Editorial
Arizona Daily Wildcat
October 15, 1997

Have mercy

The Arizona International Campus of the UA is failing and no one can gather the courage to pull the plug.

A petition - signed by 27 University of Arizona professors and sent to the Arizona Board of Regents and state lawmakers Friday - calls for closing down the "tiny, problem-ridden" school as soon as possible. The petition challenges the UA's recent loan of $950,000 to keep the fledgling campus afloat, and opposes plans to relocate AIC to the UA's main campus.

The petition is right.

AIC is a good idea that failed. It began a year ago as a liberal arts college with the spirit of adventure and personal attention that only a new beginning in a remote location can provide. Just like the Puritans three centuries ago, the pioneers of AIC were enthused about their adventure in a distant new land, the UA's Science and Technology Park.

AIC was supposed to function as a pressure valve for increasing enrollment at the UA's main campus.

Unfortunately, AIC has been long on problems and short on rewards. Funding is in constant danger, enrollment has been far below projections, and that wonderful, isolated location has proven more bane than boon - and so on.

Yet the UA, regents and Arizona Legislature continue to pour money into this misguided enterprise, apparently thinking that more money will solve AIC's problems. No one has the courage to admit that the millions of dollars already spent on this scheme have been wasted.

Regents should consider the simple economics concept of sunk costs. Funds expended on a project should be considered "lost" - irrecoverable - the moment they are spent. Throwing more money into such a project, simply to justify past spending is both irrational and wasteful.

When asked if regents should give up on AIC, ABOR President Rudy Campbell responded, "I don't like abortions."

But this isn't abortion. This is mercy killing. AIC had its chance.

Moving AIC to the main campus eliminates virtually every aspect of its purpose, especially the bit about relieving enrollment pressures at the UA.

There comes a time to cut your losses and run.

The funds that keep the floundering AIC afloat could be better spent on academic programs, renovation or rebuilding on the main campus.

The regents should have mercy and pull the plug on AIC.