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MARICOPA COMMUNITY COLLEGES OFFERS A LESSON IN DIVERSITY
Mentoring is a Key Aspect of the Faculty in Progress Pilot

August 24, 2001 - An innovative new program at all ten Maricopa Community Colleges is providing a lesson to other organizations and businesses in promoting diversity. The Faculty in Progress Pilot, or FIPP, is designed to help employees who already have the minimum teaching qualifications get the skills they need to compete for full-time faculty positions.

FIPP was created with two goals in mind. First, to meet the growing demand for qualified faculty and second, to address the changing student body demographics. Maricopa Community Colleges Chancellor Fred Gaskin says “We must hire faculty and staff who reflect the communities we serve and who create an environment of equity and mutual respect of each person.”

Scores of staff members and adjunct faculty expressed an interest in the program according to FIPP Coordinator Rosemary Kesler. From those candidates, one person from each college was selected by a committee and paired with existing faculty members who helped them compose a learning contract. Chancellor Gaskin is also sponsoring an employee. The mentor, whether an individual or team, is considered to be key to the success of the program, due to the experience and insight they will share with the interns. FIPP will focus on developing skills such as writing curriculum, teaching, classroom management, student advisement, campus culture, and faculty expectations.

Each participant is already educated in a specialized field… from math and bilingual studies to accounting and psychology… with each area deemed as one needing qualified faculty. The employees will complete coursework and work with a mentor. By May of 2002, the eleven participants should have the skills they need to apply for permanent full-time faculty positions within the Maricopa Community Colleges. Kesler knows of no other program quite like this one and is optimistic FIPP will be a success. She says she’d like to see the program doubled in size next year.

The employees chosen to participate in the FIPP program are: Lynette Jim from Rio Salado College, Khalif Muhammad and Audria Nunley from South Mountain Community College, Carolyn Wesley from Estrella Mountain Community College, Jennifer Wheeler from Phoenix College, Sylvia Ong from Paradise Valley Community College, Roger McKinney from Scottsdale Community College, Sara Leyva Rassas from Chandler Gilbert Community College, Nina Robinson from Mesa Community College, Stephanie Schull from Glendale Community College, and Mario Castaneda from GateWay Community College.

For more information on the Faculty in Progress Pilot, visit the website: http://www.dist.maricopa.edu. The Maricopa Community College District is one of the largest community college districts in the nation. It includes ten colleges, the Maricopa Skill Center, the Southwest Skill Center, several satellite campuses and business/industry, technical and customized training institutes. The district serves over 250,000 students annually.

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March 13, 2002