By Dr. J.D. Rottweiler
In light of recent acclaim at the state and national levels, I want to take this opportunity to publicly thank Cochise College employees for their work. The announcements are a reflection of all that employees do to make the college great and help its students achieve success. Although we generally don’t seek out awards, they are a reflection of the outstanding efforts of employees to fulfill the college’s mission of providing affordable educational opportunities to diverse communities that lead to constructive citizenship, meaningful careers, and lifelong learning. Each award reflects on that mission and our shared strategic priorities of leveraging competitive advantages, striving for excellence, remembering that “everything speaks,” and enhancing student completion through increased institutional effectiveness.
In February, the college was selected by the ACT (American College Testing Program) State Council to receive Arizona’s first Career Preparedness Award. Awardees are selected based on outstanding student retention, persistence and graduation rates, as well as strong academic programs that assist students in finding career paths, internships and employment opportunities. Cochise will now be considered for the national ACT Career Preparedness Award, which recognizes exemplary efforts by a community college to advance students’ career readiness.
Also this spring, the Huffington Post published the results of a study by SmartAsset.com that ranked Cochise College as the third best community college in the nation, determined by cost of attendance, return on investment and success rates. SmartAsset analyzed nearly 700 community colleges in the U.S. and Cochise was praised for its affordability and the starting salaries of its graduates.
Additionally, last year, Cochise College was included in a list of the top 100 “Most Affordable Large Community Colleges,” calculated by the website Affordable Colleges Online. “Large,” you ask? With six physical locations and a virtual campus enrolling some 5,000 students per semester and an average of 700 employees, Cochise really is bigger than you might expect.
As your local college, we are proud to offer top quality, affordable higher education in Cochise County, and it would not be possible without the dedication and expertise of our exceptional faculty and staff. Thank you, Cochise College employees, for all you do to make Cochise College truly one of the best in the nation!
J.D. Rottweiler is president of Cochise College. Contact him at jdr@cochise.edu.