Chaska reveals plans for innovative college

By Dave Born

EdCampus Twin Cities, a college planning to offer courses from universities nationwide is set to break ground in Chaska this fall.

Students will be able to “cherry-pick” the best classes from institutions ranging from North Dakota State to Harvard, said Chaska’s mayor Gary Van Eyll.

The 50-acre campus will accommodate up to 6,500 students and have a traditional library, cafeteria, and student center.

The classrooms will be technologically advanced “rent-a-rooms,” customizable for use by higher education institutions for satellite classes or lectures.

“It’s a campus that’s different,” said Tim Engren, president of the company that will own and operate EdCampus, “we believe this could be the largest educational (collaboration) in the world.”

He told the Minnesota Daily some institutions would offer traditional undergraduate courses, while others would offer short-term programming or other specialized courses.

“(The college will allow) students to see all the programs that are available to them and flexibly move through various institutions to enhance the strength of their diploma,” Engren said.

Tuition costs have not been determined, and the college has yet to be given accreditation.
Expected construction of EdCampus comes a year after Chaska began an initiative to establish its own college.

“Remember last year one of the dreams was Chaska University?” The Mayor said in this year’s state of the city address, “(EdCampus) could even be better than Chaska University for our community.”

“(EdCampus) is really significant for the area,” City Administrator David Pokorney said, “it will create a corporate image.”

The college will be located on recently expanded Highway 312 (formerly Highway 212), and next to the nearly completed 800-acre biotechnology-focused business park, Chaska Biotech Center.

According to Pokorney, the benefits of the college include more jobs, increased property tax collection, and, he said, “It will be a great location for local students to take college courses.”

Pokorney believes EdCampus chose to locate in Chaska because of the accessibility offered with the expansion of the highway.

In addition, he told the Chaska Herald’s Mollee Francisco that he was hopeful that Southwest Transit, which recently received an $8 million grant to construct a 1,000 parking stall Park and Ride, would locate adjacent to the college.

Construction of the college is expected to cost $88 million, and Pokorney told the Chaska Herald that once fully operational he believes the college could generate $100 million in yearly revenue.

EdCampus intends half the courses offered to be from Minnesota colleges, and the other half from colleges and universities nationwide.

There have been no commitments by local schools to offer courses at the college, but discussions with MnSCU and the University of Minnesota are on going.

Construction of the college is expected to begin late this year, but must first be approved by Chaska’s planning commission and the city council. It is anticipated that classes will commence sometime in 2010.

According to promotional material, EdCampus will “leverage the power of combining dynamic students from diverse institutions, backgrounds and disciplines into a single campus – outfitted with the best available technology, customizable classroom space, and student-centric services.”