Where is ottawa university

This premium content is made possible because of your continued support of local journalism. For some Surprise residents, it's become a staple. Those who live closest know when the football games are because of the bright stadium lights. Area high school students who dream of playing college ball but don't make the cut at Arizona State University or the University of Arizona and don't want to leave home can often find themselves a place there.

But other Surprise residents are less familiar with the school. Mark Lackowski lives nearby and his son will attend on a football scholarship this fall. Lackowski said he and his neighbors first mistook it for a trade school, and didn't realize it was a full-fledged campus until his wife, who works at an apartment complex, met students who attended. In other cities, like Phoenix, some have never heard of Ottawa and never knew Surprise had a college at all.

Ottawa opened its residential campus in Surprise in Then, and still now, it was a big get for the suburban city. The students and visiting parents spend money that generates sales tax revenue for cities. Restaurants and retailers often follow to capitalize on that, meaning more one-time city fees and ongoing taxes. Plus, city leaders say a college can band a community together, give the residents a sense of collective identity, provide space for communal gatherings and excitement.

It's why cities across the Valley, from Mesa to Goodyear have long sought something like Ottawa. But getting a university, difficult as it can be, is just the beginning. Cities' abilities to retain them is more complicated. University of the Incarnate Word, a private, Catholic university from Texas, came to Goodyear in with plans to build a campus by It pulled out in , citing fundraising difficulties and discontent at the state's largest college, ASU, expressing interest in a potential Goodyear expansion, which never happened.

Mesa attracted five liberal arts college after a "recruitment drive" in , but only two remain today. Officials from the university cited budget issues. Mayor Skip Hall called it "a great synergy," and hopes residents one day think of Surprise as a lively college town. So what has kept the private, not-for-profit Christian university from Ottawa, Kansas in the northwest outskirts of the Valley?

Ottawa considered multiple states for its second ever residential campus since the first opened in University President Dennis Tyner said Ottawa chose Arizona because of its growing population and lack of higher education options. Most people can only name Arizona's three state universities and Grand Canyon University, Tyner said.

Ottawa leaders saw that as an opportunity. Surprise was selected because of that vast undeveloped land. Ottawa officials knew they wanted to go all in, which required space.

Most schools looking to expand into the Valley come with a couple majors and a couple sports but this "dip our toe in the water" approach doesn't work because students want the entire college experience, Tyner told The Republic.

He said Ottawa opened its Surprise campus with a "burn the boat mindset. To succeed, Ottawa wanted land to grow. It couldn't afford it just yet, though, Tyner said, so Surprise and the college negotiated a lease. Surprise also gave Ottawa the option to lease a 2-acre parcel between years three and 20 of the year lease and a acre parcel by During that time, Surprise won't lease the land to anyone else, according to the agreement.

Ottawa can purchase any of the land it leases, too. Tyner said the university has plans to do so, but hasn't had the financing yet. For amenities the university doesn't offer, Surprise gives Ottawa students access to more city-owned property, including the city's tennis courts, swimming pools , baseball fields and Surprise Stadium where the Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers play during spring training.

But Ottawa isn't solely paying the city. This rigorous competition is only open to students who have achieved a composite ACT score of 25 or greater, earned a minimum high school GPA of 3. Ottawa University-Arizona Surprise, Arizona. Get to know Ottawa University-Arizona. Student Activities. International Student Organization Student government Television station. Campus Resources. College Highlights Engaged Students.

Engaged Students. Great Teaching. Vibrant Communities. Successful Outcomes. Contact Ottawa University-Arizona. The crest of Ottawa University conveys the most important ingredients of its history and purpose.

The dome of Tauy Jones Hall rises above the crest, just as it rises above the campus. Today, the dome displays a vibrant copper finish. The cross of Christ borders every segment of student life; it represents our Christian heritage, our continuing commitment and the hope for our future. The star depicts the clarity of the Kansas sky; many of the earlier settlers thought that the North Star could be seen more clearly in Kansas than in any other state.