Tech School Dedicates New Campus

Replacing the old-fashioned scissor snip with a high-tech laser zap, officials of the DeVry, Inc. technical college chain today will mark the formal opening of their first Valley campus at a ribbon-cutting ceremony in West Hills.

Located at the corner of Roscoe Boulevard and Fallbrook Avenue, the school offers business and computer classes and is run by DeVry, Inc., a publicly traded company based in Oakbrook Terrace, Ill. About 300 students began attending classes in the building last November.

The growing demand for workers with computer skills in the Valley spurred DeVry to build the campus, said spokeswoman Rebecca Falletta. DeVry’s other Southern California campuses are in Pomona and Long Beach.

Before a laser beam is used to cut the ceremonial ribbon, students at the nearby Justice Elementary School will bury essays and interviews about their vision of future technology in a container to be unearthed in 15 years. The hourlong ceremony, which will begin at 12:15 p.m., will include campus tours.

DeVry was founded in 1931 as a Chicago electronics school. The company had a net income of nearly $39 million for the year ending June 30, 1999, up nearly 25% from the previous year, according to public filings.