Northcentral sinking rich roots into Prescott Valley By MARK LEWIS, The Daily Courier "Monday, July 24, 2006 PRESCOTT VALLEY * One mile north of Prescott Valley's acclaimed Lockheed-Martin building is a structure of equal size that could prove even more profitable to the community. It's a school with more than 3,500 students, but residents are unlikely to ever see any of them. Inside its stone walls there are plenty of computers but no classrooms, teachers or textbooks. Northcentral University is a rising star in the increasing popular ranks of distance-learning institutions. Since its 1997 inception, enrollment has grown steadily, taking especially impressive jumps after its 2003 accreditation. When the school's international headquarters opens in April, 90 area residents will work there. Each will earn an average annual salary of $50,000, nearly double Yavapai County's average wage. "We outgrew the garage," said Donald Hecht, NCU's founder and president, who in 1996 actually launched the school from a garage space on Gurley Street in Prescott. He and his staff currently operate from a main building on Whipple Street, in addition to several smaller rented spaces in Prescott. The spark that lit NCU's fire of expansion fell in 2003 when the Chicago-based North Central Association of Colleges and Schools granted NCU accreditation. Hecht noted that his school is the only 100 percent online accredited university in the nation offering doctorate programs. Under a partnership with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, more than 100 faculty members currently are enrolled in the program. In 2003 alone, enrollment went from 782 students to more than 1,200. "That's when I started looking for land," Hecht said. South of Superstition Drive in an undeveloped area, he found 25 acres of raw desert with panoramic views, which he purchased from the Fain Signature Group. To transform the rough terrain into his headquarters, Hecth entered into a development agreement with the Town of Prescott Valley. Inked in March 2004, it requires the town to pay for a three-quarter mile road to the property from Superstition, in addition to utilities. NCU agreed to reimburse the town with interest for the $820,000 bill as it collects tuition money. The town also is paying to extend electric, telephone and cable utilities at a cost of $232,000, which NCU agreed to pay back when the town submits each invoice to the contractor. In return for its initial investment, the town hopes to reap the benefit of a fresh economic engine. The school also is offering a 10-percent tuition discount to Prescott Valley residents. The 50,000-square-foot, three-story masonry building likely is only the first phase of construction, Hecht said. The town has approved NCU's Master Plan proposal to build five additional buildings of equal size. Hecht said crews should break ground on the next one within two years, and then add additional buildings as needed. Total buildout under the plan calls for 350,00-square-feet of roofed space. "We're putting in enough equipment to handle 50,000 students," Hecht said. Contact the reporter at [email protected] " URL: http://www.dcourier.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=40530&TM=26441.54
Thank you for the news flash from 16 months ago. The reporter writes, of the 50 employees, "Each will earn an average annual salary of $50,000." I find that a charmingly mind-boggling phrase.
Actually it is more than 16 months ago. I was surprised becaue the article has lot of negative sides of NCU.
Tekman: "I was surprised becaue the article has lot of negative sides of NCU." And they haven 't even read my posthumous edition yet.
