An Associate’s Degree Matters

“In the downtown Minneapolis area alone, hundreds of corporations and businesses are looking for people with a degree and tangible skills to fill vacant positions,” said Tiffni Deeb, chief information officer at Minneapolis College, who was recently interviewed by EDUCAUSE for their CIO Minute. “An associates degree helps people get their foot in the door to a job, building the finite skills they need to be successful in a fast, flexible and meaningful way.”

The associate of arts degree at Minneapolis College is designed for students to develop entry-level career skills or earn the first 2 years of college credits for transfer to earn a bachelor’s degree. “There are more than 1,000 vacant positions throughout our community in IT alone,” said Deeb. “An associate degree can provide the skills to fill these and other vacant jobs, fast-tracking people to a career or promotion.”

“An associate of arts degree from a community college just makes sense,” said Deeb who noted due to COVID-19, institutions throughout the country moved to online education.

“Minneapolis College is a leader in advancing higher education through technology and our students reap the rewards of this expertise and its affordability makes it extremely accessible.”

Deeb noted the College’s partnership with EDUCAUSE has elevated its position through collaboration and connection. “EDUCAUSE is a nonprofit association and the largest community of technology, academic, industry and campus leaders who work together to advance higher education through the use of IT,” said Deeb. “In addition to promoting racial justice and respect for human dignity, the organization provides skill building opportunities, research and benchmarking and assessment tools so we can make informed decisions. It’s about enhancing our institution for the benefit of our students.”