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UA breaks ground on north campus

Brandon Johnson
ARIZONA DAILY WILDCAT
Monday November 5, 2001

Plans to build 30,000 square foot facility underway

Headline Photo
ERIC M. JUKELEVICS/Arizona Daily Wildcat

UA and Pima Community College officials break ground at the site of the new joint north campus, scheduled to open in 2003. Originally, the campus was designated to be home to Arizona International College, but new plans are calling for UA to offer upper-division courses at the new campus.

The UA and Pima Community College broke ground Friday morning on a brand new 82-acre campus on the northwest side of Tucson.

The state-of-the-art educational facility, located near West Ina and North Shannon roads, will be home to a joint educational venture between the University of Arizona and Pima Community College.

When the campus is fully operational, UA officials expect that students living on the northwest side will be able to spend their first two years at PCC and complete their bachelor's degree at the UA facility there.

The UA's plans, however, are contingent on state funding.

"The state has already provided $455,000 a year indefinitely to fund the campus," said UA President Peter Likins. He then added that if the state were to pull the money, the UA will not be able to build its facilities.

Current funding for the project comes from general obligation bonds made available by Pima County voters in 1995.

The current plans call for PCC to build and open its northwest campus by Fall 2003. UA will then lease land from PCC to construct an additional 30,100 square feet of educational facilities.

State Sen. Toni Hellon (R-Tucson), a member of Legislative District 12 where the campus is located, said the Senate has already agreed to fund the project.

State Rep. Pete Hershberger (R-Tucson), also a member of district 12, said he wanted to keep plans for UA facilities in the state budget. He added that all proposed plans would continue at least until through the state's next fiscal budget in 2003.

Originally, the campus was supposed to be home to Arizona International College. The liberal arts college, opened six years ago, was told Oct. 11 that its doors would be closed as a result of budget cuts. New plans now call for UA to offer upper-division courses at the new campus.

During his address, Likins said he felt sadness in that the collaboration between UA and PCC will not include AIC.

"I didn't believe that (Likins) was sincere when he said that," said Caroline Byrne, a senior in AIC who was one of a dozen or so students from the college at the ceremony. The students passed out informational flyers to all attendees in an attempt to promote awareness of the proposed AIC closure.

"We didn't come to be confrontational," said Olivia Sloan, an AIC senior. "We just wanted to be a part of it. (Likins) made the comment that he closed the doors to AIC. However, it's not dead yet."

The campus will be home to about 5,300 students when it opens in 2003, a number that is expected to increase as more facilities become available.

At the center of the campus will be a state-of-the-art library and computer commons open to the public.

In addition, Pima County Parks and Recreation as well as the YMCA plan to erect facilities on the site.

 
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