UA cleared to buy the land sign contract, and build, if Legislature doesn't pull the funding

Regents gave the go-ahead yesterday for UA administrators to negotiate leasing land northwest of Tucson and building UA North.

The University of Arizona and Pima Community College will share the northern campus, which the state Legislature has already appropriated funding to build, unless it decides to pull those funds as a result of budget cuts.

The goal is to start construction on the building within the next 60 days, so that construction crews can break ground on both the UA building and the Pima Community College building at once, said Joel Valdez, senior vice president for business affairs.

Although funding is uncertain for programs and projects statewide - an issue the state Legislature is currently addressing in a special session in Phoenix - UA Provost George Davis said it's likely the UA North facility will be constructed.

Regents also voted to hire a new Northern Arizona University president.

The new UA president, John D. Haeger, was elected yesterday to serve until June 2005.

Haeger has been NAU's provost since June 2000. Before going to NAU, Haeger was the chair of the history department at Central Michigan University.

The previous NAU president, Owen Cargol, resigned on Nov. 10 under pressure from faculty and allegations that he had sexually-harassed a male employee.

Haeger has been serving as acting president since Cargol resigned.

The regents also discussed revising Arizona intercollegiate athletics as a result of a report issued by the Knight Commission.

The report suggests implementing a minimum graduation rate for college athletes, reducing the time athletes spend on sports, money spent on football and basketball and prohibiting corporate logos on uniforms.

Athletics officials and the regents said they are discussing the report and looking for ways to give athletes more time for academics.

The regimented life of student-athletes can leave them short on time to experience the rest of college life, Davis said.

"I would like student-athletes not to be cloistered off to themselves (in athletics) but to have a greater opportunity to sample the rest of campus," Davis said.