Recognizing the value of higher education in a tight job market, working adults increasingly are seeking to use smarts as a step toward success. According to the Department of Education, post-secondary enrollment should reach nearly 20 million by 2015 — and the University of Phoenix (UOP) is poised to help.

"UOP was set up more than three decades ago with a particular mission — to serve the working adult — an underserved population that for years had not had the opportunity to both work and go to school," says Gregg Johnson, director of Southern Arizona’s seven on-site campuses. "The idea was equal-opportunity education, so to speak. Now students can get their education done in a timely manner through one-at-a-time classes that are geared for them, classes based on solid theory, solid content, and solid learning models."

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From a humble beginning - the first graduating class had less than a dozen students - University of Phoenix has grown to be the largest private university in North America. For the quarter ending May 31, parent company Apollo Group enrollment was up 11 percent year-over-year to 345,300 students being served on more than 200 campuses and learning centers. Quarterly profits were up nearly 6 percent to $139.1 million.

"There’s a strong possibility we could add more smaller sites where the population is growing," says Johnson, who took over the Southern Arizona operations two years ago. "There’s no question we could use something in the Oro Valley area, and that’s in the thinking stage. I’ve also met with officials in the Sahuarita area to explore possibilities there. And we’re planning on adding more student resources to make our Southern Arizona campus at 300 S. Craycroft Road and other local site locations more of a gathering place."

While the need for standard brick-and-mortar classrooms continues, the popularity of electronic education reflects a growing contemporary trend.

"We’ve moved to become a comprehensive university, servicing students from beginning to end," Johnson says. "In addition to the more than 100 degree programs at the associate, bachelor, master and doctoral levels, we’ve added an on-line community college called AXiOM that has already logged a student enrollment of 130,000. The beauty of our curriculum is the ability to juxtapose from classroom to computer and vice versa. Our intent is to make things more convenient and more readily available. That’s why the mix of modalities, on-line and on ground, works so well. "

Electronic education is integral in some form to all University of Phoenix course offerings. Every class has an on-line component: all resources are delivered to students electronically, things like reading assignments and reserve library readings can be downloaded in Adobe Acrobat. Students don’t have to crack a real book as long as they know how to click a mouse.

There is no composite University of Phoenix student because enrollees range the spectrum. Some students arrive straight out of high school. Others are more seasoned, including a 60-year-old Sierra Vista woman who had wanted her degree forever and finally got it.

"We run the gamut from young to the not-so-young, although our average age is in the mid-30s, working adults, more female than male," Johnson says. "We have one of the most diverse universities in the country when you factor in age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender — they all fit in here."

The current fit includes more than 2,500 students in Southern Arizona and another 7,000-plus in metropolitan Phoenix.

Any discussion of education needs to include its cost and quality, and school officials feel they offer the best of both. According to a report titled "Trends in College Pricing," University of Phoenix’s undergraduate tuition rates are generally equal to or less than most private post-secondary institutions (with total tuition/fees at four-year private colleges and universities averaging approximately $22,000 a year — not including room and board).

University of Phoenix undergraduate tuition and fees are considered mid-range for private universities, averaging about $12,000 a year, according to the report.

As to the quality of learning?

"We just released our first academic report; it shows that, compared with other universities across the spectrum, our students are ranked favorably in critical thinking, writing, oral communication skills, and math," says Johnson. "Because we are an inclusive university, many of our students start at a lower entry level, but by the time they graduate they’re on par with their counterparts at other educational institutions."

A point of distinction to be added to the cost/quality consideration involves the per-student, per-year cost to taxpayers.

"Rather than costing taxpayers, our university actually contributes to the fiscal bottom line," Johnson says. "According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, because we don’t take any public money and because we pay taxes, we generate income rather than consuming it."

Since its founding in 1976, Johnson says the University of Phoenix has been "thinking ahead" with innovative ideas and probably falls under the philosophy of "why mess with success," so no major changes are planned.

"Much of what we do comes from the corporate level and maintains consistent quality," says Johnson. "At the campus level, we can grow our business and serve unique populations. In doing so, we want our Southern Arizona campuses to build their relationships with the community."

Despite the current recessionary economy, University of Phoenix enrollment has stayed consistent and Tucson-area campuses are continuing to grow.

"Education is somewhat recession-proof," says Johnson. "If you’ve got experience and a degree, you can still find a place in the work world."

University of Phoenix President William Pepicello supports that contention. "There has never been a more exciting time to be involved in higher education, helping learners develop the habit of intellectual inquiry and reflection and preparing them to be contributing members of a knowledge-based society," he says.

Biz Facts:

University of Phoenix

www.phoenix.edu/

Southern Arizona campus:

• Tucson

300 S. Craycroft Road

(520) 881-6512

Southern Arizona

learning centers:

• Tucson

555 E. River Road, Suite 201,

(520) 408-8202

• Nogales

870 W. Mariposa Road

(520) 377-2290

• Sierra Vista

460 E. Fry Blvd.

(520) 417-2080