Issue Highlights:
MARICOPA News from the Maricopa Community College Retirees’ Association
Message from the Chancellor Dear MCCRA members, In late January 2014, the Maricopa Community Colleges received some great news: Six of our 10 colleges had been nominated to the Aspen Institute’s list of the 150 best community colleges in the United States. That’s out of more than 1,000 community colleges nationwide. In a nutshell, this honor means that we’re excelling in helping our students be more successful every day, across every college. Student success means creating more and better ways for students who want a baccalaureate degree to transfer to four-year institutions. It also means providing the best education possible during those students’ first two college years. A focus on student success means partnering with universities such as ASU, with which we’ve created the nationally-acclaimed MAPPS program. Students with a specific goal in mind can take a predetermined series of courses at their community college and, with good grades, are guaranteed admission to the degree program of their choice with reduced tuition. That same relentless focus on student success also means creating new programs to help students who want to attend our colleges, but who are not ready for college-level work. About 60 percent of students entering our colleges need to bring reading, math or English skills up to college level. As a result, we’re developing innovative ways to get them the help they need. Student success also means a focus on programs that prepare students for jobs. Did you know that the Maricopa Community Colleges offer classes in 90 percent of the jobs identified by the State of Arizona as having the highest demand for new workers in the next 10 years? We are the largest provider of workforce training in Maricopa County. Our new Corporate College only enhances our ability to serve as an engine for the county’s economic growth. Message From the Chancellor Continued—Page 3
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If Only I Knew Gold Nuggets Mentoring Board Highlights OLLI Classes Scholarship Fund
February 2014
Come to Your Retiree Annual Meeting on April 17 The MCCRA Annual Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 17 from 9 am – noon at the Rio Salado Conference Center in Tempe. The purpose of the Annual Meeting is to explore issues of interest to current and potential retirees of the Maricopa Community Colleges. For the first time last year, MCCRA invited MCCD employees approaching retirement to attend. The overwhelming response by employees made it a huge success. So again this year, we are inviting potential retirees to join us at the meeting. If you have former colleagues still working in the college district, ask them personally to join you at the annual meeting to discuss the benefits of retirement. The agenda will include experts in retirement issues from Maricopa Community Colleges and the Arizona State Retirement System. Valuable information and handouts will aid in financial planning for healthy retirement.
Check Out Our New Look Like the new Maricopa Gold newsletter design? We do, too. Thanks to Carol Diego, (MCCCD's Director of Marketing) for designing the new format and for helping in the newsletter production. Also, we are grateful to Andrew Tucker (MCCCD Communications & Marketing) for his support to the MCCRA Board. Thanks to Chancellor Rufus Glasper and his assistant Dr. Sue Kater for their continued commitment to the retirees’ association and for recognizing the contributions of former long-time employees. Maricopa Gold is published in print and online four times a year: February, April, September and November. In 2015, we plan to move to an onlineonly format. Send Jim Hogan (jhoganaz@msn.com) your email address to stay on our distribution list.