Chancellor Rufus Glasper: One Maricopa

You hear me talk a lot about One Maricopa and how we must work collectively to strengthen our mission of teaching and learning. This academic year I will expand the One Maricopa discourse to explain more about how working as One Maricopa connects with the work we already do.

Diversity and Inclusiveness are core concepts at Maricopa that resonate with my One Maricopa initiative. 

From a broad perspective, consider that each of our ten colleges is unique in its individual culture. This diversity allows each college to best respond to the communities it serves. A one-size-fits-all way of doing business is not effective in achieving student success.  We value and respect the unique culture of each college and encourage the innovation, relevance and new learning that comes from the diversity of culture at each college. 

It’s much the same at the individual level. We value and respect the unique experiences, perspectives, skills and talents of our employees and students.  We encourage the diversity that our employees and students bring to us because it can challenge us individually and as an organization to be more effective and efficient. 

One of our organizational values is innovation. We know that innovation occurs most effectively when we encourage creativity and multiple perspectives. Whether at the college or individual level, our diversity by way of these varying perspectives, provides us with the opportunity to be cutting edge in higher education.

Yet diversity alone will not ensure innovation.  We need to create a climate that utilizes and negotiates this diversity effectively.  In the past, our ten colleges were encouraged to compete with each other.  Collaboration and information-sharing were not the norm, and as a result, good ideas remained hidden and great ideas struggled to develop. We recognize that the old ways will not serve us today. 

One Maricopa encourages the sharing of ideas, breaking down artificial barriers and collaborating in a true collegiate fashion to promote student success. 

This means we invite students and employees to bring their whole selves to school and work, to contribute fully the gifts that they have to offer. By creating an open and respectful environment for all our students and employees, we benefit from their insights and their ideas.

It is not always easy to handle different ideas, perspectives and experiences. Yet, we need to be able to manage challenges to the status quo and learn to deal with uncertainty, difference and occasionally being uncomfortable. Creating an inclusive environment means dealing with the discomfort and ensuring that all voices are heard. Through this process, we grow as individuals and as an institution.

One Maricopa does not ask everyone to think alike and act alike. That would be antithetical to the whole idea.  Rather, One Maricopa asks us to work together from our different vantage points for a shared goal, student success. There is no other goal. It is that simple. 

We succeed by doing what we do best as employees and as students.  We succeed by sharing ideas with others and by supporting each other in innovation, learning and growing. When all our employees and students know that they are essential contributors to the success of the Maricopa Community Colleges, we are on the path to One Maricopa.