By Clyde Noel
Town Crier Correspondent
One of NASA’s goals is to establish a world class, shared-use research and development campus at the Ames Research Center at Moffett Field. The Foothill-De Anza Community College District proposes to form a new partnership with NASA Ames to build and support these educational and research facilities.
While some facilities and services will be shared or operated jointly at Ames Research Center, the college district will eventually require the construction of a 200,000-square-foot facility.
“We are at the beginning of a discussion on this project and an opportunity presents itself,” said Chancellor Leo Chavez. “If we don’t take advantage of this opportunity, someone else will. Do we want to look at a third campus? What is our ultimate goal? An elaborate center or one like Middlefield Campus?”
As one of the largest community college districts in the United States, the Foothill-De Anza Community College District provides a wide variety of credit courses for approximately 50,000 students yearly and has an annual budget of $203 million. The district employs more than 2,000 full- and part-time faculty and staff.
The district has enjoyed a 30-year partnership with NASA Ames Research Center and the staff of Foothill-De Anza College District feels it is ideally suited to meet the challenges of the NASA Ames Research Educational Park project.
“I think it should be brought out we are looking at other sites as well,” said Bernadine Fong, president of Foothill College.” We offer classes at more than 60 sites and the lease on the Middlefield campus is coming up and we have to consider that option.”
“For what we are paying for some of our off-campus sites now, we also have to take that into consideration,” said Martha Kanter, president of De Anza Campus.
“I think this is a great idea and a wonderful opportunity,” said Judith Moss, district trustee. “Sunnyvale, Palo Alto and Mountain View are not served well by us.” Trustee Mary Mason said an opportunity like this cannot be replicated.
The board reviewed numerous program plans and in a preliminary discussion determined where they were headed in the future. A consolidation of off-campus sites and the district charter for a Shoreline site are under consideration. In addition they will provide a letter of intent with and without partnership with San Jose State and the University of California Santa Cruz.
Chavez said the district has to consider funding over the long term. The present goal is what does it need now and what will it look like 20-30 years from now.
“It will take several hundred thousands in funding to start and there are a lot of possibilities available with state agencies,” Chavez said. “There is also local funding consideration and special funding with revenue bonds, tax-exempt bonds and federal grants and loans.”
The higher education collaborative, comprising De Anza College, Foothill College, San Jose State University, the University of California at Santa Cruz and NASA Ames, is being formed to address unmet educational and work force voids in the valley. Specific areas will include engineering, information technology, astrobiology and teacher education.
