Frequently Asked Questions
Why is ACU relocating its campus to Glendale?
Arizona Christian University, a U.S. News & World Report Best College, is at capacity at its current campus, and has been evaluating options to provide students and faculty with improved academic and athletic facilities, more space for on-campus housing and room to grow. When President Munsil heard that ASU was moving the Thunderbird School of Global Management downtown, he approached ASU President Michael Crow with the idea of bringing ACU to the Glendale campus. The two universities have worked together for the past 10 months on a land exchange agreement, which trades properties of equal values and enables the preservation of a historic campus site at the former Thunderbird airfield, while also bringing a top-ranked educational institution to the city of Glendale.
When will students begin taking classes at the Glendale campus?
Students will begin taking classes August of 2019.
What will the new campus have that the old campus did not?
With the move to Glendale, the ACU campus size increases from about 20 acres to nearly 69 acres. The square footage of campus buildings goes from 150,000 square feet to nearly 500,000 square feet, including dozens of large classrooms and auditoriums. ACU will gain ample on-campus student housing including resort-style living and a swimming pool, an expansive library 10 times the size of the current library, nearly three times as many parking spaces, a campus store, a coffee shop, a huge student union and dining hall, and space for Firestorm athletic teams to practice and compete on-campus!
Why was this decision made?
The new Glendale campus will help us expand our ability to educate followers of Christ to transform culture with truth on a greater scale than ever before. The new campus gives us the facilities and space we need to grow. The new location will also help us attract faculty and students, as we continue to expand reach while maintaining our mission. The new revenue streams will provide long-term financial stability at a time when small colleges are being forced to close.
How did you keep such a big secret?
Prior to the closing of the land exchange on November 13, the deal was not final. The process leading up to the closing of this land exchange was complex, and the agreement needed to be finalized before we could share our plans. It was certainly not easy to keep a secret of this size, and we are thrilled to be able to share the news today.
Where will ACU sports teams practice and have games?
Within a few years, all sports (except golf, shooting sports and swimming) will train and compete on campus. Soon we expect to have in place and operating on campus a turf field for soccer and football practices and games, a baseball field, softball field, and sand volleyball courts. We expect to be under construction on a multi-purpose arena for basketball, volleyball and gym sports. In the near future, we will also add on campus a separate stadium for football and track and field, and a tennis complex.
What will happen to the ACU campus at Cactus Road and 24th Street?
This will be determined by Arizona State University.