NEW SITE SLATED FOR CSUB CLASSES MOVE WILL BRING MORE UPPER-LEVEL COURSES TO VALLEY.

Byline: Jim Skeen Staff Writer

LANCASTER - The former Antelope Valley Fairgrounds' Challenger Memorial Center will be turned into a classroom building for California State University, Bakersfield.

Complementing CSUB classes at Antelope Valley College, the move will allow more upper division courses and bring the Antelope Valley closer to getting its own four-year college.

``This is a monumental development because it is a giant step toward the future vision of a freestanding state university in Lancaster,'' Mayor Frank Roberts said.

Lancaster and CSUB officials announced Friday the plans to turn the former exhibit building at the old fairgrounds into a 13-classroom building for the college. The $3.1 million renovation project, funded by the city, is expected to be completed in time for classes next fall.

The state budget crisis, however, could intervene. The California State University system requested $840,000 for operating classes at the building in the 2003-2004 state budget, but that money was cut. The funding is being sought again in the 2004-2005 state budget.

``We've been very anxious and committed to expanding our operation,'' said James George, provost and vice president of academic affairs at CSUB. ``This next step is the most important. To date, we've been somewhat restricted on the Antelope Valley campus. Now, the city of Lancaster is going ahead and renovating the Challenger building, making (it) available for a larger educational operation.''

Plans for the building include having three classrooms wired so that instructors at other locations can conduct classes through an interactive television hookup. The classrooms will include a science lab, a computer lab and a math lab.

The building will allow CSUB to expand its Antelope Valley operations, which now serve over 800 students, to handle as many as 2,000 students.

``This project is an immediate step to allow CSUB to grow to 2,000 students,'' said George Runner, a consultant to the city of Lancaster. ``That is an important threshold because at 2,000 students, we can begin the very serious discussion about what the Antelope Valley needs for its own university site.''

CSUB has held classes in the Antelope Valley since the late 1980s, operating out of leased commercial space. In 1996, CSUB opened up its satellite campus at Antelope Valley College.

CSUB-Antelope Valley operates about half of its classes out of four modular buildings on the Antelope Valley College campus. The remainder are conducted in borrowed classrooms at Antelope Valley College or more leased space off the AVC campus.

Last April, the CSUB-AV campus was named a permanent off-campus center by the California Postsecondary Education Commission. The designation qualifies the center for its own line item in the state budget.

Funding for the Antelope Valley center has been coming out of the CSUB campus operating budget.

Recognizing the growth of its Antelope Valley operations, CSUB is in the process of recruiting a vice president to oversee the new center's operations and to work with the community in moving toward having its own four-year university.

Runner, who worked on securing the center designation during his tenure in the state Assembly, has been tabbed by the city of Lancaster to organize a committee that will work with CSUB on expanding its operations.

The project will also be part of a city effort to transform the old 70-plus-acre fairgrounds. Plans announced earlier include a baseball complex, commercial and residential development and a school site.

Jim Skeen, [phone]

james.skeen(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) James George, provost and vice president of academic affairs at the university, speaks about the plan to press on Friday.

(2 -- color) Thirteen classrooms will be built inside the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds' Challenger Memorial Center for CSUB students.

Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer