“Getting AHEAD” | AZ Board of Regents

Arizona’s college completion rate was below the national average. With support and incentive from the Lumina Foundation, the Arizona Board of Regents led community college districts and state universities to develop new degree pathways that would save students time and tuition.

Public relations and government relations were deployed to:

• coordinate dialogue between university and community college presidents

• build a case for support that would develop new pathway agreements between institutions for the seamless transfer of course credits

• raise awareness about the demographic profile of today’s college student: someone likely to be 1st generation American, who cannot afford to relocate to campus, and who still needs a paycheck while in school.

Tactics included heavy media relations, editorial boards, legislative briefings, community conversations with chambers of commerce and civic groups, plus online resources for parents and students to map seamless transitions from community college programs into a four-year degree.

Arizona seeks to raise the percentage of residents with a university degree to 30% by the year 2020.