A++ will launch this fall with a year-long exploratory commission composed of representatives from NAU, the state’s 10 community college districts and the ACA.
Last month, we announced a new, first-of-its-kind partnership with all 10 community college districts across the state and the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) to launch the Arizona Attainment Alliance (A++). This unique partnership aims to harness the collective impact of distinct institutions that together serve more than 322,000 students, based on a shared desire to dramatically boost Arizona’s postsecondary attainment rate. A++ represents a new kind of student-centered postsecondary ecosystem, one based on collaboration across shared interests and priorities and the optimization of complementary assets in service to Arizonans.
This is truly a partnership, where our individual efforts are amplified through a system of collaborators across the state, including Coconino Community College, in order to broaden access to an exceptional education for thousands of talented Arizonans.
The initiative aims to meet one of our greatest challenges – low college-going rates and low college attainment. By harnessing the collective capacity of partner institutions and organizations, A++ will be able to achieve the following:
- Boost the immediate college-going rate of the state’s high school graduates.
- Serve a growing proportion of adults with some college but no degree.
- Exceed expected progression and graduation rates.
- Increase the postgraduate value of the credentials that students earn.
Despite having one of the fastest growing economies in the nation and serving as a hub for modern industry, Arizona’s associate, bachelor and graduate educational attainment rate lags well behind the national average, resulting in an annual shortage of more than 26,000 bachelor’s degrees – a staggering gap that compromises Arizona’s evolving economy.
This innovative coalition has a simple but transformative aspiration to dramatically boost statewide postsecondary attainment in areas that align with the high-demand, high-paying jobs that are fueling the new Arizona economy.
Coconino Community College is a key local partner and will help drive the success of A++ here in our own backyard. They bring a well-earned reputation as a driver of education and economic development in our community. They prepare students for essential jobs in areas like nursing, child care, construction, automotive technology, IT, fire science, law enforcement and so many others. In doing so, CCC has helped fuel the individual and collective aspirations of those who call this region home and is exactly what we are looking for in the A++ partnership.
The Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA), the state’s leading economic development organization, is also taking a leadership role in A++. Having ACA directly integrated will ensure workforce development opportunities are tightly connected to A++ member institutions and programs, strengthening the college and career ecosystem.
A++ partner institutions like CCC and the ACA are committed to working together to spur more college attendance and completion and allow the people in our communities and the state to take full advantage of the opportunities that exist right here at home.
A++ will launch this fall with a year-long exploratory commission composed of representatives from NAU, the state’s 10 community college districts and the ACA. Over the following year, A++ partners will work together to develop a roadmap of measurable actions. Together, representatives from NAU and the state’s community college districts will explore opportunities across the following areas, among others:
Cross-institutional approaches to strategic enrollment management and degree completions that maximize access and attainment.
Strategies to strengthen the K-12 to higher education pipeline, such as dual credit and pre-acceptance programs.
High-quality, seamless, career-driven academic pathways that could be made available through A++, starting at the certificate level and continuing through associate, bachelor and graduate/advanced credential levels.
Cross-institutional shared services and technologies that provide seamless, high-quality student success, career advisement and transfer-pathway services.
The opportunity A++ represents has resonated across the state with college leaders and business organizations that see an opportunity to cultivate talent and facilitate opportunity right here in Flagstaff and across Arizona that will increase the value, impact and accessibility of transformative postsecondary opportunities for students. FBN
José Luis Cruz Rivera is the president of Northern Arizona University.