Chandler-Gilbert Community College

CGCC Computer Lab Virtual Help Desk

The Chandler-Gilbert Community College (CGCC) Computer Lab provides tech support services for our students and has always been a student-facing department. When we were forced to work remotely, we had to come up with a solution for providing online services to students while also having a virtual space for our team to meet. We created the CGCC Computer Lab Virtual Help Desk using Discord. Some of our students were familiar with Discord for clubs and hangout spaces, so we decided to use this familiar platform. We continue to develop new ideas using the programmed Discord bot with artificial intelligence (AI) features. We are able to streamline information for our techs to provide students with faster and more efficient tech support. Some of the Discord features include a ticketing system, resources/QRF/FAQs access, organizational Information, resources and information, automatic registration, and automatic response when we are closed. We have been asked to give other departments/colleges ideas for how to use Discord and to help set up Discord servers for class study groups. We hope to build our AI bot to help with common tech issues after hours.

Innovators

• Zalma Aguirre, Previous Lead Computer Lab Technician
• Sonya Brieske, Manager, Instructional Services
• Brian Wahnon, Lead Computer Lab Technician

Estrella Mountain Community College

Simplified Assessment to Improve Student Learning, Persistence, Retention, and Completion

Student learning is at the forefront for a learning college such as Estrella Mountain Community Collegex. Measuring student learning outcomes (SLOs) is a means of demonstrating if students are learning. When the information is accessible and useful to faculty and staff, improving these outcomes can affect persistence, retention, and completion. The existing student learning outcomes assessment process was cumbersome, with too few faculty participating, and results were seldom applied. We needed a simpler process to assess SLOs, research trends in the data, and provide insights. What if grading an assignment in Canvas could automatically result in dashboards reporting on learning mastery? SLOs tell the story about learning and provide a roadmap to improve student outcomes, persistence, retention, and completion. This project provides simple ways to assess and evaluate results as well as potentially rendering leading measures for a program's 4DX Wildly Important Goals.

Innovators

• Rebecca Baranowski, Faculty, Mathematics, and Former Co-Coordinator, Student Assessment Committee
• Catherine Cochran, Faculty, Counseling, and Co-Coordinator, Student Assessment Committee
• Chad Galligan, Associate Vice President, Technology Services
• Erik Huntsinger, Faculty, Economics, and Director, Center for Teaching and Learning
• Najmah Muhammad, Instructional Designer/Technician, Center for Teaching and Learning
• Heather Muns, Faculty, Reading, and Former Co-Coordinator, Student Assessment Committee
• James H Waugh III, Planning Research Analyst Senior, Planning and Institutional Effectiveness

GateWay Community College

Phoenix Forge Makerspace

Phoenix Forge is a community makerspace managed by GateWay Community College on behalf of the Maricopa County Community College District. At 17,000 square feet (23,000 when Phase 2 is finished later in 2022), it is the only large makerspace in the 10-college district and the largest makerspace in the Southwest. For learners of all ages, we have created a variety of beginner to advanced classes in electronics, robotics, welding, metal fabrication, woodworking, prototyping, digital fabrication, and textiles in a facility designed to inspire collaboration, exploration, and creative fabrication. With the means for students to explore their interests informally or with short classes and workshops, the makerspace motivates students to try new technologies, take lengthier courses on campus, learn advantageous skills for the changing workplace, develop new businesses, gain experience with advanced manufacturing equipment, or receive short-term training to meet local business needs.

Innovators

• Bruce Balfour, Executive Director, Phoenix Forge
• Benjamin Bednarz, Program Manager, Phoenix Forge
• Kristin Gubser, Associate Vice President, Workforce Strategy and External Affairs

Glendale Community College

Project GCC Discord: Uniting Tutoring Across the College

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Glendale Community College (GCC) Center for Learning was forced to rapidly move its services online and hastily patch together an online tutoring system. With time, weaknesses in the first system became evident, so the department began searching for and testing alternative online tutoring systems. Ultimately, the department chose Discord as its new online tutoring platform. Discord fulfilled several requirements: It was (1) centralized to encompass all tutoring subjects, (2) malleable to adapt to the varied needs among tutors, (3) accessible to students regardless of the device, and (4) user-friendly for staff and students. The implementation of Discord as the new tutoring server united the previously siloed tutoring services at GCC, leading to centralized Tutoring Across the College. Since its creation, the tutoring Discord server has seamlessly and effectively connected students and tutors in thousands of tutoring sessions.

Innovators

• Maya Aragon, Student Services Technician
• Dana Jiang, Administrative Specialist Senior
• Jamin Kollasch, Tutor
• Siqi Li, Front Desk, Learning Center

Mesa Community College

Beyond the Classroom: Civic Engagement Scorecard and Civic Action Hour

In March 2020, as a result of the global pandemic, the Center for Community and Civic Engagement at Mesa Community College pivoted its in-person student engagement activities to 100 percent virtual. We implemented two programs that afforded students and faculty opportunities to be engaged in civic engagement, one of the college's student learning outcomes. The ultimate goal of the project was to keep students and faculty engaged with local and national community and civic organizations in virtual settings; as a result, the Civic Engagement Scorecard and Civic Action Hour were born. An unexpected outcome of this project was the social and mental health support created through virtual experiences with participants staying home and out of public spaces. These virtual programs have been so successful that faculty, students, and community partners continue to be involved after returning to campus.

Innovators

• Karen Appel, Retired Faculty Liaison, Civic Engagement and Service Learning
• Duane D. Oakes, Retired Faculty Director
• Debra L. Ohlinger, Program Coordinator, Civic Engagement
• Dawn M. Rhodes, Program Coordinator, Service Learning
• Andrea Sanchez, Administrative Specialist Senior
• Kelley Stewart, Civic Engagement Specialist
• Danette Turner, Civic Engagement Specialist

Paradise Valley Community College

Innovative Use of Photogrammetry and 3D Scanning/Printing: Developing and Preserving Art

The innovative use of photogrammetry, 3D scanning, and 3D printing of real-world objects and art pieces for fine arts benefits provide valuable experience for students and ongoing projects at Paradise Valley Community College. The goal of the project is to use these methods to catalog artworks in a 3D environment, create 3D video game assets and 3D print theatrical stage props, develop 3D assets for fine arts performances, and repair damaged artwork with 3D printing. Using these technologies to adapt to the ever-changing performing fine arts and digital art world, we can provide our students with new ways to develop and preserve art in an analog and digital space.

• David L Bradley, Professor, Art
• William M. Deihl, Assistant Technical Director
• Philip Henry, Student Worker, Ceramics
• Leroy Timblin, Coordinator, Fine Arts and Instructional Technology (Scottsdale Community College)
• Ryan A. Wentzel, Technical Director, Center for the Performing Arts

Phoenix College

The Phoenix Digital Education Connection Canopy: Closing the Digital Divide

The digital divide in a K-20 public school environment is multifaceted and interdisciplinary. Closing the digital divide comprises components including access to devices and the Internet, policy support, digital literacy and equity, cultural awareness, educational outcomes, and remote education. To facilitate the closing of the digital divide, there was a need to discover all facets emphasizing the complexity of the problem, leading the team to walk through every aspect of the problem and not rely on a turnkey approach provided by a single vendor or solution provider. The Digital Education Connection Canopy was created to address the digital divide by providing education and workforce development opportunities for students.

Innovators

• Julie Morgenthal, Interim Director, Information Technology (District Office)
• Laura Pastor, Program Analyst Senior, Community Relations
• Paul Ross, Associate Vice President Chief Information Officer
• Anton Spevacek, Chief Technology Officer

Rio Salado College

Innovation Think Tank

The primary purpose of the Innovation Think Tank (ITT) is to facilitate a culture of innovation at Rio Salado College through an inclusive institutional model that provides support structures for ideation; facilitates research and development; and embodies the espoused vision, mission, and values of the institution. The ITT systematically and transparently catalogs efforts to increase quality, efficiency, cost-effectiveness, competitive advantage, and improve resource allocation across the college. Through crowdsourcing the talents of people from all areas of the organization, we have advanced a common lexicon, increased proactiveness, and reduced silos while increasing collaboration, autonomy, and leadership at every level of the institution. The ITT concept has been socialized outside of the organization and is already being adopted by other institutions.

Innovators

• Lily Davidov, Faculty Chair, Entrepreneurship+
• Janelle Elias, Vice President, Strategy, Advancement, and National Division
• Jason Reiche, Co-Chair, Instruction Design, and Software Developer Senior

Scottsdale Community College

Loss Momentum Framework in the Classroom

Beginning in spring 2021, Scottsdale Community College’s Loss/Momentum Framework project provided the support, structure, and knowledge for faculty to analyze their courses through four phases of a student’s class experience—connection, entry, progress, and completion—for loss and momentum points. Loss points are those times that students are more likely to get poor grades, skip assignments, or stop attending classes. Momentum points are those times students get excited by the work and are more engaged in the course. After identifying these loss/momentum points, faculty then created interventions, implemented them, and evaluated the results, improving student outcomes. This timely project analyzes and improves teaching and learning in the classroom, addressing the program criteria of quality and creativity. The materials used for this project are available for others to use and have already been shared with three other Maricopa Community Colleges.

Innovators

• Renee Davis, Faculty, Reading
• Regina Harrison, Training and Development Consultant
• Ann Healy, Faculty, Microbiology
• Lisa Marsio, Faculty, Anthropology
• Relindis Mawo, Faculty, Chemistry
• Sarah Risi, Instructional Developer
• Ramona Santeisteban, Faculty, Counseling
• Judy Sutor, Faculty, Mathematics
• Gabriel Tarr, Faculty, Mathematics
• Allen Watts, Faculty, CIS
• Lisa Young, Faculty Director, Center of Teaching and Learning

South Mountain Community College

The Village

Today, being a starving college student has become somewhat of a rite of passage. South Mountain Community College (SMCC) addresses food insecurity head-on, by developing The Village—a three-pronged approach to addressing food insecurity. SMCC Student Affairs, facilitated through Student Life and Leadership, found it necessary to meet the needs of our students as a student success and retention effort. Food insecurity on college campuses disproportionately impacts students of color and low-income students. Some of the factors contributing to food insecurity on college campuses today are complex and include the rising cost of earning a degree as well as the increased enrollment of low-income students and students of color, many of whom rely on financial aid to afford college.

Innovators

• Guy Goodman, Dean, Enrollment Services
• Vanessa Logan, Student Success Specialist
• Ralph D. Thompson II, Director, Student Development