Competitors? No, 2 universities work together

• Chicago-based Saint Xavier University is preparing to open a campus in Gilbert
• The school%27s student body is largely minority and the first in their family to go to college
• ASU%2C Saint Xavier are finding ways to work together to serve state%27s students

Something remarkable is happening in Gilbert.

As the state struggles with K-12 and higher-education funding, Gilbert leaders are aggressively moving forward with the vision that education is an investment in its future economic prosperity.

Construction crews are nearing completion on the four-story, 90,000-square-foot Saint Xavier University-Arizona as one of the centerpieces to Gilbert's growing and historic downtown Heritage District.

Last month, Saint Xavier opened a recruitment office in Gilbert, a milestone in the 169-year-old Catholic university's expansion plans. When the campus opens in the fall, it will be Gilbert's first university and Saint Xavier's first comprehensive educational initiative outside of Chicago.

One might wonder whether a recruitment office pits Saint Xavier against the interests of other higher-education institutions in the Valley, such as Arizona State University. After all, ASU's main campus, the largest public university in the country, is in nearby Tempe, its Polytechnic campus is in neighboring Mesa and ASU's downtown Phoenix and West campuses are a short drive away.

But the truth is, the small, private campus of Saint Xavier in Gilbert and the large, metropolitan university campuses of ASU complement each other when it comes to the goal of expanding access to higher-educational opportunities in the Valley.

Saint Xavier's faith-based, liberal arts focus is quite different from ASU's research-driven mission, which is pushing forward transformational discoveries and boosting the statewide economy with a broad spectrum of higher-education offerings.

Saint Xavier in particular successfully educates a population that is 61 percent first-generation and 42 percent minority. And 97 percent of its full-time undergraduates receive institutional financial aid beyond federal PELL grants.

We see shared interests in serving all students who are seeking a 21st century education in a marketplace that demands college credentials and career-ready graduates.

Together, we are exploring partnerships, formal and informal, in which students can take courses at each institution, thereby meeting their personal needs, whether they involve faith-based pursuits or broader educational and research interests.

From our shared perspective, broad higher-education opportunities in the Valley are an essential component of economic-development efforts to attract, retain and grow businesses.

As university presidents with different constituents, different needs and different focuses, we have a shared focus when it comes to building a bright future for our students.

Developing this highly skilled, highly educated workforce is not only good for Gilbert, it's good for the entire state.

Christine Wiseman is president of St. Xavier University. Michael Crow is president of Arizona State University.