Edwards Campus to make room for more Kansas City students

To keep pace with continuing enrollment growth, the KU's Edwards Campus in suburban Kansas City will break ground for a second building in October. The 82,000-square-foot structure will be just west of the current building at 127th Street and Quivira Road in Overland Park.

In June, the Kansas Board of Regents approved final plans and contract documents for the $17.8 million building, which is partially funded by a $5 million gift from the Hall Family Foundation. Twenty-one new classrooms, a 240-seat auditorium and additional faculty offices will accommodate the expanding Edwards Campus community, which is expected to double in size from its current enrollment of 2,100, according to Robert Clark, vice chancellor for the campus.

Since its opening in 1993 with 10 graduate programs geared toward working professionals, the campus has extended its reach in Kansas City. Students can now choose from 22 programs, including several that complete undergraduate degrees. The offerings will grow to as many as 34 with the addition of the second building.

Classes are offered in the late afternoon and early evening to fit the schedules of Edwards Campus students, 90 percent of whom work full-time. The average student age is 32; more than half are married. Classes in education, social welfare, business and engineering draw the largest segments of students. Also available are courses in liberal arts, health policy management, pharmacy, architecture, journalism and fine arts.

With the expansion, proposed academic offerings will include undergraduate degree completion programs in business, communications studies, history and public administration, as well as several new master's degree and certificate programs.

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