Sederburg said he is especially worried about Section II of the strategic planning draft, which proposes simply accommodating growth by being more efficient with existing campus space. This includes expanding distance learning, as well as adopting scheduling techniques that utilize the facilities for more hours and more days.

Part 4 of Section II proposes: a "brief moratorium on any geographic expansion by any institution, pending the creation of a master statewide plan for physical facilities to accommodate population centers in the state."

Morgan said he doesn't like to see so many campuses dotting the state and that maybe students need to just drive a bit farther.

Higher education institutions asked the Legislature for almost $91 million in land bank requests this year, he added. "We really need a planning context for that," he said.

Sederburg said in an interview after the meeting, "We're already maxed out on our campus as far as space."

Last week the UVSC Board of Trustees approved plans to remove Mountainland Applied Technology College from space the ARC leases on the second floor of UVSC's West Building on Geneva Road. If MATC agrees, it will continue to lease only the main floor of the building.

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Contributing: Catherine Smith
E-mail: astewart@desnews.com