University of Arizona's Commitment to Diversity Extends to Its Non-teaching Staff

The antidote to dead-end jobs at the University of Arizona is a program which has helped approximately 350 non-teaching employees get new jobs, earn promotions and return to school.

Elizabeth Gradillas is one of many who credits the Minority Achievement Program (MAP) with providing both the training and inspiration for her to move forward in her career. Beginning as a bookkeeper in the university's ecology department, she is now a senior accounting assistant in nutritional sciences and a political science major hoping to go to law school.

The program's speakers are inspiring, says Gradillas, who has a young daughter. "Many are like us. They've overcome obstacles, kids ... no money. They had [the] odds against them. That provides an incentive that it can be done ... That's all you need to succeed."

Founded in 1989 and touted as the only program of its kind in the nation, MAP's stated goal is to assist participants in assessing abilities and learning skills to create opportunities for career development and leadership.

Supportive Environment

Many of the participants, prior to applying to MAP, "were stuck in dead-end jobs, lacking in motivation and self-esteem," says Gradillas.

MAP's director, Valerina Quintana, says the program has mushroomed beyond expectations, recently completing its 18th training session. Each session accepts approximately 20 employees and each training session lasts five days.

"I feel fortunate we have a commitment from the administration to career advancement," Quintana says. MAP receives a $9,000 annual budget, excluding salaries. And while it is the only program of its kind, Quintana says other colleges, including Arizona State University, have expressed interest in emulating the program.

The key to MAP's success is employer support. University department heads are supportive, Quintana says, because they know that MAP participants come back better trained and ready to take on new tasks and responsibilities. One week prior to the program, an orientation is held in which both participants and their employers participate.