Contact: Chris Chesrown
Media Relations Manager
480-731-8503

For Immediate Release

INNOVATION HONORED AT MARICOPA COMMUNITY COLLEGES
Teaching programs serve as national models

April 3, 2002 - New ways of meeting the educational needs of students, such as a "virtual librarian," "students mentoring students" and "storybooks that come to life," are being honored as "Innovations of the Year" at the Maricopa Community Colleges. Thirteen programs, and the people behind them, are being recognized for embracing an "out of the box" approach to teaching.

"This award really frames the work that our colleges are doing to keep teaching and learning in the forefront," said Chancellor Fred Gaskin. "We value the innovative work our faculty and students are engaged in and this is just one way of recognizing that value."

The programs honored by the Maricopa Community Colleges and the League for Innovation in the Community College often go on to serve as national models.

Paradise Valley Community College (PVCC) won the coveted Paul M. Pair Innovation Award for its program "First Year Experience" (FYE). This program integrates academic and general learning into a block to help new students successfully transition into the college environment. The students meet for team-building activities, service-learning experiences and group projects.

Dr. Gina Kranitz, president of PVCC, says the program has made a dramatic difference in student success, "We had a 90% retention rate for students continuing in the second semester. This compares with national data showing that nearly half of all two-year college students leave college before the start of their second year."

This district-wide winner will now compete with other programs for recognition on a national level.

The other district winners are:

  • Honors Program; Mentoring/Tutoring Option - Chandler-Gilbert Community College
  • Cooperative (Nursing ) Clinical Planning Pilot Project - District Office
  • Center for Teaching and Learning - Estrella Mountain Community College
  • Video Library of Physical Therapy Skills - GateWay Community College
  • Webscribe - Glendale Community College
  • Learning Center Assessment Team - Maricopa Skill Center
  • One College/Two Campuses: A Model for Our District's Future - Mesa Community College
  • The Storybook Stagecoach - Phoenix College
  • Rio Salado College School of Dental Hygiene - Rio Salado College
  • Student to Student Scholarship Program - Scottsdale Community College
  • Increasing Student Success with Hybrid Learning - South Mountain Community College
  • Librarians Online - Cross College Collaboration

Each of the criteria for the awards are tied to a Maricopa Value: students, quality, efficiency, effectiveness, replication, creativity, timeliness, learning, and collaboration. The Paul M. Pair Innovation Award is in memory of Dr. Paul M. Pair, long-time member and former president of the Maricopa Foundation Board, who remained active and involved in the Maricopa Community Colleges until his death. In memory of Dr. Paul M. Pair, PVCC was awarded $2,000 to be used to further the winning innovation.

To view the winning programs, visit http://www.dist.maricopa.edu/marketing/innovation.

The Maricopa County Community College District is one of the largest community college districts in the nation. It includes 10 colleges - Chandler-Gilbert Community College, Estrella Mountain Community College, GateWay Community College, Glendale Community College, Mesa Community College, Paradise Valley Community College, Phoenix College, Rio Salado College, Scottsdale Community College and South Mountain Community College. The District also includes the Maricopa Skill Center, Southwest Skill Center, several satellite campuses and business/industry, technical and customized training institutes and serves more than 277,000 students annually. For more information: 480-731-8000 or www.maricopa.edu

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March 13, 2002