Yavapai College has received permission from its district Governing Board to explore the possibility of offering four-year degree programs after legislation was signed earlier this month.
On May 4, 2021, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey signed Senate Bill 1453 allowing two-year colleges to offer four-year degrees, calling it “‘Opportunity for All’ in action.”
“Arizona’s community colleges play a critical role in supporting students of all ages and equipping our workforce with skills and resources,” Ducey said in a press release. “It will allow students even more opportunities as they strengthen their education and expand their employment opportunities.”
Yavapai College President Lisa Rhine said they are excited to begin the process of researching potential four-year programs.
“I am excited for our college, our students and our communities to be able to bring four-year baccalaureate degrees to Yavapai County at an affordable price,” she said.
As a starting point in determining which baccalaureate programs the college will offer, staff will take labor market data and community input into consideration in hopes of providing the most advantageous opportunities for the students in the region.
Before a baccalaureate program can be implemented at a community college, the new legislation requires schools to provide evidence to their District Governing Board of market demand for the program, determine whether similar programs are already being offered at other nearby institutions, and determine how to staff and fund the program, among other requirements.
Once a program has been approved by the District Governing Board, the curriculum must be created and the college must submit a proposal to the Higher Learning Commission for approval and accreditation, Rhine said.
“It is not an overnight process,” she said. “The whole process will likely take two to three years before the programs will launch.”
Yavapai College will also perform a financial analysis of the programs with a goal of keeping them as affordable as possible.
“While the programs will be much more affordable than at the universities, they will still be taught at an exceptionally high level,” Rhine said.“YC prides itself on having an exceptional group of faculty who train our students at the highest levels.”
In order to keep educational opportunities at Yavapai College more accessible than at a university, Rhine said they have no intention of changing student admission requirements at this time.
Because community colleges are traditionally a more accessible educational venue for a broader range of students, it is anticipated that this legislation could significantly impact the Arizona workforce.
“The impact could be quite substantial for Arizona’s workforce and could expand educational access to historically underserved populations, including rural areas such as Yavapai County,” Rhine said. “It will help keep our students close to home and help our county’s workforce needs.”
Another way Yavapai College is working to provide education specific to local needs is through the opening of their new Skilled Trades Center, a 10,000-square-foot facility on the Verde Valley Campus, this fall, which will be used to train students in career and technical trade programs that are designed to be useful in the Verde Valley, according to Yavapai College’s website.
Research suggests that community colleges offering four-year degrees could benefit a more racially and economically diverse group of students.
According to a study performed by the University of Washington, students who graduated from a community and technical college baccalaureate [CCB] program in the state of Washington were older and more racially and ethnically diverse than university students in similar programs.
CCB students also generally work full-time in addition to studying full-time, and many of them already have extensive work experience prior to pursuing a baccalaureate degree. The study also found that students who earned their four-year degree at a community college also typically go on to earn comparable wages to students who graduate from a similar program at a university.
Danny Avelar, a student at Yavapai College pursuing a fire science degree, was very supportive of the legislation. While Avelar said he plans to continue his education at Northern Arizona University following his graduation at Yavapai College, he would consider the idea of attending a community college instead of a university for his four-year degree for a number of reasons.
“First and foremost, the costs would vary substantially,” he said. “Secondly, the ratio for students to instructors is so much more favorable at a community college; a normal classroom size does not exceed 25 to 30 students at Yavapai College, whereas a university could be upwards of 50-plus students to one instructor. That would mean better one-on-one assistance, in addition to building a stronger rapport with the instructors.”
Avelar also cited the benefits of Yavapai College’s multiple campuses throughout the county, allowing access for a larger number of students. Avelar is enrolled in Yavapai College’s 90/30 plan, which allows him to transfer 90 community college credit hours to NAU, where he can complete his final 30 credits to earn his bachelor’s degree. So while he found that Yavapai College already offers nearly everything he needs for his educational path, he said he would love to see “any and every” four-year program offered at Yavapai College.
