CCC President Colleen A. Smith will be asking Flagstaff residents what they want from their community college during a public meeting on Dec. 5. Courtesy photo.
FLAGSTAFF — Coconino Community College President Colleen A. Smith, Ph.D., will be holding a “listening session” in Flagstaff on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at Killip Elementary School, 2300 E. Sixth Ave.
The overriding question President Smith will be asking Flagstaff residents interested in attending will be: “If you could have any wish for your community college, what would you like to see?”
Smith will be conducting the session with Kerry Blume, former president and chief executive officer of United Way of Northern Arizona, who has more than 30 years of experience in nonprofit leadership.
“Dr. Smith is very interested in how the college can best serve the community,” Blume said. “And she wants to hear from the communities so that CCC can continue to develop, improve and ensure educational paths that meet the needs of our communities as best as possible.”
Smith’s intent, she said, is to steer the college in the right direction in terms of what Coconino County residents would like to see from their community college.
“We are only asking that people attend and share their perspectives,” Smith said.
After getting input from the wide diversity of communities in northern Arizona, Smith will work with the CCC District Governing Board on next steps to shape strategic and program development goals. Smith is holding numerous listening sessions, and residents have shared their own experiences as well as their family members’ experiences with CCC. Topics of interest have included certificate programs, technical education and career programs, programs that transition students into four-year universities and lifelong learning opportunities.
Food from La Fonda Mexican Restaurant will be served at this free event. Any community groups interested in hosting a listening session can do so by contacting April Sandoval at (928) 226-4217, or April.Sandoval@coconino.edu.
About Coconino Community College: Student success is the heart and purpose of Coconino Community College. CCC provides affordable tuition and a wide variety of certificates and degrees including career/technical programs with more than 50 certificate programs and two-year associate degrees in various fields including nursing, fire science, law enforcement and business. The award-winning CCC2NAU program provides an innovative way to smooth a student’s path toward a bachelor’s degree at Northern Arizona University with tailored advisement and institutional collaboration, including access to amenities at NAU.
Since 1991, CCC has served residents across 18,000 square miles of Coconino County. CCC has helped create the region’s skilled workforce, which is improving overall health, safety and the economy in the region. Today, CCC serves more than 7,500 students per year with two campuses in Flagstaff.
CCC reaches out to the more rural portions of the County including Williams, the Grand Canyon/Tusayan, Page/Lake Powell, Fredonia, Tuba City and other remote areas on the Navajo, Hopi and Supai Tribal Lands. Instructional sites offer classes through online, in-person and Interactive Television classes to meet the needs of students in these rural and remote areas. Nearly 20 percent of CCC’s students are Native American learners.