Tucson business leaders: UA is smart to acquire online Ashford University

The following is the opinion and analysis of the writers:

Bold and innovative strategies will be required to meet the challenge of rebuilding Arizona’s post COVID-19 economy. The University of Arizona’s acquisition of the assets of Ashford University will be a step in the right direction. Providing greater access to the knowledge and skills that will be required to meet that challenge will be critical to the economic prosperity of our community and state.

More convenient access to higher education will be critical to our future economic prospects. To remain competitive, communities will need an available workforce that possesses the skills and talents that only higher education can provide. This includes people who have, up till now, been unable to pursue university learning opportunities because of family commitments or because it interferes with their current employment. Expanded distance and electronic learning opportunities will provide more people with greater and easier access to those skills and the training needed to compete in a rapidly changing local and worldwide economy.

Fortunately, Tucson has a 100% gigabit enabled broadband network, thanks to private investment by companies like Cox. Going forward, we’ll need to continue to look at creative solutions that bridge public and private infrastructure investments and partnerships.

Ashford’s assets are being acquired, not its liabilities, past problems and controversies. It will operate under the banner of the University of Arizona Global Campus. The acquired assets include a valuable, state-of-the art digital platform that would take years to re-create. Those assets and the quality of the education being offered will be managed and overseen by a nonprofit board of directors that is accountable to the students, faculty and community.

No doubt there will be some natural questions regarding Ashford University’s past issues, but the recent accreditation report by WCSUS, the same regional accreditor used by the University of California system, found that Ashford “operated with integrity, and adheres to open, honest communication with prospective and current students.”

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In addition, the nonprofit board will oversee all operations and ensure the delivery of a high-quality, first-rate educational experience. Moreover (and no less important), the acquired assets and programs will provide a new revenue source that may help support the University’s operational and physical campus needs. ASU already has over 45,000 online students. The UA’s acquisition and expansion of its digital learning programs will make Arizona a national leader in quality distance education.

Under the guidance of the UA Global Campus, degree programs in such essential areas as accounting and finance, criminal justice, supply chain management and health-care management will continue to be offered. These programs were judged to be of the highest quality when critically reviewed before reaching an agreement. New programs tailored to the needs of our new economy will be developed under the oversight of the nonprofit board of directors.

The UA Global Campus not only makes this new institution a major player in the area of online education, it also extends the UArizona brand to an international audience and instantly brings 35,000 additional online students into the Wildcat family. Among these students, 70% are working adults and over 85% are 25 or over, the largest population of potential students in the U.S.

Ideally, many of these students will complete their online education and transition to UArizona for continued undergraduate or graduate studies. We hear a lot of talk about reaching marginalized student groups and improving access to higher education. The UA Global Campus is what it looks like in action.

In the face of unprecedented challenge, it is heartening to see that the University of Arizona is focused not only on the present, a successful reentry for fall 2020 and, as important, on the future of education for students everywhere. Online higher education is here to stay. To serve the needs of the community and remain competitive, the UA will need to expand its accessibility and availability, which this acquisition will do.