HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016-01-26 Item 9 - University and Innovation District Compiled Report
Chula Vista University and Innovation District
2015 Compiled Report
Submitted: January 22, 2016
30 S. 15TH STREET | 15TH FLOOR | PHILADELPHIA, PA 19102 | (2 15) 279-8385 30 S. 15TH STREET | 15TH FLOOR | PHILADELPHIA, PA 19102 | (2 15) 279-8385
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
II. RECRUITMENT STRATEGIES
III. PRE-RECRUITMENT RESEARCH REPORT
IV. SHORT LIST OF UNIVERSITY TARGETS
V. MARKETING PACKAGE
VI. CVUP BUDGET, BOARD, AND TIMELINE
VII. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY REPORT
VIII. RECOMMENDATIONS AND NEXT STEPS
IX. EXHIBITS AND ADDENDUM
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I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
PROJECT OVERVIEW
The City of Chula Vista, California has engaged U3 Advisors to help establish a
University and Innovation District campus on a 375-acre site in the southeast corner of
the city. Chula Vista, a growing city located approximately four miles north of the
US/Mexico border and the midpoint between the downtowns of San Diego and Tijuana,
envisions this campus as an educational destination and regional economic engine. U3
is guiding the effort to identify potential partner institutions for this project and is
exploring opportunities with higher education partners globally and domestically.
A new university campus could have a tremendous impact for not only the City of Chula
Vista, but also the larger CaliBaja Megaregion, comprised of San Diego and Imperial
Counties to the north of the border and the five municipalities that make up Baja
California, MX south of the border. Given the unique location of the proposed site –
just four miles from the U.S./Mexico border in a rapidly growing binational region – the
project has the opportunity to attract regional, national, and binational attention and
set the stage for an innovative educational campus to act as the new national model for
higher education delivery. In the following report you will find our initial
recommendation: the development of a binational campus that brings together a
Mexican and a U.S. university or universities. This vision and recruitment scenario,
developed based on the research and analytics conducted by the U3 team and
subsequently vetted through academics and thought-leaders interviewed, could elevate
the project to the national stage for innovation in higher education delivery, binational
partnerships, and transformative economic development.
The 2015 Compiled Report articulates and documents the first phase of a multi-phase
process to attract an institutional partner and funding source to develop the University
and Innovation District. This critical pre-recruitment phase is the basis for future work in
the active recruitment process. Ensuing recruitment phases will be lead by Chula Vista
University Partnership (CVUP) and U3 Advisors.
PROJECT TEAM
City of Chula Vista Eric Crockett and Gary Halbert
U3 Advisors Omar Blaik, Alex Feldman, Maurie Smith, Nabilla Ariffin
U3 Local Representatives Retired Senator Denise Ducheny, Clarissa Reyes Falcon
National Advisory Team Eduardo Glandt (Retired Dean of Engineering, University
of Pennsylvania), Enrique Norten
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In 2015, U3 Advisors expanded the Chula Vista team by retaining the following four
individuals to act in an advisory capacity on the project; Denise Ducheny, retired
California State Senator, and Clarissa Reyes Falcon of Falcon Consulting, to act as the
local representatives for the institutional recruitment process, and Eduardo Glandt,
Dean of Engineering, Emeritus, University of Pennsylvania as an academic and
institutional sounding board. We also consulted with Mexican-American Architect
Enrique Norten who has close ties to Chula Vista as well as high-level Mexican
governmental and higher education officials.
RESEARCH AND SCENARIO PLANNING CONCLUSIONS
In 2013, U3 worked with the City of Chula Vista to identify a full range of 17 potential
institutional users that could build out the site. After significant research including a
scan of universities, research on growing regional industries, and a full demographic
profile of the region, U3 revisited the original list of 17 institutional users and identified
6 likely scenarios – a public institution, a private non-profit Institution, a multi-
institutional campus, a Mexican institution, a campus for another international university
from outside of Mexico, and a newly established institution – for further investigation.
These six scenarios were singled out because they ranked highest on the scales of
feasibility – comprised of financial viability, operational feasibility, market demand
match, and phase-ability – and the number of City-established goals attained through
each scenario.
Through this research and various informational interviews, an emerging opportunity for
the Chula Vista university site became evident. Our recommendation is to pursue a BI-
NATIONAL CAMPUS that leverages the border as a laboratory to attract students
from both the U.S. And Mexico, offers degrees and skills training specific for the
bi-national region, and serves as a catalyst for growth and economic development.
The university project would be binational, bicultural, bilingual campus that partners a
Mexican institution with an American institution (private and/or public) to leverage the
site’s proximity to the US/Mexico Border. This new institutional campus holds the
potential to 1) strengthen the binational educational relationship between the United
States and Mexico, already a binational priority established by Presidents Obama and
Nieto through the 100,000 Strong in the Americas Initiative, 2) further integrate the
cross border economic relationships that comprise the CaliBaja Megaregion economy
by providing a bicultural workforce trained in STEM-related fields, and 3) respond to the
large and growing Hispanic population in Chula Vista (59%) and the larger Southern
Californian region.
This conclusion stems from thorough scenario planning research and U3 Advisors’
understanding of Chula Vista’s location value proposition to potential institutional
partners. This idea maximizes the site’s unique location and elevates the project by
engaging with the robust megaregional economy and the current binational
conversation regarding immigration, trade, and innovation. Initial vetting of this idea
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through informational interviews was met with enthusiasm from philanthropy and higher
education leaders. U3 also recommends establishing a higher education institute, think
tank – similar to the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars or the Brookings
Institution – or retreat focused on border issues as a first step to realize this vision.
In order to advance this vision, the following next steps are recommended for 2016:
• Establish non-profit CVUP (Chula Vista University Partnership) to begin formal
fundraising and recruitment effort of higher education partners.
• Create a land trust to hold university land for development.
• Begin formal recruitment effort with short-listed institutional partners with the
goal of establishing a research institute, think-tank or retreat focused on border
issues as a first phase of institutional development.
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II. RECRUITMENT STRATEGIES
Critical to the success of the University and Innovation District is the development of
strategies and an overarching framework to guide this multi-year recruitment process.
The following strategies will help to streamline and coordinate the steps needed to
recruit the appropriate institutional partners and maximize the value of the
development for both Chula Vista and the larger CaliBaja Megaregion.
Each of the below five strategies represents a distinct phase of the recruitment process.
The 2015 work completed the research phase and moved to the identify phase of the
strategy. Due to the binational focus of the recruitment effort, detailed in the next
section of this report, the identify phase will be extended to account for processes
required in a binational recruitment effort.
The below five strategic recruitment guidelines represent U3’s overall approach to the
University Recruitment Task. The full work plan for each phase can be found in Exhibit I.
1. RESEARCH. Conduct extensive research on local, regional, national, and
international institutions that acts as the foundation for the strategic recruitment of a
university to Chula Vista.
2. IDENTIFY. Develop a binational short-list of public and private universities to screen
for a more targeted outreach campaign.
3. RECRUIT. Establish the Chula Vista University Partnership (CVUP) along with a CVUP
Board of Advisors to spearhead the recruitment and fundraising efforts necessary to
attract university partners.
4. EVALUATE. Rigorously analyze and vet universities based on site visits, institutional
interest, and recommendations from the CVUP Board of Advisors.
5. ADVISE & ADVANCE. Facilitate the partnership between the two university
institutions while advancing the fundraising and physical components of campus
development.
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III. PRE-RECRUITMENT RESEARCH REPORT
The City of Chula Vista is in the process of recruiting an institutional partner for the
development of a University and Innovation District on 375 acres of land in the
southeastern corner of the city. The difficulty in attracting an institutional partner is not
an issue of interest in the project or the site, but rather, it is in identifying the
appropriate partner that will meet the established goals of the city while maximizing the
potential of the site to transform and strengthen the city and the larger CaliBaja
Megaregion. In adherence with the Recruitment Strategies (see previous section of
report), the first step in the multi-phase process is the aggregation of research and data
that will help to eliminate and distill the potential institutional partners appropriate for
the Chula Vista University and Innovation District.
The Pre-Recruitment Research Report combines the necessary baseline information and
analysis to inform Chula Vista’s institutional recruitment effort. Research included a scan
of national and international universities, research on growing regional industries, and a
full demographic profile of the region (see attached Exhibit A). Information gathered for
the pre-recruitment research report was incorporated into a scenario planning exercise
to evaluate different types of institutions that would value a Chula Vista campus. The
conclusions from the scenario planning exercise will inform subsequent phases of the
recruitment effort.
In addition to the research and scenario planning exercise, U3 conducted multiple
interviews and meetings with local, regional, and national experts on higher education
and the CaliBaja Megaregion. These interviews were used to aggregate additional
information as well as to solicit feedback on preliminary conclusions from the scenario
planning exercise. The below provides an overview of the research and analysis
conducted as well as the conclusions from the research, scenario planning exercises,
and interviews completed in 2015.
DEMOGRAPHIC AND INDUSTRY RESEARCH:
The foundation of the recruitment effort is extensive research and analytics related to
the existing and projected demographic and industrial profiles for the City of Chula
Vista and the larger CaliBaja Megaregion. This research will be essential in directing
the scenario planning exercise to ensure that the recruitment effort is tailored
specifically to local and regional demographic and industry assets. All subsequent
stages of the recruitment effort will build off this baseline understanding of the
demographic and economic composition of the region detailed below.
Demographic Trends
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The following summarizes the most significant takeaways from the demographic
analysis of Chula Vista from 2000-2013:
• Rapidly Growing Population. From 2000-2013, Chula Vista experienced a 43%
increase in population. The vast majority of the growth occurred within the
Hispanic population. Now, over half (59%) of Chula Vista residents identified as
being Hispanic compared to 49% in 2000. Of these Hispanic residents, 93%
identify as being of Mexican origin.
• Below Average Educational Attainment. Of Chula Vista residents ages 25 and
above, 27% completed a bachelor’s degree or higher, which is 7% below San
Diego County’s average educational attainment and 2% below the U.S. average.
• Higher Household Income. In 2013, the median household income in Chula
Vista was $64,801, 18% higher than the national median.
Throughout the analysis, a trend emerged relating to the Hispanic population in Chula
Vista. While Hispanic Chula Vista residents performed poorly compared to their peer
groups – defined as White Non-Hispanic, Black or African American, Asian, and Other –
they fared much better than Hispanics generally in California or the U.S. This is most
clearly expressed when looking at the educational attainment and household income.
• Hispanic Educational Attainment. Locally and nationally Hispanic adults (ages
25+) tend to have lower average educational attainment than their peer groups.
However, Hispanic residents of Chula Vista (average educational attainment of
18%) perform relatively better in comparison to Hispanics in California (11%) and
Hispanics in the U.S. (14%).
• Hispanic Household Income. Locally, Hispanic households in Chula Vista are
relatively less wealthy than their peer groups, earning +$10,000 less than Chula
Vista’s median household income. However, Hispanic households in Chula Vista
have higher median household incomes ($52k) in comparison to Hispanic
households in California ($47k) and Hispanic households in the U.S. ($42k).
To a certain extent, Chula Vista can be considered a microcosm that demonstrates the
type of growth and demographic trends we are experiencing across California and the
U.S. Nationally, there is a large and growing Hispanic population with lower than
average educational attainment and lower household incomes. This trend is also
echoed in statewide statistics. Capitalizing on these parallel demographic trends and
targeting the university to Hispanic educational needs can have national implications. A
university in Chula Vista holds the potential to be an educational laboratory, focusing
on the Hispanic population, where lessons learned in outreach, curriculum
development, and career planning can be translated to increasing educational
attainment in Hispanic populations across the state and the nation.
Industry Trends
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The CaliBaja Megaregion’s economy features a dynamic partnership between the
manufacturing hubs in Baja California and the research and development centers in San
Diego and Imperial Counties. A 2014 study named Jobs Without Borders issued jointly
by the CaliBaja Region Initiative, the Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies at UC San Diego
and the Colegio de la Frontera Norte researched the industry-specific employment
concentrations in the region. The CaliBaja Megaregion holds a competitive advantage
in manufacturing compared to other similar cross-border regions in America. In
particular, the Jobs Without Borders Report pointed to six leading industries for the
region: 1) Audio and Video Manufacturing, 2) Medical Equipment Manufacturing, 3)
Hardware Manufacturing, 4) Communications Equipment Manufacturing, 5) Wireless
Telecommunications Carriers, and 6) Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing.1 The
concentration of these six leading industries matches the strengths on both sides of the
border to create a clustering effect that yields a competitive advantage relative to other
North America regions.
To continue to foster these leading industries it is critical to invest in the entire value
chain that links the industries in the CaliBaja Megaregion to customers, suppliers, other
competitive firms, and finally, to institutions that can provide specific education and
support services to train and prepare the labor pool.2 Investing in local institutions and
knowledge economies will lead to increases in innovation and continue to aid the
growth of these critical industries, boosting the entire economy of the region. The
CaliBaja Megaregion’s competitive advantage in manufacturing indicates a need to
invest in education and training that can supply the next generation of workers in the
fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and business.
By 2030, demand for highly educated workers (workers with a bachelor’s degree or
higher) in California is predicted to exceed supply by approximately 1.1 million
workers.3 This projection is based on recent economic trends and on forecasts that
show a continued increase in the demand for highly educated workers. To remain
competitive in the six industries listed above, the CaliBaja Megaregion must continue to
invest in education – from early learning through advanced degrees. Opportunities for
partnership already exist in the region: the current proposed site for the University and
Innovation District is directly adjacent to High Tech High Chula Vista, a premiere charter
1 Alejandro Brugues, Michael Combs, Marney Cox, Alejandro Díaz Bautista, Daniel Flyte, Noe
Aron Fuentes, Christina Luhn, Cheryl Mason, David A. Shirk, and Tim Wright, “Jobs Without Borders: Employment,
Industry
Concentrations, and Comparative Advantage in the CaliBaja Region,” 2014,
https://usmex.ucsd.edu/_files/2014_report_jobswithoutborders.pdf
2 Michael E Porter, “San Diego: Clusters of Innovation Initiative,” Council on Competitiveness, May 2001,
http://www.compete.org/storage/images/uploads/File/PDF%20Files/CoC_sandiego_cluster.pdf
3 “Will California Run Out of College Graduates?” Public Policy Institute of California, Accessed July 2015,
http://www.ppic.org/main/publication_quick.asp?i=1166
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school focused on integrating the liberal arts with hands on STEM education. If STEM is
chosen as the focus of the institution, there is immense opportunity to partner with High
Tech High to provide an educational pipeline that guides students from kindergarten
through elementary school, high school, and college to well paying jobs in leading
industrial sectors. Ensuring the University and Innovation District responds to the
industry profile and needs of the region is critical to ensuring the project’s success.
INTERVIEWS AND DISCUSSIONS:
In addition to the research and analysis discussed above, U3 conducted more than 60
in-person and phone interviews with higher education thought leaders, local civic
leaders, representatives from Mexico, and experts on the binational conversation.
These meetings and interviews served to add to the growing list of research and data
supporting the scenario planning effort. The meetings and interviews were further used
to test the conclusions from the scenario planning and research exercises. Feedback
from the interviews was incorporated into the final scenario planning presentation and
this pre-recruitment report. A list of the conclusions from the interviews and the
research will be detailed later in the Pre-Recruitment Research Report.
Below is a list of the organizations interviews (also see Exhibit E):
EDUCATION INDUSTRY/CIVIC/BINATIONAL EXPERTS
Chula Vista Elementary School District BIOCOM San Diego
Columbia University Chula Vista Chamber of Commerce
Drexel University Chula Vista Professional
High Tech High CSG West
Monterrey Technology Institute HomeFed Corporation
Point Loma Nazarene University I.D.E.A. Partners, LLC
San Diego Community College District Madigan Consulting
San Diego State University Maritime Alliance
Southwestern College North American Research Partnership
Sweetwater Union High School District Otay Chamber of Commerce
University of California Center for US-Mexico Studies Physical Science Professional
University of California Community Advisor Board San Diego Economic Development Corporation
University of California Riverside San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce
University of California San Diego San Diego Taxpayers Association
University of California San Diego Extension Scripps
University of San Diego Smart Border Coalition
University of Texas, El Paso South County Economic Development Council
The Border Group
PUBLIC SECTOR Tijuana Innovadora
California State Assembly Tuteli
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California State Senate
Chula Vista City Council PHILANTHROPY
City of Chula Vista Border Philanthropy Partnership
City of Tijuana, Secretary of Education San Diego Foundation
Former Mexican Ambassador to U.S. The Kresge Foundation
Former Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs The Rockefeller Foundation
Former Secretary of Education in Mexico
Mexican Consulate General in San Diego
San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG)
San Diego City Council
San Diego County Board of Supervisors
United States House of Representatives
RESEARCH AND SCENARIO PLANNING OVERVIEW:
In 2014, U3 worked with the City of Chula Vista to identify a full range of 17 potential
institutional users that could build out the site including a public university, a satellite
campus for an established private higher education institution, a multi-institutional
campus, and an American campus for an international university. After significant
research including a scan of universities, research on growing regional industries, and a
full demographic profile of the region, U3 revisited the original list of 17 institutional
users and identified six for further investigation. These six scenarios were singled out
because they ranked highest on the scales of feasibility – comprised of financial
viability, operational feasibility, market demand match, and phase-ability – and the
number of City-established goals attained through each scenario. (see attached Exhibits
B and C).
The scenario planning exercises explored the vision, opportunities/challenges, funding
streams, potential partners, case studies, and prospective paths forward for each
scenario. The research and analysis were compiled into a series of presentations given
to the City of Chula Vista, our local advisory team including Denise Ducheny and
Clarissa Reyes Falcon, and the national U3 advisory team. Each presentation round led
to additional edits and further refinement of the scenarios until it was clear that there
would be no single frontrunner. Instead a hybrid scenario combining the strengths of
the top three scenarios emerged as the best and most viable path forward (see
attached Exhibit F for full scenario planning presentation).
Below is a brief synopsis of each of the six scenarios – International Campus, New
Institution, Public Institution, Private Non-Profit Institution, Multi-Institutional Campus,
and Mexican Institution – along with the conclusions gathered throughout the scenario
planning exercise.
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1) International Campus
The International University Scenario investigates the idea of attracting an International
University from beyond Mexico. The Mexican scenario will be discussed in scenario
#6. To fully understand the International University scenario, U3 conducted research on
the existence of international universities in the U.S., international-domestic educational
partnerships, and completed a scan of international higher education institutions. As a
result of the research, U3 determined the most viable international partnership, aside
from the Mexican institution scenario, would be a partnership with a Chinese institution.
Below is a recap of the research as well as the resulting scenario planning conclusions.
There are varying levels of involvement and interaction between U.S. Institutions and
International Institutions; however, there are very few examples of a truly blended
binational education partnership in the U.S. The trend is for U.S. institutions to establish
a campus in another country (e.g. New York University Abu Dhabi University) or
establish centers or institutes that study inter-country relations. Earlier this year, the
University of Washington announced the Global Innovation Exchange (GIX) a new
collaboration with a Chinese institution, Tsinghua University. Backed by a $50 million
grant from Microsoft, Tsinghua and University of Washington are working to build a new
Seattle-area campus that will house a new graduate studies program in technology
innovation.
This GIX partnership is responding to the demand in Seattle for individuals trained in
technology as well as the growing interest in American degrees from Chinese students.
Chinese students make up the largest percentage of foreign students studying abroad
in the United States. In the last decade, Chinese student demand for American
education has skyrocketed, however, it is hypothesized that we are in a demand
bubble, which will decrease in the coming years as China invests in their own domestic
educational infrastructure.
The current fragility of the Chinese economy and the uncertainty of the demand from
Chinese students are just some of challenges to the international model. There are
significant cultural, political, administrative, and legal barriers that must be overcome.
Years of preparatory work are required in order to successfully pursue a formal
educational partnership and even then there is no guarantee that the new institutional
partnership would officially open. The high barriers to entry and associated risk make
this scenario unlikely to succeed and therefore not worth pursuing further.
2) New Institution (21st Higher Education Model)
The New Institution Scenario establishes a new University that utilizes the blended
education model combining traditional education with best practices from current
educational trends, including online, group, and experiential learning. In the last
decade, online institutions have taken off, often providing a cheaper and more flexible
educational option for traditional and non-traditional students. In addition, many
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traditional universities are adapting the blended learning model to meet the student’s
expectation that a portion of their coursework will occur either online or in a
group/experiential setting. There are also a large number of traditional, bricks and
mortar universities maintaining a traditional setting while launching a few disciplines
(e.g. Nursing School, School of Social Work) fully online. The options for the new
institution are endless and can range from a fully online campus to a blended learning
model that features a residential campus with a significant online, experiential, or group
learning experience.
Additionally, the institution would be able to tailor the educational experience and
curriculum in response to current trends in education and the population of Southern
California. Starting new would also allow the founders to embed the agility needed to
continuously develop to take advantage of educational trends. In essence, the
institution would embody the dynamic nature of education and continue to be at the
forefront of the evolution of education.
There are significant challenges in starting a new institution including the challenge of
establishing a brand for a completely new entity. The branding issue will impact the
ability to fundraise, to attract students, and to establish a sustainable business model.
Deciding not to pursue a new institution does not preclude the blended learning model
being used. The principles of online education, group and experiential learning can be
embedded into any of the other scenarios. Therefore, it is recommended that the
principles of the blended learning model be incorporated into the chosen scenario,
however, the scenario itself is not worth pursuing.
3) Public Institution
The Public Institution Scenario investigated two potential sub scenarios:
1) Expansion or establishment of a new University of California
(UC) or California State University (CSU) campus, and
2) Expansion of an existing Community College to provide a 4-
year baccalaureate degree
The pursuit of either public institution will require a larger statewide dialogue to attain
the necessary political approvals and unlock state funding sources for campus
expansion. Assemblymember Susan Talamantes Eggman has asked the California
Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) to conduct initial analysis on the need for expansion
of the CSU Systems and where that expansion should go. The LAO report will be
completed on or before January 1st, 2017 until that time funding and interest from the
state is still uncertain. However, regardless of the LAO report findings, some type of
expansion in public higher education will be required. Current projections from the
California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office estimate that demand for
undergraduate degrees from the three public systems of higher education – UC, CSU,
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or CC – is expected to grow by a total of 387,000 students in 2019.4 Meeting the
demand for future education and training will be essential not only from an educational
standpoint, but for the economic growth and prosperity of the region.
For the Community College sub scenario, the institution would need to prove that the
expansion into a 4-year degree program would not directly compete with an existing
program in the UC/CSU system, thus creating specific, niche 4-year degree programs.
Southwestern College, a community college located in Chula Vista, is currently offering
four 4-year degree programs – degrees in Nursing, Criminal Justice, Business, and
Child and Adolescent Development – in partnership with Point Loma Nazarene
University. There might be room to grow and expand Southwestern’s offerings;
however, the expansion might not be sufficient to satisfy the City’s aspirations of
significantly expanding educational provision and building out a 375-acre campus.
The expansion of an existing UC/CSU campus or the establishment of a new UC/CSU
campus holds mixed opportunities and challenges directly related to their potential to
fund an expansion and the timeline of any expansion. There is significant political
support for a new public university, UC or CSU, south of I-8 that might provide the
necessary political backing to secure administrative and financial approval from the
state. The Public Institution Scenario warrants more investigation as additional
information is provided by the state’s LAO report and should be pursued in the
targeted institutional outreach phase.
4) Private Non-Profit U.S. Institution
The Private non-profit U.S. Institution Scenario would attract an existing private
institution to establish a satellite campus in Chula Vista. Private institutions are typically
more agile, independent and streamlined than their public counterparts making them a
relatively more viable partner for quick implementation and development. There are a
wide range of private institutional entities ranging in size, name recognition, financial
capacity, and innovative leadership that would largely determine whether or not they
would be successful establishing a satellite campus in Chula Vista.
The challenges for this scenario are perhaps best highlighted in the Drexel University/
University Development Foundation Case Study. University Development Foundation
(UDF), formerly the University Development Trust, is a non-profit foundation established
in the early 2000’s to attract a new university to the Sacramento region. UDF first
recruited Drexel University, a private non-profit research university based in
4 “Key Facts About California Community Colleges” California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, Accessed
August 2015, http://www.californiacommunitycolleges.cccco.edu/PolicyInAction/KeyFacts.aspx
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Philadelphia, to develop a satellite campus on a 1200-acre parcel of land in the city of
Sacramento.
Drexel failed to gain traction in Sacramento for many reasons including:
1) Lack of name and brand recognition on the West Coast,
2) Perceived competition instead of partnership with existing public
institutions in Sacramento,
3) Higher tuition costs relative to other California peer institutions
After six years of operations, Drexel decided to close their campus in 2015 due to low
projected enrollment. (Exhibit D)
UDF is now pursuing a new relationship with Warwick University, a public research
university based out of Coventry, England. Learning from Drexel’s previous mistakes,
University of Warwick in California will feature strong partnerships and credit exchange
programs with local public institutions and a robust marketing campaign to boost brand
recognition. Information regarding tuition costs has not yet been made public, but will
likely be competitive with comparable California institutions. The first graduate courses
will be offered in 2017 and is projected to accommodate up to 6,000 students by 2031.
There is significant opportunity to attract a private institution to Chula Vista especially if
brand recognition, collaboration with existing institutional partners, and tuition costs are
addressed up front and proactively in the planning and recruitment processes. Brand
recognition and tuition costs are two of the five metrics used to identify and evaluate
institutions for the institutional recruitment shortlist described in the Short List of
University Targets Report. The Private Institution Scenario warrants more investigation
and should be pursued in the targeted institutional outreach phase.
5) Multi-institutional Campus
The Multi-Institutional Campus Scenario explored a partnership between at least two
institutions to develop the campus. The educational partnership can be organized
around either 1) a specific industry or issue – border issues, robotics, U.S./Mexico
relations, pharmaceutical manufacturing, etc. – with each institution highly specialized
and concentrated on the focus area or 2) the idea of general educational provision with
each institution offering complementary coursework for liberal arts degrees.
During U3’s preliminary evaluation of the 17 potential institutional users, the multi-
institutional model scored highest on the feasibility and City goal attainment scales.
Likewise, the multi-institutional campus performed well in the scenario planning
exercises. The principal advantage of a multi-institutional campus is that it spreads
institutional risk, both from a reputational and financial standpoint, among the various
institutions. Further, the multi-institutional approach adds gravitas to the project
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because more than one institution is throwing their brand and confidence behind the
project.
The pursuit of an industry- or issue-specific campus would add strength and clarity to
the campus. Tailoring the ambition of the partnership will help attract institutions,
industry partners, and prospective students. Whether industry and/or issue-specific, the
multi-institutional campus must respond to the existing culture and context of Chula
Vista addressing the bicultural, bilingual, binational essence of the place that is
embedded throughout the region.
The challenge for this scenario lies in assembling the multi-institutional campus
partnership. With more than two partners, the coordination efforts needed to build the
partnership and framework for collaboration are significantly higher relative to attracting
a single institution. There is also a question of the sequencing of attracting the tenants.
Depending on the type of the institution there might be a benefit in attracting the
public before the private institution or the domestic before the international institution.
The strategy around sequencing and approach for the multi-institutional partnership
would need to be led by the Chula Vista University Partnership (CVUP) in coordination
with the City. The multi-institutional campus will require significant collective branding
and extensive coordination of the institutional partners; however, with strong leadership
and vision the multi-institutional campus is worth advancing to the next round of
consideration.
6) Mexican Institution
The Mexican Institution Scenario would establish a satellite campus for an existing
Mexican University. As part of the scenario planning effort, significant research was
conducted on the state of the Mexican higher education system and any established
U.S./Mexican educational partnerships. Below is a recap of the research as well as the
resulting scenario planning conclusions.
Over the last 30 yrs., the Mexican educational landscape has changed dramatically with
university enrollment tripling to a total of 3 million students.5 In response to this
increase in demand, a large number of private institutions rapidly opened across the
country. Many of these new private institutions are unaccredited and offer a small
range of highly specialized degrees that have resulted in an over-abundance of
graduates in a limited number of fields, which in turn led to rising graduate
unemployment rates.6 The attraction of a Mexican University needs to address these
5 William Booth, “Mexico is now a top producer of engineers, but where are jobs?,” The Washington Post, last modified
October 28th, 2012, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/mexico-is-now-a-top-producer-of-engineers-
but-where-are-jobs/2012/10/28/902db93a-1e47-11e2-8817-41b9a7aaabc7_story.html.
6 Nick Clark, “Education in Mexico,” World Education News & Reviews, last modified May 1st, 2013,
http://wenr.wes.org/2013/05/wenr-may-2013-an-overview-of-education-in-mexico/
17
issues head on in order to complement existing educational provision in Mexico as
opposed to adding to the oversaturation of these fields. It would also have to address
the cost of higher education – which is significantly more affordable in Mexico.
Over the last decade, American and Mexican institutions have partnered to set up study
abroad programs, credit exchange programs, and joint centers for Mexican-American
studies. These smaller initiatives are intended to increase interaction between the two
countries. In 2014, President Obama elevated the conversation by launching the
100,000 Strong in the Americas Initiative to increase the number of U.S. students
studying in Latin America to 100,000 and the number of Latin American students
studying in the U.S. to 100,000. To add perspective to the ambitious nature of this
initiative currently there are approximately 14,779 Mexican students studying abroad in
the U.S. and only 3,730 U.S. students studying in Mexico.7
The Mexican University Scenario would further the goals of the 100,000 Strong in the
Americas Initiative and would likely garner binational political support from President
Obama and President Nieto, both of whom are invested in strengthening the
educational relationship between the two countries. Launching a Mexican University
satellite campus in isolation of another partner would present enormous challenges
given the difficulties in branding and the significant cultural, administrative,
accreditation and legal barriers to setting up the campus. Successfully pursuing this
scenario would require the involvement of an American institution either for institutional
support or as a fully established partner. Combining this scenario with the idea of the
multi-institutional campus scenario is the most viable option.
CONCLUSION: VISION – BINATIONAL CAMPUS
Through this research and our discussions, an emerging vision for the proposed
university site in Chula Vista became clear. Our recommendation is to pursue a
binational campus that partners a Mexican institution with an American institution
(private or public) to leverage the site’s proximity to the US/Mexico Border. This
conclusion stems from deep scenario planning research and U3 Advisors’
understanding of Chula Vista’s location value proposition. This idea maximizes the site’s
unique location and elevates the project by engaging with the robust mega-regional
economy and the current binational conversation. A vision statement for the binational
campus is below:
Vision: A BINATIONAL CAMPUS that leverages the border as a laboratory to attract
students from both the U.S. And Mexico, offers degrees and skills training specific to
the binational region, and serves as a catalyst for growth and economic development.
7 “Open Doors: Report on International Educational Exchange,” Institute of International Education,
http://www.iie.org/Research-and-Publications/Open-Doors/Data/Fact-Sheets-by-Country/2015
18
Initial vetting of this idea through informational interviews was met with great interest
from philanthropic and higher education leaders. Key takeaways and conclusions
compiled from the interviews are below:
• The binational campus vision is bold and would elevate the project to attract
national and international attention from higher education and philanthropic
partners.
• A strong U.S. higher education partner will be needed first in order to attract a
high-caliber Mexican higher education institution.
• For both public institution and private institution involvement, the State of
California and the Federal Government will need to play a role given the
binational focus.
• There are significant challenges in attracting Mexican students to the United
States including immigration, border crossing infrastructure, and cost of higher
education. These issues would need to be addressed to ensure a successful
binational campus.
• Building a university from the ground up will require significant capital and
resources. Establishing a higher education institute, think tank – similar to the
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars or the Brookings Institution –
or retreat focused on border issues as a first step to realize this vision.
• Connecting the university to growing regional industries in Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics in the CaliBaja Megaregion will be critical to the
region’s growth and stability.
In order to advance this vision, the following next steps are recommended for 2016:
• Establish non-profit CVUP (Chula Vista University Partnership) to begin formal
fundraising and recruitment effort of higher education partners.
• Establish an advisory board comprised of civic, higher education, industry and
philanthropic partners to advise CVUP on the creation of a formal board.
• Create a land trust to hold university land for development.
• Begin formal recruitment effort with short-listed institutional partners with the
goal of establishing a research institute, think-tank or retreat focused on border
issues as a first phase of institutional development.
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IV. SHORT LIST OF UNIVERSITY TARGETS
A higher education institutional partner list was developed in conjunction with the
scenario planning exercise. The list features 47 domestic institutional partners that span
private and public universities both in and out of state. The search was largely limited to
domestic institutions based on interviews with experts in the fields of higher education
and border studies that suggested that in order to purse a binational university, an
established higher education partner or partners from the United States would need to
be identified first.
An evaluation system narrowed the list of 47 domestic institutions down to the top 20
institutions. The evaluation system was based on the following criteria: brand
recognition, financial endowment, tuition cost, strong Mexican relationship, and
diversity. Each category is score from a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 as the most beneficial for
the project and 1 being the least beneficial. For a full review of the institutional
evaluation matrix please refer to Exhibit G.
EVALUATION CRITERIA
I. Brand Recognition
Brand recognition is a critical factor in attracting funding, faculty, and students
to the new institution. To gauge institutions’ brand recognition we utilized the
US News Ranking and World Report Ranking8 to create the below evaluation
scale:
• 5 – Globally recognized institution
• 4 – Highly regarded institution in the U.S.
• 3 – Highly recognized institution in California
• 2 – Regional institutions in other parts of the U.S.
• 1 – Unknown institution
II. Financial Endowment (per Student)
Financial Endowment is an indicator that evaluates each institution’s financial
capacity to pursue and help fund a new campus. Based on 2014 National
Association of College and University Business NACUBO Common Fund Study
of Endowments9, we measured this criterion by dividing the financial
8 US News and World Ranking http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges
9 NACUBO http://www.nacubo.org/Research/NACUBO-Commonfund_Study_of_Endowments.html
20
endowment received by the total student body size – undergraduate, graduate
and professional students (2014).
• 5 – Endowment of $472,000 and above
• 4 – Endowment of $148,000 to $472,000
• 3 - Endowment of $58,000 to $148,000
• 2 - Endowment of $11,000 to $58,000
• 1 - Endowment of $11,000 and below
III. Tuition Cost (per Year)
Providing education opportunities that are accessible is one of the nine goals
established by the city for this project. We assessed each institution’s tuition fee
(2015-2016) based on out of state tuition costs and developed the ranking
system as below:
• 5 – Tuition cost less than $40,000
• 4 – Tuition cost ranging from $40,000 to $43,000
• 3 – Tuition cost ranging from $43,000 to $45,000
• 2 – Tuition cost ranging from $45,000 to $48,000
• 1 – Tuition cost ranging from $48,000 and above
IV. Mexican Connection
To further the goal of a binational institution, we evaluated each institution’s
existing academic interests in Mexico. Each institution was evaluated based on
their active programmatic connections to Mexico. The evaluation system is
detailed below:
• 5 - Institution with active relationship with Mexico (Research Center,
offering joint degree programs, participating in 100,000 Strong In
Americas)
• 4 - Institution with specific Mexico Study Center/Program
• 3 - Institution with Latin American Department
• 2 - Institution with programmatic interest as demonstrated through
publications and articles, however, no established department or center
• 1 - No information
V. Diversity Indicators
21
For diversity we referred to U.S News Diversity Index.10 The Diversity Index
calculates the total proportion of minority students with the respect to the
overall student body and measures the probability that students at the university
will encounter undergraduates from a racial or ethnic group different from their
own.
The Diversity Index ranges from 0 to 1, where the closer the institution is to 1,
the more diverse the student population. We collected the data for the diversity
index and then split the records into quintiles described below. Please note that
diversity information Columbia University, CUNY – Lehman College, and
Southwestern College, was not made available and therefore was supplemented
with the ethnicity and diversity index from College Factual.
• 5 – Very Diverse (Index: .66+)
• 4 – Diverse (Index: .61-.65)
• 3 – Moderately Diverse (Index: .55-.60)
• 2 – Slightly Diverse (Index: .49-.54)
• 1 – Not very diverse (Index: .25-.48)
The full list of institutions we assessed is presented below:
PRIVATE OUT-OF-STATE PRIVATE IN-STATE
American University California Institute of Technology
Baylor University Point Loma Nazarene University
Boston College Pomona College
Boston University Santa Clara University
Carnegie Mellon Stanford University
Case Western Reserve University of San Diego
Columbia University University of Southern California
Drexel University
Duke University PUBLIC IN-STATE
Emory University California State University, Northridge
George Washington University California Polytechnic State University
Georgetown University San Diego State University
Harvard University Southwestern College
Johns Hopkins University University of California Riverside
Lehigh University University of California San Diego
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
10 US, News Diversity Index http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/campus-ethnic-diversity-
methodology
22
Northeastern University PUBLIC OUT-OF-STATE
Northwestern University Arizona State University
New York University Colorado State University
Rice University City University of New York - Lehman College
Syracuse University New Mexico State University
Tufts University Purdue University
University of Chicago University of Illinois – Urbana
University of Notre Dame West Virginia University
Vanderbilt University
Wake Forest University
Washington University in St. Louis
Based on the evaluation criteria a potential list of institutions were identified for further
investigation.
INSTITUTION
Brand
Recognitio
n
Endowment
(Per
Student)
Tuition
Mexican
Connectio
n
Diversity
Indicator
Total
Score
RICE 5
5 4 5
5
24
STANFORD UNIVERSITY 5
5 3 5
5
23
CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE
OF TECHNOLOGY 5
5 4 5
4
23
HARVARD 5
5 2 5
5
22
MIT 5
5 2 5
5
22
UNIVERSITY OF
CALIFORNIA SAN DIEGO 5
2 5 5
4
21
UNIVERSITY OF
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 5
3 2 5
5
20
SAN DIEGO STATE
UNIVERSITY 4
1 5 5
5
20
DUKE UNIVERSITY 5
5 2 4
4
20
UNIVERSITY OF
CALIFORNIA RIVERSIDE 4
1 5 5
5
20
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY* 5
4 1 4
5
19
NYU 5
3 2 5
4
19
UNIVERSITY OF
CHICAGO 5
5 1 5
3
19
CARNEGIE MELLON 5
3 1 5
4
18
ARIZONA STATE
UNIVERSITY 4
1 5 5
3
18
UNIVERSITY OF SAN
DIEGO 4
2 4 5
3
18
23
PURDUE UNIVERSITY 4
3 5 5
1
18
CASE WESTERN
RESERVE 4
4 4 3
3
18
CALIFORNIA STATE
UNIVERSITY,
NORTHRIDGE
3
1 5 3
5
17
JOHNS HOPKINS
UNIVERSITY 5
4 1 3
4
17
NORTHWESTERN 4
5 1 3
4
17
POMONA COLLEGE 4
5 3 1
4
17
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
- URBANA 2
2 5 5
3
17
Formal conversations with the short-listed schools will begin in the next phase of work.
MEXICAN INSTITUTIONS
As described above, the U3 team was urged by experts in higher education and
U.S./Mexico relations to work on identifying the American partner(s) in advance of the
Mexican partner. This approach will help in establishing brand recognition and
establish a marketing platform to attract the Mexican institution. Nonetheless, we have
begun to identify the top national and regional Mexican institutions and will continue to
vet the list with the City and our educational contacts in Mexico as we progress. The
Mexican Higher Education Institutions currently identified are:
National:
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)
Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey
Universidad de las Américas Puebla
Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM)
Universidad Iberoamericana
Univeridad Autónoma de Guadalajara
Regional:
Centro de Enseñanza Técnica y Superior (CETYS)
Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (UABC)
El Colegio de la Frontera Norte (COLEF)
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V. MARKETING PACKAGE
A vision presentation for the Binational University is prepared and attached as Exhibit H.
The presentation is intended for use when in front of potential institutions or funders to
present the idea of the Binational University. The presentation highlights the binational,
bicultural, and bilingual aspects of the university. Starting at a macro level the
presentation emphasizes the sizable economy, infrastructure, and environmental
connections between the United States and Mexico before detailing the regional and
local demographics that support the introduction of a new university.
The presentation culminates with a four-part conclusion answering why this university is
needed in Chula Vista now:
1. Pathways: The World’s First Binational University
Opportunity to create a new model of 21st century higher education delivery
leveraging the U.S / Mexico Border and providing opportunities for:
• Binational, bicultural, bilingual education
• Blended Learning with technology
• Cooperative Education with local business partners
• Affordability in higher education
2. Policy: Shaping a New Border Narrative
Opportunity to have a high profile impact on the national and international policy
narrative around:
• Re-thinking immigration policy
• Focusing on binational environmental policy
• Forging new trade opportunities between the U.S. and Mexico
• Focusing on border security and transit
• Creating a new binational knowledge economy
3. People: Integrating People Across Borders
• Leveraging the rapidly growing CaliBaja Megaregion
• Meeting unmet demand for higher education in both California and
Mexico
• Serving the rapidly increasing Mexican born population in the United
States and growing middle class in Mexico
4. Place: Leveraging Location to Enrich Content
• 375 acres of land entitled for institutional development
• Site located 4 miles from the U.S. / Mexico border halfway between
Tijuana and downtown San Diego
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• Leveraging border location for research, teaching, and experiential
learning
• Opportunity to create an economic engine that can directly connect to the
vibrant border economy
Additional marketing material is being solicited from a graphic designer. The material
will include a pamphlet and a short vision book for distribution. The material will be
generated based off the content already included in the vision presentation.
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VI. CVUP BUDGET, BOARD AND TIMELINE
The Chula Vista University Partnership (CVUP) will be the entity tasked with coordinating
the recruitment, fundraising, and development efforts for the binational university.
CVUP will be incorporated in 2016 starting with one full-time employee and growing in
staff as needed to support this enormous undertaking. The 2015-2016 timeline to form
and fund CVUP is outlined below. Additional information regarding the budget, scope
of work, phasing and staffing can be found in Exhibit I.
1. PHASE 1: RESEARCH & IDENTIFY (Completed in 2015)
• Hire Local CVUP Representative
• Develop 3-year Budget for CVUP
• Develop Recruitment Strategies for City Council Approval
• Research and Compile a Pre-Recruitment Research Report with Short-List of
University Targets
• Develop Marketing Package
• Research and Compile Funding Opportunity Report and Recommendations
• Identify CVUP Board Candidates
2. PHASE 2: RECRUIT (To be completed in 2016)
• Incorporate CVUP Non-Profit Entity
• Create University Land Trust
• Form CVUP Advisory Board
• Identify and Form CVUP Board
• Visit and Vet Short-Listed Institutions
• Fundraise for CVUP
• Release an RFEI or RFP for Institutional Partners
• Organize a Higher Education Conference in Chula Vista Pre-RFEI/RFP
• Launch Evaluate Phase 3 to select partner institutions and begin MOU
process
As outlined above, a key first step to establishing CVUP is the formation of a board of
directors, which will occur in two phases. The first phase will establish an advisory
committee to guide and inform the second phase, the formal board formation,
expected by the end of 2016. U3 is currently drafting a prospective board member list
for presentation to the City of Chula Vista.
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VII. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY
Funding needs for the project can broadly be broken into two different uses: 1) Pre-
development operations associated with CVUP and the recruitment process and 2)
Capital funds to build the resulting institutional campus. The pre-development
operations funding is broadly budgeted in Exhibit I, which details the funding of CVUP
through the five-stage recruitment effort. Funding of the capital investment will take a
much larger and more significant fundraising effort with design and construction costs
likely running in the hundreds of millions.
These uses can be offset through fundraising efforts from private funders (philanthropy),
individual donors, corporate sponsorships, and public funding. The pre-development
operations will likely be funded directly through philanthropy whereas future uses such
as capital investments will be sourced from individual donors, corporations, and the
public sector. Below is an infographic that matches projected uses with the appropriate
sources of funding.
28
PHILANTHROPIC FUNDING
Philanthropic funding can support virtually every stage of the university recruitment and
campus build out process. Philanthropic funding is especially critical in these first
investigatory phases of work. As part of the funding opportunity report, U3
investigated 15 different philanthropies to evaluate whether they would be likely to
fund the recruitment of a university to Chula Vista. Likeliness of funding was based on
the philanthropy’s history, mission, geographic scope, and funding interests. A
breakdown of the philanthropic entities can be found in Exhibit J. In addition to the
research, U3 met with a number of philanthropies to gauge interest in funding this
project. Support and interest in the project was overwhelming and worth pursuing in
2016 to support the forthcoming non-budgeted tasks.
INDIVIDUAL DONORS
U3 met with a number of individual donors from the United States and Mexico. A
targeted approach and funding ask is most effective with this funding source.
Individuals showed interest in the project, however, wanted the project to be more
developed before contributing their own resources. These individual donors will be
updated throughout this process and approached for funding support once CVUP or
associated institute is established. Many of these individual donors have also offered
their support by extending their own contact network to set up meetings with political
officials, content experts, and additional funding.
CORPORATE SPONSORS
Corporate sponsorship is best suited once the programmatic content is established and
institutional partners are identified. Without this information it is difficult to target which
industries to approach and what the direct ask would be. U3 met with the San Diego
Regional Chamber to help identify business and industry leaders that might be
interested in the idea of the binational university. Once a more detailed understanding
of the programming is established a number of investigatory interviews will be set up to
pursue this funding source further.
PUBLIC FUNDING
Public funding for the project can be broken into three subcategories: Local, State, and
Federal funding.
• Local funding for the project is already being sourced via the City’s budget.
Budgetary funds are currently supporting the pre-recruitment effort and are
projected to seed the operating budget of CVUP moving forward.
• State funding for the project largely depends on what institution will be
recruited to act as the American partner in the binational university. If a public
in-state school is successful recruited as the American partner, then state
funding may be available for capital and programming costs associated with the
institution’s development. If a private or out of state school is recruited as the
American partner then, the state funding would be made available through
29
different economic development policies and programs. Right now, it is too
early in the process to determine public funding sources appropriate for the
project. More clarity regarding public funding will be afforded once the
Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) releases their report regarding the need for a
new State funded higher education campus in 2016.
• Federal funding for the project can be provided through a number of
departments including the Department of Housing and Urban Development,
Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Education.
These funding sources will be accessed through connections to each
department and identification of funding applications. U3 has met with a
number of officials interested in elevating the project to the federal level to
receive national attention and funding. More information will be forthcoming as
the informational interviews continue to identify potential connections to federal
funding sources in Phase II.
LEVERAGING ASSETS
The site itself can also be leveraged to help fund the project. The existing 375-acre site
may be larger than needed to build out a successful University and Innovation District.
A portion of the site could be sold or leased to development partners to construct
ancillary uses that complement the campus. The ancillary development can be housing,
commercial development, etc. consistent with the SPA planning effort. The sale or
lease of these development parcels could provide additional funding for the project
and expedite the build out of a vibrant, urban, environment in parallel to the
development of the binational university campus. This model is currently being used to
fund the proposed Warwick University in Sacramento.
30
VIII. RECOMMENDATIONS AND NEXT STEPS
In this report, U3 Advisors has outlined a vision for a binational higher education
campus in Chula Vista:
Vision: A BINATIONAL CAMPUS that leverages the border as a laboratory to attract
students from both the U.S. And Mexico, offers degrees and skills training specific to
the binational region, and serves as a catalyst for growth and economic development.
This vision has the potential to be transformative for the city and region while attracting
attention from national and international partners. U3 Advisors recommends that
establishing a research institute, think-tank or retreat focused on border
issues should be the first phase of institutional development.
U3 has also outlined a multi-phase process to recruit higher education partners through
a non-profit entity (CVUP), land-trust (outlined in greater detail in Exhibit I):
• Phase 1: RESEARCH AND IDENTIFY (completed). Conduct extensive
research on local, regional, national, and international institutions that acts as
the foundation for the strategic recruitment of a university to Chula Vista.
Develop a binational short-list of public and private universities to screen for a
more targeted outreach campaign.
• Phase 2: RECRUIT. Establish the Chula Vista University Partnership (CVUP) and
Land Trust along with a CVUP Board of Advisors to spearhead the recruitment
and fundraising efforts necessary to attract university partners.
• Phase 3: EVALUATE. Rigorously analyze and vet universities based on site
visits, institutional interest, and recommendations from the CVUP Board of
Advisors.
• Phase 4: ADVISE & ADVANCE. Facilitate the partnership between the two
university institutions while advancing the fundraising and physical components
of campus development.
The vision outlined in this report will require a multi-year process and dedicated funding
from a variety of sources to ensure success. It will also need significant political support
at the local, state and federal levels. Beyond the challenges associated with advancing a
new university campus, a completed Binational University campus has the potential to
become a long-term economic driver for the City and act as a catalyst for the entire
CaliBaja Megaregion’s future growth and development.