On July 15, 2021, at 9 a.m. MDT, Salt Lake Community College and the University of Utah came together to break ground on the new joint Juniper Canyon Campus. The campus is set to open Fall 2023.

“Never before have two institutions at the Utah system of higher education shared a building together and broken ground together to create more seamless, affordable, efficient, quality partnerships in higher education for the students of Utah,” Deneece G. Huftalin, current SLCC president, said in regards to the groundbreaking.

The project was initiated and planned by Huftalin and Former U President Ruth Watkins.

Herriman currently has a large percentage of adults with high school diplomas and/or with some college credits but no degrees.

To accommodate students that live too far from the SLCC West Jordan Campus or the U’s main campus, Huftalin said they have started offering classes at the city hall in Herriman until the new campus opens.

A portion of the land being used was gifted to SLCC by the Sorenson Legacy Foundation ten years prior, said Huftalin. According to the Salt Lake Tribune, the remaining 90 acres of land was purchased by SLCC for $10 million.

The campus will offer degrees in high-demand fields, including nursing, business, computer science and information systems, social work and teacher licensure in elementary, secondary and special education.

Essential student services for both schools will also be available, including admissions, advising, disability support, financial aid, transfer support and tutoring.

“I think it’s good that across that valley, these two institutions — our two institutions — are coming together to provide the students and the community with what they need and what our students need from a higher education knowledge,” said Interim President of the U Dr. Michael L. Good.

At this campus, students will be able to earn both associate’s degrees through SLCC or bachelor’s degrees through the U.

“Last year, [transfer students] made up one third of the bachelor’s degrees that were awarded by the University of Utah,” Good said. 

Funding for the building was appropriated by the Utah State Legislature in 2021, with additional support from SLCC, the U, private donors and infrastructure investments from Herriman City. More information can be found online.

“The University of Utah and SLCC have long worked together to support student success,” Good said. “We look forward to this campus opening pathways for more Utahns to complete degrees.”

They hope to serve up to 7,000 students by 2025.

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@LizzySeitzNews