Who we are
The Arizona Innovation Alliance (AIA), supported by the Arizona Board of Regents, is a partnership between Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, and the University of Arizona with the mission of enhancing the performance of higher education in the state.
Modeled on the success of the University Innovation Alliance, the AIA emerged from a shared belief that through enhanced collaboration, we can find new and better ways to improve educational access and attainment among Arizona residents. Together, the AIA accelerates cross-institutional learning and deployment of high impact practices, enables the scale of innovative solutions, and creates spaces to test and verify new methods for student success.
The Challenge
As of 2020, 65% of all jobs in the economy require postsecondary education and training beyond high school. The value of a university degree has never been higher and in order to ensure our communities continue to thrive economically and socially, we must make postsecondary education accessible and affordable to all Arizonans.
Despite our collective urgency for meaningful change, Arizona is challenged by lower than average educational attainment rates. Less than half of today's Arizona high school graduates pursue a 2- or 4-year degree, as compared to 66% of high school graduates nationally. Of these students, just over 60% are completing their degrees. These educational outcomes are even lower for historically underrepresented populations, whose success determines the future of and strengthens our ethnically and economically diverse state.
As an alliance, we act as a bridge for innovation through collaboration, supporting our universities and their commitment to evolve in response to the needs of today's students. This new era presents an array of opportunities regarding how we meet these needs, and together we are rising to the challenge.
Our Goals
Building on the great work and unique assets of our institutions, AIA seeks to deliver improvements in the areas of student access, academic performance, and completion. With a focus on student-centricity and through innovations in program design, service delivery methods, and the use of technology, the AIA will drive impactful results for students, institutions, and the greater Arizona community.