The University of Phoenix and the Maricopa Community Colleges announced a new agreement that will allow students to more easily transfer their college credits to the university to earn a bachelor’s degree in management, health management, nursing and information technology.

Called the 3+1 transfer program, it will allow students to earn an associate’s and bachelor’s degree by spending three years at a local community college instead of the traditional two, and to finish their final year at to secure a bachelor’s of science degree. 

All 10 community colleges in the district are offering the transfer program, said Rose Rojas, director of transfer for the district, in announcing the agreement last week.  

“Students like the idea that they can stay at the community college to complete three-fourths of their bachelor’s degree,” Rojas said. 

High-demand skills for corporate America

A goal of the program is to address the skills-gap for workers in health care and management, said University of Phoenix Provost John Woods. 

“Preparing students for fulfilling careers is a mission both institutions share, and this pathway means students save money while still completing their bachelor’s in four years,” Woods said. 

Eligible students will only have to complete 11 classes to finish their bachelor’s degree at the university, he said. They can graduate in as little as 14 months when transferring credits from one of the district’s colleges. 

Generally, approximately 60 credits from a community college are eligible to be transferred toward a bachelor’s degree. Often, students can end up losing credits during the transfer process, which equates to a loss of time and money. This agreement should help eliminate much of that, school officials said. 

Under the new agreement, students will be able to transfer 87 eligible community college credits toward bachelor’s degree programs in , or , as well as a Bachelor’s of Science in for RNs.

The new 3+1 option will become available starting in the fall of 2021.

First university course is free 

To further aid students, the university is waiving all fees and tuition for the first course and will provide a special Associate Degree Transfer tuition rate for all remaining courses, saving students $144.00 per course. University courses are conducted in five-week increments.

“University of Phoenix’s goal is to make it easier for community college students to complete their degree and get out into the workforce. We’re really looking to get people from Point A to Point B in their education,” said Kellie Stubblefield, UOPX director of community college strategy managers.

For more information about the new transfer program, to:

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A new public-private partnership is fast tracking STEM community college grads into IT careers and four-year degrees to help meet an enormous demand for entry-level tech employees in corporate America.  

Competition for workers is so fierce that it’s common for IT workers to be “poached” by other companies, said Leo Goncalves, vice president of Workforce Solutions Group for the University of Phoenix that has teamed up with Woz Enterprise and the U.S. Department of Labor to offer the program. 

“Even with the pandemic, IT jobs remain in demand and there is competition for finding resources,” Goncalves said. “Companies are willing to throw money around for higher salaries. There’s a lot of poaching going around in the space, so companies don’t get a lot of retention out of the folks they hire.”  

The new federally recognized apprenticeship program is designed to address both the intense need for entry level IT employees and to help companies retain those workers. 

“Old fashioned” corporate practices back in play to retain workers

To do that, the corporations involved are “getting back to those older mindsets” like paid apprenticeships, paid university tuition and university credits for the apprenticeship, said Chris Coleman, president of Woz Enterprise, a division of Arizona-based Woz U. 

The hope is that by providing financial incentives and on-site experience, participants will feel a sense of loyalty to the company and stick around, he said. 

Woz Enterprise builds and delivers the customized technology curricula that can result in credits toward a University of Phoenix Bachelor of Science degree in . 

For community college grads, the program offers a direct structured path to a job and a degree, typically at no cost to the student, Coleman said. The community college population fits into Woz U’s mission to make technology careers accessible to people who normally would not have that opportunity.

Infosys first corporate partner

The apprenticeship model launched this spring in Arizona and 10 other states in partnership with Infosys, a global leader in digital, IT, and consulting services. 

Selected candidates completed an eight-week pre-apprenticeship training program in one of seven technology tracks to gain essential day-one skills to start a career with one of Woz Enterprise’s recruiting business partners. 

Then as full-time junior associates, individuals participate in a structured online learning program for 12 months. During this time, they continue working and earning a salary, which increases as they gain key competencies. Training hours can be applied for college credit toward an IT degree at University of Phoenix. 

“We have all heard about the tech talent gap,” Coleman said. “Hundreds of companies have been trying to address it, yet here we are in 2020, and the gap remains. This apprenticeship model is the game-changer we have all been looking for.” 

Students and companies wanting to learn more about the program, may visit: . 

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To promote unity and diversity and inspire new leaders who are committed to both, the University of Phoenix (UOPX) is kicking off a free webinar series this week for the general public through its Office of Educational Equity. 

These live forums are meant to create a space to have “crucial conversations” to bring about real change, said Saray Lopez, director of student diversity and inclusion for the office.   

“The reason we want to make these conversations so diverse is because our students are truly diverse. We have more than 56 percent minority students and our students work across different industries so we want to look at how we are serving these students, how we are having these conversations, and how we are educating not only our students and our alumni but our community to actively contribute to a culturally complex society,” Lopez said.

As one of the largest for-profit universities in the United States, the Phoenix-based has a massive network of alliances with professional organizations, associations, councils, commissions, school districts and alumni to affect leadership thought and action.  

“We’re bringing together key individuals that are making a great impact in different spaces that would not technically come together otherwise, to engage in crucial conversations and discuss topics affecting our communities, industries and society at large,” Lopez said.   

Business involvement encouraged 

Ultimately, the goal of the new monthly webinars is to improve equity and inclusion from the classroom to the boardroom, said Lopez, who has been a force for diversity and inclusion in Arizona.    

Lopez earned the 2019 Inclusive Leader Award by the in Phoenix for her work in building stronger relationships between the university and regional community groups, chambers of commerce and employers.

A holistic approach is what works best, she said. Corporate involvement is a key component. Lopez hopes the webinars can inspire employers and organizations to improve diversity through actions in their day-to-day practices, hiring procedures, and approaches to fostering an inclusive culture “because it impacts our key stakeholders which are our students.” 

Panelists are global leaders in equity and organizational change  

The first, entitled: Fostering Unity while Addressing Inequities, is Thursday, June 25 at 11 a.m. and will feature international experts on diversity. 

Among the speakers are Dr. Shawn C. Todd-Boone, of UOPX who has received international recognition for his research and work in community building, community policing, and violence prevention, and Jim Massey, a globally recognized expert on diversity and inclusion and organizational change.

Other panelists are Dr. Linda Groomes Walton, an expert on diversity management who founded Achieving My Purpose, Inc., of Scottsdale, that supports women to discover their life’s purpose; and Dr. Jeff McGee, founder and CEO of Cross-Cultural Dynamics in Mesa that provides diversity and cultural training for companies and organizations. 

The moderator is Dr. Jamal Watson, editor-at-large at Diverse: Issues In Higher Education and professor and director of graduate studies for the Strategic Communication and Public Relations program at Trinity Washington University in Washington, D.C. 

Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»­ of discussion during the first webinar will be:

·      Systemic racism

·      The role of higher education

·      Allyship and advocacy

·      Leading inclusively in times of crisis

·      Equity and social justice

To register for the free webinar, go to:  

Public input wanted 

The university also is seeking input from the public about topics it wants to be educated on in the monthly webinars, said Tondra Richardson, director of student diversity and inclusion for the Office of Educational Equity. 

“We’re tying the webinar series to what’s going on in our society to provide a means of education for our students, faculty, other DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) practitioners and the general public,” Richardson said. “We’ve designed this around feedback we have received regarding what resources and education people are seeking and we’re pulling leaders both from within the university and other industries to bring that knowledge.”

Anyone interested in sharing a topic they would like to learn more can send an email to: content@phoenix.edu.

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