Breakout Session 1
10:45 a.m.–11:30 a.m. (Sessions not designated as HyFlex will be in person only)
Presenter: Dr. Eric Haas, Scottsdale Community College
Track 2: Transparency towards learning
Student success rates in most classes are not equivalent across gender, socio-economic, and racial/ethnic groups. While most individuals in higher education work very hard to create inclusive and equitable environments, our colleges are often a minefield of structural and subconscious biases. This workshop will explore the psychological and neuroscientific concepts that can be used to help participants identify the ways that unseen biases are created and how they may create unintended obstacles to learning and engagement for some groups of students. Participants will learn practical steps for minimizing these unintentional biases and begin the process of intentionally creating college environments that are better equipped to provide more transparent and equitable paths to success for our students.
Session Materials
In-Person location: Palo Verde II, Building B
- Password: cKfpCTh9
Presenter: Stephen Hustedde, South Mountain Community College
Track 2: Transparency towards learning
Student stress is high as they juggle school, work and family responsibilities. Their learning can be clouded by a focus on grades, accompanied with increased opportunities for academic misconduct amidst the formation of commercial online sites to complete assessment projects under the guise of “tutoring”, and an increasing presence of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the prevalence of resources such as ChatGPT and Microsoft Co-Pilot. How do we as educators enhance student learning and student success in this new era of readily available answers with perceived reduced effort towards learning the content? Stephen Hustedde found an answer a couple years ago in focusing on reflective assessment to aid student learning. The result in an asynchronous online programming class pilot was a doubling of the student success rate, virtually eliminating academic misconduct temptations, and gaining a far richer dialog with each student on their learning and understanding.
Session Materials:
- Password: uU8UwygP
Presenter(s): Daniel Shaw, Danilla Colin, Kimberly Heddy, Jasmine Hernandez, and Jennifer Tyree, Glendale Community College
Track 1: Transparency towards navigating college
This session explores Glendale Community College’s (GCC) innovative strategies for enhancing student success through transparency in support services. We will discuss how GCC is demystifying educational pathways, streamlining processes like registration and financial aid, and actively involving students in the design of these services. While highlighting the impact within behavioral health programs, the session will focus on broader initiatives that have increased enrollment, retention, and overall student achievement. Participants will gain practical insights into GCC’s approach to making support services more accessible and understandable, leading to improved student engagement and success across all disciplines. By the end of this session, attendees will have actionable strategies for implementing transparency initiatives that can enhance student success at their own institutions, ensuring all students have the support they need to thrive.
Session Materials
Location: Palo Verde III, Building B
Presenter(s): Crystal M. Morehouse, Scottsdale Community College; Dr. L. Alexander Patrick-Rolando, Glendale Community College; Zach Lewis, Rio Salado College; Tricia White, Mesa Community College; Matthew Grace, Estrella Mountain Community College
Track 1: Transparency towards navigating college
For years, Maricopa has explored equity and the inclusivity of the student experience through our data. In Fall 2023, MCCCD administered its first district-wide campus climate survey to enrich our understanding of student experiences through students’ voices. This session will provide key findings from the 2023 Viewfinder Campus Climate Survey, highlighting crucial insights into inclusivity, equity, belonging, and campus culture. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how students perceive campus culture, support service availability and access, and safety. We will also explore classroom experiences and overall satisfaction with the campus environment. By the end of this session, participants will leave with actionable data to foster
more inclusive, supportive, and transparent campus experiences for students and employees alike. Join us to uncover critical perspectives and drive meaningful change toward student success at your institution.
Session Materials:
- Slides (download PDF)
Location: Conference Theatre, Building B
Presenter(s): Katy Spexarth, Sarah Lewallen, Phoenix College
Track 2: Transparency towards learning
According to the National Association of Educational Progress, the largest nationally continuing evaluation of the condition of education in the United States, just 37% of high school seniors reach or exceed the academic preparedness benchmarks in reading, a figure unchanged since 2015 (NAEP, 2020). Academic standards and workforce expectations make the demand for academic literacy obvious, but how can MCCCD provide the best support to struggling students? We often come to the table with common goals - addressing the needs of underprepared students, increasing student engagement, encouraging growth mindsets, advocating for productive persistence - but what does that look like in practice when a student is deficient in reading?
In this session, participants will not only walk away with a greater understanding of the true divide between college reading expectations and students’ abilities, but also the formative role reading plays in our personal histories and an “implement tomorrow” classroom strategy to begin this important work.
Session Materials
Location: Robson, Building C
Presenter(s): Ana Cuddington, Dr. Michael Little Crow, Belinda Gutierrez, Scottsdale Community College; Diana Martinez, Phoenix College; Gerard Begay, South Mountain Community College
Track 1: Transparency towards navigating college
A panel of American Indian employees will present on how to better understand our American Indian students. This panel will be “A Voice for an Invisible Community-the American Indian Student” and increase transparency in some of the equity gaps for American Indian students. Employees will discuss what an American Indian student “looks” like in Maricopa Community Colleges, share a cultural understanding of our American Indian students, and how to engage and assist our American Indian students in succeeding at Maricopa Community Colleges. Attendees will gain knowledge about best practices for American Indian students and also be able to ask uncomfortable questions about stereotypes and misconceptions. This will help to create a college experience where American Indian students will feel valued and be able to thrive.
Session Materials:
Location: Sirrine, Building C
Presenter(s): Lewis Brownlee, South Mountain Community College
Track 2: Transparency towards learning
This session will explore multicultural figures' significant yet often overlooked contributions to STEM history, emphasizing the importance of transparency in education. Participants will learn how a transparent approach to curriculum design can highlight diverse voices, making STEM education more equitable and inclusive. By the end of the session, attendees will walk away with practical strategies for making the contributions of underrepresented groups more visible and accessible in their teaching. The goals are to encourage transparency in representing historical figures in STEM, empower educators to diversify their curricula and promote a culture of openness in recognizing the full scope of contributions in STEM fields.
Location: Pomeroy, Building C
Presenter: Sam Crandall, Phoenix College
Track 2: Transparency towards learning
Many colleges and universities lack information on how to create equitable environments for neurodivergent individuals. Neurodiversity College Quest is a board game designed by Dr. Sam Crandall, Lori Wischnewsky, and Dr. Shamala Gallagher as an experiential learning tool for educators to understand challenges faced by neurodivergent students. In the Neurodiversity College Quest board game, players take on the role of neurodiverse or neurotypical students to highlight disparities throughout their college journey. Following the board game play, participants will discuss their insights gained and explore best practices to better meet the needs of neurodivergent students.
Session Materials:
Location: Apache, Building A
Presenter(s): Clarice Wziatek, Gabriela Holt, Rio Salado College
Track 1: Transparency towards navigating college
Self-discovery through academic life coaching can profoundly support and transform the experience of under-represented students. It provides a structured environment where they can explore their strengths and values, set realistic goals, cultivate a growth mindset, and build a supportive network when life is unpredictable. Coaches offer personalized guidance, helping students develop crucial skills like time management, self-advocacy, and resilience. These coaching sessions encourage students to overcome barriers and thrive in college, transforming their educational journey into one of empowerment and self-awareness.
In this session, participants will engage in Stanford’s Design Your Life: Odyssey, a life-mapping exercise. Through guided reflection, group discussion, and a Q&A session, participants will explore how this experience can shape student success and highlight unseen barriers. Participants will use this powerful coaching tool to gain a deeper understanding of how life mapping promotes transparency by making students' struggles and successes more visible to educators and peers.
Session Materials:
- Slides (download PDF)
- Handouts: Odyssey Directions | Odyssey Worksheet
Location: Superstition, Building A
Breakout Session 2
12:00 p.m.–12:45 p.m. (Sessions not designated as HyFlex will be in person only)
Presenter(s): Helice Agria, Sharon Brooks, District Office; Lisa Marsio, Lucas Messer, Scottsdale Community College
Track 1: Transparency towards navigating college
Scheduling is central to our mission. However, current MCCCD practices around course scheduling are sometimes antiquated and reactive, and may not be designed with pathways in mind. This creates insecurity for students, difficulties for staff trying to support students to timely completion, and ultimately jeopardizes the financial health of programs.
Student-centered scheduling prioritizes the needs of the student and helps them create a schedule that fits their life. But, knowing how to schedule for students is difficult if we don’t have the data about what they want or need.
Join us for this session to learn how MCCCD district and college teams are collaborating to implement a strategic scheduling system and framework to align our scheduling with pathways and student demand. Participants will learn about the efforts of the implementation as well as have an opportunity to provide feedback to develop the guiding principles of student-centered scheduling.
In-person location: Palo Verde I, Building B
- Password: pJhdMjU2
Presenter(s): Dr. Meredith Warner, District Office; Dr. Sharon Zygowicz, GateWay Community College
Track 1: Transparency towards navigating college
A team of First Year Experience (FYE) instructors from across the district participated in the May 2024 Literacy Partnership Project (LPP). Through the transformative experience of LPP, the FYE team identified “agency” as the threshold concept for first year success. It is not enough for students to learn about the tools needed to be successful - students also need the agency to apply those tools effectively. Using Dr. Martin Seligman’s definition of agency (efficacy + optimism + imagination), this session will explore how developing agency in our students is a powerful intervention for exposing and breaking down the myriad barriers our students may face. We will share how agency is currently promoted in the FYE courses and dialogue about ways staff and faculty promote agency within their respective areas, as well.
Session Materials:
In-person location: Palo Verde II, Building B
- Password: kW4ebKre
Presenter(s): Ann Richardson, Marcel Hoke-Harvey, Gwen Metz, Mesa Community College
Track 2: Transparency towards learning
This interactive session will equip you with the knowledge and tools to implement guided reflection activities into your curricula. Participants of this session will: 1) Deepen their understanding of evidence-based practice with guided reflection, 2) Critically evaluate the quality of reflection resources, and 3) Develop personalized strategies for incorporating guided reflection into individual courses. Don't miss this opportunity to enhance your professional development and foster a culture of reflective practice.
Session Materials:
In-person location: Palo Verde III, Building B
- Password: MsqVt7cw
Presenter(s): Kaylin Shady, Joanna Torres Perez, and Roberto Villegas-Gold, Phoenix College
Track 1: Transparency towards navigating college
Phoenix College offers students a comprehensive array of evidence-based supports that assist students in navigating barriers that may otherwise impede their ability to focus on their academics. This presentation highlights two major student services that increase college accessibility by providing wraparound support to increase students’ financial resources and housing stability while pursuing their educational goals. Within these initiatives, best practices and strategies will be discussed that clarify difficult, overwhelming, and complex processes and procedures to make them understandable and navigable for students. We tackle the multiple entry points, complex processes, and unclear language that prevent students from receiving the services they need, and discuss cross-departmental transparency and collaboration in the context of creating new processes for innovative programming. Collectively, we can enhance student success through transparency in information sharing and decision-making while capitalizing on teachable moments to foster accountability and opportunities for life skill development.
Session Materials:
Location: Conference Theatre, Building B
Presenter(s): Jill A. Nico, Estrella Mountain Community College
Track 1: Transparency towards navigating college
Navigating college for the first time can be challenging for many students, but for students with disabilities this transition can be the biggest challenge they have ever faced. Session participants will walk away with a better understanding of the additional challenges students with disabilities face in transitioning to college. They will get introduced, and have access, to the video series portion of a tutorial "Bridge to Higher Education for Students with Disabilities" created by EMCC DRS. The objective of the tutorial is to make the college processes more transparent with specific guidance and reflection activities so students with disabilities can better prepare and advocate to obtain the accommodations and support services that best align with their individual needs. This is not just important for new students to clearly understand, but also faculty, staff, and our secondary education partners that work closely with our students in transition to life after secondary education.
Session Materials
Location: Crismon, Building C
Presenter(s): Christopher Guymon, Interim Provost & Vice President of Academic Affairs, Darlene Dilley, Associate Provost of Enrollment Management, Dave Reiff, Regional Academic Pathways Coordinator, Sean Bryan, Director of Admissions, Reagan Bottoms, Regional Admissions Counselor Southern Utah, Shadman Bashir, Executive Director of International Programs
In this session, we will look into how "Transparency" is achieved through student and faculty driven instruction modeled by experiential learning. Additionally, provide what makes Utah Tech University a viable option for MCC students, faculty, staff, and administrators as a MCC Partner University. Lastly, we'll take a deeper look into how Utah Tech University, a Global Polytechnic University located in beautiful St. George, UT, provides educational opportunities through “Active Learning Active Life”.
Session Materials:
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Slides (download PDF)
Location: Pomeroy, Building C
Presenter: Michael Tapscott, GateWay Community College
Track 2: Transparency towards learning
Lack of soft skills amplifies all the other barriers to success. Lack of soft skills depresses the effectiveness of our solutions to those other barriers. So why are they so seldom taught?
Soft skills should be called hard skills because they are hard to learn and even harder to teach. And yet they are the one skill that improves all other skills, all other outcomes.
Come learn the crucial (often invisible) role of soft skills and a simple way to train (not teach) them. By instituting a daily gratitude exercise in your classrooms and boardrooms, students and staff can practice and improve their soft skills.
Join us to discover this simple, powerful, and transformative practice that enhances effectiveness in any setting.
Session Materials:
Location: Robson, Building C
Presenter(s): Dr. Allison Hawn, Phoenix College
Track 2: Transparency towards learning
How much of a class session would you remember if you couldn’t understand every fourth word the instructor said? What score would you get on an exam if only the chorus of Cotton Eye Joe was being played loudly on repeat while you were taking it? Would you succeed in a class where everyone expected you to understand a special code you were never taught? For a lot of people, this sounds absolutely ridiculous. If you are a student who is neurodivergent, though, this sounds like your average Tuesday. Expecting neurodivergent learners to succeed academically utilizing many of the same strategies as their neurotypical peers can lead to frustration, burnout, and isolation. Come learn some practical strategies that can be used both inside and outside of the classroom to help neurodivergent students succeed and make the learning process more accessible to our entire student population.
Session Materials:
Location: Sirrine, Building C
Presenter(s): Paul Ross, Phoenix College
Track 2: Transparency towards learning
This session explores how mind mapping can be essential for fostering strategic thinking, ideation, and transparency in institutional operations and classroom environments. We will demonstrate how mind maps can simplify complex processes, reveal hidden relationships, and help institutions align workflows, content development, and applied thinking. Participants will see how mind mapping can be used for instructional design, teaching, and learning and in operational management functions within a community college. Building on the MCCCD 2040 Project, this session will also show how mind mapping can be used to envision long-term strategic goals, such as integrating AI into learning and operations. Practical examples will highlight how these tools assist in decision-making and innovation, encouraging the creation of knowledge networks that uncover institutional strengths and leverage them for future growth.
Location: Apache, Building A
Presenter(s): Dr. Melissa Carpenter, John Biewer Jr., Rod Golden, Deziray Huesgen Hernandez, Silvia Venzor, Mesa Community College
Track 1: Transparency towards navigating college
What do first-generation college students need to know and be able to do as they make the transition to college? Mesa Community College’s summer bridge uncovers the tacit do’s and don’ts of college through a combination of coursework, co-curricular activities, and mentoring. The summer bridge provides a structured environment for recent high school graduates to explore career options, earn college credit, and prepare for life as a full-time student. It is the first component of a First Year Experience Program and is designed to increase the college knowledge of freshman while offering the support needed to persist into the fall and spring semesters. Participants will learn about course selection, faculty and staff partnerships, the roles of student ambassadors, and the types of co-curricular activities that promote the development of an academic/career mindset; foster academic and social connections; and remove real and imagined barriers to becoming a successful college student.
Session Materials
Location: Superstition, Building A
Breakout Session 3
3:00 p.m.–3:45 p.m. (Sessions not designated as HyFlex will be in person only)
Presenter(s): Malena Barnhart, Kate Mohler, Mesa Community College
Track 1: Transparency towards navigating college
This presentation explores the nuanced experience of "coming out" as neurodivergent or having a disability, paralleling the gay rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s with today’s push for visibility and inclusion of people with disabilities (PWD), especially those with invisible disabilities.
We encourage faculty, staff, and students to model radical transparency by openly discussing neurodiversity and disability. Highlighting strengths in these conversations can foster pride and abolish shame. When faculty share their experiences, they normalize disability as an identity, making it a part of professional discourse. While passing as ""normal"" may seem like a means of survival, it hides the possibilities of thriving with disability.
We advocate for community members to self-identify as neurodivergent or disabled. Like the LGBTQIA+ coming-out process, this self-disclosure can break stigma, fostering a culture of transparency and inclusion. Participants will leave with more hope and less shame.
Session Materials:
- Slides (download PDF)
In-person location: Palo Verde I, Building B
- Password: XpZUk7nE
Presenter(s): Neeraj Kumar Sharma, Christine Tranetzki, District Office; Cody Thomas, Rio Salado College
Track 1: Transparency towards navigating college
Arizona education, business, and community leaders have set an ambitious goal to achieve 60% education attainment by the year 2030. In the MCCCD, the current completion rate is dishearteningly low with over 32,000 degree and certificate-seeking students stopping out in 2023 without earning a credential. However, hidden within these figures are unclaimed completions, telling a different narrative.
Proactive Graduation is an initiative designed to award credentials to eligible students without requiring them to submit a graduation application. This process ensures students receive recognition for their academic achievements without unnecessary institutional barriers.
Join us for this session to see how MCCCD district and college teams are working together to bring transparency to completion by identifying potential candidates and uncovering stackable credentials to accelerate and recognize student completion. Participants will learn about the efforts of the pilot which led to 674 completions, as well as plans for expansion of these efforts.
Session Marterials:
In-person location: Palo Verde II, Building B
- Password: CfNavCm5
Presenter(s): Rosa Querry, Harry Singh, Inhye Peterson, Alicia Wideman, Jennifer Alvarado, Collin Nelson, Phoenix College
Track 2: Transparency towards learning
Advisors, faculty, administrators, and student attendees are invited to this session to learn about (examples and concepts of) Work Based Experience (WBE) by following and being part of the full development phases of a WBE that has been implemented. The session participants will walk away with: first, with a greater understanding of what WBE is and why it is so important to talk about it to our students early and often as advisors, faculty supervisors, and mentors. Second, the session participants will walk away with possible application aspects for their own campuses, programs, and departments, on how WBE could fit in the existing campus resources and curricula. Third, the session participants will have opportunities to engage with fellow participants, to hear about different perspectives and opinions outside of the faculty realm such as Advisement, Career Services, MPAZ, community, and more. If time permits, questions will be received and will be answered.
Session Materials
In-person location: Palo Verde III, Building B
- Password: SeZa65Yk
Presenter(s): William Beverly, Melissa Koehl, Glendale Community College
Track 1: Transparency towards navigating college
In 2024, the Community College Research Center (CCRC) at Columbia University found mental health conditions to be the greatest predictor of persistence and credit accumulation among community college students. The impact of mental health on student success has been found to be greater than basic needs such as food and housing insecurity. Student mental health has a profound impact on students’ time utilization, engagement with campus resources, academic persistence and educational attainment. The impact on successfully navigating through college is substantial.
This workshop describes a 6-session Mindfulness-Based Stress Management counseling service that has been offered at two Maricopa Community Colleges each semester since 2021. Students have reported a statistically significant reduction in stress in each group, every semester. All materials are public domain and free, including the outcome measure; this can be replicated at any college campus to reduce stress and improve student mental health.
Session Materials
Location: Conference Theatre, Building B
Presenter(s): Bob Gibney, Phoenix College; Ralph D. Thompson II, South Mountain Community College
Track 2: Transparency towards learning
This session will help participants refine and develop their personal approaches and attitudes toward the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) within the Maricopa Community College System. The goal is to help participants move beyond fear/avoidance of this emerging technology and into a space where they feel more comfortable exploring and developing their own voice, perspective, and approach to AI as a part of our current educational environment. The presentation will highlight experiences of a faculty member and of a Student Affairs leader in their journeys to learn about, embrace, and think critically about AI tools. Participants will be invited to share their own insights into the practical implementation of AI solutions and their impacts on faculty, staff, and administrators, to ask questions, and to ponder challenging new perspectives. Participants will be empowered to use their voices to develop actionable strategies for integrating AI into their own practice, all while keeping equity and inclusion as the guiding principle.
Session Materials:
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Slides (download PDF)
Location: Crismon, Building C
Presenter(s): Justina Burks, Chandler-Gilbert Community College - Williams Campus; Dr. Aristotle Mosier, Phoenix College
Track 1: Transparency towards navigating college
Food insecurity is a growing but often invisible barrier that affects student success and well-being. This session explores the critical role of campus food pantries in addressing this challenge by highlighting the practices and experiences of food pantry managers who support food-insecure students. Through real-world case studies, participants will learn how effective management, strategic partnerships, and student-centered approaches can help break barriers to academic achievement and retention. This session is designed for student affairs professionals, faculty, administrators, and community partners interested in fostering student success by addressing basic needs.
Session Materials
Location: Pomeroy, Building C
Presenter(s): Dr. Latrice Wilson-Gettings, Reina Ferrufino, Rio Salado College
Track 2: Transparency towards learning
This session will empower faculty to dismantle barriers to student success by amplifying the visibility of students, recognizing their cultural capital, and ensuring their voices are heard. Participants will be introduced to the Inclusive Resource Guide, a tool crafted to foster inclusivity for marginalized and vulnerable student populations. The session will highlight a key collaboration between a Rio Salado Professor and the Program Officer of DEI, demonstrating how faculty and student services professionals can work together to create inclusive, transparent, and accessible learning environments. This partnership, along with the development of the Inclusive Resource Guide, serves as a model for integrating curriculum-responsive strategies and culturally informed pedagogy. By adopting these approaches, colleges can intentionally create equitable environments that support students’ success. Faculty will leave equipped with practical tools to implement in their classrooms, making course content and expectations clear and accessible, thereby fostering an environment where every student can thrive.
Session Materials:
Location: Robson, Building C
Presenter(s): Clarice Taylor Merriman, Delores Young, District Office
Track 1: Transparency towards navigating college
The session aims to demonstrate the positive impact of minimal movement on students' mental health and well-being, particularly during stressful periods. By reviewing an experiment conducted by the Maricopa Contact Center, participants will explore how minimal physical activity can reduce stress and enhance their ability to focus. The session will also raise awareness of the support services available to students that can help them manage stress and maintain mental wellness. The objective is to provide practical strategies that students can use and make these resources more accessible, fostering an understanding of the value of movement in daily routines to combat stress.
Location: Sirrine, Building C
Presenter(s): Aaron Coe, Consuelo Roa, Alissa Tenorio, Rio Salado College
Track 2: Transparency towards learning
This session will explore First Assignment and Last Day of Attendance Interventions, designed to enhance student success and reduce course attrition by addressing early course and ongoing course engagement. Initiated in Spring 2024, the interventions use timely and transparent communication through SMS text messages to remind students to complete their first assignments and to stay engaged/re-engage in class. This initiative emphasizes the importance of clear expectations and transparent outreach to employer-partner students who have yet to engage with their course material or are at risk of being dropped for falling out of attendance. By demystifying academic requirements and offering direct support channels, this initiative reduces barriers to course completion, especially for at-risk, working students, including first-generation, non-traditional, and English language learners. Attendees will learn about the program's design, the data tracking progress, and strategies for scaling similar interventions.
Session Materials:
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Slides (download PDF)
Location: Apache, Building A
Presenter(s): Ashley Burkart, Melanie Newell, Hannah Phipps-Yonas, Allen Reyes, Estrella Mountain Community College
Track 2: Transparency towards learning
Do your students struggle to critically analyze and evaluate information from diverse sources in your field? Join us for an interactive session that introduces a pedagogy of transparency, featuring evidence-based tools developed through the Literacy Partners Program workshop. These adaptable tools address common challenges—such as interpreting complex texts, analyzing data, and crafting persuasive arguments—and can be applied across disciplines within MCCCD.
In this hands-on session, attendees will collaborate to customize these tools for their own classrooms, gaining practical strategies to foster inquiry, critical thinking, and student engagement. You'll leave with ready-to-use activities and resources designed to enrich student learning and promote cross-disciplinary collaboration. Our ultimate goal is to inspire reflection on current teaching practices, enhance educator collaboration, and equip faculty with tools and resources they can easily adapt and implement.
Session Materials
Location: Superstition, Building A