February 15, 2002
INFORMATION: Sue Bozman or John McElwain, (661) 362-3415 or 3494

FEATURE RELEASE

University Center Gets Temporary Digs to Meet Demand

SANTA CLARITA ­ It happened quietly. Just before the Christmas holidays in 2001, unfinished prefabricated building sections moved through College of the Canyons parking lots and were deposited on the back part of the campus. Over the holidays, crews worked feverishly to assemble the sections, hook up power and make them ready for use by late January. The work was steady and efficient and by Jan. 22, a new classroom building was ready for occupancy on the COC campus.

But this is not just another classroom building for the community college campus. It is much more than that. It is the temporary home of bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degree-granting universities that will once day be housed in a state-of-the-art complex on the COC campus -- the University Center. For now, campus officials call the temporary building the “Interim University Center,” but it is one of the first concrete steps towards making the University Center dream a reality. Physically the building is just so much concrete, particle board, plastic and sheet metal -- containing ten classrooms, some faculty offices and other amenities. But psychologically and philosophically -- it’s significance to the community is huge. It will make a quantum leap in the availability and accessibility of higher education choices for residents in the Santa Clarita Valley.

The University Center concept is to bring a half-dozen or more public and private universities to the COC campus where they will provide advanced degrees. This will allow Santa Clarita Valley residents the opportunity to pursue their higher education goals without the logistical nightmares associated with driving to the San Fernando Valley and beyond. While enrolled in a program offered by a university partner, a student is actually admitted by, and enrolled in, that institution. Certificates or degrees issued will be by those institutions and not COC. And, while College of the Canyons has always prepared its students for transfer to four-year schools, actually having a number of those schools right on the campus will make transferring a lot easier for everyone.

The concept is the brainchild of COC’s Superintendent-President, Dianne Van Hook, who has been nurturing the idea for quite a while. “The University Center is a concept I have thought about and have been working on for a very long time,” said Van Hook. “We have surveyed the community on three separate occasions,” she added, “and we know that businesses want and need the skilled graduates the University Center will provide.”

Many universities are so excited by the University Center concept that they have not only signed on as partners, but many have already begun offering classes in temporary quarters on the COC campus. First to sign on was California State University, Bakersfield, which is offering bachelor’s degree programs in communications and liberal studies, as well as a credential program in school administration and a multi-subject teaching credential. Bakersfield was quickly followed by the University of LaVerne, which is already offering a BA in business administration as well as an MS in school counseling, and will be bringing a BS in child development to the COC campus in the next few months. In addition to these programs, CSU Fresno is offering a BA in industrial design; Chapman University has brought a BA in criminal justice; Woodbury University is offering a BS in business management as well as an MBA in business administration; and Nova Southeastern University is bringing an Ed.D. in school administration. The English Language Schools (ELS) will also be offering language training for international students in the center.

A number of other universities have expressed a strong interest in bringing their programs to the University Center and negotiations are ongoing with them.

This will be the first program of its kind in California and one of only a few in the United States.

The University Center concept has broad appeal to the student population in the area. “I can’t see any other way I would be able to advance my career and provide a better life for my children without the convenience and flexibility of the University Center,” said Lorena Cacciatori, a single mom raising three kids. Lorena knows it is the only way she can complete her bachelor’s degree since she can’t commute to attend a university outside of the Santa Clarita Valley.

The College of the Canyons Foundation is gearing up to raise funds in the community for construction. The building itself is slated to be located on the southwestern portion of COC’s 153.4-acre property off Rockwell Canyon Road. Current projections are for a 50,000-square-foot building that will contain classrooms and laboratories, and serve as a “hub” for interactive, technology-based systems to enhance teaching and learning. Planners envision including “smart” classrooms, Internet and intranet access, flexible seating, high-tech instructor platforms, interactive instruction from remote sites, computer labs, electronic library, seminar rooms and much more.

High-powered local businessmen Lou Garasi of Gruber Systems and Tom Lee, formerly of The Newhall Land and Farming Co., are heading fundraising efforts for the project. In addition, many prominent business people and local leaders have signed on to help meet the multi-million-dollar fund-raising goal. According to Kathleen Maloney, executive director of the College of the Canyons Foundation, “We will be raising funds for most of this year and we are confident that this community will not only meet, but exceed our goals. This is a project,” she added, “that makes good sense for this community. When this building is complete, it will be a valuable regional resource and an important expression of how seriously this community values education and our children’s futures.”

View a conceptual rendering of the permanent University Center.