Organizational Culture
Values and Principles
As part of the Strategic plan update, Pima Community College is updating and clarifying its values and principles. Several are core to its history and mission as a community college, they may adjust as part of the strategic plan and new ones may arise. The current values and principles include excellence, learning, community, connection, care and kindness:
Excellence, Fairness, and Learning
Pima Community College strives to empower every learner, every day, for every goal. Embedded within that mission statement is a commitment to excellence in our educational offerings and resources, and our commitment to be a learning institution.
The College is committed to ensuring that excellence is a hallmark of our work and this is done through a comprehensive approach to education that balances freedom of expression, an inquiry based learning environment, and one that creates environments where all employees and students can learn and thrive.
Learning includes both what we do as an educational institution but also how we learn as an institution. We use data and inquiry to better understand our community, to improve how we serve, and to communicate our results. We also promote learning and inquiry with our employees and staff, educating ourselves is part of being a learning community.
Excellence and learning include the concepts of fairness and opportunity. This means recognizing that we do not all start from the same place and must acknowledge and make adjustments to provide comprehensive supportive learning environments.
At PCC we define fairness as our unwavering dedication to fostering a caring and engaging environment where every member of our community is recognized and supported. We are committed to ensuring that all individuals have access to the resources, opportunities, and support they need to succeed. By embracing each person’s unique strengths and addressing their specific challenges, we strive to create pathways for achievement.
Excellence and learning intersect through students and employees flourishing in their endeavors and it is achieved by committing resources to services, programs, and behaviors that support the opportunity for all students.
Community, Engagement, and Connection
Pima Community College welcomes, celebrates, and fosters the expansive experiences and contributions of students, faculty, staff and administrators and strives to be a leader in promoting opportunity through its commitments and actions. We cherish the richness of our community and, in addition to educational access for all, we are focused on creating a respectful environment regardless of individual beliefs, values, abilities, personal experiences, preferences, cultural backgrounds, socioeconomic status, and perspectives. We believe our differences are our strength and a source of innovation, excellence, and competitiveness.
We understand that the “community” in the community college of the 21st Century extends beyond local political boundaries, thus we aspire to build a community of responsible informed and engaged learners prepared to contribute meaningfully beyond the classroom. Therefore we represent, recruit, retain, develop, and support the potential of students and employees from all groups in the US and from any origin in the world regardless of ethnicity, religion, disability, political views, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, life experiences, and other characteristics. PCC values the enrichment that the unique perspectives and experiences individuals bring to the College and seeks to create an environment where these unique perspectives can coexist and flourish.
As it has throughout its history, Pima Community College strives to create a climate and culture in which positive attitudes toward varied interconnected groups are the norm and engagement leads to improved student and employee success. Community involves creating spaces of connection both in-person and online, between students and employees, and the College with society.
Community and engagement are comprehensive efforts that use data and research to increase connection, enhance the willingness to change and grow, improve success metrics, and similar initiatives. The College is mindful that trust and engagement are part of a journey, and that we may incur institutional and individual resistance. However, we remain resolute to reach our overarching goal: ensuring dignity, individual worth, and harmony among all persons.
A component of community and connection includes accessibility to College spaces and resources. Access comes in many forms, from being open access, to providing a range of courses and supports, as well as accommodations for different learning and access needs.
At PCC we define access as reflecting our promise to cultivate an environment where every individual is treated with respect and dignity. We are resolute in our stance against discrimination, ensuring it is never tolerated or overlooked. Our aim is to create a space where all members of our community have the opportunity to access, engage, and form meaningful connections—both with one another and with the institution—so that everyone can feel valued and supported.
Care, Respect, and Kindness
At the heart of Pima Community College is our Culture of Care and Kindness. It is how we approach our work with each other, our community and our students. It guides our decisions, practices and learning. It is a way of expressing, through action, Pima Community College’s mission to support every learner and every employee, for every goal, every day.
This organizational culture is co-created by employees through their interactions with each other, our students, and community with a goal to be honest, transparent, genuine, supportive, and respectful. Its practice is managed collectively and the results are an institution with strong outcomes for the students, the institution, and the community in areas such as completion of educational goals, increases in opportunity, and economic mobility.
Kindness and care are not about being nice, but about creating respect, excellence, inquiry, access, accessibility, connection, fairness, and celebrating how we meet the needs of our multidimensional community.
Care reflects our commitment to being authentic and genuine in our interactions. Our interest in each other's well-being and success. As well as our commitment to working collectively to solve problems that impact our students, employees, and community. Kindness connects us to creating a place of trust where employees and students feel safe, to work through problems, and to communicate in a way that is both respectful and honest.
At PCC we define respect as celebrating the richness of individual backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. While we share common values and goals, each member of our College community brings a unique set of beliefs, life experiences, challenges, and strengths. As an educational institution, we are dedicated to creating opportunities that recognize and embrace these differences, fostering connections and learning experiences that empower everyone to thrive. By honoring the varied experiences of our community, we enrich our collective understanding and prepare our students, employees, and community for a more respectful and collaborative world.
Care and Kindness are based on science that shows improved health and wellness as well as productivity and performance. Ultimately, it is about us intentionally committing to the well-being and betterment of everyone in our community, because it is through collective growth and success that we all succeed, thrive and even flourish.
Hispanic and Minority Serving Institution
Pima Community College is proud to be a federally designated institution serving underrepresented populations as well as a Veteran and Military serving institution. Additionally, we pride ourselves on our workforce and transfer commitments, being a Seal of Excellencia recipient, and being an institution that strives to connect with all members of the community.
Additionally, we are an active member of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, the Southern Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Tucson LGBT Chamber of Commerce, The Chamber of Southern Arizona, Marana Chamber of Commerce, Oro Valley Chamber of Commerce, Green Valley/Sahuarita Chamber of Commerce, Greater Vail Area Chamber of Commerce, and Southern Arizona Leadership Council.