“Arizona should be their primary mission,” she says.
MCC Chancellor Rufus Glasper says the China program is projected to bring in $200 million over five years, which could help improve the colleges. Study-abroad programs and student exchange also are vital to creating a global work force, he adds.
But Glasper agreed the college system isn’t doing enough to keep students in school.
Students sometimes leave for financial reasons or family commitments, he says. MCC also tends to serve more transient students, which may increase the rates for early departure.
In the past two years, MCC and the state universities have increased the number of community college credits they transfer. For example, through an alliance with ASU, nursing students can transfer 75 credits, up from 64.
More four-year degrees also are being offered through college-university partnerships. Students can earn a bachelor’s degree in elementary education through Northern Arizona University at almost every Maricopa campus.
“We’re trying to break down those boundaries” between colleges and universities, Glasper says.
— Associated Press
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