LAYTON ó During the traditional school year, Weber State Davis campus is bursting at the seams. ìItís pretty well balanced, now, between day and eveningî courses as far as being full, said Bruce Davis, director of the Davis campus. Enrollment has reached about 3,200 students. That is putting a strain on the current building which serves all needs at the five-year-old campus. ìWe were No. 6 on the Board of Regents building list last year. Iím hopeful weíll be able to get approved for the 2009 season,î he said. The classroom situation has been helped, some, by the arrival of the Northern Utah Engineering, Math & Science charter school on campus last fall. They occupy portable classrooms but share facilities, when there is room, in the WSU building, and visa versa in the late afternoon and evening for WSU students. ##M:MORE##

Bringing the 350 students to the campus should help WSUís chances for a second building, Davis believes.

The second building, proposed at 112,000 square feet, will be slightly larger than the existing structure. Projected to have a $41.6 million price tag, it will serve a variety of functions. That price also includes a central heating and cooling plant as well as road and other infrastructure improvements.

ìWeíre working really hard to expand. Over the past four months weíve developed programming of what will go in the building once itís OKíd,î he said.

ìStudent services currently takes up our whole second floor,î Davis said. That ranges from bookstore and small convenience store to a library.

ìThe Professional Programs Classroom Buildingî will house those services, including a ballroom and fitness center, as well as food service facilities ñ all in a move to create a Union Building-type area, Davis said.

ìIf the new building is approved, we hope to move in in 2011,î he said.

Meanwhile, the campus is also looking to strengthen health science and engineering, including its joint electrical engineering program with Utah State University, and construction management, Davis said.

He praised the NUAMES partnership, where many of that schoolís students take early college courses at WSU Davis and become familiar with the university.

ìIt provides a pipeline of excellent students,î he said.

The campus continues to serve as a home to many Hill Air Force Base staff credit course classes.

The Davis campus also is working to coordinate how to best incorporate students who use FrontRunner, such as with a possible shuttle service, he said.

Davis, who has been directing Davis campus programs for nine years, has also seen his role increase.

The Layton resident was recently promoted to vice provost, or academic officer, for the entire university.

He is also responsible for off campus programs at Davis High School, Roy High School, in Morgan, and the WSU evening school at the Ogden campus. In addition, Davis oversees the WSU online program, which now draws 15 percent of enrollment.

tbusselberg@davisclipper.com