2019 Academic Annual Report
Our mission
Our vision
Our guiding principles
The mission of University of Phoenix is to provide access to higher education opportunities that enable students to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to achieve their professional goals, improve the performance of their organizations and provide leadership and service to their communities.
The vision of University of Phoenix
is to be recognized as the most trusted provider of career-relevant higher
education for working adults. The University will earn that trust
through
its:
-
Deep understanding of students’ needs
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Deep understanding of employers’ needs
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World-class assessment, analytics and innovation
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Operational excellence
We believe that our students:
Deserve quality academic programs that are career-relevant and are offered by an accredited institution.
01/10
Should be supported by qualified staff and faculty, as well as by University efforts to help aid them on the path to graduation.
02/10
Should be the singular reason we continue to advance the quality, career-relevance and convenience of our academic programs.
03/10
Are entitled to transparency so they can make informed choices about their educational and financial future.
04/10
Should have the freedom and ability to choose the educational institution that best meets their needs.
05/10
We believe that as an institution, we should:
Ensure we are valuing students’ time and money.
06/10
Market responsibly and demonstrate integrity in all of our materials, exposures and engagements.
07/10
Collaborate with employers, public or government officials and regulators, researchers and peer institutions to enhance the experiences and outcomes for our students.
08/10
Be accountable to our students, our regulators and the general public for delivering skills, knowledge and opportunities through our educational programs.
09/10
Maintain financial stability as a measure of accountability to students, a means to provide for the long-term viability of our programs, and an indicator of our ability to invest in the student experience.
10/10
Our students
Our students are working moms and dads who study during lunch breaks and sports practices, who dream of better lives for their families.
They’re adult learners, late bloomers, dream-chasers and trailblazers. We understand the key to serving our students well is knowing who they are.
Who they are
Our students are remarkable anecdotally. Here’s who they are statistically.
Total Degreed Enrollment
0
2/3students are female
37is the average student age
0
report as ethnic minorities
0
are first-generation college students
0
are employed while in school
0
have dependents
How they performed
University Learning Goals (ULGs) are a set of five overarching competencies that University of Phoenix incorporates into our academic programs. Students met or exceeded expectations for each of the following ULGs.
0
Professional Competence and Values
0
Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving
0
Communication
0
Information Utilization
0
Collaboration
How they rated us
We value what our students say. One way we listen to them is through surveys.
Likely to recommend instructors to other students.
8.7/10 
Effective curriculum allowed you to demonstrate knowledge and skills.
8.9/10 
Satisfied with overall learning experience.
8.7/10
Student experience
University of Phoenix founder Dr. John Sperling knew what it meant to beat the odds. He grew up poor, he battled a learning disability, and he worked his way through school to earn a PhD.
The challenges he faced inspired him to create a better path for students like him. He saw adult learners struggling with rigid class schedules, often taking six to 10 years to earn a degree. And it gave him a revolutionary idea: What if he created a university for working adults?
His experiment didn't make earning a degree easier — only more practical, with schedules that made sense for working adults and coursework that translated immediately to the real world.
Diverse colleges
100+
Degrees & certificate programs
College of Business and Information Technology
Credentials awarded in 2019: 15,363
Providing innovative, industry-relevant and accessible education to solve tomorrow’s business and IT challenges.
College of Doctoral Studies
Credentials awarded in 2019: 433
Developing scholar-practitioner leaders with an eye to influencing policy and guiding diverse organizations through effective decision making.
College of Education
Credentials awarded in 2019: 1,237
Improving the lives of our students, their families and their communities one educator and leader at a time.
College of General Studies
Credentials awarded in 2019: 429
Providing the foundational knowledge and skills for tomorrow’s critical thinkers and communicators.
College of Health Professions
Credentials awarded in 2019: 3,034
Equipping students with the leading-edge training needed to succeed in today's dynamic healthcare environment.
College of Nursing
Credentials awarded in 2019: 1,495
Embodying the value of caring, excellence in practice, and leadership in the nursing profession.
College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Credentials awarded in 2019: 4,642
Preparing future social science professionals to positively impact their organizations and communities.
Innovative learning
At University of Phoenix, students are given more than just facts and information. They are pushed to apply their knowledge in real-world settings. Every course is built to help students learn, practice and apply.
Learn 
Everything hangs on quality content. Industry and professional standards guide the content of courses and programs.
Back
Practice
Students practice through assignments, often integrating their work experience. Students and instructors also give feedback.
Back
Apply
Students apply their knowledge to real-world problems, helping them move toward both school and career goals.
Back
Accreditation that matters
Years
Continuously accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org) and its predecessor
Programs
Carry programmatic accreditation, an additional level of evaluation and quality assurance
Improving student outcomes
At University of Phoenix, we’ve built rigorous assessments into our courses that yield data on how well students are learning. We use this data to continuously improve the student experience.
Here's a snapshot of how we help students move toward their academic goals:
Here's a snapshot of how we help students move toward their academic goals:
University highlights of 2019
February
February
BSHM degree launches
The College of Health Professions introduces a new Bachelor of Science in Health Management degree.
February
New college debuts
The newly reorganized College of Social and Behavioral Sciences is launched.
February
Online T-courses go live
The College of Business and IT begins launching technology-enhanced courses, which include video and self-assessments. A total of 30 were launched by the end of 2019.
March
March
We score 100% for LGBTQ-inclusive policies, practices and benefits
For the third straight year, the University receives a score of 100% on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index—for LGBTQ-inclusive policies, practices and benefits.
April
April
Accreditation standards met
Following a 2018 mid-cycle visit, the Higher Learning Commission determines in 2019 that University of Phoenix continues to meet all accreditation standards.
May
May
Children’s storybook published
The University publishes our first-ever illustrated children’s book, The Dragon Who Learned to Fly, in conjunction with our “Discover your Wings” campaign.
May
We celebrate 6,000 doctoral grads
The College of Doctoral Studies celebrates its 6,000th graduate.
May
Memorial Day tribute reaches milestone
The Office of Military and Veteran Affairs honors fallen military members through 10th annual flag display at the Phoenix Campus.
July
July
Diversity white paper released
The College of Doctoral Studies’ Black Male Educators report sounds the alarm over the lack of diversity in K-12 classrooms.
October
October
CBIT earns recognition
The College of Business and IT receives the 2019 Academic Circle of Excellence Award from the International Council of
E-commerce Consultants
(EC-Council).
November
November
Vet support acknowledged
The University’s Phoenix Campus is certified as a Veteran Supportive Campus by the Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services.
Prior Learning Assessment
PLA allows students to apply for credit for knowledge gained through on-the-job training, workplace certifications, military service or life experiences. For every three credits earned, students graduate five weeks faster and save almost $1,200 in tuition.
FY19 by the numbers
0
Students took advantage of PLA
0
total credits awarded through PLA
0
of applications resulted in PLA credit on at least one submission item
0
Mapproximate tuition saved through PLA
0
saved on tuition per PLA student, on average
Responsible and appropriate borrowing
We offer extensive tools and resources — before and after enrollment — to help our students understand the different types of student loans and loan amounts that might be right for them.
For example, we offer memberships at no additional cost to the iGrad® online money management tool, which students can use to learn how to budget, save, minimize borrowing and understand future student loan payments.
University of Phoenix
Average for proprietary schools
National average for all institutions
University retention and graduation rates
Data helps us improve our understanding of how to support our students through the obstacles they face on the way to their degrees.
Here’s a snapshot. Blended institutional graduation rates, which are a measure of multiple degree programs at the University, have improved year over year since 2016.
Blended undergraduate degrees
Blended associate, bachelor’s, master’s
Our faculty
University of Phoenix instructors bring a powerful combination of academic credentials and industry experience to every class they teach.
0
YEARSaverage professional experience in FY19
0
YEARSaverage UOPX teaching experience in FY19
Don Braunstein2019 Faculty of the Year
Theresa Alejado2019 Faculty of the Year
Stephanie Benoit-Kurtz2019 Faculty of the Year
Peter Cohen
President
John Woods
Chief Academic Officer and Provost
Steve Gross
Chief Marketing Officer
Raghu Krishnaiah
Chief Operating Officer
Dan Litteral
Special Advisor to the President
Chris Lynne
Chief Financial Officer
Srini Medi
Senior Vice President and General Counsel
Cheryl Naumann
Chief Human Resources Officer
Eric Rizzo
Senior Vice President of Government Affairs
Jamie Smith
Chief Information Officer
Ruth Veloria
Chief Strategy and Customer Officer
Our leadership
Our leadership team is deeply committed to helping adult learners reach their education and career goals through continuous innovation that evolves with advances in education, technology and the workplace.
Alumni
We recognize the tremendous achievement of earning a college degree. Most of our students have worked years to reach this goal, and many are first-generation college students.
Read about David Fletcher (MBA, 2019), whose journey from military to management was aided through connections he made while a student at University of Phoenix.
David FletcherMBA, 2019
Community service
At University of Phoenix, we understand that community support and higher education go hand in hand. When we roll up our sleeves to help, we strengthen the communities we serve.
In 2019, the University gave:
“
There is something about volunteering that reminds you we’re all connected.”
Harper LinesSenior Manager of Corporate Social Responsibility
Our commitment to diversity
The University’s Office of Educational Equity promotes diversity, equity and inclusion by:
- Promoting cultural understanding
- Providing thought leadership
- Developing community alliances
- Promoting and sustaining diversity and inclusion initiatives
Dr. Kimberly Underwood
A white paper authored by Dr. Kimberly Underwood and colleagues examines reasons, implications and solutions for the lack of Black, male educators in K-12 classrooms.
Kimberly UnderwoodResearch chair, Center for Workplace Diversity and Inclusion University of Phoenix
B2B alliances
Learning while working can create a win-win situation: Employers gain a better trained and educated workforce while employees can gain skills and prepare for advancement without leaving their current roles.
In 2019 we focused on simplifying our benefit offerings, providing greater value while improving student progression. This year we engaged with our clients to activate new benefits — working together to achieve the goals established during the launch of their programs.
TAP Cap benefits
Pursuing higher education on the job at low or no-cost is an attractive employee benefit. For employers, it can also help to close the skills gap and improve employee retention. Our Tuition Assistance Cap Program does both while making every dollar count by combining client tuition assistance funding with significant University investments.
Because of the successful results of our first two TAP Cap clients, in 2019 we identified additional interest in our program, reaching six new TAP Cap agreements.
Thank you
This is just a glimpse into the work we’ve done in 2019. Download the full report to learn more.
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