EP137: GateWay’s Hybrid Approach — Balancing Tradition and Innovation in Community College Education, with Dr. Amy Diaz

In The Margins

In this episode of In The Margins, host Ralph Newell welcomes Dr. Amy Diaz, president of GateWay Community College in Phoenix, Arizona. Diaz is an equity-minded leader with over 30 years of experience advocating for student access and success in higher education and emphasizing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) ideals. Diaz focuses on student learning assessment, strategic enrollment management, and fostering a positive college climate.

GateWay Community College, part of Maricopa Community Colleges, has been listed as the 2024 Most Promising Places to Work in Community Colleges, a recognition that honors higher education institutions that are dynamic, diverse, supportive, and committed to staff work-life balance, professional growth, and inclusive excellence.

Newell and Diaz discuss GateWay’s unique approach to workforce development, focusing on the lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic that have shaped its current hybrid learning model. Diaz highlights how Gateway balances in-person and online education to meet students' needs, particularly in hands-on programs like nuclear medicine and industrial tech.

Join them as they explore Gateway’s deep community connections, including the transformative impact of the HUG Clinic, and delve into GateWay’s efforts to include entrepreneurship into the curriculum. Tune in and discover how Gateway is preparing students not just for jobs, but for life.

KEY POINTS:

- How GateWay Community College has adapted to a hybrid learning model post-pandemic.

- Gateway’s emphasis on programs that lead directly to employment and community impact.

- The HUG Clinic at Gateway offers pro bono healthcare services, benefiting underserved community members and providing practical experience for students.

- The on-campus butcher shop supports local community needs and students' professional training in meat cutting and butchery.

- The institution’s beauty and wellness program with a certificate in small business development, helping students learn the business side of their field.

- GateWay’s entrepreneurial initiatives, such as the Venture Café and Big Pitch, are designed to foster innovation and business skills among students and local entrepreneurs.

- Dr. Amy Diaz’s insights on leadership and the influence of Dr. Steven Gonzales as a mentor.

QUOTABLES:

"GateWay is trying to get the right balance of hybrid learning experiences and hybrid student engagement experiences, [including] student support services in place, so that students have the flexibility to learn the theoretical information in an online environment." — Dr. Amy Diaz

"Our goal is to think about entrepreneurship as not just being an entrepreneur, but how to develop an entrepreneurial mindset." — Dr. Amy Diaz

“I think of innovation —- maybe having a slightly higher risk tolerance for trying things that some people might not have that naturally built into their personalities [and] thinking about ways of partnering with community and other organizational groups that might help us to achieve our goals.” — Dr. Amy Diaz

GUEST RESOURCES:

2024 Most Promising Places to Work in Community Colleges: https://www.diverseeducation.com/awards-honors/mppwcc

Dr. Amy Diaz: https://www.gatewaycc.edu/about-gateway/office-president

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In The Margins is produced by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education and edited by EPYC Media Network (visit at https://www.epyc.co/).