While regents lauded the plans for the Phoenix medical school at their meeting Friday, they also narrowly approved the disestablishment the UA's Medical Technology Program, by a vote of 5-4.
The disestablishment came as part of the university's Focused Excellence plan, but Regent Robert Bulla said he was concerned about ending the program as there is a lack of medical technicians in Arizona.
Likins agreed there is a need for medical technicians, but said the UA program was costly and did not meet standards of quality, therefore, the university will focus resources instead on medicine, nursing and other fields of health professions.
"(It's) not the vision for the UA to provide baccalaureate degrees for wherever there is a societal demand," Likins said.
But to alleviate the crisis, Likins said the UA transferred its equipment to Pima Community College, which is now trying to fund the program with the help of hospitals and other sources.
"I can't tell you how successful Pima will be," Likins said, since outside support for the program is waning.
Arizona State University Michael Crow said ASU already had a medical technology program in place, which will be moving to the university's east campus.
"In the spirit of providing for Arizona these trained technologies, the polytech (campus) will be filling as much of this role as we can."
However, Crow said the program is expensive to run, requiring $25,000 per student, who only pay $4,000 in tuition.
Juan Garcia, UA vice provost of academic affairs, said he was not surprised by the dissenting voices at the regents meeting since there is a need for medical technicians, but added that the industry poorly compensates its employees, discouraging people from getting into the field.
In other news, the regents approved changing the Committee on Judaic Studies in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences to the Arizona Center for Judaic Studies.
Garcia said the new "center" status would allow the program to receive federal funding, increase its national reputation and provide Bachelor of Arts degrees.
The Arizona Center for Judaic Studies will begin with the existing $397,600 state allocation for the Committee on Judaic Studies.
Regents also approved the disestablishment of the School of Health Professions, which would move the physiological sciences degree to the Department of Physiology in the College of Medicine.