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Minutes 03/11/1997



GOVERNING BOARD
MARCH 11, 1997
MINUTES


An executive session convened at 5:30 p.m., pursuant to A.R.S. ยง38-431.02, notice having duly given.

A strategic conversation session of the Maricopa County Community College District Governing Board was scheduled to be held at 6:30 p.m. at the District Support Services Center, 2411 West 14th Street, Tempe, Arizona.

PRESENT

GOVERNING BOARD
Nancy Stein, President, Ed Contreras, Secretary, Linda B. Rosenthal, Member, Donald R. Campbell, Member, Gene Eastin, Member

ADMINISTRATION
Paul A. Elsner,Donna Schober for William Waechter,Alfredo G. de los Santos Jr., Rufus Glasper,Ron Bleed, Janice Bradshaw, Brian Johnson for Larry Christiansen, John Cordova, Art DeCabooter,Stan Grossman, Homero Lopez, Linda Thor, Joyce Elsner for Tessa Martinez Pollack, Arnette Ward

ABSENT

STATE BOARD
Nick Balich

CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order at 5:30 p.m. by President Nancy Stein.

EXECUTIVE SESSION
President Stein called for a motion convening an executive session, notice having been previously given.

MOTION 8638
Don Campbell moved that an executive session be convened. Motion carried 5-0.

ย The meeting recessed at 5:31 p.m.
ย The meeting reconvened at 6:30 p.m.

CITIZENS INTERIM
ย Mrs. Stein announced that this Citizens Interim was held to provide an opportunity for those who wished to ย speak regarding proposed tuition and fees for fiscal year 1997-98. The following citizens came forward.

Jamey Taylor expressed his opposition to the tuition hike.

David Ellingson, President of Associated Students at Mesa Community College, expressed his concern that the impending vote on the proposed tuition and fees will occur two days following Spring Break, which does not allow students much time to question the issue and express their concerns. He inquired why the issue has to be voted on when scheduled. Mr. Ellingson stated that although a three dollar per credit increase may not appear to be a steep, everyone has a financial breaking point. He expressed his concern that this increase be such a breaking point for some students.

Raelace Salas did not object to an increase in tuition and fees, but expressed her concern that her and others' aid from other entities, such as DES, has already been calculated for the calendar year. Ms. Salas requested that the Board find a way to exempt those or grant aid to those who enrolled in classes for the balance of the year and have their aid figured on those costs calculated on current tuition and fees prior to the increase.

(II-A) STRATEGIC ISSUES REGARDING HOW DO WE ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO BECOME LIFE LONG LEARNERS? WHAT ARE LEARNERS NOT GETTING THAT THEY NEED?

President Arnette Ward introduced the topic for the Strategic Conversation and read a number of quotes regarding seniors. Rose Pfefferbaum then went over the objectives for the anticipated outcomes for the conversation and presented the ground rules. Members from the Senior Adult Network programs were recognized and asked to come forward to present their perspectives as life-long learners. Participants spoke of the importance of education in their lives. Dr. Pfefferbaum introduced the facilitators for the evening. The group then broke into four small groups to brainstorm two questions. Question number two was common to all groups. The groups reported as follows:

Group One:
ย Facilitators - Eve Tutnick and Shellie Gottfried

    Question #1: How do we encourage our students to become life long learners?
    - Exposure to friendly environment
    - Make educational experience exciting
    - Intergenerational classrooms with respect for all
    - Develop welcome, safe and inclusive environment
    - Seniors need motivation to learn and awareness that possibilities to learn exist
    - Enthusiasm and modeling that learning is exciting
    - Be aware of diversity and make it welcoming to diversity
    - Effective bridge to high schools
    - Learning needs to be started at the earliest years and continued throughout life

    Question #2: How can Maricopa programs better address the needs of life long learners?
    - More dollars spent on teachers
    - Broad range of programs
    - Start addressing State Legislature
    - Specialized orientation
    - Use young students from minority areas to encourage seniors to come to campuses
    - Wide range of programs and intergenerational students

Group Two:
ย Facilitator - Nancy Olson

    Question #1: How do we encourage members of our communities to participate in life long learning? - Provide relevant programs
    - Provide exposure - publicity, word-of-mouth, flyers, TV.
    - Employment community can assist with tuition, time off, on-site course offerings
    - Fun, enjoyable courses
    - useful offerings
    - Presentation should be entertaining
    - Offer evening and weekend classes

    Question #2: How can Maricopa programs better address the needs of life long learners?
    - Educate instructors about students' needs
    - Surveys, needs assessments
    - Community based
    - service learning
    - Offer wide spectrum of short term and non credit courses
    - Education should reflect job market
    - Education needs to be envisioned as a life long process at an early age
    - intergenerationals
    - Helpful and non-threatening courses to initiate experience

Group Three:
ย Facilitator - Marti McCorkindale

    Question #1: How do we educate our community as to the importance of lifelong learning?
    - Publications, newsletters
    - Relevancy
    - Commitment to living
    - Education - life long process
    - Cable TV.
    - Marketing our product (nationally)
    - Senior centers (word of mouth)
    - Smarter citizens (safety)
    - Auditing costs more - why?

    Question #2: How can Maricopa programs better address the needs of life long learners?
    - Bring education to the seniors
    - Stimulating - socializing
    - More space
    - More affordable
    - Learn from other successful programs
    - Alternative scheduling
    - Relevancy - to the group (their interests)
    - College is or should be for everyone
    - Engender enthusiasm /excitement - learning
    - Age no barrier
    - Get rid of tenure?
    - Less costs for some courses
    - Look at new models

Group Four:
ย Facilitator - Mary Kaye Allen

    Question #1: What would you include in the ideal lifelong learning model?
    - Variety - credit versus non-credit, pay versus free, short term versus long term
    - Accessible
    - Outreach - going to the people ย 
    - Diversity
    - Flexibility - class times and subject matters
    - Community Partnerships
    - All ages
    - Develop research skills and assessment
    - Small classes

    Question #2: How can Maricopa programs better address the needs of life long learners?
    - Publications of community opportunities
    - Needs assessment
    - Encourage auditing classes
    - Examine financing of classes
    - Better promotion of offerings

Plus
Individual perspectives
Great participation
Lots of people - all ages
Intergenerational Only ten minutes over time

Delta
Not enough young people
Need more sessions
Address financial need of folks in middle (not eligible for aid)
Better ratio of non-educated to educators
More partnerships with business
Too much educational jargon
Target special populations

ADJOURNMENT
ย The meeting adjourned at 8:45 p.m.

Governing Board Meeting
March 11, 1997
Attachments

OVERVIEW OF PERSONAL PERSPECTIVES PRESENTED FROM INDIVIDUAL LIFE LONG LEARNERS

Perspectives from gentleman who started college in later years and achieved a masters degree after his retirement:

    Educators are present throughout our lives. They include mothers, grade school teachers, high school teachers, etc., and they influence our career choices. Education should never stop. He spoke of RISE as being "seniors doing for seniors." There is a teamwork approach toward life long learning for people who are interested in learning and doing things. "Education is aimed at making a living - life long learning is aimed at making a life."

Perspectives from a student who failed at a university, but re-entered education at a community college:

    She commented that her re-entry into education and moving toward an associates degree after her unsuccessful attempt at the university was part of her life long learning. Aids available to her at the community college helped her to re-integrate and achieve her goals.

Perspectives from a life long learner regarding the Reader's Theater at Mesa Community College:

    She commented that the real hallmark is to serve the needs of the community and that is what is being accomplished. She provided a story of a sixty-seven year old senior who received a JTPA award. This woman began school later in life to learn to read and went on to utilize her skills in working with at-risk students.

Perspectives from a life long learner regarding the Frontiers Reading and Intergenerational Programs at Glendale Community College:

    Although she first doubted that she was "college material," she succeeded. She enjoyed working with the young children in the program and also had the opportunity to learn how to use computers.

Perspectives from a life long learner who is a member of the Senior Educational Advisory Council at Scottsdale Community College:

    She expressed hope that more programs will be available in the institutions. Work needs to be done in meeting needs. Education helps people move more smoothly through the aging process. "Help people look at what is left - not what is gone."

Perspectives from a life long learner who has a disabled child:

    She continued her learning to help her better care for her child and to be better able to teach her child to be as productive and capable as possible in life.

Perspective from a life long learner who spoke of living as an age of transformation:

    Life and learning are becoming more and more technology driven and it will become more important in the 21st Century to be engaged in the right activity at the right place, at the right time, and with the right people.

An overview was given of an interactive, intergenerational video conference between Mesa Community College and Chandler Gilbert Community College where values and vision were shared. It was described as a very positive experience and received positive evaluations from the participants.

The following notes are taken directly from the written copy of two life-long learners:

    "Two years ago I took Theater 121. Here I was reminded of Shakespeare's Seven Ages of Man. I have compared these to Man's Seven Academic Ages. Age 1: Infant - beginning of education - how wonderful is the future as crying "help me." Age 2: Schoolboy - center of one's universe with curiosity and pursuits. Age 4: Soldier - trained and staid - applying learning. Age 6: Lean old man/woman - retirement period - new horizons appearing. Age 7: Is a choice between wisdom or second childhood - "help me! I've fallen and I can't get up!" Did anyone notice the absence of Age 3?...... The LOVER! What is love? love of what? of whom? Is it an idealism? a searching? an unmet need? or a drive to fill an empty spot? I found LIFE LONG LEARNING to be this very essential process. It is a LOVE. What is given to me - I take and accumulate. There comes a time when someone, somewhere, somehow - when least expected, indicates an educated mind. So SMILE! LIFE LONG LEARNING really shows! I feel a sense of well-being created by LIFE LONG LEARNING as I receive affirmations that "I'm not losing what I'm using" - my brain."

    "I would like to explain why I am a "life long learner." My first reason is by obtaining a formal education will fulfill a life long dream, one which I missed and have always wanted since childhood. Being a child of a migrant worker and changing schools two to three times a year, made getting an education difficult, almost impossible. I married at seventeen and children soon followed. My dream was changed from myself to my children. All of my children attended college - one has her master's degree. However, I found myself still wanting an education. With a few years of hard work, I now will have a chance to obtain the degree I always wanted. This will also give me a chance for a better job and more money to aid me in my retirement years. Education will also give me more independence and remove the restraints of accepting only low paying jobs. Education can give me a career, and a better station in life. Education to me is a challenge. The daily learning of new concepts, ideas, and technology is a challenge, difficult for anyone, but so enriching. Just when I think I have wisdom and knowledge I find there is so much more. The rewards are sweet and delightful. I find I have more choices, life becomes better and the rewards more pleasurable. As I learn my world also grows and the more information I have the better my chances are of helping myself and the community. These are the reasons I am a life long learner."