Dr. Maria Harper-Marinick, Vice-Chancellor Academic and Student Affairs

Like the warm Arizona sunshine and beautiful mountain vistas that frame our campus, diversity is simply a way of life at South Mountain Community College. As the only college in the Maricopa District to earn designation as both a Minority Serving Institution and Hispanic Serving Institution, our commitment is clearly stated in the very first line of our mission statement: we exist to provide quality higher education for our diverse community.

With nearly two-thirds of our student body drawn from ethnic minority groups, South Mountain embodies a rich blend of many cultures, which combine to create a singular academic community celebrating an incredible array of creativity and intellect, displayed daily in our classrooms and throughout our campus.

In this way, we are indeed a reflection of the community we were created to serve, from the booming new developments in and around Laveen, to the mature neighborhoods of South Phoenix, to the varied residents of Ahwatukee and west Tempe. Our Guadalupe Center, opened in 1988 and now undergoing an expansion that will double its size and capabilities, was created to serve the unique learning needs of that community’s Mexican-American and Pascua Yaqui residents.

South Mountain’s faculty and staff echo the diverse makeup of its students, with 56% of our employees from under-represented minority groups, presenting positive role models for many students who may not have previously considered higher education as a career option within their grasp. Working hard to enable the success of all who come to South Mountain seeking a quality education, our campus community embodies the slogan that accompanies the South Mountain brand: “Helping You Climb Higher.”

And toward this end, the college has a proud history of developing and providing programs designed to meet the needs of our diverse residents, such as ACE and JR ACE, Hoop of Learning, STEP and Upward Bound, and the very successful Bilingual Nursing Fellowship Program, presented in conjunction with GateWay Community College.

But we still have far to go. New developments arise each year that present challenges to our provision of educational opportunities for all. Political and legal regulations have made it increasingly difficult for some of our under-represented populations to gain access to our offerings. Language barriers and economic hardship, despite our relatively low cost, remain considerable obstacles to many of our constituents.

All of which can contribute to the concept of “the vanishing minority male” in higher education, an issue to be addressed at this year’s Student Success Conference. But as I have learned throughout my own career, opportunities do exist, for those willing to seek them out. And it is incumbent upon us to form a bridge with those reaching their hands up toward their goals---we must also consistently reach out to them as well, to help them on their road.  Working together, we can all climb higher.

Through effective use of our limited resources, South Mountain continues to strive to enable and empower those within our community to achieve their highest academic aspirations. As we approach this year’s Student Success Conference, we must affirm student success as the true standard of excellence for our college and District. Bearing witness to the accomplishments of our students, many of whom are the first in their families to attend college, is an incredibly exciting and rewarding experience.

At South Mountain, diversity is more than a policy or philosophy---it is our core value, and the rock-solid foundation of our institution, serving to strengthen the fabric of our community, our nation, and ultimately, our world.