Pat Lipetzky, MSU’s dean of Extended Learning, said the new facility will have plenty of classroom and office space for several years of growth. MSU hopes, in fact, to double its student count by fall 2009. Eventually, they hope to serve up to 2,000 students at the new site.

They also hope to add new programs. Any program may one day find its way to the France Avenue site. Morris said the only exception would be programs requiring labs.

The new site is part of MSU’s enrollment management plan. MSU President Richard Davenport said a year ago that he wanted MSU to grow its enrollment. Today it’s a little over 14,000. Eventually he wants it to be between 18,000 and 20,000.

Lipetzky said the new site was a big part of that plan, but it also has other benefits.

“This will keep us fresh and vital,” Lipetzky said.

Morris said he’s looking forward to the change in scenery. Not that he didn’t like it here — he stayed for 18 years.

“I’m kind of excited about it,” he said. “It’s a new challenge and an important initiative for the university.”

Morris said he and Pam Baker spent months searching for a location for the site and getting the word out — by way of billboard and 54,000 direct mailings — to southwest metro residents about what MSU was planning.