NAU interested in Havasu university
School will finance study on potential students

When members of the Havasu Foundation for Higher Education met Wednesday for the organization's annual meeting, the mood was optimistic and the speeches were inspiring, even though the group's dream of bringing a four-year university to Lake Havasu City is years away.

"Lake Havasu U - how does that sound?" foundation President Ralph Tapscott said to enthusiastic applause. "It's a 10- to 20-year vision, and we've got to start sometime."

Though a university is still more vision than reality, foundation members seem to prefer focusing on how far they've come rather then dwelling on how far they have to go.

They point to the fact that Northern Arizona University has demonstrated its commitment by financing a study to identify potential students. The results are expected to be released in mid-March, according to NAU Vice President Fred Hurst.

"It's looking at the market for a residential, four-year university, how large the market is and what sorts of things would have to be done to recruit those students to Lake Havasu," Hurst said. "More and more it is difficult to draw people away from their home area â€- You have to have a draw."

The study surveys students, parents and high school guidance counselors in a potential market area that includes Phoenix, Tucson, Las Vegas and Southern California.

"There are two things we're looking at closely: how to recruit the students needed and how to get the facilities built," Hurst said. "The money to do that is going to be an issue and is going to take some time to put in place."

Speaking before the foundation Wednesday, Hurst was clear that the responsibility for paying for facilities - at a cost of "multiple tens of millions of dollars" - would fall on the local community.

"From the beginning we said we knew we didn't have the bonding capacity to pay for the facilities. What we have committed is staffing - faculty and staff necessary to operate a university of the size they want," Hurst said.

Bill Ullery, the local builder who founded HFHE three years ago, believes the proposed university site will a draw in itself. FOR FULL STORY, SEE TODAY'S NEWS-HERALD.