[econgrad]

New university coming to Sacramento
University of Sacramento to enroll 7,000 students by 2035
By: ALICIA LEUPP
Posted: 4/8/04
With plans to create a 7,000-student private university by 2035, the Legion of Christ, an international Roman Catholic congregation, has identified sites where officials plan to launch the University of Sacramento.

The Legion currently has universities in Spain, Italy, Mexico and Chile. The University of Sacramento will be the first full-fledged Legion university in the United States.

The University of Sacramento has subleased 400 square feet of office space at 1527 I St. in Sacramento and officials are currently in negotiations for up to 4,000 square feet at the site. The university's graduate school is slated to open in January 2005.

The university is also in the process of purchasing 300 acres at Mather Field, where founders foresee the construction of a full residential campus within the next three to four years. Officials with the county and university are optimistic about the location.

The county supports the idea of a new university in Sacramento, said Dave Norris, senior civil engineer for the department of economic development for the county.

Slated to offer master's programs in liberal arts and education, the graduate school will open first while the university awaits accreditation. The process generally takes four to five years and cannot begin until there are classes to assess.

"It's kind of a catch-22 situation," said Barry Sugarman, the university's vice president for business development. "You can't begin until you have students, but there are many students who would find it difficult to attend an unaccredited university."

The graduate school will enroll 15 to 20 students per program, with the ultimate goal of 2,000 total students. Founders also foresee the inclusion of both law and medical schools further down the road, Sugarman said.

He said that as a Catholic academic community whose primary mission is to prepare individuals for leadership in society, the university will offer a liberal arts core curriculum for undergraduates.

According to Sugarman, the university will offer a variety of majors in the liberal arts disciplines, as well as majors in fields of more immediate career preparation such as engineering, journalism and nursing.

"What we're talking about is a major university with a diversity of programs," he continued. "It will really be a full private university."

The decision to build in Sacramento came in 2002 after the completion of a market study that examined various factors, including demographics, business growth, real estate and the climate for educators.

"I think any growing city has a number of private universities to complement the great work that public universities are doing," said Father Robert Presutti of the Legion of Christ. "California has a well developed public university system, but we don't have the tradition of public universities."

In addition to expanding the region's art and culture environment, Sugarman said that he expects the university to have a huge positive economic impact on Sacramento County. In addition to the $500 million estimated for construction, Sugarman said that the university will provide new jobs for the area.

"It's bringing in the type of people that the area wants to see," Sugarman said. "We intend to recruit the best from around the country."

Additionally, Sugarman said that the new university will have a strong cultural impact on the region, adding to the arts and intellectual environment.

UC Davis officials do not expect the new university to affect admissions, said Darlene Hunter, associate director for undergraduate admissions.

"In the long term, having more universities in the Sacramento area is a positive step," said Jeffery Gibeling, UCD dean of graduate studies. "Rather than being competitive, I think it will add to the prestige of the area." © Copyright 2007 The California Aggie