The candidates are vying for a district-wide seat on Maricopa County Community College District’s Governing Board in the only contested race.
What is your platform given the roles and responsibilities of a Maricopa County Community College District Governing Board member, and what is motivating you to seek this seat?I’m running for the MCCCD Governing Board to strengthen our already outstanding community college system and to improve access and affordability for all students. Our community colleges not only create opportunities for students to improve their own lives, they also improve our state’s economy.
Our community colleges are also facing arbitrary spending limits on their ability to use funds already available, similar to the aggregate expenditure limit crisis our public K-12 system is experiencing. It is imperative that our state Legislature correct these challenges in the next legislative session, providing stability and certainty to our colleges.The most important issue facing the MCCCD right now is a continuing drop in enrollment.
While media-based marketing has a place, nothing beats face-to-face recruitment. I intend to look at the marketing budget and how our tax dollars are being spent. I believe it’s time to shift those dollars to more in-person efforts. While effective marketing is important, the district must improve the quality and value of the end product. One recent survey found none of the 10 schools ranked in the top 100 community colleges in the country.
Whether students are seeking specific job training, planning to transfer to university, or pursuing new interests, our community colleges must continue working to improve these opportunities and make higher education affordable and accessible.If the MCCCD is to remain relevant in the next decade, it must establish even closer ties with the businesses and industries in the various communities it serves so as to equip the workforce of tomorrow.