In 2010, the Rural Policy Institute at Northern Arizona University completed a detailed and thorough economic impact study that showed NAU’s annual economic impact on the State of Arizona was $1.46 billion and that one of eight jobs exist in Coconino County because of the presence of NAU. Under President John Haeger’s leadership, NAU has grown its annual economic impact by more than $600 million annually and has set the foundation for even faster and greater economic growth in Flagstaff, Coconino County and Arizona into the future.
NAU’s positive economic impact on Flagstaff and Coconino County continue to grow at a fast clip. Since the economic impact study was completed in 2010, approximately 3,000 students have been added to the Flagstaff campus. More than $100 million in capital has been expended in the region for new buildings and infrastructure. The Rural Policy Institute study estimated that the additional economic impact on Flagstaff of just the additional 3,000 students is more than $45 million annually.
This increase in the students on the Flagstaff campus not only has a direct economic benefit to the Flagstaff economy, these students upon graduation become a part of the highly trained, sophisticated workforce and innovators needed by our region, the state and nation to remain competitive and continue as global economic leader.
In addition to the growth of the student body, NAU is once again growing its workforce by adding quality jobs through the hiring of more faculty, staff and researchers who will add to the overall economic impact of the university.
The future planned growth of NAU also portends even more positive economic benefit for Flagstaff and Coconino County. With a goal established by the Arizona Board of Regents that NAU grow from its current Flagstaff campus student body of 19,300 students to 25,000 students by 2020, many economic benefits to the region will accrue. More students will mean more spending and greater economic impact for Flagstaff. More quality jobs will be created with the need for more faculty, researchers and staff. More jobs will be created and there will be a greater local economic impact with the major capital investment that will be needed for new academic buildings, research facilities, student housing, infrastructure and replacement of aging buildings.
NAU already is a major research university holding the designation under the Carnegie rating as a “Research Intensive University.” However, the future holds much more promise and growth. NAU has a goal to double its research expenditures between now and 2020 and has already begun the process to hire additional high-level research faculty, develop new research programs, recruit research partner organizations, and build new research laboratory facilities in a planned research park.
NAU also continues to benefit Flagstaff and Coconino County through its expanding network of partnerships and public service partnerships locally, statewide, nationally and globally. Just a few recent examples of local growing partnerships include NAU and Flagstaff Medical Center collaborating on research projects to improve health outcomes for patients with chronic conditions and improving pediatric care. The university and Lowell Observatory just announced an expansion of their relationship with a partnership for research time on the new world class Discovery Channel Telescope, strengthening both organizations. The university, the City of Flagstaff and the Northern Arizona Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology have partnered to build a business accelerator at Innovation Mesa.
NAU boasts a number of organizations driving economic activity and making a substantial and important economic impact in Arizona. Included is the nationally known W.A. Franke College of Business, the NAU Center for Business Outreach, the NAU Office of Economic Development, NAU Center for American Indian Economic Development, Arizona Hospitality Research & Resource Center, NAU Center for American Indian Economic Development, NAU EDA University Center and the NAU Rural Policy Institute. http://franke.nau.edu/business-outreach/
These NAU organizations are innovators and drivers of excellence in business incubation and acceleration, entrepreneurial education and training, business outreach, business service and engagement, direct job creation, technology transfer, and business retention and expansion. In addition, the growing world-class research at NAU is providing direct economic impact with job creation, intellectual property, technology transfer, business incubation, and development of sophisticated high-level workforce demanded by industry.
NAU also is engaged in direct economic development as a partner in the Economic Collaborative of Northern Arizona (ECoNA). www.econa-az.com
President Haeger is planning to retire in the next year but as you can see, he has steered NAU into a steep upward trajectory that will provide long-term economic benefits to the region and position Flagstaff, Coconino County and the State of Arizona to be economically competitive and prosper in the years to come. Thank you, President Haeger, for your leadership. FBN
Written by Richard Bowen of ECoNA