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Shelley Osterloh ReportingChurch leaders also today announced they plan to build a new campus for higher education in downtown Salt Lake.
During the Olympics it was the Medals Plaza, the Church now plans to build a campus there for LDS Business College and its Salt Lake Center of Brigham Young University.
The Salt Lake Center of Brigham Young University has 18-hundred students and is part of its Division of Continuing Education. It currently has 30 classrooms in an office building at 3700 South on Highland Dr.
The LDS Business College, which is on South Temple at 400 East, has about 1300 students. Business College Leaders say they've seen enrollment increase by double digits for the last three years.
Craig V. Nelson, Dean, LDS Business College: "We had 12 percent growth this semester. We project that we could go much higher in the future. Our growth is going nowhere but up and at a quick pace because society wants the kind of education we provide. That is you get in, you get trained, and you get out to work.”
This two-year degree business college is running out of classrooms and parking spaces. Students say it makes sense to expand.
Abraham Denzer, Student, LDS Business College: "If they can improve the faculties and the opportunities we have, and also increase the number of students that can utilize the facilities it be a great benefit."
Josh Patel, Student, LDS Business College: "An expansion, definitely in the parking area.. Holy cow, the meter maids they are on attack 24/7. Everybody has a ticket. If we get a new parking lot I’m all for it."
Moving this campus to downtown Salt Lake City will help bring more people to the downtown area. But college leaders say students will also benefit from being in the middle of the business district.
Part of the new campus will extend to the other block east; that means the campus will go right up to the Church Genealogy Library. No word yet on construction or completion dates for the new education campus.
