February 9, 2015

Mesalands Community College recently signed an Educational Alliance Participant Agreement with Grand Canyon University, located in Phoenix, AZ. This agreement provides a 10 percent tuition discount for any Mesalands Community College employee, faculty member, or graduate, pursuing a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or a doctorate degree at Grand Canyon University.

“There are many individuals that want to continue working and want to continue their education. Many times the only option is go to school online. For Mesalands Community College, this is just another opportunity for a faculty member, a staff member, or a graduate that wants to stay in the area. They can continue taking their coursework online through Grand Canyon University and on top of that they will receive a 10 percent discount,” said Rodney Grilliot, Doctoral Development Liaison at Grand Canyon University. “Education is an investment and it takes time and it takes money. We like to provide an incentive to help in any way we can to make education more affordable for those that want to complete their degree.”

Grand Canyon University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Grilliot said that there are 12,000 students taking courses at their Phoenix campus and approximately 45,000 students pursuing their degree online at Grand Canyon University. He says their average class size is 15 to 20 students and Grand Canyon University offers over 150 majors.

“We want to expose our faculty and staff to various graduate and doctoral programs. We also want to make these programs affordable,” said Dr. Thomas W. Newsom, President of Mesalands Community College. “We will continue to seek partnerships with other institutions in order to provide additional opportunities for our students and staff members.”

Grilliot will be at Mesalands Community College on Tuesday, February 10 from 12:00-1:30 pm in the Great Room, for a Lunch and Learn for staff members interested in earning their doctorate degree from Grand Canyon University. He stated that he will also have more information available about their other degree programs for those who are interested.