Friday, March 27, 2015

Students pledge to graduate at inaugural success fair

More than 400 students participated in Chandler-Gilbert Community College’s inaugural I Will Graduate Student Success Fair on Wednesday, March 25.  The fair, which was held on five of Maricopa County Community Colleges this year, is designed to connect students to the many resources available on campus to help them succeed.

“The event connects students to the resources associated with persistence and completion and provides an opportunity for them to connect with faculty and staff in meaningful and fun ways,” said Vivian Miranda, director of student success for CGCC.

Departments across the college set up information tables that students visited and spoke with staff of faculty regarding specific topics to receive stamps in a “passport.” After acquiring a set number of stamps, students then received a free lunch and/or a t-shirt. The fair atmosphere was complemented by a DJ, kettle corn, chair massages given by CGCC massage therapy students and a picture booth where students and employees could use props to take images with friends.

All students were asked to sign a pledge to graduate from CGCC and, in support of that commitment, learn how to be a successful student, engage with faculty and staff for support and connect to campus resources.


Air force base redevelopment video features Williams Campus


The Air Force Civil Engineer Center held an event celebrating the final milestones of the environmental cleanup program at the former Williams Air Force Base on Tuesday, Mar. 24.  Among guest speakers, the event included a video highlighting how “Willie,” as the base was affectionately known, has been successfully redeveloped in a major economic engine for the community. Today the region has more jobs, more diversification and more economic impact then when the base was open. Chandler-Gilbert Community College, which has a comprehensive campus at that location and utilizes some of the former buildings, is featured in the video. 

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Two alumni earn prestigious veterans scholarship

CGCC alumni Joe Schiavo and Russ Good
The Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame Society (AVHOF) awarded two of three state scholarships to Chandler-Gilbert Community College alumni. In addition to being honorably discharged, veterans are selected based on their academic scholarship, patriotism and service to their country and community.

Army vet Russ Good '13 and Air Force vet Joe Schiavo '14 both attended CGCC prior to advancing to Arizona State University, where they are now pursuing bachelor degrees. 

 Good, who is also a former Tempe police sergeant, is pursuing a secondary education degree and wants to become a high school science teacher in low-income areas. He has assisted with distributing medical supplies, building houses and drilling clean water wells in Central America and Morocco.

After his goal of earning a two-year degree in one year at ASU, Schiavo plans to enroll in the physician assistant graduate program at A.T. Still University. He is currently a volunteer at the Phoenix Allies for Community Health clinic in downtown Phoenix.


The scholarship winners were honored at the annual AVHOF Patriotic Gala on Saturday, Mar. 21 which was attended by, among others, Gov. Doug Ducey, Rep. Martha McSally and Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton.

Male minority chapter wins diversity award

CGCC MEN chapter student officers and advisors
Gabriel Lopez (left), Jill Wendt (center), Alex Kneip
(second from right) and Tony Little (right).
The Maricopa County Community College District Diversity Advisory Council recognized the Chandler-Gilbert Community College (CGCC) chapter of the Male Empowerment Network (MEN) with its 2015 award.

MEN, a district initiative, was formed to increase retention of the minority male student population. The CGCC MEN chapter has become a model for many of the sister college chapters and won Chapter of the Year in 2014. Additionally, three students from the CGCC chapter were selected to participate in the national 2014 President’s Roundtable on Minority Male Initiatives in San Francisco, Calif. 

The CGCC chapter consistently connects students to support systems necessary for student success, including assistance with registration, advising, mentoring and the collaboration of philanthropic efforts with student clubs. The chapter is different than a club in that it emphasizes academic success, increased engagement and retention. Course progress and performance are monitored each semester.

Chapter advisors are currently working with the Office of Student Success to create a summer science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) Bootcamp for incoming students.


The award will be presented at a district-wide reception on April 7 to chapter officers Alex Kneip (president), Alex Ho (vice president), Gabriel Lopez (secretary) and chapter advisors Tony Little and Jill Wendt. 

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Water Safety Day brings first-graders to Pecos Campus


Phoenix Children's Hospitals' Water Safety Day
at Chandler-Gilbert Community College
More than 1,000 first-graders came to Chandler-Gilbert Community College's Pecos Campus to learn about water safety at the annual Phoenix Children's Hospital's Water Safety Day for a day of learning and activities. Three major broadcast stations covered the event and the Arizona Republic posted an article called Kids learn the ABCs of safety that includes the Channel 12 broadcast.

Thursday, March 12, 2015

ACE student to earn associate along with high school degree

Photo by Daniel Ochoa/Tribune.
Chandler-Gilbert Community College and Hamilton high school student Jessica Solis was featured in an article in the East Valley Tribune for winning Youth of the Year from the Boys and Girls Clubs of the East Valley. In addition to her stellar involvement in the club, Solis is a student in CGCC's Achieving a College Education (ACE) PLUS and the dual enrollment program which has contributed to her receiving her associate degree alongside her high school diploma when she graduates this May. Read the full story.

Two faculty selected for education excellence award


Scott Adamson, Regi Munro and
William Guerriero at the 2015
Innovations conference.
Regi Munro and Scott Adamson were recognized as recipients of the John and Suanne Roueche Excellence Award on March 8 at the 2015 Innovations conference, an annual event presented by the League for Innovation in the Community College.

This is the third year Chandler-Gilbert Community College (CGCC) has selected candidates for the Excellence Award, which recognizes outstanding teaching and leadership. Previous recipients include Maria Wise and Heather Horn (2012-13) and Miguel Fernandez and Jennifer Peterson (2013-14).

Each fall CGCC division chairs are invited to nominate faculty for the Excellence Award based on extraordinary efforts in teaching, student support, instructional program development, co-curricular activities, professional growth and development, service to the college, district, and community, and leadership. In early December the division chair council selects two individuals from the nominees for recognition at the Innovations conference in the following spring.


Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Maricopa community colleges add $7.3 billion annually to local economy

The Maricopa Community Colleges add $7.3 billion in various kinds of income to the Arizona economy each year, according to a research report released today. The report, Demonstrating the Economic Value of Maricopa County Community College District, summarizes economic impact and return on investment of the Maricopa district in fiscal year 2013-2014. The analysis was conducted by Economic Modeling Specialists International (EMSI), an organization that specializes in providing economic impact studies and labor market data to educational institutions.

Chandler-Gilbert Community is one of 10 community colleges and two skill centers in the Maricopa County Community College District.

Among the report’s findings, based on EMSI’s calculations:

  • The accumulated contribution of former students now employed in the regional workforce amounted to $7.3 billion in added income in 2013-14.
  • For every dollar contributed by taxpayers to the Maricopa Community Colleges, $4 in benefits is returned to taxpayers. Their average annual return on investment is 10.3%.
  • Society as a whole benefits from Maricopa both because of increased earnings and because of savings generated by the improved lifestyles of students who attend and graduate from college. For every dollar that society spent on the Maricopa Community Colleges during 2013-14, society will receive a cumulative value of $12.10 in benefits for as long as the 2013-14 student population at Maricopa remains active in the state workforce.
  • For every dollar that a student spends on a Maricopa Community College education, that student gets back $4.20 in higher future income. A student’s average annual return is 16.6%.
  • The spending of students who relocated to the region to attend college in Maricopa County added approximately $240.6 million in income to the economy during the 2013-14 fiscal year.

The Maricopa report was issued at the same time as Demonstrating the Economic Value of Arizona Community Colleges, EMSI’s study of the impact of community colleges located throughout Arizona on the statewide economy.

“This report confirms the fact that an education at the Maricopa Community Colleges is a great investment, both for students and taxpayers,” said Maricopa Community Colleges Chancellor Rufus Glasper. “ A $4.20 return on every dollar spent means students’ money is being spent wisely. From the taxpayers’ point of view, a 10.3% rate of return is better than they can get almost anywhere else.”

“What’s more, the $7.3 billion in income that the Maricopa Community Colleges and their students added to the local economy was about 3.8% of the Gross Regional Product,” Dr. Glasper continued. “It’s additional proof that taxpayer funding of the Maricopa Community Colleges is an investment that comes right back to the people of Maricopa County.”