The University of Arizona will open a satellite campus and other programs in Chandler as early as this fall.
Chandler Mayor Boyd Dunn made the announcement Wednesday. The city and the school have been in talks for months.
UA Vice Provost Mike Proctor said Chandler makes sense because it's a growing area, has a strong community college and is home to a dense corridor of high-tech companies.
Here are three ways the UA is getting involved in Chandler.
Upgrading work force
The UA will offer graduate classes at a distance-education hub on the former Motorola campus on Price Road.
The city will let the UA use part of a building rent-free, although the UA will still pay some utilities and management costs.
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The UA is evaluating student demand to finalize exactly what classes will be offered. Classes could begin in fall or in fall of next year.
Chris Mackay, Chandler's economic-development director, said entrepreneurship and technology classes are possibilities. The UA told the Arizona Board of Regents in January that management information systems and optics programs could be in the mix.
Paulo Goes, MIS department head, said he's eager to start collaborating with high-tech firms whose employees could benefit from new graduate certificates. Graduate certificates are specialized programs for professionals. Credits can be applied to a master's degree program.
He said he was impressed with the facility and thinks it will be easy for employees to take classes after work.
Supporting research
The UA is participating in Chandler's Innovations Technology Incubator/ Accelerator, also rent-free, in a former Intel research-and-development facility at 145 S. 79th St.
The $5.7 million facility's purpose is to provide research space to biotech startups in fields such as software design, engineering, biosciences, nanotechnology and sustainable technologies.
UA faculty members will work on engineering and bioscience projects there in collaboration with high-tech firms.
Engineer recruitment
An effort to recruit more students into the UA's engineering programs was piloted at Chandler Hamilton High School and now is expanding to more high schools in Arizona.
Students can take an introductory engineering course at their high school for UA credit to get a head start on a bachelor's degree. They get a scholarship and admission to the UA, and they pay about $350.
East Valley Tribune reporter Ari Cohn contributed to this story. Contact reporter Becky Pallack at 807-8012 or bpallack@azstarnet.com
