The Communiversity at Queen Creek officially opened its doors to the public today, adding to the East Valley's higher education options.
The Communiversity at Queen Creek is a one-of-a-kind civil and educational partnership that brings together a wide range of academic services and programs in one convenient location for students.
Rio Salado College President Chris Bustamante said, "This new location in Queen Creek epitomizes what we are striving to accomplish as an educational institution." “The goal of this location is to provide East Valley residents and employers with affordable, high-quality educational options while also stimulating economic growth through education and workforce development.”
Rio Salado College, which opened a campus in Surprise in 2009, was the first to introduce the Communiversity model to Arizona. The model allows students to take lower division classes at community college partners and then transfer those credits to a university partner, resulting in significant tuition savings.
“Education is a vital component of a healthy, growing community, and having higher learning available right here in Queen Creek benefits all of our residents and businesses,” said Queen Creek Mayor Gail Barney.
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 are among the partners of the Communiversity at Queen Creek. In the coming months, the partners plan to launch certificate-to-degree pathways. Business, Communication, Early Childhood, Healthcare, Justice Studies, Psychology, and Education are among the pathways proposed.
Partners include:
- Town of Queen Creek
- Maricopa County Community College District
- Rio Salado College
- Chandler-Gilbert Community College
- Ottawa University
- Southwest College for Naturopathic Medicine and Health Sciences
- Benedictine University Mesa
This one-of-a-kind facility, located in Queen Creek's Town Center, brings together all five higher education institutions under one roof to provide program pathways close to home for nearby residents. ESI Corporation and Hanover Research Council conducted academic and occupational needs evaluations in the Queen Creek region to identify these pathways. The fastest growing industries in the country, according to these surveys, are business management, early childhood education, engineering, nursing and healthcare, and information technology.
The Communiversity at QC is a civic and educational collaboration that provides East Valley residents the ability to receive certificates, associate, bachelor's, and master's degrees all in one place.
For a number of reasons, college can seem out of reach for many people. Range, time, and cost barriers can all be overcome with the aid of Communiversity. Students with work and family obligations can fit college into their busy schedules thanks to online and hybrid options as well as in-person classes close to home. Furthermore, the Communiversity's 2+2 and 3+1 articulation programs enable students to transfer between 60 and 90 credits (of a 120 credit degree) from the community college to the university, lowering tuition costs.
The Communiversity at Queen Creek is the Phoenix-metro area's second groundbreaking facility of its kind; the Communiversity at Surprise, which opened in 2009 and served approximately 1,200 students in person during the 2012-2013 academic year, is the first of its kind. Additionally, approximately 650 Rio Salado College online students from the local area have access to the Communiversity's student services.
These amazing colleges are just one of the many must-see sights you don’t want to miss in Gilbert, Arizona:
- Park University
- Chandler-Gilbert Community College - Williams Campus
- Chandler Gilbert Community College - Pecos Campus
- East Valley Medical College
- NAU at Mesa Community College 5.0
- Carrington College
- Chandler Gilbert Community College - Sun Lakes Campus
- Pima Medical Institute - East Valley
All of these wonderful colleges are located just a short distance from our offices located at 1447 West Elliot Road #103 in Gilbert! Stop by for a visit anytime!
