The Arizona Center for Student Success (Center) joins the national Student Success Center Network, managed by JFF, a national nonprofit that drives transformation in the American labor market through system disruption and innovation at scale. The Center is part of an emerging trend in the national college completion movement in states traditionally void of a strong centralized tradition of community college governance. Its role is to organize Arizona’s ten community college districts around the common goal of improving student persistence and completion.
“My administration has worked extensively with business and education leaders to advance the Achieve60AZ initiative to increase postsecondary attainment rates in the state,” stated Governor Doug Ducey. “The Arizona Center for Student Success will enhance this initiative by boosting community college completion rates and by extension will lead to a more robust and effective workforce.”
Arizona’s community colleges provide the most efficient pathways to a four-year college or university. More than 78 percent of students who transfer from an Arizona community college to a public university with an associate’s degree go on to graduate with a bachelor’s degree within six years. Arizona’s community colleges are also the recognized leader for regional workforce development, serving nearly twice as many students as Arizona public universities and offering hundreds of career-ready certificates and associate degree programs.
“The Arizona Center for Student Success will be instrumental in helping reach Arizona’s postsecondary attainment goal. It directly aligns with the vision of Achieve60AZ, which is to have a diverse, well-educated, highly-skilled workforce in our state,” said Vince Yanez, senior vice president, Arizona Community Engagement. “Helios is pleased to help support the efforts to identify and implement proven strategies to increase student success and degree completion.”
“One reason students are drawn to community colleges is we prepare them to be career-ready quickly,” stated Dr. Colleen A. Smith, president of Coconino Community College, and chair of the Arizona Community College Coordinating Council. “After they graduate, they continue to bring economic vitality to our communities because more than 85 percent stay in Arizona and contribute $13 billion in added income.” President Smith further stated that “Maricopa Community Colleges Chancellor Dr. Maria Harper-Marinick and Central Arizona President Dr. Jackie Elliot were instrumental in obtaining funding and writing the proposal for this initiative which will benefits students all over the State of Arizona.”
The Arizona Center for Student Success will build a cohesive approach to engagement, learning, and policy advocacy across the state’s community colleges. “Arizona’s community colleges have a history of reducing barriers to student success and ensuring equitable opportunities,” stated Steve Seleznow, president & CEO of the Arizona Community Foundation. “We are proud to be a partner in this collaborative approach that has the potential to help more students from diverse backgrounds succeed in postsecondary education.”
