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Salt Lake Community College's Herriman College will offer classes for associates and bachelor's degrees for students in the surrounding areas. The partnership between the two institutions was celebrated at a ribbon-joining ceremony.
Salt Lake Community College
For many community college students, earning their bachelor’s degree requires them to transfer to a new institution and campus. A new partnership in Utah is removing the physical move for students, creating access for in-person learners to continue their education at their local college—as opposed to commuting to U of U, about 30 miles away.
Salt Lake Community College and the University of Utah will provide associate and bachelor’s degree courses to SLCC students at the Herriman Campus starting this fall. Officials hosted a ribbon joining ceremony—symbolizing the partnership—on August 7, and the campus will officially open August 22.
The Juniper Building is the first completed structure on the new Herriman campus and will service around 2,000 students in the first year of operation, according to a SLCC press release.
By the numbers:
- The new campus is 88 acres, and the Juniper Building is 92,000 square feet and three stories tall.
- The Herriman Campus cost around $57 million, including the Juniper Building and a central heat plant structure, funded by the Utah State Legislature with support from SLCC, the U of U, private donors and Herriman City.
- Students can earn an associate degree in one of seven programs at SLCC and transfer to multiple bachelor’s degrees through U of U.
- By 2025, leaders expect enrollment to hit around 7,000 students.
Growing up: The Juniper Building will serve as the hub for the Herriman campus as it develops, housing admissions, financial aid and advising. It will also include a food pantry, event rooms, a dining hall, a lounge, computer labs, study rooms, meditation room, a testing center, tutoring rooms, a lactation room, a bike locker and a shower facility for students.
At the ribbon-joining ceremony, University of Utah and Salt Lake Community College's presidents planted a tree together.
Salt Lake Community College
For faculty and staff, the building is equipped with offices, meeting rooms, classrooms, public safety offices, and collaborative workspaces.
SLCC will offer two-year programs in business, economics, education, psychology, general social and behavior science, and computer science information systems starting in 2023. The U of U will phase programs in over the coming years, with economics, human development and family studies, and financial planning and counseling starting this fall.
What’s the need?: The new campus is designed to serve students from southwest Salt Lake Valley, from South Jordan, Riverton, Bluffdale, Herriman and Draper. Officials hope the campus increases access to higher education, supports economic growth in the region and reduces barriers to completion such as an expensive or long commute to college.
“We are committed to the success of all our students and the partnership with SLCC in Herriman provides transfer students an accessible pathway to achieve their educational goals,” University of Utah President Taylor Randall said in the release.
SLCC holds bachelor’s programs partnerships with Weber State University and Utah Valley University, on some of its campuses, as well.
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