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Editorial
It was announced the other day that students entering Arizona Western College will also automatically be enrolled in Northern Arizona University. This is a refinement of the existing two-plus-two program where AWC students can transfer to NAU's Yuma program so they can complete four-year degrees. The advantage of the joint enrollment is that it makes the transition much easier. The AWC students will already be under the NAU academic program and will not have to apply to enter NAU at the end of their AWC coursework. The joint four-year diploma program has grown steadily over the years, enabling local students to graduate from NAU without actually having to leave the community. Currently, there are 700 students enrolled here at NAU-Yuma. NAU President John Haeger sees a bright future for the Yuma campus, with as many as 5,000 students. "We should be serving more students on the Yuma campus," he told a Yuma group. "This is a dynamic, growing community." Part of the growth will apparently come from an expanded view of NAU's role. Haeger said it is hoped that NAU-Yuma will draw students from all of southern Arizona, much like the Flagstaff campus draws students from elsewhere in the state. This could be a continuation of a concept considered by the Arizona Board of Regents a year or so ago. It was proposed that a regional southern Arizona university be set up as part of a reorganization of the university system. The reorganization plan was eventually rejected. It seems, though, that NAU has adopted the southern Arizona portion of the reorganization plan. This could offer an alternative to the other state universities which already have very large student bodies. A smaller university which is more oriented to the basics rather than to research could be very attractive to some students, especially those from rural parts of the state. For many years, the main NAU campus in Flagstaff, with its smaller enrollment, has helped fill that role. A full university campus in Yuma would provide another option, especially for southern Arizonans. It is good to see NAU's interest in expanding its service to our community. Haeger is correct that we are a growing and dynamic community. Part of maintaining that momentum is the availability of a university program that offers a full range of degrees and services.  |
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