Thursday consortium aims to build stronger AWC-Sonora ties
Arizona Western College played host to its sister institutions from Sonora on Thursday, in an effort to re-establish cross-border ties first proposed years ago.
The U.S./Mexico Border College Consortium was launched four years ago with the aim of making it easier to conduct student and faculty exchanges, said Everardo Maritnez-Inzunza, AWC south county director of college services.
"At least 50 percent of Arizona's international trade is with Sonora one way or another. So our institutions are already serving an area that has economic ties. And since we have some responsibility for producing tomorrow's managers and leaders, we felt it only natural and essential to work together."
Four years ago AWC and Sonora signed an international agreement of cooperation and support. They meet twice yearly to agree on upcoming activities and plans, Martinez-Inzunza said.
But currently, it is easier for Mexican students to get academic certification in Canada than in the U.S., he noted, so colleges in Arizona and Sonora want to change that by developing a joint curriculum.
One of the projects they are working on is aligning English as a second language instruction certification and training, Martinez-Inzunza said. Another area of focus is exploring how they can work jointly to facilitate national certification within the health professions, concentrating on nursing, he added.
Since the consortium's inception, it has added California and Baja California so it now comprises four states. Thursday's conference was an effort to reconfirm their commitment.
Another incentive for meeting was the recent elections in Sonora that resulted in a change of gubernatorial administration, so the conference was intended to review the binational memorandums of understanding signed four years ago.
They will examine any modifications deemed necessary and if drafted they will probably sign off on the changes in June, Martinez-Inzunza said.
Vicente Pacheco Castaneda, sub-secretary of education for Sonora, said he was was hopeful the consortium could advance the values and riches of the cultural heritage of Sonora.
He added he came to the conference to listen and relearn what Arizona may contribute in values and traditions to the partnership, and to discover all he can about the depth of the state's higher learning institutions.
Mark Nigliazzo, AWC president since August, said he is just catching up on all the facets of the cross-border collaboration that took place before his arrival yet is enthusiastic about expanding opportunities.
"Since we educate students on both sides of the border, I think anything we can do to make it easier for students to obtain certificates and degrees will benefit both our communities."
William Roller can be reached at wroller@yumasun.com or 539-6858.
