Maricopa Community Colleges • Office of the Chancellor • Community Advisory Committees • Vol. 9 • June 2014

Chancellor’s Update

Each year, I rotate and attend one Maricopa commencement (they are held on the same night) and as many convocations as I can, because it’s such a pleasure to share in the joy of students who are celebrating a major accomplishment. Looking out over the crowds of friends and families, it’s always a wonderful feeling to know that our colleges have helped students attain their goals, whether it’s a degree or certificate that leads directly to a job or one that allows a student to move on to a four-year institution. This year, I noticed something different about our commencement ceremonies and convocations. College officials said they, too had noticed a difference. There were more graduates and more of them took part in graduation. What’s more, it seemed that more friends and relatives celebrated these achievements by attending our events.

What does this mean? I believe it’s nothing but good things for those students, the Maricopa Community Colleges, and our community. As you know, students who receive a degree

Dr. Rufus Glasper

Community Connection provides news and information about the Maricopa Community Colleges and the Chancellor’s Community Advisory Committees. Community Connection is published and distributed quarterly.

Read CommunityConnection online: www.maricopa.edu/chancellor/cac.php

Two Maricopa students were selected to be in an exclusive group – the “Dream Team” – that received a fully paid trip to Cisco’s Cisco Live conference, the networking giant’s largest annual customer-focused event. Andreas “Andy” Gronen (Chandler-Gilbert) and Rhasaan Kimbrough (South Mountain) were selected to this year’s cadre of ten students. The conference took place this past May in San Francisco. At the 25,000-person conference, students worked closely with Cisco engineers to provide on-site wireless network support for the event.

Rhasaan Kimbrough – a veteran of the United States Air Force – received several awards for maintaining and troubleshooting advanced technological equipment. “I’m looking forward to the hands-on opportunities that will help catapult my career to the technical engineering world as a networking engineer,” he said. Andy Gronen is an international student from Italy with a bachelor’s in Economics and a master’s in Game Design. “Being part

Maricopa Students Win National, State Tech Awards

of the Cisco Dream Team for Cisco Live 2014 was a huge learning and networking opportunity for me,” said Gronen.

In separate technology news, Maricopa students took home seven out of 11 first place awards from the Avnet Tech Games, an annual competition featuring 200 students from Arizona community colleges and universities. Avnet, a leading global technology distributor, convened a panel of judges, including technology executives, engineers, and other business leaders, who selected the winners based on the students’

ability to meet the technical requirements of a task, apply innovative approaches to the solution, and demonstrate professional skills.

More than 75 teams of students competed in the Games, including participants from Arizona State University, ITT Technical Institute, the Maricopa Community Colleges, Northern Arizona University, the University of Advancing Technology and the University of Arizona.

See Chancellor Update— page 3

Maricopa Avnet Tech Game Teams

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Chancellor Recognizes Students for Community Involvement

This year, the District Office’s Center for Civic Participation conferred 19 Medallion Awards. Each year, many Maricopa students exemplify what it means to be highly engaged. Chancellor Glasper created the Civic Leadership Medallion award to acknowledge these outstanding students and to encourage others to follow their example. This honor highlights students’ effective civic participation and leadership as a central goal and function of higher education.

Civic participation – active involvement in public campus and community life – is a cornerstone of Maricopa Community Colleges’ mission.

To be considered for the award, students must demonstrate broad general and educational contribution to the campus and community and increase students and community involvement in governmental processes (i.e., public policy). They must help grow awareness about critical community and political issues or ones that expand students’ and community members’ capacity for leadership and political efficacy.

Maricopa Faculty Receive National Awards

Last month, 28 Maricopa faculty members were recognized 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. Its program honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions at their institutions. The awardees are as follows:

• Estrella Mountain: Laura Dulgar (Student Services), Randy McElroy

(Science), Debra Sheldon (Learning Services)

• Glendale: Dr. Carol Jenkins (Sociology), Dr. Ladonna Lewis

(Psychology), Dr. Julie Waskow (Philosophy & Religious Studies)

• Phoenix: Salina Bednarek (Nursing), Maltilda Chavez (Nursing),

Christine Moore (Library), Amy Marin (Psychology), Bret Little

(Administration of Justice), Deb Kappes (Dental Hygiene), Marian

Gibney (Psychology), Maria Enciso (Spanish), Victor Cornell

(Mathematics)

• Rio Salado: Jennifer Shantz (Business), Lanna Dueck (Institutional

Effectiveness), Ryan Chase (Student Services)

• Scottsdale: Amy Volpe, Roberto Ribas, Dan Nearing, Bill Meacham,

Donna Gaudet, Phil Clark, Jenifer Bohart (All Mathematics)

• South Mountain: Stephen Hustedde (Computer Information

Systems), Allison Parker (English, Women’s Gender Studies), Dawn

Penich-Thacker (English, Writing)

Maricopa Artists of Promise Event Features Students’ Bright Future

On April 9, diverse students from across the valley took center stage at the Orpheum Theater, showcasing their finest artistic work to an audience of over 500 people.

Artists of Promise is a gala performance and exhibition honoring the 2014 Chancellor Award Winners of Maricopa Community Colleges’ student visual art, dance/choreography, creative writing, theatre, and music competitions.

Helios Education Gives $2 Million to the Maricopa Community Colleges

In April, the Helios Education Foundation announced a new investment of $2 million in partnership with the Maricopa

Community Colleges focused on ensuring more Latino students achieve a college degree. Nearly 1,000 students at Glendale and Estrella Mountain Community Colleges will participate in programs over the next three years.

“While I am encouraged by everything that has been done to better prepare Arizona’s students for the future, I am concerned about the growing disparity in the academic achievement of our Latino students,” said Vince Roig, Helios’s Founding Chairman.

“With this new investment, the partnership between the Maricopa Community College District and Helios Education Foundation is strengthened with the ultimate goal of ensuring that all students achieve a postsecondary education,” said Dr. Maria Harper-Marinick, Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost, Maricopa Community College District. “We are grateful for Helios’ vision and commitment to enabling us to provide comprehensive academic supports.”

The partnership includes comprehensive student supports and resources, including financial assistance, mentoring and academic support, opportunities for parent and family engagement, academic planning and other services. Students will be engaged throughout their community college experience with support toward Associate’s degrees and/or certificate completion, as well as transition into baccalaureate degree granting institutions.

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Chancellor Update Continued—front page

don’t have to attend commencement. Those who do want to celebrate their achievement with the world. So, too, with those who participate in convocations. The fact that more of them are attending is a sign of the increased significance students are placing on their achievements. A word about convocations: Each year, Maricopa employees sponsor culturally relevant celebrations for students who have traditionally been under-represented in higher education. This year, convocations were held for African American, American Indian, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, LGBTQA (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Asexual/Ally). The Veterans Convocation was a new event, celebrating the accomplishments of a growing population of Maricopa students, those men and women who have returned to us from years of military service. When any Maricopa student attains a certificate that will translate into a better job, completes a high school equivalency program, or earns a degree, it is a proud moment for all of Maricopa’s faculty and staff. So next year, during commencement season, I invite you to join me at a commencement or convocation, and see what the excitement is all about.

SRP Awards Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation $270,000

Salt River Project (SRP) will create a Scholars Fund at the Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation to recognize and assist outstanding Maricopa students who are studying a variety of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) related programs. SRP is making a $250,000 contribution that will be provided to the Foundation over the next six years; it will grant renewable scholarships to qualifying students.

SRP will also donate an additional $20,000 ($10,000 each) to Chandler-Gilbert and Estrella Mountain Community Colleges – for a total of $270,000. These donations will establish a Get into Energy fund for students pursuing an energy-related career at each school.

New Vice Chancellor of HR Arrives

LaCoya Shelton-Johnson is Maricopa’s new Vice Chancellor for Human Resources. Her appointment was approved by the District’s Governing Board at its February meeting.

Ms. Shelton-Johnson previously was Chief HR Officer with the Arizona Department of Administration, where she led the delivery of HR and organizational development services to nearly 11,000 employees across 70 State agencies, boards, and commissions. Prior to this role, she was Director of Human Resources and Development with the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS).

Ms. Shelton-Johnson is a graduate of Arizona State University, where she earned concurrent bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Business Administration. She earned her master’s degree in Organization Management from the University of Phoenix and is in the dissertation phase of her Ph.D. in Organization and Human Capital Management at Capella University.

Chancellor Glasper Receives Honorary Degree from NAU

Maricopa Community Colleges’ Chancellor Rufus Glasper has received an honorary degree from Northern Arizona University for his significant contributions to the education of others. Dr. Glasper addressed graduates at NAU’s annual spring commencement ceremony in Flagstaff on Saturday, May 10.

Dr. Glasper has worked for the Maricopa Community Colleges for 28 years, spending the last 11 as Chancellor. A longtime advocate for student success, Dr. Glasper has overseen the development of numerous innovative programs. Under his leadership, Maricopa has developed transfer and articulation programs to State universities. The partnership between Maricopa Community Colleges and NAU, known as Connect 2 NAU, has grown steadily over the past decade.

In each academic year since 2010-11, there have been 4,000 – 5,000 NAU students at any class level who transferred from a Maricopa Community College. There are roughly 1,500 new Maricopa transfers to NAU each year.

• Provide community-inspired counsel and advice to the Chancellor;

• Work with the Colleges to strengthen their relationships with the community;

• Serve as a conduit of information between the Colleges and the community;

• Help the Colleges identify community issues and proactively address concerns; and

• Work on projects that advance the Chancellor’s objectives.

Populations represented by the CACs: African-American, Asian Pacific Islander, GLBT, Latino, Native-American, and people with disabilities.

Chancellor’s Community Advisory Committees (CAC)

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News Briefs

Gilbert Teen Graduating From Community College at Age 16 (Arizona Republic, May 6)

Habib Matar quit middle school at age 13 to enter Chandler-Gilbert Community College. Last month, he graduated with a two-year degree at age 16, one of the youngest graduates in the colleges’ history. This fall, he will enter Arizona State University with the goal of becoming a programmer. Among his instructors at CGCC was Patricia Baker. “He was an excellent student,” Baker said. “He grasps concepts very quickly, and he has a great sense of humor. He kept the class lively.”

15-Year-Old Earns Four Associate Degrees (Arizona Republic, May 12)

Not many colleges have a 15-year-old commencement speaker. But that’s the student Paradise Valley Community College tapped for last week’s graduation ceremonies. Alexander “AJ” Gilman was 13 when he first enrolled in community-college classes. Now 15, he was among 255 students graduating from PVCC. He took home four associate degrees.

Spanish Medical Interpreter and Civic Participation Programs Featured (Horizonte/KAET, May 8)Communicating with health care personnel or your doctor is often a difficult situation when you aren’t feeling well or you are experiencing a traumatic situation. Rio Salado College Faculty Chair for Languages, Dr. Angela Felix and Karee Peigné, manager of the Spanish Medical Interpreter Program at Estrella Mountain Community College discussed courses and programs being offered to address language barriers in the medical field.

For the past five decades, the Arizona Town Hall has created a forum for Arizona leaders to offer solutions to the state’s biggest problems. The latest Town Hall focused on what to do about Arizona’s vulnerable populations. Alberto Olivas, director for Maricopa County Community College District Center for Civic Participation was interviewed.

Governing Board Highlights

Board Approves $3 Tuition increase, 2% Tax Levy Hike

Members of the Governing Board approved a tuition increase of $3 per credit hour during their regular April meeting. The increase brings the in-county tuition rate from $81 to $84 per credit hour, starting July 1, 2014. During its May meeting, the Board approved a proposed budget of $1.7 billion, an increase of approximately $38 million over the current budget. The increases will finance student success initiatives, IT support, need-based scholarships and faculty support.

GCC Student Guitar Ensemble Wins National RecognitionThe eight members of the Glendale Community College Guitar Ensemble played for the Governing Board during a recent Board meeting. The occasion was the announcement that the ensemble, directed by Chuck Hulihan, GCC’s guitar instructor, had been named 2014 winner of the Guitar Foundation of America ensemble competition. The ensemble will perform before an international audience later this month. Members of the ensemble are Alex Resnick, Andrew Devonport, Ricardo Araiza, Andrew Leary, Danny Mehmedi, Hans Nieschulz, Armando Sanchez and Joshua Mayo.

District Gets $1.4 Million From LegislatureDawn Wallace, Director of State and Local Government Relations, reports that the Maricopa Community Colleges will receive $1.4 million in new money to be spent on projects related to STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) programs. SCC and District Marketing Win National AwardsScottsdale Community College won an NCMPR Gold Paragon Award for their electronic catalog and class schedule and the District Marketing Department won an NCMPR Silver Paragon Award for its advertising campaign, “Meet Success,” online at celebrate.maricopa.edu/meetingsuccess. The awards were presented by the National Council on Marketing and Public Relations (NCMPR), an organization for college marketing professionals.