By Jesse Muñoz
Signal Staff Writer

College of the Canyons officials were joined by a sizable collection of Santa Clarita Valley community leaders - including U.S. Rep. Howard "Buck" McKeon and State Sen. George Runner - on Friday, as the college hosted groundbreaking ceremonies on its $36 million University Center building project.

Cited by COC President-Superintendent Dianne Van Hook as the college's solution to the lack of upper division, graduate school and continuing education programs in the valley, the University Center will improve student access to advanced degrees by forging partnerships with surrounding four-year colleges and universities, which will then offer their academic programs to COC students via on-campus extension courses.

"Our goal was to create an educational center based on partnerships," said Van Hook about the college's interim University Center, which opened in January 2002 and has since served close to 13,000 students. "Today I can't begin to express my personal gratitude for the support of those who believed in that dream and who never gave up."

Taking audience members from idea conception to groundbreaking, and all the stops in between Van Hook provided a brief recap of the university project's history at the college - including the steps taken to secure federal and state funding and the procurement of local donor support.

"Today is a symbol of what persistence, dedication and never giving up can achieve," Van Hook said.

After addressing the audience, Van Hook turned the podium over to McKeon, who praised the college for its dedication to providing additional educational opportunities through the formation of the University Center project.

"Here in the Santa Clarita Valley we honor, we value education," said McKeon, who as the project's honorary campaign chair helped secure $2.3 million in federal funding for the new facility. "We understand that it is the great equalizer. It's the way for people to get on the ladder, to really achieve the ultimate American dream.

"Through this center, students in our community will have the opportunity to access the benefits of a four-year education without some of the enormous costs that that entails."

Runner was also complimentary of the project and praised the college for its unique vision in partnering with other campuses.

The idea of providing multiple education opportunities through these higher-education partnerships is not only the future of education here in Santa Clarita but all of Southern California, Runner said.

"This is a project of creative thinking," he said.

Located near the campus' south parking lot and overlooking the existing campus, the 110,000-square-foot facility, which is scheduled for completion in approximately 18 months, will be paid for with a collection of private donor, state, federal and Measure C funds - the $82.1 million general obligation bond that voters approved in November 2001.

Upon completion, the college's University Center will house at least 10 partnering colleges and universities and offer more than 70 different degree and credential programs.

The new facility will also be home to the William S. Hart Union High School District's Academy of the Canyons middle college high school, the COC Economic Development Department, and the Advanced Technology Business Incubator.

The Interim University Center currently offers eight undergraduate and 18 graduate programs through partnerships with seven Southern California campuses - including California State University, Bakersfield; CSU Northridge; the University of La Verne; and Chapman University.