DAC Awards

The Diversity Advisory Council (DAC) is a District-wide council led by the Center of Excellence in Inclusive Democracy (CEID).  DAC members include two representatives from each of the 10 MCCCD schools who are appointed by the College President and at least one (1) representative from each of the Maricopa Affinity groups as well as the Associate Vice Chancellor for the CEID.

The annual DAC awards highlights an individual, group, program, or initiative that supports Student/Employee Success, Social Justice, Workforce Development, Civic Engagement, and/or Innovation through diversity, equity and inclusiveness (DEI) efforts. 

Past PVCC DAC recipients are listed below:

  • The PHI is a faculty-led collaborative in partnership with PVCC Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.  Facilitators host community dialogues on race, gender, and class that sharpens learners' critical thinking and communication skills, strengthens civic engagement by bridging societal divides through intergenerational connections, and builds inclusive communities to foster a more welcoming and supportive environment for everyone. 
  • Co-curricular Programming: Public Humanities Institute (PHI) 
  • Champions: Dr. Michael Noschka, Dr. Kaitlin Southerly, and Dr. Jeff Butcher 

  • This DAC award spotlighted PVCC employee, Jay Franzen, for promoting and cementing a culture that embraces and demonstrates PVCC’s values of inclusiveness.  Jay serves on the Executive Board of Equality Maricopa, and as the advisor for the student PRIDE Club and PVCC Computer Club, while also serving as an academic advisor and adjunct faculty member.  Jay’s direct involved in establishing District policies, activities, and fundraisers that promote supportive contexts for students and staff including the creation of Equality Maricopa's inaugural Prism Drag Ball which raised over $10,000 in scholarships and sponsored 65 students to attend.
  • Champion: Jay Franzen

  • The American Indian Student Resources website was developed in response to American Indian students' request to provide a space and place for resources specific to members of the Indigenous community.  The website serves as a repository of resources for financial aid, engaging with student life, and other MCCCD resources that serve American Indian students.   
  • Resource: American Indian Student Resources Website 
  • Champions: Versha Anderson, Courtney Billy, Norma Chandler, Pam Cosay, Mike Ho, Andrea Macias-Murrieta, Dwayne Norton, Demetria Shepherd, Jay Sloan, Kevin Smith, and Marc Varner

  • Giving Tree is a partnership between PVCC and Department of Child Safety (DCS) to provide a bountiful holiday season for current or former foster children in Phoenix.  This campus-wide initiative invites all employees to select a child to shop for individually or donate to a pool of gift cards used to purchase gifts to be distributed by DCS. In 2020, PVCC serve [INSERT CHILD NUMBER] through the Giving Tree Partnership 
  • Initiative: Giving Tree - Foster Youth Holiday Gift Drive 
  • Champions: Dr, Anne Suzuki (lead), Christine Berry, Dr. Paul Dale, Lori Espinoza, Dr. Eric Leschinski, Viviana Jacques, and Dr. Jana Schwartz
  • Status Update: As of Fall 2023, the Giving Tree Foster Youth Holiday Gift Drive partnership remains strong.  PVCC served 75 children in December 2023 and plans to continue the partnership with DCS.

  • Festival of Tales is a FREE, biannual (December/April) community literacy event aimed at developing increased awareness, understanding, and a passion for learning through cultural activities and storytelling. 
  • Program: Festival of Tales
  • Champions: Meggin Kirk (lead), Dr. Chris Scinto, Fine & Performing Arts Division, Student Life & Leadership, and Southwest Human Development 
  • Status Update: Festival of Tales was established in 2009 and continues to be a strong community event. The April 2024 Festival of Tales hosted over 1300 guests on campus with 1100+ festival attendees and 150+ volunteers.  Learn more about the community impact of Festival of Tales on our Faculty Spotlights Page. 

  • Student Life & Leadership hosts events and programs for students to build connections with other students, creating rich and fulfilling leadership, service, wellness, cultural awareness, and recreational experiences in support of student’s academic, personal, and professional development.  Staff from this office support campus Clubs and Orgs, host curricular/co-curricular events for courses (e.g. Puma Challenge, Civil Conversation’s Series, Student Public Policy Forum, etc.), and build connections to retain students, train up tomorrow’s leaders, and help PVCC students achieve their potential. 
  • Department: Student Life & Leadership 
  • Champions: Mike Ho (lead), Rowdy Duncan, and Ryan Martin

  • Black History Month (BHM) was the first cultural month celebrated on PVCC’s campus and the only cultural month celebrated consistently for over 15 years.  Through the efforts of PVCC’s own Black/African American employee affinity group, campus programming such as presentations on personal and cultural history from the African diaspora (e.g. History of Voodoo) as well as arts & culture events (e.g. gospel singers, Malcolm-X theater, and dance performances including PVCC students) showcasing the bread and depth of Black culture.  As put by one campus Diversity Champion & College Historian, “BHM’s award was long overdue.  It makes me smile just thinking of how inclusive and welcoming this programming was.” 
  • Co-Curricular Programs: Black History Month (BHM) Programming
  • Champions: Cheryl Brinson, Artamus Coleman, Ken Clarke, Tony DeShay, Cranston Forte', Mitli Fulwood, Dr. Shirley Green, Dawn Higgins, Sandra Miller-Holst, Iris Hudson, Ryan Martin, Brian Quarles, Umar Shariff, and Sonya Woodard

  • Lunar New Year is a celebration of the arrival of spring and the beginning of a new year on the lunisolar calendar. It is the most important holiday in China, and it is also widely celebrated in South Korea, Vietnam, and countries with a significant overseas Chinese population (National Museum of Asian Art, 2024).  PVCC Lunar New Year campus celebrations began annually in 2014.  Review the PVCC Lunar NY Archives here. 
  • Co-curricular Programming: Lunar New Year 
  • Champions: Lili Kang (lead), Paula Crossman, the Libraries Division, and Dr. Michele Marion 

  • Diwali is the Hindu festival of light, which spans five days and marks the beginning of the new year in the Hindu calendar. Celebrants honor the goddess Lakshmi, who is associated with agriculture and abundance. Lights are important to Diwali because Hindu belief holds that Lakshmi cannot enter a dark space. Light also symbolizes the victory of knowledge over ignorance and hope over sadness (National Museum of Asian Art, 2023).
  • Co-Curricular Programming: Diwali Lights
  • Champions: Dr. Vaswati Ghosh (lead), Rowdy Duncan, Mike Ho, Catherine Mendoza, Dale Heuser, and Geneva Patterson (student)
  • Status Update: In November 2023, PVCC DEI and Social Sciences Division partnered to host Stories of Diwali including four faculty panelists from PVCC and two sister schools within MCCCD, reinvigorating cultural celebration and learning opportunity for the campus and local community. 

  • This multi-year project provided students with a pathway to learn in action, find common ground, and create an impact for social change.  Project facilitators challenged the campus to consider how civil discourse can lead to action through awareness raising which included a series of student-led learn shops/presentations, student-designed art and mixed media displays, and opportunities for faculty development.  Check out the Civil Discourse Library Guide for additional information and resources.
  • Project: Project Civil Discourse – Take 2 Activism
  • Champions: John Chavez, Kande Mickelsen, Cindy Nieves, Michele Marion, David Bradley, Visual Art Program Faculty, and the Libraries Division  

  • Initiative: PVCC BUS/IT & Fresh Start Women’s Foundation
  • Description? 
  • Champions: Dina Preston-Ortiz, Dr. Norma Chandler, Dominic Bartola, Sue VanBoven, Roxanne Ruiz, Reyes Medrano, and Jamie Starner

  • Faculty from Paradise Valley Community College and Scottsdale Community college partnered to develop open-educational resources (OER) and student-driven pedagogy framework using an cost-effective and engaging information-literacy approach. 
  • Read more about The Medrano Project 
  • Project: “The Medrano Project” 
  • Champions: Reyes Medrano, Sheila Afnan-Manns, Kandice Mickelsen, the Libraries Division, and the Business/IT Division.

  • Desperado Film Festival
  • Desperado’s mission is to showcase quality films that are related to the experiences of the LGBTQ community. Since its inception, the goal was to create an event that is educational, enlightening, entertaining, and enjoyable.
  • Co-Curricular Programming: Desperado Film Festival
  • Champions: Dale Heuser, Alan East, Tomi Johnston  
  • Status Update: In February 2024, Desperado Film Festival celebrated its 15th anniversary with over 400 attendees. Several filmmakers were in attendance, spoke to the audiences, and PVCC students attended the festival for FREE with their student ID. This year, the festival hosted 9 film events with support from sponsors like BMO Bank, Phoenix Pride, ION Magazine, Phoenix Mercury, Phoenix Film Festival, Aunt Rita's Foundation, Beatitudes, Spectrum Medical, Walmart, and more. Desperado’s sponsorships and ticket sales provide support for the Rainbows Scholarship through the Maricopa Foundation. 

PVCC Hosts the 16th Annual DAC Awards

 

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