Bio Briefs

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Jim McPherson

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Sep 30, 2009
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ASU eyes Chandler for campus; city's biotech growth cited

Tags: asu, chandler, michael crow

Ari Cohn, East Valley Tribune, September 29, 2009

ASU president Michael Crow talks Sept. 29 about the university's involvement with Chandler during a forum in the city.

Photo: ASU president Michael Crow talks Sept. 29 about the university's involvement with Chandler during a forum in the city. Thomas Boggan, Tribune

Arizona State University considers downtown Chandler a "premium" site for a 3,000-student satellite campus because of the city's burgeoning biotech industry, college President Michael Crow said Tuesday.

However, the proposal calls for Chandler to pick up the potential construction or renovations costs of tens of millions of dollars, according to city officials.  "ASU has said, 'If you build us a building, we will come,'" said Mayor Boyd Dunn.

Crow said the university would like to open a campus of its "Colleges@ASU" program by fall 2011.  "We want to be physically present in Chandler," Crow said at a Chandler Chamber of Commerce breakfast during which he spoke about how ASU is reconfiguring itself to produce more science and engineering graduates more rapidly.

Crow said Arizona is not producing enough graduates in the fields of technology and bioscience to meet the demand. Colleges@ASU campuses would provide a faster degree track in a high-tech facility. Each campus would offer only about five degrees and would not require electives, he said.  "You go through the program as rapidly as possible," Crow said.

Chandler is a prime choice for the campus because of the city's strong technology sector, including a new $3 billion Intel manufacturing plant, centered around the Price Road corridor, he said.

To read the full article, visit ASU eyes Chandler for campus; city's biotech growth cited