Chandler-Gilbert Community College
Setting Sail With Partnerships and Internships
Chandler-Gilbert Community College (CGCC) and the City of Chandler have partnered to offer paid internships to create learning experiences and professional growth opportunities for students. The partnership addresses workforce needs at the city while providing students with real-world career preparation and professional development. The goal of the partnership is to align the city’s work-based experiences to academic programs at CGCC. A shared internship coordinator position, co-created and jointly funded by both entities (Career Services at CGCC and Human Resources at the city), provides an innovative and vital bridge that recruits, onboards, and case-manages city interns from CGCC while ensuring that both organizations remain fully invested and informed. We are currently the only city and college in Arizona partnered in this way and aspire to educate others on how to collaborate to support the success of students and communities.
Innovators
- Devon Mahon, Career Services Internship Analyst
- Greg Peterson, President
- Deb Ruiz, Manager, Academic Advisement and Career Services
- Anne Suzuki, Dean, Student Development
- Alison Travis, Director, Academic Advisement and Career Services
District Office
HR Integrated Information Model
Client Services developed an integrated information model comprised of diverse communication channels to enhance connectivity among Maricopa Community Colleges employees and our districtwide human resources (HR) partners. This was achieved by creating integrated employee-focused newsletters, websites, town halls, training materials, and HR briefing meetings to ensure the effective dissemination and understanding of HR information. This integrated model was built in response to employee survey feedback that stressed the need for a central location and greater visibility of HR information and resources while decreasing the number of emails being sent. The team condensed emails into one newsletter; established a central repository for communications, town halls, and questions and answers; and redesigned HR websites to make information easier to find. By streamlining and organizing information, tools, and resources in an intentional way, the integrated model allows employees to be more engaged, have a voice, spend less time looking for important HR information, and spend more time supporting students and performing their daily duties.
Innovators
- Christin Brady, Program Analyst Senior
- Janice Fritsch, Program Analyst
- Tamra Gagnon, Associate Chief Human Resources Officer
- Jamie Herseth, Consultant, Training Development
- Georgetta Kelly, Chief Human Resources Officer
- Francis Klimenko, Consultant, Training Development
- Megan Tormey, Director, Human Resources
- Malia Uhatafe, Technology Training Services Supervisor
- Karen Winters, Consultant, Training Development
Estrella Mountain Community College
La Cultura Cura-Market Tuesdays
Leaning into our identity as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, the Cultura Cura (Culture Cures) Project aims to empower and mentor students while celebrating Hispanic cultural heritage through community connection. Students increase their awareness of campus and community resources while connecting, sharing, and celebrating culture through out-of-class experiential learning opportunities. Programming includes concerts, workshops, art exhibits, recruitment and transfer partners, and community events. Cultura Cura epitomizes the community aspect of community colleges and the promotion of a sense of belonging. The Market Tuesdays part of the project embraces local vendors and student entrepreneurs and elevates their works to and through the campus community. The project is a collaborative effort between Estrella Mountain Community College faculty and staff, student clubs, local vendors, and the surrounding community.
Innovators
- Natalie Rivera, Faculty, Mathematics
- Cecilia Rosales, Faculty Chair, Modern Languages
GateWay Community College
Clinical Replacement Simulation Project
There is a critical shortage of registered nurses (RNs) in the United States. The Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts that there will be 203,200 openings for RNs annually through 2031. Compounding the issue is the fact that colleges in Arizona are finding it difficult to accommodate the growing need for RNs related to the scarce availability of meaningful clinical placements. In response, after requesting and receiving approval from the Arizona State Board of Nursing in 2019, GateWay Community College (GWCC) entered a pilot program to begin replacing 100 percent of clinical hours with simulation in the practical nursing specialty of maternal child health. By 2021, GWCC added practical nursing pediatrics and registered nursing maternal child health, pediatrics, and psychiatric specialties to the simulation pilot, allowing for increased enrollment.
Innovators
- Daniella Bryks, Faculty, Nursing, GWCC
- Elisabeth Escobar, Simulation Coordinator, GWCC
- Renee Fox, Faculty, Nursing, GWCC
- Maria Harmann, Adjunct Faculty, Nursing, GWCC
- Lisa Jahnke, Manager, Nursing Lab, GWCC
- Jeri Lastine, Chair, Nursing Division, GWCC
- Julia Leaf, Faculty, Nursing, GWCC
- Lily Nolan, Faculty, Nursing, GWCC
- Jeanette Peterson, Program Director, Nursing Continuing Education, GWCC
- Margi Schultz, Maricopa Nursing Faculty Administrator, District Office
- Jennifer Sheneman, Faculty, Nursing, GWCC
- Carolyn Sheridan, Simulation Coordinator, GWCC
- Gina Wilding, Faculty, Nursing, GWCC
Glendale Community College
Peer Success Coach Program
The Glendale Community College (GCC) Peer Success Coach (PSC) program was launched in spring 2022 to provide all incoming and continuing students with one-on-one holistic support in an effort to increase retention and develop a stronger sense of belonging at the college. The goals of the PSC program are to increase engagement through connection to fields of interest; provide specific opportunities and resources; facilitate referrals to critical personnel in response to financial and academic needs; and coach in areas of academic success, time management, and self-advocacy to increase persistence and retention. We have not only created and facilitated meaningful matches between PSCs and students based on the students’ preferences, but have also discovered that students who are matched in our coaching program demonstrate higher retention rates than those who are not.
Innovators
- Luis Fragoso, Coordinator, Peer Success Coach Program
- Genesis Toole, Dean, Student Life
Mesa Community College
Accelerating Student Completion Through Proactive Graduation
Proactive graduation is the practice of graduating students who have met all academic requirements for a program of study without requiring them to complete a graduation application. In the first phase, 1,400 Mesa Community College (MCC) students received over 2,000 certificates. Immediate validation of program completion increases the quality of the learning experience and demonstrates that our programs of study contribute to workforce development. Proactive graduation batch processing is more efficient and cost-effective than the traditional graduation application process, which saves time for students and employees while increasing the number of awards issued. MCC’s successful proactive graduation pilot is a timely and creative solution to increase program completion that has been included in the Systemwide Strategic Enrollment Management Plan as a priority to replicate for all 10 colleges through a district-supported process by spring 2027.
Innovators
- Helice Agria, District Director, Academic and Student Systems, District Office
- Sheryl Begaye, District Business Systems Analyst Senior, MCC
- Joy Bickham, Administrative Coordinator, MCC
- Laken Collins, Student Services Specialist, MCC
- Miranda Colony, Academic Support for Retention, MCC
- Charmaine Curley, Academic Support for Proactive Graduation, MCC
- Arlene DeLeon, Student Services Specialist, MCC
- Mona Elaqad, Instructional Services Coordinator Senior, MCC
- Andrew Green, Web Developer, MCC
- Ashley Hardin, Manager, Student Services, MCC
- Dee Kater, Graduation Assistant, MCC
- Josh Lindenburg, Dean, Student Affairs, MCC
- Lori Lindenberg, Former District Director, Enterprise Analytics and Strategy, District Office
- Dennis Mitchell, Associate Vice President, Institutional Effectiveness, MCC
- Tuesdee Pfeiff, Student Services Specialist Senior, MCC
- Lucy Rayford, Student Services Specialist, MCC
- Jeff Rhoads, Director, Student Services, MCC
- Jeff Salo, Tech Project Manager Senior, District Office
- Christina Santacruz Del Rosario, Planning and Research Analyst Senior, MCC
- Paulette Schnyder, Business Systems Analyst Senior, District Office
- Brian Schraum, Web Editor and CMS Trainer, MCC
- Julie Smith, Manager, Information Technology, District Office
- Nathan Smith, Planning and Research Analyst Senior, MCC
- Andrew Stone, Former Dean, Enrollment Development, MCC
- Jennifer Stroops, Supervisor, Instructional Services, MCC
- Christine Tranetzki, District Business Systems Analyst, District Office
- Michael Voss, Dean, Instruction, MCC
- Rebekah Ward, Student Services Specialist, MCC
- Tricia White, Director, Planning and Research, MCC
Paradise Valley Community College
Zero Textbook Cost Bachelor of Arts Degree in Elementary and Special Education
The cost of textbooks and materials puts financial pressure on students attending college. The Education team at PVCC made the Bachelor of Arts in Elementary and Special Education accessible and affordable for people who want to be teachers by creating zero textbook cost (ZTC) courses. The team is also striving to make the Associate of Arts Degree in Education zero cost to students. The ZTC bachelor’s degree prepares teachers for the field without sacrificing quality. Course curriculum, built from OER, open-access, and library subscription content, models how to build a zero-cost course for other education programs within Maricopa and can be replicated with minimal difficulty. The ZTC-degree creates an affordable way for students to reach their goals of becoming a teacher without the financial burden of textbooks and materials.
Innovators
- Kari Barker, Adjunct Faculty, Education
- Amy Boniface, Program Director and Faculty, Education
- Jillian Cooper, Adjunct Faculty, Education
- Ta’Lor Corley, Zero Textbook Cost/Open Educational Resources Specialist
- Paula Crossman, Librarian
- Laura George, Adjunct Faculty, Education
- Vaswati Gosh, Department Chair, Social Sciences
- Alice Heng, Adjunct Faculty, Education
- Meggin Kirk, Program Director and Faculty, Education
- Samantha Lange, Librarian
- Jessica Parsons, Zero Textbook Cost/Open Educational Resources Specialist
- Amy Sisk, Adjunct Faculty, Education
- Mark Vite, Adjunct Faculty, Education
Phoenix College
A Novel Approach to Addressing the Social Determinants of Academic Success
Higher education institutions across the U.S. have acknowledged that students cannot achieve academic success or well-being until their basic needs are met. Phoenix College (PC) has launched a comprehensive basic needs plan to reduce the burden of financial, housing, and technology barriers. The goals are to create a culture of care by leveraging existing state and federal resources, developing external partnerships, establishing a sustainable housing program, and addressing the digital divide. Collectively, these efforts align with student services and activities offering creative solutions while serving as a blueprint for replication within our district. Accumulating evidence demonstrates that basic needs programs correspond with increases in persistence and academic achievement for vulnerable populations. So far, collective efforts have provided housing support to 12 PC students, eliminated the technology gap for more than 375 students, and helped 302 students gain access to $300,000 in public benefits.
Innovators
- Kaylin Shady, Coordinator, Single Stop
- Joanna Torres Perez, Coordinator, H.O.P.E Initiative
- Roberto Villegas-Gold, Department Chair and Faculty, Counseling
Rio Salado College
RioConnect: A Virtual Student Community Fostering Belonging and Connection
The primary purpose of RioConnect was to address the lack of spaces where students can freely connect without feeling pressured, to increase inclusion and a sense of belonging, and to provide a place for meaningful connections among students across an asynchronous course modality. Proudly embracing our identity as “the college without walls,” Rio Salado College’s RioConnect emerged as the missing digital student union, establishing a vital online space for student engagement and connection. The pilot study revealed students reporting a higher sense of belonging through the use of RioConnect. RioConnect is now established as an ongoing student-centric platform prioritizing students’ feedback and promoting flexibility and access while empowering individual goal attainment, fostering partnerships, and creating a vibrant tapestry of collaboration within our academic community. This fortifies RioConnect as an all-encompassing digital nexus, catering to diverse academic needs.
Innovators
- Lily Davidov, Faculty Chair, Accounting and Small Business
- Janelle Elias, Vice President, Strategy and Advancement
- Sasha Flores, Project Manager, RioConnect
South Mountain Community College
Reality Redesign Lab
Virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI) are rapidly growing technologies that are revolutionizing our lives and taking us into a metaverse of expansive networks of real-time rendered 3D worlds. It is crucial for our students to learn these skills because companies are using VR and AI for doing business. The goals of South Mountain Community College’s Reality Redesign Lab are to empower faculty and students by keeping them updated with emerging technology skills, while also leveraging AI and VR technology to provide immersive learning experiences through study sessions. Faculty can create immersive and interactive experiences that enhance student engagement and problem-solving skills while preparing students with competitive career skills. Outcomes include that 100 percent of students learning VR would like VR experiences to practice their course content; two faculty members and one student have obtained VictoryXR micro-certification for teaching in virtual environments; and six partnerships and three grants have been implemented.
Innovator
- Jeannette Shaffer, Director, Center for Teaching and Learning
