File photo President Likins talks about his "Focused Excellence" plan at a September Regents meeting.

The three Arizona university presidents were requested to outline plans for the future directions of their institutions at an August retreat with the Arizona Board of Regents.

As it turned out, each president's plan fit with the next.

"Changing Directions" was born.

Under the initiative, the UA would become a research powerhouse, make the admissions process more rigorous and raise tuition, while ASU would educate the majority of Arizona students and NAU would focus primarily on the undergraduate education.

"Focused Excellence" is President Pete Likins' plan to realize Changing Directions at the UA.

Excellence would concentrate university resources on 13 themes of "Academic Focus," and substantially raise tuition.

The areas include:

· Astrophysics, earth and space sciences.

· Biomedical science and biotechnology to advance human health and nutrition.

· Borderland studies with emphasis on the Southwest.

· Cognitive and neurosciences applied to language, learning, health and behavior.

· Cultural and ethnic studies, with emphasis on the Southwest.

· Community outreach through the arts and humanities.

· Environmental quality and sustainability, including global change.

· Exemplary professional work-force development to meet pressing shortages.

· Information science, technology and management.

· Integration of biomedical discovery with health care education and delivery.

· Indigenous peoples: culture, policy, economic development and law.

· Optical sciences and the applications of optical technologies.

· Water-related engineering, science, agricultural technology and policy.

Likins and the majority of department heads at UA think the plan is the best way for the university to weather the state budget crisis.

The only way "Focused Excellence" could survive in the state of Arizona would be if the other two state institutions, Arizona State University and Northern Arizona University, wanted to reshape themselves in a way that compliments Likins' plan.

That is why the Arizona Board of Regents, the governing board that oversees the Arizona University System, is considering overhauling the missions of the three universities, making the UA at least, less dependent on state funds.

If the plan is realized, it could mean the universities become less dependent on state money to educate their students.

With increased revenues from higher tuition, the universities would be able to tap into a fountain of unrestricted dollars that can be applied to any program the university chooses, unlike research and grant monies that are earmarked for certain projects or programs.

Arizona is projecting a more than $1 billion shortfall by next summer.