By Tori La Rue | [email protected]

South Valley -  A joint college campus between Salt Lake Community College (SLCC), Utah State University and the University of Utah may be coming to Herriman, according to city officials. 

SLCC acquired 90 acres for its Herriman Juniper Canyon Campus in 2011 near Mountain View Corridor at 14200 South 4000 West, according to the timeline of its master plan. The college was looking for ways to expand its presence to the rapidly growing parts of the valley, spokesperson Joy Tlou said. 

The college intended the campus to have an emphasis in technology and energy studies and be built in several phases before completion in 2032, the plan states, but Tlou said those plans are not solidified anymore. 

“We work in a world of possibilities,” he said. 

One of those possibilities is collaborating with the U and Utah State to bring a joint satellite campus to the southwest end of the valley, Tami Moody, spokesperson for Herriman, said. When asked how a joint campus would work, she said each school would provide its own service to its students and make use of online administration. 

“I am not sure of the all the details,” Gordon Haight, assistant city manager, said. “SLCC owns the land. The other state universities would have agreements allowing them to build buildings on the property that would administer their program.”

Although colleges are built under the state and do not need approval from the cities to begin construction, Haight said he’s been working with Utah colleges to facilitate discussion and encourage the process. He’s been working with Utah Transit Authority to work through transportation issues concerning the campus, he said.  

“It’s very refreshing to see government organizations working together like this,” Haight said. 

There are a few examples of multicollege campuses in other states, but it is rare, according to Haight. 

The campus would be a unique addition to the city and a great opportunity for Utah State to expand their outreach to the Salt Lake area, Moody said. 

“This will not only be a benefit to students in the area, but it will aid in bolstering economic development for the city,” she said. “There are so many benefits to this type of campus, from the diversity of service that it will offer to the businesses it will attract and the jobs it will  help create.”

There is a chance that one of the schools will break ground before the end of the year, Moody said. 

Tlou said he couldn’t confirm or deny the collaboration between SLCC, the U and Utah State. 

“We are not prepared to make any kind of announcement,” he said. 

When asked about the Herriman campus, Maria O’Mara, communication director for the U, said she hadn’t heard anything about it. 

“I’m not saying that collaboration is not going on, but I just don’t know. [The U] is a big school with a lot of sectors,” she said. 

Tim Vitale, spokesperson for Utah State, had a similar response. 

“I haven’t heard anything about a Herriman campus, but it’s something to look into,” he said. 

Regardless of the U or Utah State’s involvement, Tlou confirmed that SLCC will build a Herriman campus. 

The original master plan’s timeline shows three build-out phases, with the first beginning in 2017. The campus would be used while the following build-outs occurred, according to the plan, with the last build-out phases expecting to last 20 years beginning in 2032. 

At its completion, the campus is expected to accommodate a total of 13,200 people including faculty, staff and students, the plan states. 

Although Tlou said plans may change, the SLCC executive summary for the Juniper Canyon Campus at Herriman Master Plan can be found at http://www.slcc.edu/masterplan/slcc-locations/campus-plans/Herriman-campus-master-plan.pdf.