Executive Order Renews Arizona Community College Council

Governor Jan Brewer Renews Arizona Community College Council

 PHOENIX – Governor Jan Brewer has issued an executive order re-instituting the Arizona Community College Council. The Executive Order reestablishes the duties of the Council to provide recommendations for governance of the community college system, to establish new statewide goals and performance measures for the system, and to propose a plan to deal effectively with the longer term ramifications of the constricted economy.

“I recognize the critical role our community colleges play in our state’s educational system, and therefore ask them to participate in the reforms that are beginning throughout Arizona’s educational system,” Governor Brewer stated. “Arizona’s community colleges are an integral part of the State’s preschool through post-secondary education system and are a crucial lynchpin to Arizona’s economic recovery. It is, however, imperative that the community college system evaluate their business plans to deal with the current economic reality, while continuing the excellent education and re-training for which our community colleges are known.”

Arizona’s community college system currently serves over 300,000 students and is growing rapidly as people seek new career opportunities during the current economic downturn. The reinstituted Council will provide a forum through which Arizona’s ten community college districts will be able to regularly coordinate efforts to meet state education and workforce goals.

As was announced last week, Governor Brewer submitted the State of Arizona’s application for the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (SFSF) through the American Recovery and Reinvestment (ARRA) to the U.S. Department of Education. As a condition of receipt of the $1.017 billion Arizona qualifies for, the state is required by the federal government to provide assurances that it will advance four criteria for school improvement and reform. Governor Brewer’s re-institution of the Arizona Community College Council and the role the Council is charged with playing is another step toward achieving those federal requirements.

Governor Brewer’s charge for the Council is similar to the charge she issued to the Arizona Board of Regents in Tucson earlier this month. She charged the Regents with formulating a new business plan for our universities that emphasizes accountability, predictability and affordability.

“I ask the leaders of our entire education system to collaborate like never before,” Governor Brewer stated. “The fiscal crisis that our state finds itself in demands completely new levels of efficiency and accountability.”

Source:  Office of the Arizona Governor

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