By Joseph Barrios
Arizona Daily Wildcat
The first staff members of the new four-year Pima County campus could be moved into the IBM complex by the end of this year.
Celestino Fernandez, vice president of Academic Outreach and International Affairs, said the IBM complex on Tucson's southeast edge is now being prepared and hopes for initial staff members to move in by the end of fall 1994. The new complex does not have a name yet.
IBM is now inspecting for the site for safety hazards and waste management. After the IBM team is finished, a University of Arizona facilities management team will determine how much the complex will have to be renovated to equip the place for classroom teaching. After classrooms are built and equipment is available, support staff will move in.
"We'll be putting people out there as soon as we can," Fernandez said.
Fernandez said he will send about 10 of his staff members to the IBM complex. The new campus is the only confirmed tenant in the new IBM complex, but it could also be used as a research facility, Fernandez said.
The Arizona Board of Regents bought the 1,500 acre site for $98 million in July. The complex is located near I-10 and Rita Road.
The Arizona Board of Regents unanimously approved the mission statement for the new campus during their Sept. 8-9 meeting. The mission statement was the first step toward using the facility acquired by the UA over the summer.
The board granted $7,973,000 for the school's 1995-96 budget. About $4,612,000 will be used to hire faculty members. Fernandez said he has already received applications for faculty and support staff positions from both on and off campus. Both the UA and IBM have until Oct. 31 to back out of the deal.
Faculty, staff and other administrators have been invited by Fernandez' office to give input about the foundation process. Fernandez said campus logos are also being designed. An estimated 1,000 students will attend the Pima County campus as early as Fall 1996.
Jerry Lucido, assistant vice president of enrollment services, said recruitment guidelines have not been established yet because the curriculum for the university is still in planning stages. But Lucido said the focus on Liberal Arts education at the new campus will be the strongest factor in attracting students.