Moving Maricopa Forward

April 1, 2009

Dear Maricopa,

In times of great challenge, there are always opportunities to triumph. For Maricopa, today’s challenges include funding reductions, program accessibility for students with little or no income, and providing educational opportunities that meet the needs of our evolving community.

After careful consideration of the challenges we face and the potential opportunities for improvement and growth, your Governing Board has strongly concluded that an organizational review is a fundamental requirement in moving the Maricopa Community Colleges forward.

This decision is not one we came to without significant discussion. We have been talking with Maricopa’s students and families, our taxpayers, our business and academic partners, and our employees. We believe some difficult questions about the “Maricopa Way” and the future of the Maricopa Community Colleges need to be answered. We also believe that we cannot make this examination on our own if we are truly seeking significant improvement. Yes, this effort will incur some costs, but to move forward, this review is one of the most important things we can do to ensure responsible public stewardship of our resources over the long haul.

Some of the questions we must ask will make people uncomfortable.

* Are we structured in a sustainable and efficient way?

* Are our mission and values aligned with the academic and workforce needs of our citizens and employers?

* Are we entrenched in “traditional” ways of going about our work at the cost of flexibility, responsiveness, and effectiveness?

Within the context of the Maricopa County Community College District’s Mission, Vision, and Values, the Governing Board is engaging an objective third party with proven experience to assess and make recommendations for improvement specific to responsible public stewardship, market demands, appropriateness, effectiveness, and efficiencies of the District’s:

* Organizational Structure

* Business operations

* Student success

* Programs

Centering on Maricopa’s values of Innovation, Learning, and Stewardship, your Board recognizes that responsiveness and entrepreneurship are mission-critical qualities found in an adaptive, realistic organization. Therefore, the Board is committing afresh to building an ambitious team of proactive, accountable, team-players. Employees who embrace true innovation and collaboration, mindful of the need to adapt for growth and sustainability for the District, will find opportunities to help the District reach a new level of success.

As we embark upon this journey, we will be communicating regularly. Through e-mail messages, periodic video messages and audio podcasts, we will share progress and perspectives. In turn, we are inviting your feedback through the use of other communication tools such as blogs and surveys. I hope you’ll reach out to your Board and let us know what you think.

As your Board President, I promised ongoing and quality communication, and the first survey, will help me do that. You can access the survey by clicking here.

Our Governing Board blog is now active as well. This blog is titled Maricopa Solutions because we are an organization that, despite these challenging times, is capable of driving solutions for our students, for our communities, and for our employees. You’ll find all this information on our web page at www.maricopa.edu/gvbd.

Our world is changing and Maricopa must change with it. Antiquated systems waste tax dollars, student investments and public trust. Maricopa is strong enough to face review – and we will emerge from the process even stronger. We can all agree with General Eric Shinseki, “If you don't like change, you're going to like irrelevance even less." Progress and fresh hope will strengthen us, thus strengthening Maricopa’s local and global influence.

Sincerely,

Colleen Clark
Governing Board President