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Minutes 11/15/2005


MARICOPA COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT
GOVERNING BOARD RETREAT, EXECUTIVE SESSION
& SPECIAL BOARD MEETING
NOVEMBER 15, 2005
MINUTES


A retreat, executive session, and special board meeting of the Maricopa County Community College District Governing Board was scheduled to be held at 2:00 p.m. at the Rio Conference Center in Tempe, Arizona, pursuant to A.R.S. §38-431.02, notice having been duly given.

PRESENT

GOVERNING BOARD

Don Campbell, President
Linda Rosenthal, Member
Ed Contreras, Member
Jerry Walker, Member

ABSENT: Scott Crowley, Secretary

ADMINISTRATION

Rufus Glasper, Chancellor
Debra Thompson
Ron Bleed
Anna Solley
Darrel Huish
Albert Crusoe
Jean Ann Abel
Larry Christiansen
Maria Hesse
Gene Giovannini
Mary Kay Kickels
Ken Atwater
Homero Lopez
Karen Mills for Linda Thor
Maureen Zimmerman for Maria Harper-Marinick

SPAC
Georgia Gudykunst
Clay Goodman
Guest: Tonya Drake
Lionel Diaz
Dennis Shaw
Kevin Vahle
Pat Case
Christine Hall
Jeanne Christen
Lynda Helminski
Laura Helminski
Pete Kushibab
Pat Honzay
Earl Monsour
Janice Reilly
Steve Schenk
Teresa Toney
Ruth Unks
Naomi Story
Jamie Moore
Gaye Murphy
Guest: Nancy Osborne
Guest: Donna Silber
Bill Guerriero for Janet Ortega
Doug Sawyer

CALL TO
ORDER The retreat was called to order at 2:00 p.m. by President Campbell with brief welcome remarks.

Objectives: Vice Chancellor Debra Thompson also offered a message of welcome to everyone in attendance and briefly went over the three objectives set for the “Becoming Our Future” Governing Board Retreat:

  • Discussion of the three monitoring reports (Annual Monitoring Indicators, Assessment, and Diversity)
  • Updates on Vision and Values Statements
  • Achieving the Vision/Values/Goals of the Beyond Boundaries

o District-wide planning accomplishments
o New directions to achieve goals

Indicators Report: Georgia Gudykunst, Director of Institutional Effectiveness, presented highlights from the Annual Monitoring Report which her office prepares. (Copies of PowerPoint slides are included with these minutes.) She explained that the purpose of the report was to:

  • Provide information from the national indicator benchmark project
  • Provide information of interest to Maricopa regarding lagging and leading indicators.

This information would also provide a broad, high-level overview of aspects of MCCCD and the overall effectiveness of the institution. The presentation included information pertaining to:

  • The National Community College Indicator Benchmark Project conducted by Johnson County Community College in which they review their institution’s effectiveness in relation to other community colleges according to similar indicators.
  • MCCCD statistics were provided on the following categories:
    • Minority employees and credit students
    • Information on credit students pertaining to cost per credit hour, cost per FTE, course retention, persistence, core academic skills, and first time students completion rates and transfers.
    • Information on leading indicators included percent of Maricopa County high school seniors who meet/exceed AIMS standards in math, reading, and writing. Other leading indicators included breakdown of student genders that come to MCCCD and their GPAs, as well as performance in first English and Math courses.
    • Possible next steps included
    • Further review of data of students served and how we do
    • Examine data on a deeper level
    • Ask what is good enough in terms of student results (national view, MCCCD view)
    • If not good enough, what should be the focus
    • Set goal levels to aspire and monitor
    • Collaborate with faculty and others
    • Communicate indicator/data updates regularly

Assessment Report: Laura Helminski, Faculty Member at Rio Salado College and Faculty Chair of the District Student Academic Achievement Committee (DSAAAC), presented information pertaining to student academic achievement assessment. She explained that assessment in the 1990s was to develop a plan, consider patterns of evidence and consider college level assessments. A reality check in the late 1990s asked questions as to whether students were achieving intended learning outcomes and how it was known, were there patterns of evidence and were data-driven decisions being made? A new assessment statement was adopted in 1999 that stated: “The purpose of assessment in the Maricopa Community Colleges is to improve teaching and student learning in support of the Governing Board Goal of post-secondary competencies.” As a result, in the last five years:

  • Work has focused on assessment and continuous improvement work that increases learning, enhances teaching, improves effectiveness, documents improvements and achievements
  • Now responses to the question, “Why do I need to take this class?” state that they will help critical thinking skills, writing skills, help accomplish goals in their programs, and help them be better prepared to transfer to upper division courses.
  • Key characteristics of assessment work at MCCCD were explained and a description of the 2004-05 DSAAAC Assessment Report was provided.
  • The different type of assessments being used are surveys, writing samples, common final exams, pre and post tests, faculty developed rubrics, standard assignments, portfolios, reflective journals, standardized tests.
  • Assessment areas are student learning and teaching effectiveness
  • Assessment provides information regarding interrelationships and alignment. Course outcomes affect department and program outcomes, as well as college and district outcomes

Chancellor Remarks: As an introduction to the Diversity Report, Chancellor Glasper stated that as he listened and read the reports presented, he noted that Maricopa is doing a great job but Ms. Helminski’s last remark as to what may be next are the challenges being faced by the Maricopa Community Colleges. MCCCD is doing a great job but the reality is that they are just activities and the outcomes are still missing. Dr. Glasper questioned how we should stop so that we can move ahead in view of the changes in our demographics, population, and diversity. It is much more than numbers. The information contained in the reports also challenge us to look at student groups, employee groups, and advisory groups. The challenge is to answer the question “What have you done for me lately?” We need to surround ourselves with people that don’t look like us so that one of these days we won’t even notice the differences. Inclusiveness is about recognition and respecting differences so that we can work together better. Fact sheets do not reflect what is going on in the communities. There are many different ways that we can choose to be a quality organization but can we afford to move the data. There are established levels of accreditation. We don’t want to throw away tradition. How good can we be? How great can we be? We need to step out of our comfort zone. We need to ask questions that may hurt and make us uncomfortable. We have an opportunity before us to look different and we need to feel different. We had a 76% passage rate on the bond which tells us that people are expecting something back. We need to look at ways where we can have positive outcomes and truly enhance diversity and inclusiveness. The challenge is to do this collectively and buy into what is being done. The message needs to be outcomes and data, outcomes that are this today and tomorrow will be something else. We need to stretch beyond our boundaries with increased access and opportunities.

Diversity Report: Maria Hesse, President of Chandler-Gilbert Community College and Tri-chair of Diversity Advisory Council, provided an overview of the Diversity Monitoring Report. She explained the composition of the Diversity Advisory Council and Work Groups. She explained that climate surveys have been undertaken and constituency groups have identified major areas of concerns. Issues were subsequently categorized and plans are being made to address these concerns. Accountability for creating and maintaining an environment of equity and mutual respect is being worked on and most employee groups have completed this assignment. Communication on diversity issues and activities is communicated via the on-line newsletter, Expressions. Currently the following initiatives are being worked on:

  • A training model and plan has been developed by Employee Development staff and approved by DAC but not yet implemented due to resource constraints
  • The Diversity Infusion Program has included 156 faculty and 32 students as of last spring. They would like to expand.
    • The Working Conditions and Student work groups would like to continue doing climate surveys on a regular basis.
    • Work groups significantly overlap some district employee responsibilities (affirmative action, employment)
    • The college diversity coordinators have vary9ng levels of support and success at their colleges
    • The size of DAC makes it difficult to operate as a large group. Each member serves on a work group. The larger group meets only twice a year.
    • A new steering committee of the Diversity Advisory Council was formed. This is smaller in number and is focused on the constituency groups and workgroups. They meet quarterly.

Data Activity: The Maricopa Community Colleges have adopted six strategic directions as part of the Maricopa-wide Strategic Plan. The focus for the retreat was the strategic direction “To maximize the community’s access to Maricopa’s programs and services.” The Chancellor has laid out a series of Beyond Boundaries goals and activities in the spirit of inclusiveness. This afternoon retreat attendees were being asked to focus on the following three Beyond Boundaries Goals which are all ways of improving and enhancing access, and ask how to help grow each:

1. Student enrollment growth
2. Student persistence
3. Student awards, completions/transfer

Discussion Questions: Examine the Beyond Boundary Goal assigned to each table from the following viewpoints. Student/Employer/Community; Internal Processes, Employee Learning and Growth, and Finances/Budget. The basic assumption is that we seek revenue growth (versus decline or zero growth) and student enrollment growth (versus decline or zero growth). Examples of drivers and barriers were provided, for illustration purposes are provided in the next section. Address the following questions:

1. Identify what drives (positively impacts) and what hinders (negatively impacts) the ability to reach the Beyond Boundary goal assigned to each group.
2. What activities/actions would help reinforce positive impacts or reduce/eliminate negative impacts on maximizing access?
3. What kinds of data are needed for each viewpoint, in order to make decisions or evaluate outcomes?

The table groups were directed to participate in discussions pertaining to drivers/barriers, possible activities/actions to reinforce drivers or reduce barriers, and kinds of data needed for each viewpoint in order to make decisions or evaluate outcomes. Report outs were made by each group and recorded on flipcharts and worksheets (notes attached)

Vision/Values: Pat Case and Jamie Moore introduced the proposed Maricopa Vision & Values Statements which were:

Vision Statement:
A Community of Colleges. . . Colleges for the Community
Working collectively and responsibly to meet the life-long learning
needs of our students and our communities.

Values Statements:
Community: We value all people – our students, our employees, their families, and the communities in which they live and work. We value our global community of which we are an integral part.

Learning: We value lifelong learning opportunities that respond to the needs of our communities and are accessible, affordable, and of the highest quality. We encourage dialogue and the freedom to have an open exchange of ideas for the common good.

Excellence: We value excellence and encourage our communities to strive for their academic, professional and personal best.

Honesty and Integrity: We value academic and personal honesty and integrity and believe these elements are essential in our learning environment. We strive to treat each other with respect, civility and fairness.

Innovation: We value and embrace an innovative and risk-taking approach so that we remain at the forefront of global and educational excellence.

Inclusiveness: We value inclusiveness and respect for one another. We believe that teamwork is critical, that each team member is important and we depend on each other to accomplish our mission.

Responsibility: We value responsibility and believe that employees are accountable for their personal and professional actions. We are all responsible for making our learning experiences significant and meaningful.

Stewardship: We value stewardship and honor the trust placed in us by the community. We are accountable to our communities for the efficient and effective use of resources – as we prepare our students for their role as productive world citizens.

Miscellaneous Comments: The following comments were made in reflection of the retreat.

Governing Board Member Ed Contreras stated that he didn’t see us doing anything exciting. He offered the challenge that he would like to see goals for minority hiring. He would like to see how many we have and how we can increase these number by certain numbers.

The retreat adjourned at 4:45 p.m.

EXECUTIVE SESSION

The executive session was called to order at 5:00 p.m. by President Don Campbell.

SPECIAL BOARD MEETING

The special board meeting was called to order immediately following the adjournment of the executive session and discussion was held regarding the one action item to be voted upon.

ACTION 1.
Approval of Appointment of Designee to Conduct Hearing
on the Appeal of the Denial of a Contract Claim – Appoint
Harold Merkow, Esq., as its designee to conduct a hearing on
the appeal of the denial of a contract claim filed by Holder
Construction Group, L.L.C.


MOTION NO. 9341
Mrs. Rosenthal moved for approval of Item1 appointing Harold
Merkow, Esq., as its designee to conduct a hearing on
the appeal of the denial of a contract claim filed by Holder
Construction Group, L.L.C.

Motion approved 4-0. (Mr. Crowley was absent.)

Special Board Meeting adjourned at 5:25 p.m.

______________________________
Scott Crowley
Governing Board Secretary