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AIC could move to new Pima campus

Casey Dexter Arizona Daily Wildcat The Arizona International College currently sits at the southeast corner of North Cherry Avenue and East Helen Street. The college may relocate to the new Pima Northwest Campus, expected to open in 2002.

Less than one year after its last move, the Arizona International College is looking for a new home.

The Pima Community College Board of Governors has just finished the planning stage for their new northwest campus, scheduled for completion in August of 2002, and the board is seeking approval to house the AIC.

According to AIC Dean Paul Rosenblatt, there are a lot of "serious discussions but we are far from a decision."

The move could be necessary because AIC's current campus is not big enough to keep up with the growing number of students expected to be entering the college, he said.

The current location "was never looked on as a permanent location," Rosenblatt said.

Initially, the AIC was intended to be an independent liberal arts school that would eventually have up to 5,000 students or more.

Following periods of controversy and an attempt by some members of the UA faculty to shut it down, the AIC moved from its initial location in southeast Tucson and last fall, settled in at East Helen Street and North Cherry Avenue.

"Most faculty are now satisfied since they are more connected to the U of A," said Faculty Chairman Jerry Hogle. "Before, their status was unclear."

The AIC has an enrollment of about 165 students and hopes to eventually serve 1,000 students.

Whether the potential move will be beneficial to AIC students is still undecided but initial student reaction to the news is negative.

"I like the fact that I can be here and take small classes but also be a U of A student and take classes there," said Mary Chavez, an international business major. "I don't like the idea of being a part of Pima."

Another concern for some students is transportation, if the AIC does leave the UA campus. Rosenblatt said if the move goes through, a shuttle service will be provided for the student's convenience.

The agreement would provide the AIC with lease space for facilities and services at the new PCC campus.

The two groups are currently discussing many of the details involved in the move, including what areas of the facility would be shared. These common areas could include food service, recreation, library services and computer labs.

PCC has already received site approval for their new campus, which will be located on the southeast corner of North Shannon and West Magee roads. It will be 90,000 to 100,000 square feet in size, and will be able to host 5,000 students.

Besides the possibility of housing the AIC, the new PCC campus will include a YMCA and a Pima County Parks and Recreation aquatics center.

Although these facilities will occupy much of the land space, there will also be areas left undeveloped for future projects.

"Initially there may be some space not completely utilized," said Paul Smith, assistant chancellor of administration at PCC.

That undeveloped space would eventually be for the facility the AIC would call home if an agreement is made, Smith said.

The final decision regarding AIC's future is not expected to arrive anytime soon. Few decisions have been made so far and none are expected for a few months, Rosenblatt said.

Although there may be distance between the AIC and the UA, Rosenblatt is "looking forward to keeping the current relationship," between the two.

"All of our students are students of the U of A," he said.