With 55,552 students, ASU’s Tempe campus is one of the largest campuses in the nation. As ASU has grown, much of the growth has been concentrated in Tempe.

The overflow of people has led to crowded hallways and dwarfing class sizes. If this world-class University is to continue expanding to meet the increasing demands of society, ASU will have to look beyond Tempe. Thankfully, University officials are moving forward with a new program that would create a new network of lower-priced colleges. This endeavor is known as Colleges@ASU.

Each of these schools would offer several majors and students would be able to earn their degree in only three years, according to The Arizona Republic.

ASU President Michael Crow has laid out an ambitious plan. Opening more colleges could be just what this state needs. Skeptics will denounce these plans as a waste of money or just plain ridiculous. On the contrary, these are necessary developments.

This is a cost effective method of higher education. In times when families are watching their pocketbooks and college costs are rising, this system of schools could make college a reality for some families. It may lower the cost of a bachelor’s degree by 40 percent, according to The Arizona Republic.

Concerns among students might be that establishing new colleges would hinder the University campuses, but funds will not move from ASU to the Colleges.

“We have even set this as a condition: no resource transference from the existing colleges of the University to Colleges@ASU. We have no money; that’s why we have said we have to have full support of the facilities by a third party,” Crow said in a meeting with The State Press editorial board.

Crow said by partnering with the community colleges in the area, students can enhance their learning in specific areas.

“We think [there] are a couple degrees we could offer as baccalaureate degrees with the community colleges in very narrow subjects,” Crow said. “We think we can deliver some new programs is in cooperation with the community colleges using no additional resources and using the Internet.”

According to The State Press, the University has reached out to Gila Community College and is looking to start a working relationship. ASU is also working with the city of Payson to secure roughly 300 acres needed for a new state college there, which would be a part of the Colleges@ASU.

Establishing new schools takes time and planning, which Crow clearly understands. “[Colleges @ ASU] is also a long range goal that we won’t advance on without investment from the state,” Crow said. “These are things that would evolve over the next thirty years.”

The State Press reported classes on the proposed Payson campus would not start until at least 2013, perhaps even 2015.

The administration has put plenty of thought into this venture. As a result, the state should embrace these additions. With the Colleges@ASU program, we can move forward with making higher education more accessible and affordable.

Reach Andrew at andrew.hedlund@asu.edu