Higher Ed Utah

(Spencer Garn, Deseret News) — After four years of asking, Weber State University will finally get its Davis campus expansion — and Hill Air Force Base is one of the biggest beneficiaries.

Gov. Gary Herbert held a ceremonial signing of legislation Wednesday that will largely finance the construction of the new facility at WSU’s satellite Davis campus. The state will bond to cover $31.5 million of the estimated $40 million project.

“We cannot have long-term sustained economic growth in the state unless we have a robust and strong educational component,” Herbert said before signing the bills, HB4 and SB5.

The 120,000-square-foot building will facilitate 1,500 college students and several hundred-charter high school students from the Northern Utah Academy of Math, Engineering and Science. (NUAMES)

Evening classes have filled WSU’s current Davis campus building to the brim, with working professionals from Hill Air Force Base constituting a large percent of the nontraditional students pursuing one of the 9 master’s degrees offered at the campus.

“There’s a need for economic development and continued education for those working at Hill,” said the senate sponsor of the two bills, Sen. Stuart Adams, R-Layton.

For the many HAFB employees enrolled in WSU’s engineering program, the Davis campus is a viable option, Adams said. The campus is located less then a mile west of HAFB just off of state Road 193.

The building will also provide masters-level courses to Alliant Techsystems employees. ATK recently announced it will open a Davis County facility that will eventually add 800 jobs.

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