Longtime CCC professors and administrators David Bowman and Monica Baker receive Professor Emeritus status on Monday. Courtesy photo
FLAGSTAFF — Two retiring professors at Coconino Community College, with nearly 50 years of service to the College, received the honor of Professor Emeritus Monday.
Monica Baker and David Bowman were honored with plaques during the April 23 meeting of the CCC District Governing Board. The board members voted unanimously to bestow the honor to Baker and Bowman.
“We are grateful for your service to the College and for your work over the years to enrich the lives of the students we serve,” said CCC President Colleen A. Smith. “As we move into the future at CCC, we are pleased to have you continue your relationship with the College in your new role as Professor Emeritus along with the honors bestowed in appreciation for your contributions.”
Baker has taught at CCC from nearly the beginning – first as a part-time math instructor, then as a full-time math instructor. She eventually was tapped for the dean position of the Career and Technical Education mission for CCC, which she helmed for many years. More than 88 people signed the proposal in support of Baker’s nomination and considered her “a treasured lifelong part of the institution.”
“I have the history of CCC, experienced first-hand, stored in my head and will treasure the memories,” Baker said during her acceptance of the award. “We truly did build this plane as we were flying it.”
Bowman started with CCC in 1996 as a part-time faculty member and eventually became a full-time faculty member for the Computer Information Systems department. He also served as chair for the department for more than a decade and has been nominated for full-time Faculty of the Year twice.
“Working and helping students succeed, of all ages and backgrounds, has been the most rewarding career move I ever made,” Bowman said. “Thanks to all the students who enrolled in my computer classes at CCC over the many years and who helped me become a successful and better person.”
Ann Wells, English faculty who makes the commute to Flagstaff from Williams, was recognized by the president and the board for her excellence in teaching and her tireless devotion to CCC students. Wells, who is also retiring from being a full-time instructor, has agreed to continue to teach part time at the request of CCC due to her excellent rapport with students.
CCC has granted emeritus status to eight other people in its 26-year history, which included three presidents, a vice president, a board member and three faculty members.
About Coconino Community College: Coconino Community College faculty and staff are dedicated to promoting an environment of excellence to support students. Since 1991, CCC has served residents across 18,000 square miles of Coconino County. The College has helped create the region’s skilled workforce, with the goal of improving the lives of our residents through workforce development and higher education. CCC has served more than 75,000 students countywide, with two campuses in Flagstaff and an instructional site in Page.
CCC provides affordable tuition and a variety of certificates and degrees including career/technical programs with more than 50 certificate programs and two-year associate degrees in various fields. Those fields include nursing, fire science, law enforcement and business. Additionally, CCC has programs that ease student transition to any of the three state universities, including the award-winning CCC2NAU.
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.