Roueche Center Forum: A View from the Maricopa Community College District

Community colleges play a critical role, providing affordable and accessible education for diverse populations. According to the American Association of Community Colleges, our nation had over 1,000 public, tribal, and independent community colleges enrolling 10.2 million credit and non-credit students for the 2021-22 academic year; the need to retain top talent among faculty and staff continues to grow.

Steven R. GonzalesThe ability to recruit and retain a diverse and talented workforce is imperative to ensuring the success of a community college system. However, in recent years, higher education, like many industries, is facing significant challenges in filling critical leadership, faculty, and support staff positions due to an aging workforce, a need for more qualified internal candidates, and increasing competition in the labor market.

Furthermore, there has been a growing focus on student success, completion rates, and workforce development within community colleges. As jobs transform throughout the next decade, it’s estimated that 17 million U.S. workers will find their jobs are in less demand, with 80% possibly needing to reskill completely. As leaders, we must prioritize attracting and retaining employees who create supportive environments for diverse student populations by using data-driven strategies.

As chancellor of Arizona’s most extensive community college system, the Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD), with nearly 140,000 students, paired with 10,000 faculty and staff members, my leadership philosophy is that we all play a role in the recruitment and retention of our students. Each employee has the ability to lead from any place in the organization, regardless of title and where they work.

MCCCD remains a national leader due to its deliberate focus on fostering a supportive and inclusive environment. A successful balance between employee recruitment and student retention requires constantly evaluating strategies and implementing changes. We have found the following strategies to be effective for our organization.

Create a strong organizational culture

As an employer, MCCCD strives to build an atmosphere that values and embraces diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our organizational culture fosters a positive work environment, which leads to improved job satisfaction and higher employee retention rates. Our newly adopted Strategic Plan provides a roadmap of four key strategies that guide our progress around all MCCCD communities.