Maricopa Community Colleges • Office of the Chancellor • Community Advisory Committees • Vol. 3 • September 2012

Chancellor Update |

Driving National Post-secondary Education Policy

I’d like to tell you about the important role the Maricopa Community Colleges play on the national stage. As one of the largest systems in the country, we are positioned to influence national discussions that have serious implications for us here in Maricopa County.

I was recently named co-chair of the American Association of Community Colleges’ (AACC) 21st Century Initiative Policy and Advocacy Committee. In that capacity, I’m leading the strategic integration of the AACC’s recommendations that will help achieve the group’s goal of ensuring an additional 5 million students earn degrees, certificates, or other credentials by the year 2020. Most importantly, we are refocusing our efforts on student success (i.e., retention and completion) and creating clear educational pathways for students.

I am also a member of the National Commission on Higher Education Attainment, which is wrapping up the preparation of recommendations designed to respond to President Obama’s goal of helping an additional ten million Americans obtain degrees and certificates in the next decade. The Commission is determining how to change the way we do business so we can improve college retention and, in turn, restore U.S. higher education preeminence.

Earlier this year, I was appointed to the Commission on the Regulation of Post-secondary Distance Education. This Commission is developing recommendations to address

Chancellor Update 1Seamless Student Experience Update 1Board Elections 1

Community Connection provides news and information about the Maricopa Community Colleges and the Chancellor’s Community Advisory Committees to the community. Community Connection is published and distributed quarterly. For more information, contact Maxine Hill, Liaison to the Chancellor’s Community Advisory Committees: 480.731.8176.

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

New VC for Student Affairs 2New CAC Members 3AA CAC Internships 4

Dr. Rufus Glasper

Seamless Student Experience (SSE) on the Move

Chancellor Rufus Glasper established the Seamless Student Experience (SSE) Initiative in Fall 2011. The goal of the project is to provide excellent customer service to current and prospective students as they register and apply at any Maricopa Community College. SSE team research demonstrated that more than 81,700 students attended at least one of our colleges between Summer 2008 and Summer 2011; one in ten of those students were enrolled in more than one college during a single term. These statistics confirmed the need to create a consistent experience for all students.

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Governing Board Elections November 6

The Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) is governed by a five-person Governing Board. The Board sets policy on behalf of the district, and approves outcome

measures to determine the effectiveness for the constituents that we serve. Each member of the Governing Board is elected by the voters and serves a four-year term.

Remember the Date!

On November 6, 2012, voters in Maricopa County Supervisorial Districts #1 and #5 will elect governing board members.

District #1 The Colleges that fall within this district are: Rio Salado College, Scottsdale Community College

Chandler-Gilbert | Estrella Mountain | GateWay | Glendale | Mesa | Paradise Valley PhoenixRio Salado | Scottsdale | South Mountain | Maricopa Skill Center | SouthWest Skill Center

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ONEMaricopa

Felicia Ganther Named to Student Affairs Position

Ms. Felicia L. Ganther has been named Maricopa Community Colleges’ Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs. Ms. Ganther most recently served as Executive Director for Student Life at the College of Lake County in Grayslake, IL. She also served as an adjunct instructor for Speech, Interpersonal and

Group Communication courses and as a certified mediator in Chicago, IL.

“I am very pleased to announce the appointment of Felicia Ganther to this key position,” said Dr. Maria Harper-Marinick, Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost. “The Maricopa Community Colleges are focused on ensuring the success of all students, and Ms. Ganther will serve an important role in our Student Success Initiative and all aspects of student affairs.”

A specialist in student retention, Ms. Ganther has received the National Outstanding First-Year Advocate Award from the National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience, as well as a Proclamation from the Illinois State Senate for her work to retain first year students.

A Los Angeles native, Ms. Ganther holds Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees from Norfolk State University in Virginia. She also holds a Juris Doctorate from The John Marshall Law School, Chicago. She is now completing course requirements for a Ph. D. in Business Administration from Northcentral University of Arizona.

Ms. Ganther is excited about the opportunity to serve students, faculty, staff as well as the greater Maricopa community. She will be working on improving district support services to the Student Affairs divisions at each college, enhancing the early outreach initiatives from the District office, and supporting the implementation of the Student Success Initiatives and the Seamless Student Experience. Ms. Ganther is committed to the One Maricopa vision and will identify district-wide programs within Student Affairs to support student retention and success at all of our Maricopa Colleges.

SSE is taking a planned, systemic, and stakeholder-informed approach to solutions. Dr. Glasper assigned college presidents Dr. Paul Dale and Dr. Ernest Lara as Co-Executive Sponsors, and brought on five full-time team members, including four reassigned Maricopa employees to advance SSE (see photo below). The SSE has a core team, a district advisory group and representation from all ten colleges and both skill centers; it is truly a One Maricopa Initiative. The SSE team is creating a single process for admissions, records, registration, fee payment, and financial aid. Together with One Maricopa, the Developmental Education Agenda, and the Completion Agenda, SSE has been identified as a System Level Strategy critical to the success of our system.

The first of nearly 20 current projects is implementing a student payment calendar and enrollment cancellation plan. Currently, each college sets their own due dates, which may be confusing for students who attend more than one college. Another project seeks to shorten response time in the financial aid verification process, which could affect approximately 90,000 students per year. We are creating a system where students will be able to log on to all Maricopa systems and services through one portal. Other projects include standardizing forms and processes for admissions, registration, financial aid, scholarships and enrollment. These are just a few of the changes that students will experience over the next three years as the initiative progresses.

SSE Update (Continued from p.1)

and Chandler-Gilbert Community college, and encompasses portions of Tempe, Scottsdale, Southeast Phoenix, Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, and Queen Creek. Current Governing Board member Doyle Burke is running for re-election in District 1.

District #5 The colleges that fall within this district are: South Mountain Community College and GateWay Community College, and encompasses portions of Central and Southwest Phoenix, Guadalupe, Glendale, Avondale, Tolleson, Goodyear, Buckeye, and Gila Bend. Candidate forums will be scheduled for each college within Districts #1 and #5.

Board Elections (Continued from p.1)

Since April 2011, Tomás León has served as CEO for People of Color Network, Inc., a mental health service provider for more than 6,000 adults, children and families in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Prior to that, Tomás (a Tucson native) was the Vice President of Community Philanthropy and Operations for the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona, President/CEO

of the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Executive Director of Youth On Their Own, Inc. Tomás has two decades of experience in community and business development, behavioral health, advocacy, strategic philanthropy and communications.

Paul A. Smiley is the Founder and President of Sonoran Technology and Professional Services, which is located in Goodyear, AZ. He is responsible for creating and implementing Sonoran’s vision of becoming a preferred, industry leading small business known for providing highly skilled, value-added, and cost effective professional services for federal and state

agencies. Mr. Smiley serves on the Board of Directors for the Arizona Small Business Association and volunteers his time as an active board member for the Arizona Diversity Business Development Center. In 2011, his company received the prestigious Small Business Administrator’s Award for Excellence. Mr. Smiley is a retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Colonel and a combat veteran of Operation Desert Storm. He is a graduate and former instructor at the USAF’s Fighter Weapons School and is decorated with 20 medals and citations.

Adora G. Lewis is a recently appointed Special Advisor to Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton. She has extensive experience in city government, starting with the City of Phoenix in 1989. She has served as Chief of Staff for two Phoenix City Councilmen. Ms. Lewis participated in the City of Phoenix Management Intern Program, which

has trained future municipal leaders since 1950. Most recently, she served as Chief of Staff to Vice Mayor Michael Johnson. Adora received her Bachelor of Science in Political Science and her Master’s in Public Administration from Arizona State University.

Jason C. Wong is the Board Chairman of the National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP) Phoenix Chapter. Jason leads NAAAP-Phoenix towards becoming the premier professional organization for Asian Americans in the Valley. His goals include encouraging more active participation from members, (both current and potential) and

promoting more collaborative projects and activities with other Asian American community organizations. Jason has been a long-time active community member. He currently serves as a Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Arts of Business Council of Greater Phoenix, a board member of the Arizona Council for International Visitors, a class member of the Valley Leadership Institute and a life member of the FBI Citizen Academy Alumni Association.

William M. Whitfield is Chief Operating Officer at the Greater Phoenix Urban League. He was born in Melrose Park, IL., to parents who instilled the value of education in him at a young age. Throughout high school, William stayed active in a variety of activities, however, it was in his drafting class that he decided to make architecture his career.

William graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with his degree in Architectural Studies. After college, William moved from the Chicagoland area to Phoenix to start and pursue his career in architecture. After seven years in the Architectural field, he decided that his connection to the community weighed more heavily than his current career path. He volunteered with the Greater Phoenix Urban League Young Professionals for more than five years, with his last year and a half as the president of the organization. His compassion to work with youth, his dedication to service and his willingness to learn about the city, will aid him in helping to serve the greater Phoenix community.

Chancellor Glasper Welcomes Newest Community Advisory Committees Members

The Maricopa Community Colleges are proud to welcome the newest members of our Community Advisory Committees (CACs): Tomás León, Paul A. Smiley, Adora Lewis, Jason C. Wong and William Whitfield. Maricopa’s CACs represent African Americans, Asian Pacific Islanders, Latinos, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgenders, American Indians, and the disabled. CAC members are selected to provide counsel from a community perspective and strengthen community ties.

Paul A. Smiley

Tomás León

Adora G. Lewis

Jason C. Wong

William Whitfield

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Committee Objectives• 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 Voice (Disabled)

Chancellor’s Community Advisory Committees (CAC)

The AA-CAC Project a SuccessIn June and July, 2012, the African American Community Advisory Committee (AA CAC) introduced its first initiative, the AA CAC Internship. In January, the AA CAC identified the internship project as one of its strategic goals. The project pairs Maricopa Community College students with local businesses in both private and non-profit sectors for an eight-week paid internship. The interns selected to participate began with a week-long training program. The inaugural group of interns were Adrian Pearson (South Mountain), who was placed at the Maricopa Community College District Office, Student Services Division; Eric Early (Estrella Mountain), who was placed at Golden State Foods; and Taylor Russell (Estrella Mountain), who was placed at Comfort Suites, Goodyear.

Students who applied for the 8-week, $2,500 paid internship submitted a written application for AA CAC review. Criteria for consideration for the internship required that applicants be a current student at a Maricopa Community College and an active member of the Minority Male Initiative/Male

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Chandler-Gilbert I Estrella Mountain I GateWay I Glendale I Mesa I Paradise Valley I PhoenixRio Salado I Scottsdale I South Mountain | Maricopa Skill Center I SouthWest Skill Center

maricopa.edu @mcccd

Empowerment Network (MMI/MEN). Successful candidates needed to be between the ages of 18 and 22 and attend a week long mandatory training workshop at the District Office. The key to the success of the AA CAC Internship project was community investment and engagement. The CAC Internship project help sponsoring companies meet their current employee needs, while preparing the ultimate workforce. Valerie Churchwell, Chair of the African American Advisory Committee has noted that the AA CAC would like to continue to support the project, and thinks it’s an effort from which all CAC committees can benefit.

Chancellor Update (Continued from p.1)

regulatory costs and inefficiencies that impede post-secondary institutions’ compliance and block access to participate in distance education. Along with two Maricopa college presidents – Dr. Linda Lujan (Chandler-Gilbert) and Dr. Chris Bustamante (Rio Salado) – I recently met with representatives of the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), our accrediting body. Together, we met with various members of Congress to argue for keeping our current accreditation process (regional peer review) the way it is, and not to move to a single, federal accreditation authority. Simply put, one set of rules for all post-secondary education without respect for geographical differences wouldn’t help our cause.

I am proud to represent community college leadership on the local, state and national levels to ensure we improve college completion rates. Thank you for helping us achieve our goals!