Uachtarán an bhoird, membres du conseil d’administration, Chancelier (shawncelliea), colleagues du CEC, honored students, and guests. “Jambo”! And a welcome back Madam president, you have saved me from brushing up on my college Latin!

Spooky season is upon us! Rooted in the ancient Celtic and Aztec traditions of ancestor veneration, we are a week away from Samhain, Halloween, all Saint’s Day, and Dia de los Muertos. Regardless of its name or origin, a common thread runs through these traditions. Much like tendrils of smoke curling lazily through the air, the veil between this world and the next becomes sheer as gossamer and spirits can travel back and forth.

As much as I would like, this is not a lecture on comparative religion but rather a framework to reflect upon and reaffirm our commitment to the principle of transparency. When I speak of transparency, I speak of openness, honesty, and clarity in communication and decision making. I speak of a principle that is integral in the establishment and endurance of trust.

And as we face both legislative and fiscal challenges in the near future, these are two things we must ensure do not fall to the wayside.

Community colleges serve as critical pillars of education, providing accessible pathways to success for a diverse range of students. To ensure the effective functioning and equitable delivery of education, transparency is paramount. It fosters trust, demonstrates accountability, encourages stakeholder engagement, and above all drives student success.

Trust is the cornerstone of any successful educational institution. Open communication regarding our collective actions and decisions will reassure our students, faculty, staff, and the broader community that their interests are considered and protected. In this context then, transparency is a pledge to share information, policies, and decisions openly.

Transparent processes and decision-making mechanisms enable us to hold each other accountable. When individuals are aware of how decisions are made, they are better positioned to question, challenge, or support them as necessary.

Transparency promotes inclusivity and diversity and empowers us to participate in informed decision-making processes. Whether it’s a new academic program, a policy change, or resource allocation, involving stakeholders in the decision-making process ensures that the District’s actions align with the needs and expectations of its community.

Ultimately, the primary mission of the community college is to foster student success. Transparency plays a pivotal role in this endeavor. When students and families have access to clear information about programs, financial aid, and support services, they can make well-informed decisions about their educational journeys.

We have made incredible strides down this path. Examples that come to mind are the work both ongoing and accomplished among Governing Board members, staff, administration and faculty on our District Wide strategic plan, benefits options, and compensation package. Granted, transparency can be tedious and time-consuming (we’ve all thought at least once “couldn’t this have been an email?”) but we want to thank you for the work you have done and continue to do to reaffirm our collective commitment to this principle.

A haiku on transparency:
Clear truth shines within
Transparency’s radiant light,
Honesty prevails

Lisa

Madame la Presidente, membres du conseil d’administration, Chancellor, CEC colleagues, and guests. “Jambo”

Madame la Presidente, I know you are fond of songs as themes for presentations, so I chose “Summer Breeze” by Seals and Crofts as I remember it fondly from my childhood.  A more appropriate choice, however, might have been Alice Cooper’s “School’s Out for Summer.”   

This song in particular brings images to mind of classroom doors flung open, masses of excited students pouring out, and trailing behind, an exhausted faculty body. Faculty who many believe will take the next few weeks off, retiring perhaps to a villa in the South of France to wander among the lavender fields.  While this may be true for some, and I express no hate (but perhaps a tad bit of envy), I’d like to tell you about the work of the many Maricopa faculty who will spend their summertime engaged with teaching and learning. 

Maricopa Community Colleges is offering  4770 summer classes across the 10 colleges.  Would it surprise you to know that 58% of those classes are taught by our residential faculty?  Faculty who have chosen to remain connected to the classroom during the summer months.

Others are remaining connected to the classroom but taking those classrooms to international locations.  This summer, we have six international programs in both Europe and Mexico.  For example, 35 students are currently in Ireland with Dr. Barry Vaughn of Mesa Community College where they will spend a month embedded in the local culture.  Not only do they immerse themselves in the study of Irish religion from Neolithic to Medieval times, they learn the art of Irish storytelling and regale the locals with their final projects at the neighborhood pub.  Many students have been so impacted by their experiences here that they choose to return for further studies. Now spending a month in Europe may sound like a vacation, but I can assure you that it is very hard work wrangling a group of college students. I speak from experience as one of those former students, who many years ago, along with some co-conspirators, almost got our group kicked out of a hotel in Rome for using bed linens as togas.  Who knew that wasn’t appropriate?!? But the opportunity for students to experience different cultures, values, and perspectives firsthand challenges their preconceived notions and broadens their worldview.  It fosters empathy, tolerance, and an appreciation for diversity, making them a more open-minded individual.

And that, mes amis, is incredibly valuable in this increasingly divisive world we live in.  

Other faculty are engaging in the field of pedagogy over the summer. At Scottsdale Community College, 12 faculty are collaborating during a Summer Service Learning Institute to develop Field of Interest specific experiences.  One, led by the director of the Hospitality Program, is working on putting together a Human Trafficking Awareness Week at SCC. Arizona is a major hub for human trafficking, and victims are often trafficked through hotels. While the project is very early in its development, the core idea is that her hospitality students will create an advocacy campaign, host speakers, and offer some training on what to look for. The director is involving experts at the city and state level, as well as leveraging her numerous contacts in the hospitality industry. 

The District-wide Maricopa Summer Institute brings teams of faculty, often cross-college, together to develop and deploy projects in the classroom.  This past May the Institute highlighted the work of 10 teams.  One that was particularly intriguing was an attempt to encourage student buy-in for math. Math is often considered a necessary evil to obtain a certificate or degree but its applicability beyond that is often questioned. To address this, students are asked to interview professionals in their specific field of study and a panel of professionals was filmed talking about what math looks like in future career choices. Other Summer Institute groups are looking at the ethical use of generative AI in both English and Psychology classrooms.   

These highlights are not meant to diminish those residential faculty who choose to spend their summers disconnecting but rather to celebrate those who choose to remain connected with teaching and learning.

Irrespective of where or how the faculty spend their summers I can assure you they will return on August 11, refreshed, reinvigorated and renewed of purpose. 

I will close with a haiku on summer teaching

Golden rays embrace
Knowledge blooms with each warm day
Summer’s lessons shared.