Minutes 04/11/2006

A strategic conversation was scheduled to be held at 4:00 p.m. in the Rio Conference Center at Rio Salado College in Tempe, Arizona, pursuant to A.R.S. §38-431.02, notice having been duly given.

PRESENT

GOVERNING BOARD
Scott Crowley, President
Don Campbell, Member
Linda Rosenthal, Member
Jerry Walker, Member

ABSENT: Ed Contreras, Secretary

ADMINISTRATION
Rufus Glasper
Anna Solley
Maria Harper-Marinick
Pete Kushibab
Al Crusoe
Darrel Huish
Larry Christiansen
Ken Atwater
Debra Thompson
Mary Kay Kickels
Art DeCabooter
Jean Ann Abel
Maria Hesse
Kathy Kunath for Gene Giovannini
Ernie Lara for Homero Lopez
Steve Helfgot

Presenters:
Dr. Kay Faris, ASU WP Carey School
Mr. Patrick Martin, NAU
Dr. June Wiley, Ottawa University
Dr. Diana Abel, Mesa Community College
Dr. Larry Celaya, Rio Salado College
Cathy Lucius, MCCCD Nursing Program
Dr. Holley McKinzie Beene, Glendale Community
Karen Saeward, ASU
Dr. Rufus Glasper, MCCCD

Attendance: Approximately 80, not including facilitators, camera staff, and campus staff.

WORK SESSION (4:20 p.m. through 7:00 p.m.)

Acting Vice Chancellor Maria Harper-Marinick welcomed everyone present and explained that the purpose of the afternoon’s session would be to develop awareness about the different ways in which we partner with universities, within and outside of the state, share information about creative initiatives such transfer partnerships, sharing of resources, professional development and workforce development with the universities. She introduced board members present, as well as the Chancellor and Members of CEC. Special guests present were John Haeger, President of NAU, and Patty Moore also from NAU, Gail Hackett and Dr. Maggie Tolan from ASU. Dr. Harper-Marinick commented that it was also the intent of the session to dispel myths regarding student transfers to the universities, with some of the myths being:

• All Maricopa students transfer to ASU
• Occupational students don’t transfer
• AGEC Completion – students leave early
• Maricopa students are academically unprepared
• Maricopa students cannot get into professional programs

Dr. Harper-Marinick commented that the work session would be structured into two parts. The first part would include information sharing in four distinct areas dealing with transfer partnerships, sharing resources, professional development and workforce development. The second part would be an appreciative inquiry conversation facilitated by GCC faculty member Dr. Holly McKinzie Beene.

She provided the following brief overview of partnerships and initiatives.

• Northern Arizona University: We are excited to announce a new Memorandum of Understanding that we have signed with NAU today. This will provide a framework for articulation agreements that build on our current partnerships such as Interior Design, Hotel Restaurant Management and Diagnostic Medical Imaging. NAU will offer programs either on the campuses of the Maricopa Community Colleges or as part of their statewide on-line programs. We anticipate programs to begin in Fall 06 in Elementary Education, Business and Speech Communication.

• Arizona State University: ASU/Maricopa Alliance is the most recent example of partnership with ASU. We have 5 programs being developed and students are being recruited for admission into Alliance programs in the fall. In addition, there has been the longstanding curricular agreements known as Associate in Transfer Partnership degrees that support a direct articulation of coursework. We have 24 ATPS with ASU.

• Significant Partnerships with Other Institutions: We are pleased to have June Wiley here from Ottawa University. Ottawa represents some of the significant partnerships we have established to provide a diversity of options for completing the Baccalaureate. June will provide more information about the Ottawa partnership.

• The Maricopa Community Colleges have also entered into partnerships with Minority Serving Institutions and full on-line degree institutions, again to provide many options for our diverse student population.

• Sharing Resources: We work collaboratively with the universities to maximize the use of resources. We have shared the William Campus development with ASU Poly and provide facilities for NAU programs.

Additionally, these are some examples of grants that are funded for Maricopa and a university partner.

• Maricopa Engineering Transition Scholars (METS) – Two year National Science Foundation collaboration research project involving five Maricopa Community Colleges and ASU’s Fulton School of Engineering. Designed to create interest in engineering as a potential career and increase the number of students from underrepresented populations who enter engineering. Also provides support services for community college students transitioning into the Fulton School of Engineering.

• Communication in Science Inquiry Project (CISIP) – Three year National Science Foundation project involves collaboration under the direction of the MCCCD Office of Public School Program with ASU and school district partners to create, field test, research, evaluate, and disseminate professional development materials for science and English faculty at middle level, high schools and community colleges. Materials will equip faculty to integrate scientific writing, writing-to-learn processes and science language acquisition techniques.

• Project Pathways – Five year National Science Foundation grant through ASU to MCCCD that targets mathematics and science achievement through building of learning communities among educators at local high schools, community colleges and ASU. Will develop model for building sustainable learning communities across three tiers, collaborating on math and science research, faculty professional development and tracking changes in student learning resulting from changes in teacher practices.

• Visual Digital Literacy: Curricula and Modules -- Three year National Science Foundation funded project involving MCC and Brown University to introduce new curricula in the area of Visual Digital Literacy in computer literacy courses. Involves creation of new content using tools developed at Brown University, teaching modules and related student materials.

• Western Alliance to Expand Student Opportunities (WAESO) – Small awards of NSF funding via Arizona State University to selected science faculty at SMCC and PC to mentor and involve small groups of students from unrepresented populations in targeted classes who plan to transfer to four year institutions in research activities.

• National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative—a project with the University of Oklahoma Health Science Center. Involves a faculty member from Phoenix College who will be responsible for developing and implementing community college educational programs on disaster mental health and training for community disaster response volunteer groups. Grant funding is from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The following statistics were provided regarding Maricopa students:

# of Maricopa Transcripts Sent to Partner Institutions

Maricopa Students Pursuing BAS (added 1999) - AZ Public Universities

New Maricopa Transfer Students to Arizona Public Universities by # of Credits

Transfer Performance

A panel consisting of Dr. Kay Faris, Associate Dean of the ASU WP Carey School; Mr. Patrick Martin, Registrar from NAU; and Dr. June Wiley, Dean of Ottawa University addressed the following questions:
• Briefly describe the initiative/program
• Benefits for Maricopa
• Benefits for the partner organization
• Your one wish for this initiative/program

Dr. Faris: There has been a long history of articulation with MCCCD since the early 70’s. There is an associate business degree so that students can go to any community college and transfer to ASU/NAU/UofA. This degree provides a lot of flexibility for students who are unsure of where they want to go, however, there are several ATP’s for those who know specifically where they want to transfer and know what they need to take. One of the benefits of the WP Carey Program is that they can invite MCCCD students to activities and become acquainted with their culture. Her desire is that the public recognize how outstanding their students are and would look for even more challenges in the classroom. She would encourage students to not just do the minimum but do above and beyond that. She encouraged students to get more math or higher level math and is able to supply a list of courses.

Dr. Wiley: Ottawa has had a relationship with MCCCD since 1977. Some articulation programs are with Rio Salado, Mesa Community College, and South Mountain. These programs include police science, behavioral health, and music. The benefits include allowing the transfer of 80 lower division credit hours and their transfer program is seamless. Dr. Wiley would like to stress that Ottawa is very inviting for students. The diversity of students is great to see and it is very effective working with adult students.

Mr. Martin: The NAU partnership with MCCCD has been long standing and involves co-education of students through the process of equivalency courses. Benefits include the ability to offer 90 Degree Programs and 30 Certificate Programs and also consistent admission standards. NAU has a physical presence at PVC, PC, CGC, SMC, MCC, GCC, and GWC. They offer degree programs in teacher education, public sector, and technology. Mr. Martin indicated his wish would be for better prepared and successful students, as well as retention and graduation rates. He also would like to see an increase in the number of transfers to NAU and the promotion of opportunities and benefits.

Sharing Resources – Dr. Diana Abel
Dr. Abel shared information regarding the Arizona System Ready/Child Ready Initiative whose purpose is to enhance school readiness of disadvantaged preschool children by improving the knowledge and skills of preschool teachers who work in high poverty areas. She stated that the scope included:
• A 2+ year grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Education at $1.6 million (with 100% state match).
• Project began in Fall, 2003 with scholarships available for 300 preschool teachers in pursuit of their associates’ degree.
• Coursework completed between Spring ’04 and Summer ’05.
• Evaluation of project conducted during Fall ’05 and Spring ’06. Final report is pending.

This project Project is an initiative of AZ School Readiness Board and ASU in collaboration with statewide network of higher education & community-based partners. ASU was responsible for the day-to-day coordination and evaluation of the 2-year training program through contacts with US Department of Education, individual community college partners & community-based partners. Specific ASU responsibilities include:
• Define/describe multi-tiered demonstration of state collaboration in terms of models/measures as well as practices/policy
• Implement data gathering of child assessment materials, teacher assessment materials & other formative/summative evaluations
• Prepare reports & disseminate findings

Community college partners included Northland Pioneer, Pima Community College, Central AZ College & representing MCCCD – GCC, PC, and SMCC
Specific responsibilities:
• Recruit, admit & advise students
• Offer coursework
• Offer developmental learning opportunities through establishment of learning communities
• Share information with grant partners

A description of the community served were
• Five high need counties (or areas of counties) were served.
• Project participants represented all areas of early childhood practitioners.
• Specific numbers served:
Maricopa 100 - 125 students
Pima 75 students
Pinal 50 students
Apache/Navajo 75 students

The benefit of partnership for MCCCD, GCC, PC & SMCC included:
• Opportunity to participate in federally funded demonstration grant
• Opportunity to academically engage with other faculty, community-based partners at a state level
• Opportunity to serve developmental needs of students through learning communities, based on student’s development needs in correlation to early childhood best practices & developmentally appropriate knowledge
• Results/evaluation of grant outcomes provide potential for future/continuing work in areas of early childhood student preparation that can be replicated at multiple MCCCD campuses
• Raise awareness of importance of early childhood college-level coursework & MCCCD’s willingness to engage in this work

Dr. Abel stated that it was a desire for the Partnership to have engagement of MCCCD Early Childhood Programs, at institutional levels, to use results of project (when released) to enhance, support, enrich and implement results into current programs. As a project outcome, ASU has developed & maintains the following project website
Arizona System Ready Child Ready

Professional Development
Dr. Larry Celaya, Faculty at Rio Salado College, came forward to speak about the partnerships that have been developed for Maricopa faculty and staff. He commented that in 1999 because analysis conducted revealed the great number of retirements scheduled to take place at the Maricopa Community Colleges, a Master’s cohort program with NAU had been developed and put in place to address the need for a pool of qualified employees to fill those vacancies. This program has been in place since 2001 and to date eight cohorts have been put together. 69 students have graduated thus far and more will graduate in August. In addition, another cohort will begin in August. Dr. Celaya mentioned that a doctorate cohort program with Walden University was also started in the Fall of 2003 and in the Spring of 2005 a doctorate program was designed for ten students through NAU. These students are being taught and mentored by Dr. Linda Thor, Dr. Art Decabooter, Dr. Larry Christiansen, and Dr. Steve Helfgot. Benefits from these programs included involvement in areas other than their regular work, and help with succession planning.

Workforce Development
Cathy Lucius, Nurse Administrator with the MCCCD Nursing Program, spoke about the Nursing Education Partnership in place with ASU’s College of Nursing. She provided the following information:

• Nursing Program Chairs and ASU Leadership meet each semester
– Provide update on each program
– Share ideas and concerns
– Explore solutions to common issues
• Joint appointment of a member on each Curriculum Committee
• Joint continuing education projects

Students and Faculty provide:
• RN-BSN Advising on college campus
• Participation in Professional Development Day
• Invitation to Community Services Building on ASU campus
• Invitation to tour Nursing Museum
• Clinical Coordination Activities

The Nursing Alliance:
• Assists in transition from AAS degree to BSN (RN-BSN and RN-BSN-MS)
• Early Academic Advising
• Targeted Scholarship Programs
• Access to Student Services
• Academic and Social Events
• Facilitated Transfer Process

Ms. Lucius stated that in the future they will expand the number faculty with adjunct assignments at the colleges and ASU, increase the participation of RN-BSN and graduate students in teaching opportunities and mentoring activities, share resources when possible, classrooms, lab spaces and equipment and have collaboration in clinical case scenarios.

Small Group Discussion
Dr. Holly McKinzie Beene from Glendale Community College, facilitated small group discussions based on the following questions:

• What in the Maricopa environment has allowed us to be successful in developing existing initiatives and partnerships?
• Imagine initiatives we can create in the future … How will they benefit our students and communities?
• What is the defining element that has fostered our existing partnerships?
• Pick ONE of your ideas and describe your BHAG … in a newspaper headline.

Report-outs were conducted and their results are included with these minutes.

Looking Beyond – Dr. Rufus Glasper, Chancellor
Dr. Glasper thanked everyone for their participation. He stated that this evening was about generating ideas and securing ideas. BHAG’s design a goal that we believe can be successful. He thanked the Governing Board for their support and indicated that it helps to have board members be part of the process as we start to vision and do university partnerships. He stated that the key is collaboration. He thanked the universities for their partnerships and invited them back for more discussion. He commented that one of the fears he has right now is that the parnerships will not be sustained because someone might get upset. The mission today is one that is focused on access to the baccalaureate but it has never been defined by us. Recent conversations are helping us develop a mental model that we can articulate. There is a need to engage the Legislature to understand the importance of funding and to venture outside of box. There is a need to focus on a number of items such as workforce, succession planning, cohorts, number of students that start out, and numbers that we believe are important. We need to move where we believe we feel we need to go. We need to take what was put on the walls to heart. Need to take questions to our students and bring them into the collaboration process and continue to work with university partners.

ADJOURNMENT
The meeting concluded at 7:00 p.m.

________________
Ed Contreras
Governing Board Secretary