Under the leadership of Chancellor Rufus Glasper, the Maricopa Community Colleges have a strengthened commitment to the responsible stewardship of public resources.
In his message to all employees, at the start of the 2006-07 academic year, the Chancellor identified Public Stewardship as one of the three key overarching themes for the ten college system. "All employees of the Maricopa Community Colleges have a duty to do the right thing. I believe that this organization, its administrators, its faculty and its entire staff, have been given a trust. Our students and their families have entrusted to us their time, their money, and their future. The taxpayers have entrusted to us their dollars. Working for the Maricopa Community Colleges carries with it an obligation to use the monies entrusted to us efficiently, effectively and for the purpose for which it was given, teaching and learning."
The other two common themes the Chancellor discussed are Student Success and One Maricopa, a system of many colleges with one common mission.
On February 27, 2007, the Maricopa Community Colleges Governing Board unanimously approved an extensive proposal for changes in the ethics, internal controls, and accountability policies of the District.
The new policies strengthen existing controls and improve internal oversight by establishing more stringent requirements for reporting to the Governing Board and the Chancellor. The improvements also standardize the response to matters such as disciplinary action. These changes originated from the work of a Community Member Blue Ribbon Panel on Internal Controls which the Chancellor convened in late 2006. Dr. Glasper enhanced the panel's work, recommending a series of stronger controls.
The Chancellor is committed to continued review and improvement of processes and controls throughout the coming year.