Rural campus expansion questioned by Regents

Arizona Daily Wildcat Regent Arthur Chapa

The disagreement over whether the University of Arizona's Sierra Vista branch campus should offer classes in the nearby city nearly kept the Regents from approving the 1999 State Operating Budget for the state's university system.

Regent Arthur Chapa said the board should "rethink" the branch campus' involvement in Douglas, an area in which Northern Arizona University has had telecommunication links for 10 years.

NAU and Douglas' Cochise Community College offer a 2+2 program, that allows students to earn a bachelor's degree without going to Flagstaff.

"I believe it's a mistake to do anything today to solidify a program (for Sierra Vista) in Douglas," Chapa said, referring to UA's $343,500 request to link the branch campus to the University of Arizona via a video/teleconferencing system.

The budget requests a total of $745.9 million from the state for the university system - an increase of $65 million, or 9.5 percent, over fiscal year 1998 appropriations of $680.9 million.

The board passed the item, but agreed to address the Douglas issue at its next meeting, Oct. 30-31 at the UA.

"I have always had the belief that the Douglas area should have gone to NAU," Chapa said. He said Sierra Vista should not expand because NAU occupied the area first.

Sierra Vista Dean Randall Groth told the board he did not understand the discussion.

"For the past 10 years Sierra Vista has unanimously been supported," he said. "Everything we've done since 1988 has unanimously been approved."

Chapa said he did not think Sierra Vista's expansion followed its mission statement and questioned the UA's involvement in the rural southeast.

Paul Sypherd, interim president and provost of the UA disagreed.

"I don't think it is unreasonable," said Sypherd. He said Sierra Vista was justified because of the UA's activity in the area.

"This didn't just pop out of the box - its been going on for quite some time," he said.

Under board policy, Sierra Vista is authorized to do business in the surrounding community because it is a UA branch campus.

Chapa proposed cutting the project from the budget request, putting it into the Regents' central office budget until an agreement could be reached- an idea rejected by the board.

"It just seems willy willy - everyone is trying to race to the rural areas," said Regent John Munger, who sided with Sierra Vista. "We have to do something. We're on a mad rampage."

UA is also seeking $400,000 to provide Arizona Health Sciences Library with up-to-date electronic resources.

In other business:

The Regents approved a plan to distribute $4 million in Teaching Incentive Program funding.

Bonuses ranging from 2 percent to 5 percent will be added to the base salaries of faculty teaching six or more credit hours per semester.

The UA has set aside $1 million for faculty who do not meet the Legislature's criteria based upon merit.

A multiple year employment contract was approved for UA Head Basketball Coach Lute Olson.

His contract, which was extended through 2002, will not undergo further changes.

The board asked Athletic Director Jim Livengood and the athletic directors of NAU and Arizona State University to fine tune their White Paper Report, a document regarding intercollegiate athletics.

A balance between the board's expectation for high graduation rates and winning programs needs to be determined, the board said.

Livengood said 64 percent of student athletes entering UA in 1991 graduated, where the university's total graduation rate was 51 percent to 52 percent.