Maricopa Community Colleges • Office of the Chancellor • Community Advisory Committees • Vol. 7 • December 2013
Chancellor’s Update Greetings, Advisory Council members. The column I originally wrote for this issue follows, but as you’ve no doubt heard by now, Maricopa Community Colleges suffered a sudden loss when firstterm Governing Board member Ben Miranda passed away on Friday, November 15. While he only joined our Board in Dr. Rufus Glasper January, he proved to be a passionate advocate for his causes. He was fully engaged in and committed to educational access for all and to the mission of our community colleges. His service here was just the most recent example of his dedication to the community. He will be missed.
As 2013 draws to a close, I want to share some important information about our progress. Last month, we shared our annual monitoring report with the Governing Board. I’m pleased to tell you that the number of Maricopa Community Colleges students earning degrees and certificates has increased by almost a third (31%) since the 2009-10 academic year. In the 2012-13 academic year, 15,726 Maricopa students earned awards, compared to 11,978 in 2009-10, indicating that progress is on target to meet the goal of a 50% increase in the overall number of students earning degrees and certificates by 2020. I encourage you to read the annual monitoring report, online at http://www.maricopa.edu/ academic/ir/monitoring_reports.php. Below are some other selected findings. • The total number of occupational degrees and certificates issued in 2012-13 increased by 36% since the 2009-10 (11,665 vs. 8,606). See Chancellor Update— page 2
First American Indian Astronaut Commander Speaks at Mesa Community College On September 26, MCC’s American Indian Center and the Maricopa Office of American Indian Outreach Programs proudly hosted Commander John Herrington – the first American Indian Astronaut Commander. During his day-long visit, he spoke with students and community members about John Herrington his education, life, and professional experiences that led him to be the first Native American astronaut to walk in space. In 1996 he was selected
to report to the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas for two years of training, evaluation, and finally qualification as a mission specialist in the space shuttle program. In 2002, Space Shuttle Endeavor launched to work on the International Space Station and Herrington served as Mission Specialist for STS-113, the sixteenth space shuttle mission to the space station. As an enrolled member of the Chickasaw Nation, he also serves as a motivational and inspirational speaker to students and young people, encouraging them to explore and pursue education outside their comfort zones. Maricopa Community Colleges celebrated Native American Heritage throughout November.
Read CommunityConnection online: http://www.maricopa.edu/chancellor/cac.php Community Connection provides news and information about the Maricopa Community Colleges and the Chancellor’s Community Advisory Committees to the community. Community Connection is published and distributed quarterly.