The Communiversity at Queen Creek officially
opened its doors to the public on Thursday, increasing the number of higher
education options available to East Valley residents.
The
Communiversity at Queen Creek is a unique civil and educational partnership
offering students a variety of academic services and programs in one convenient
location.
“This
new location in Queen Creek epitomizes what we’re striving to accomplish as an
educational institution,” said Chris Bustamante, president of Rio Salado
College. “The purpose of this location is to provide affordable, high quality
educational options for East Valley residents and employers, and to stimulate
economic growth through education and workforce development.”
The Communiversity model was first introduced in Arizona by Rio Salado College, which opened a location in Surprise in 2009. The model gives students an opportunity to take lower division classes from community college partners and transfer those credits to a university partner, resulting in a significant cost savings on tuition.
The Communiversity at Queen Creek’s partners include the Town of Queen Creek, the Maricopa Community College District, Rio Salado College, Chandler-Gilbert Community College, Northern Arizona University, Ottawa University and the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine and Health Sciences.
The
partners plan to roll out certificate-to-degree pathways in the months ahead. Proposed
pathways include: Business, Communication, Early Childhood, Healthcare, Justice
Studies, Psychology, and Teacher Education.
East
Valley residents can now take advantage of academic advising, book store
services and professional growth and wellness seminars, as well as Rio Salado
College’s 600+ online classes. Testing center services, in-person general
education classes and information sessions about degree programs will be
available in the coming weeks.
The
Communiversity at Queen Creek is located at
21740 S. Ellsworth Road, Queen Creek, AZ 85142. To learn more and to
receive updates about programs, free workshops and in-person classes, visit queencreek.azcommuniversity.com.
Upcoming free seminars at the Communiversity at Queen Creek:
Take the First Step: Educational Leadership
Wednesday,
Feb. 26, 5-6 p.m.
Northern
Arizona University is hosting this information session to introduce the
programs it offers to help educational leaders meet the challenges within local
and national school systems.
Trauma
Sensitive Treatment Seminar
Tuesday,
March 4, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Sponsored
by the Arizona Department of Health Services and Ottawa University, this
seminar focuses on traumagenic family dynamics, understanding trauma and the
impact of developmental trauma. The seminar offers continuing education credits
and a certificate.
This story can also be found in the February 22 edition of the Tempe Republic.