San Tan Campus

In 2009, Central Arizona College established a small education center in San Tan Valley. Since that date, San Tan Valley has become a burgeoning community and a desirable suburban location for families wh0 commute to Pinal County and into the Greater Phoenix area. Central Arizona College is committed to continued development in this major growth area which is centrally located between Florence, Coolidge, Queen Creek, and Apache Junction.

To demonstrate this commitment, Central Arizona college decided to close the small center and build a new campus to accommodate the local community. In January 2014, Central Arizona College opened its doors with an array of classes. Many classes that meet the general education requirements for degrees we now offer at the San Tan Campus. Our most popular degrees are our A.A. (Associate of Arts) and A.S. (Associate of Science); both of these degrees consist of 60-64 credits that can be applied towards your Bachelor’s degree.

San Tan Campus unique features include: State of the art Culinary classroom, Nursing Assistant classroom, Pharmacy Technician classroom, E-Sports Gaming Room, Public Library, Learning Center/Tutoring, Student Lounge, Makerspace Lab, Community rooms available for community members to rent.

The following associate degrees can be completed entirely at the San Tan Campus*:

Arts A.A.
Science A.S.

The following certificate and training programs can be completed entirely at the San Tan Campus*:

Certified Nursing Assistant
Communication Studies
Pharmacy Technician

To view a full list of degree programs offered at CAC visit our Areas of Interest page.

*Additional degrees and certificates may be obtained through a combination of in-person and online classes.

Travel Reduction Program

Transportation
Due to high gas prices and environmental concerns, more Central Arizona College faculty, staff, and students are looking for alternatives to commuting alone to college. Although Pinal County lacks a county-wide public transportation system, there are ways to reduce the cost of commuting between home and CAC.

CART Buses provide Intercity Transportation in Pinal County
(11/3/2014 article from the Casa Grande Dispatch by Shane Dale)

Carpooling
A carpool is an arrangement in which two to six people traveling in the same direction ride together in a car. The driver picks up fellow carpoolers at their homes or other locations for the final trip to work. Participants generally agree in advance on schedules, routes, and carpool days. Depending on the type of arrangement, employees may carpool full-time or part-time, depending on their individual needs. Carpools may have members who work at the same worksite, at different locations or for different employers.

The benefits of carpooling:
•Save money by decreasing automobile expenses either by splitting gasoline and normal maintenance costs among riders or alternating vehicles
•Reduce insurance premiums by eliminating or limiting use of personal vehicle for daily commuting
•Save time & bypass traffic congestion by using carpool lanes within Maricopa County
•Reduces stress—arrive more refreshed, relaxed, and ready to work
•Encourages new friendships with co-workers through ridesharing
•Provides useable time for riders—read, sleep, work, and talk
•Personal car available more often for other uses
•It’s flexible; you can do it even just one day a week
•You don’t need to own a car; you can join a carpool as a passenger
•Regular carpooling may even qualify you for certain commuter tax benefits

Why should I carpool?
You’ll save money on gas by splitting driving costs among two or more commuters and zip past traffic in carpool lanes if they are available along your route.

Do I have to carpool every day?
No. You can carpool anywhere from one day a week to every day—as often as your schedule permits.

What if I don’t have a car? No problem. You can join a carpool that doesn’t need a driver and pay your share of the gas expense.

Who does the driving? In most carpools, each person takes turns driving his/her own car. Some carpools have one person who drives every day. This is something you and your fellow passengers will want to address right away.

Carpool Tips

Cover the basics: In making your carpool arrangements be sure to get answers to some key questions:
•How often will you carpool? If everyone carpooled just once a week, there’d be fewer cars on the road.
•Who has a vehicle? If all passengers have a car, who will do the driving?
•Do all the drivers have full insurance coverage?
•Where will you meet? Carpoolers can pick each other up at home, or meet at a mutually convenient location.
•When will you meet? People’s work schedules are often more flexible than you think.

Decide the dollars: If commuters rotate the driving equally, money doesn’t need to change hands, but if only one person drives, passengers generally chip in to cover the costs of gas.

Establish “Rules of the Road”: Each carpool is unique, but in all successful carpools, each have agreed on:
•food, coffee, smoking & perfume/cologne usage radio choices
•how long drivers will wait for delays
•who is notified if someone is sick

Give it a trial run. Many commuters start carpooling on a trial basis, say for a month or two. Once you try it, you’ll see how much you like it!

Pinal County Trip Reduction Program

The Pinal County Board of Supervisors approved a Travel Reduction Ordinance for Area A of Pinal County on December 13, 2000. This ordinance requires schools of 50 or more driving age students in Area A to provide information to the Pinal County Travel Reduction Program Administrator.

Area A is located North of Arizona Farms Road and approximately 12 miles east of the Maricopa County line (Meridian Road). For a map of Area A:
http://pinalcountyaz.gov/AirQuality/Documents/Air%20Quality%20News/Maps/AreaA.pdf Area A encompasses the Superstition Mountain Campus and San Tan Campus, but not CAC’s other campuses and centers.

CAC began participating in the Travel Reduction program in July 2001. This program offers opportunities to save money, and reduce pollution. Gina Carlock is the Travel Reduction Survey Coordinator. In compliance with the Travel Reduction Ordinance, she coordinates student and employee surveys at Superstition Mountain Campus. Participation in the annual survey process, using an alternative transportation mode (carpool, vanpool, bicycling, walking) will set an example for others to invest into our environment. CAC encourages the use of alternative modes of transportation.