My name is Autumn
Barber, and I am the
delighted recipient of the
Women’s Philanthropy
Circle Scholarship for
2014-15.
I am a non-traditional
student returning to finish
my degree after the death
of my late husband. My husband, Detective
Tim Barber, died of prostate cancer three years
ago. At the time I was pregnant with our twins,
who are now thriving two-and-a-half year olds.
Returning to school full time is emotional for
me, but I know that Tim would be excited
for my being granted this scholarship. Kind
gestures like this are what make it possible for
me to pursue my degree and help others in the
future. I am deeply grateful for your generosity.
—Autumn Barber
2014-15 Women’s Philanthropy Circle Recipient
Then and Now 11
When did your Maricopa career begin?I joined Maricopa in 1987 as a one-year-only
at Mesa Community College. I taught English
and Reading. At the end of the year I was
told that Mesa did not have a position. Then
Dr. Homero Lopez called from Glendale and
asked me if I would be interested in joining
the faculty there. I was in Mississippi visiting
my parents when he called, and we did the
interview from my parents’ bedroom. My
niece was on the outside of the door during
the entire interview trying to get in.
What was it like being chosen to work on creating Estrella Mountain Community College (EMCC)?We didn’t have a campus yet – we held
our classes in three local high schools:
West View High School, Agua Fria High
School, and Tolleson High School. We did
many planning meetings with people in the
community. They welcomed us and really
wanted us there. We worked with a number
of architects as to what the campus would
look like and what buildings would be there.
EMCC has progressed greatly over the years, hasn’t it?We’ve made a long journey in 20 years. We
always wanted a diverse college with people
who look like the community there, and
today, I must say that we have that.
What kind of work are you doing now?I am teaching online courses now, and I
miss the face-to-face. I miss hearing about
their hopes and dreams. I miss seeing
the enthusiasm on their faces as they talk
about books that they’ve read. I’m currently
teaching children’s literature. I love the idea
that students have so many choices.
Dr. John Waltrip
Doyle Burke
Maricopa MemoryPearl Williams Long-time faculty member discusses joining Estrella Mountain Community College at its inception.
Maricopa Memories: Waltrip, Burke Recall History of Glendale and MesaThis is the 50th anniversary year for Mesa (MCC) and Glendale (GCC) Community Colleges
[see related story page 9]. In honor of the event, we are publishing portions of interviews from two
people who were important to the formation of these institutions.
The late Dr. John Waltrip was President of GCC for more that 20 years. He passed away in 2013
but recorded an interview a year before his death. Doyle Burke was one in the first group of faculty
members hired at MCC and taught there for more than 38 years. Today he serves on the Governing
Board of the Maricopa Community Colleges.
Dr. John WaltripI started in ’66 as a history instructor at Glendale Community
College and I was in that position, oh—I don’t know how long.
Anyhow, I managed to get elected as the district faculty leader,
President of the Faculty Association, or whatever we called it in
those days. And after that I became a Dean of Instruction for three
years, and then I became President of Glendale Community College,
in which position I served for 20 years. And then I officially retired,
and in retirement, I taught at Estrella Mountain, a college which was
founded originally as part of Glendale Community College. I actually
taught there roughly half time for ten years in retirement. And when I
hit 80, I retired completely.
Glendale Community College was an instructor’s dream. Everything was brand new. We were
lucky in that our college had been chosen to get most of its original buildings as permanent
construction, whereas poor old Mesa only got part of their buildings as permanent, and I think all
of their classes were taught in temporary facilities built on campus, and it took them a few years to
get those replaced by real buildings. We all had offices, something that certainly not all of us had
before we got the jobs at Glendale.
We had one of the finest men that’s ever served in education in this country as our president,
Dr. (John) Prince, who had quite a background in establishing the community college system in
Arizona. Then he became the first president of Glendale Community College, and after serving one
year there, he became the president of the District.
Doyle BurkeWe were on the new campus when I started at Mesa
in ’68. In 1962, they started in storefronts in Mesa
and in ’65 or so they started building at Southern and
Dobson. So when I started, they had three or four large
buildings. We had lots of trailers on the south side and
surrounding us for a mile at least were fields. I think there
was one service station across the street on the corner
of Southern and Dobson, but nothing else around there –
just sheep and the fields. We used to joke about that.
During the first decade there was a great deal of construction and the campus was growing. From
1962, and for the next ten years we grew into about 8,000-8,500 students. So it was a place
of growth, lots of activity amongst students and we could see the campus growing during that
period. There was a lot of vitality at the college.
One of the really fascinating experiences I had when
I was a teacher was the growth of technology. I
learned to do word processing on a DEC computer.
It was a huge machine. It cost probably $7,500, and
I had to go to the library to use it because faculty
didn’t have those in their offices. But I learned to
do word processing on that DEC computer. Shortly
thereafter the Apple II came out and the IBM desktop, and when
those machines came out there was just a sea change in education. One of the things that I’m
really proud about in the English department at Mesa Community College is that our faculty were
dedicated to developing online courses.
Pearl Williams
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Welcome to Maricopa Matters! News For the Community From the Maricopa Community Colleges
2411 W. 14th S
treetTem
pe, A
rizona 85281
The Maricopa County Community College District is an EEO/AA institution and an equal opportunity employer of protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.
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Carol Diego, Managing Editor and Art Direction
Andrew Tucker, Writer; Natalie Vaughn, Online Edition
When did you com
e to the U.S.?I w
as originally from Saigon, Vietnam
and I’ve been in the U.S. for tw
o and a half years.
What are you studying?
Fashion Merchandising at M
esa Comm
unity College.
What is your dream
job?I w
ant to move to New
York and become a visual
designer for a large department store like Saks Fifth
Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, or Neim
an Marcus.
You recently won a contest?
Yes, I won the Phoenix Fashion W
eek “Inspire Fashion” T-shirt design contest. M
y inspiration was derived from
seeing a tattoo that said, “Free As A Bird.” To m
e, fashion isn’t only the dress styles or trends, but also the colors and the spirit.
Are there any sayings or quotes you love?Be positive, keep going, and don’t give up – there’s alw
ays an opened door out there waiting for you.
Meet Anh Huynh-Nguyen
fashion designer and student of a M
aricopa Comm
unity College
Rufus Glasper, Chancellor
Maricopa Community Colleges Governing BoardMr. Doyle Burke | Mr. Alfredo Gutierrez | Ms. Johanna Haver Mr. John Heep | Ms. Tracy Livingston | Ms. Jean McGrath Mr. Dana Saar
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