Diversity Monitoring Report
On November 13, 2007, the Governing Board convened its annual meeting to review indicators of success at Maricopa. This included Institutional Effectiveness’s Monitoring Update: Indicators of Institutional Effectiveness, the District Student Academic Achievement Assessment Committee’s Assessment Report on assessment efforts and progress at each college, and the Diversity Advisory Council’s Diversity Monitoring Report.
The Diversity Monitoring Report describes the unique position community colleges hold in higher education. They have been a significant component of equalizing opportunity for traditionally underserved members of our community, whether because of race or ethnicity, socio-economic status, first generation college students, new immigrant status, re-entry students or other factors. As a result, to be effective, community colleges have had to be on the front lines of managing diversity in higher education.
The report frames the recommended approach to addressing diversity which integrates the concepts of Inclusive Excellence into Maricopa’s six strategic directions.
- Maximize stakeholder access to the Maricopa Colleges’ facilities, programs, and services.
- Promote and support opportunities for students by enhancing learning environments and delivery options, student retention and success strategies and quality teaching and learning.
- Enhance internal collaboration and increase external partnerships.
- Identify and pursue new and existing revenue sources while promoting cost effectiveness.
- Recruit, develop and retain a quality diverse workforce.
- Maintain a strong identity that reflects its role in and value to the community.
The Diversity Monitoring Report compiles information about Maricopa’s diversity efforts from across the district. It also focuses the data from the annual indicators report in specific arenas that impact the unique student populations of our colleges. This included looking at Maricopa student, faculty and staff demographics, how effective Maricopa is with different groups disaggregated for race/ethnicity, gender and part-time/full-time status, and how Maricopa compares with national benchmarks.
After reviewing the data, the conversation at the Governing Board meeting allowed for honest and thoughtful considerations of how we can more effectively serve our students, understanding and meeting their needs and expectations.
Inclusive Excellence is a concept developed by the Association of American Colleges and Universities. They define Inclusive Excellence as “an ongoing, systemic awareness of the “state of the campus” and the “state of higher education” regarding the interconnectedness of diversity and quality, an active process of engaging diversity in the service of learning, and the courage to reflect on our efforts and to improve them where needed.” (AAC&U, Making Excellence Inclusive, Preparing Students and Campuses for an Era of Greater Expectations, Introduction to the series, p. 10)