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, belonging, care and kindness:

Excellence, Equity, 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 an inclusive 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 equitable learning environments.

At PCC we define equity as our unwavering dedication to fostering a caring and inclusive 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, Inclusion, and Belonging

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 diversity 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 and preferences, cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds, and worldviews. 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 global citizens. 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, social status 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 diverse, intersectional, and interconnected groups are the norm and belonging leads to improved student and employee success. Belonging involves creating spaces of connection both in-person and online, between students and employees, and the community with the College.

Community and belonging are comprehensive efforts that use data and research to increase engagement, enhance the willingness to change and grow, improve success metrics, and similar initiatives. The College is mindful that belonging and connection are a journey, and that we may incur institutional and individual resistance. However, we remain resolute to reach our overarching goal: ensuring the dignity and authenticity of the individual, and harmony among individuals.

At PCC we define "Inclusion" 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 engage, belong, and form meaningful connections—both with one another and with the institution—so that everyone can feel valued and supported.

A component of community and belonging 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.

Care, Diversity, 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, belonging, access, accessibility, connection, inquiry, 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 diversity 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 diversity of our community, we enrich our collective understanding and prepare our students, employees, and community for a more inclusive and interconnected 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 designated as an Hispanic-Serving Institution and a minority serving institution. Those designations are only part of the Pima Community College Community as we are also a Veteran and Military serving institution, a workforce and transfer institution, and an institution that strives to connect with all members of the community.

We are an active member of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), an association of more than 400 colleges and universities committed to Hispanic higher education success.