FLAGSTAFF -- The Arizona Board of Regents kicked off Phase I of a study Friday to drastically redesign the state's university system.
ABOR projects an increase in population growth over the next couple decades, tremendous growth that ABOR says the current system is not prepared to handle.
The regents' redesign study said: "Population growth rates and student enrollments are expected to skyrocket during the next two decades, and the university system must be able to accommodate the tens of thousands of students that will be knocking on the universities' doors."
In response to the growth projection, the regents presented a plan for the redesign at a special study session in June. Their proposal called for major changes in the current system, including the creation of a freestanding university called Central University from what is currently ASU West and also the creation of Southern University from what is now UA South and NAU-Yuma.
These two new universities, along with NAU would join to create the Arizona Regional Universities. The regional universities would focus on undergraduate and postgraduate levels of study while ASU and UA would focus primarily on research.
Each regional university would be presided over by a chancellor who would then answer to a Regional University president.
Once the original proposal was presented there was a call to the public to submit additional plans for redesign. As of the Aug. 1 deadline, 15 proposals had been submitted. The board's Feasibility and Planning Study Work Group was then created to assess the state's needs and ultimately make a recommendation to the regents.
"The main thing for people to understand is [that the board is trying] to do what is best for the people of Arizona," Nancy Neff, assistant vice president of strategic communications at ASU, said. "...[And] meet the educational needs of Arizona, which is undergoing tremendous growth."
The Arizona Board of Regents received their first update on the study from Mary Jo Waits, staff director of the work group.
According to Waits, the study will be broken up into two phases. Phase I is expected to last until December and is centered upon strictly data collection and research.
Once completed, all information gathered in Phase I will be used in Phase II, ending in June, to assess the 15 proposals.
To ensure that there is enough input to all members of the community, Waits is working to create eight different stakeholder groups. These groups will represent alumni, businesses, community colleges, diversity groups, elected officials, faculty, staff and students.
According to Waits, getting involved in the student stakeholder group is the primary way in which one can have input regarding the ultimate suggestion made to the board.
"Stakeholder groups are what I really consider the customer, we want to get their input and evaluate their needs," Waits said. "We're connecting with student governments to help form the student stakeholder groups."
The Planning Committee will also be holding open public forums as the process nears the end in Phase II, to ensure that everyone interested has an opportunity to be involved.
Though the original plan presented by the board in June would effectively dissolve ASU's ties with the west campus, President Michael Crow maintains that his own redesign of ASU will continue as planned. Crow hopes to redistribute the ASU schools to different campuses, in effect giving each campus an identity of its own.
"We're moving forward with the 'One University in Many Places' full steam ahead," Crow said.
Reach the reporter at rkost@asu.edu.
