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Following Up on a Feature Interviewee
Maricopa Learns through Service:
Chancellor Rufus Glasper Introduces
Employee Service and Engagement Program
Two years ago, for the second issue of The Journal for Civic Commitment,
our feature interviewee was Chancellor Rufus Glasper of the Maricopa County
Community College District (MCCCD). In the interview, which appeared at the end
of 2003 Dr. Glasper talked about the service learning and civic engagement
expanding to include not only community college students, but also faculty and staff.
He talked about developing a service and engagement program in the corporate and
professional arenas. In his interview, Dr. Glasper stated “There are a number of
people who are ascending to leadership roles, and see a void that needs to be filled.
We need to think about that for our District employees. If we allow employees
to get involved in their communities and to take some time during their workweek
to become involved in the community, we would likely see more productivity at
work and, more joy and personal connection to the community.” (See Dr. Glasper’s
interview in Issue 2 of the online archives of the journal.)
True to his word, Dr. Glasper did develop such a program. In an August 2005
memorandum to MCCCD employees, he introduced “Maricopa Learns Through
Service”, a program aligned with his Beyond Boundaries initiative. “Maricopa Learns
Through Service” (MLTS) is an employee development program utilizing community
service as the vehicle for the achievement of personal and professional learning
objectives. The program was built on an extensive review of the literature dealing
with service learning, employee volunteerism, and civic engagement. Findings
suggested that MCCCD will benefit from increases in employee knowledge, skills,
and abilities, as well as improvement in employee attitudes, health, morale, and
satisfaction. These outcomes have been shown to lead to increased organizational
commitment and higher levels of employee productivity. Additionally, MCCCD
expects to develop an increased understanding of and enhanced relationships with,
the diverse communities it serves through the provision of human resources and the
development of volunteer leadership.
A pilot program is currently being conducted and will run through April 2006.
Participating employees selected the agency where they are placed and identified personal
learning objectives for the placement. During the pilot program, employees are released
from their regular responsibilities for one and one-half hours per week (up to six hours per
month) to work with their agencies. Nine employees, including faculty and staff from five
of the Colleges/Sites within Maricopa, are currently involved. These employees are serving
in agencies with missions related to issues such as homelessness and hunger, domestic
violence, education, health care, and community emergency response preparedness.
Community partners and employees alike are excited about the program. The
Director of Volunteer Services at one local agency congratulated Maricopa on its innovative
new program and indicated that she is looking forward to a long-term relationship with
Maricopa and its staff and faculty. With regards to her participation, one employee said,
“I feel very fortunate to work for an entity that supports wonderful opportunities such as this
one. I am grateful that at last, I am able to give back.”
For more information on Dr. Glasper’s Beyond Boundaries “Maricopa Learns
Through Service” program visit the web site at:
or contact Program Coordinator Julie Wechsler at:
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