BENTONVILLE -- NorthWest Arkansas Community College's board will decide Monday whether to grant college administrators the right to negotiate a land buy in Springdale.

The college's Land Use and Facilities Committee unanimously approved the proposal at its meeting Thursday.

The college has pursued 39 acres next to Arvest Ballpark for about two years for construction of a Washington County campus. The NorthWest Arkansas Community College Foundation has handled property negotiation with Philip Taldo since his land at the southeast corner of South 64th Street and Watkins Avenue was selected as the preferred site and a contract was issued.

Evelyn Jorgenson, college president, decided the process could happen more quickly if the college assumed responsibility for negotiating the purchase than waiting on the foundation to raise money for it.

The land would be bought using tuition revenue from students who attend one of the college's satellite centers in Washington County, now housed in leased spaces, if the board approves the plan.

"We have enough tuition revenue now that we can have tuition revenue bonds and pay off those bonds," Jorgenson said.

The building would have to be financed through donations from the community -- a project the foundation would take on. Taxpayer dollars cannot be used for that project, Jorgenson said.

"The feedback I got is that people are willing to step up," she said.

Meredith Brunen, foundation director, said the foundation and its board support the college's plan.

"The foundation board is ready and willing to take on the fundraising challenge" after the land is purchased, Brunen said.

Any land purchase by the college would have to be approved by the Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board. The soonest that could happen is July. It also would need approval by the state. The soonest it would be presented to the college board for approval is September, said Debi Buckley, chief financial officer.

The college recently completed a series of public meetings focused on the Washington County center requesting feedback on what services the center should provide. Those meetings drew representatives from area businesses, the Springdale School District, chambers of commerce and surrounding communities.

The meetings were very eye opening, Jorgenson said Thursday.

"One of the things that came out was that there really is a perception that the community college is generally responsive to the work force and business needs of the area," Jorgenson said. "But they also felt like there was a need for us to move forward, to clarify what we're going to do and move forward with it. There's a little frustration with how long (the Washington County center) has been talked about."

College officials have discussed the idea of a permanent facility in Washington County for about six years. The idea gained momentum in 2012 when officials zeroed in on Taldo's land as the best site available.

Focus groups urged the college not to duplicate services offered at the University of Arkansas or Springdale's Northwest Technical Institute, Jorgenson said.

"Really we see our role as being complementary of and supportive of those entities," she said. "There are plenty of career and technical needs out there not being met."

Jorgenson referred to research by the Northwest Arkansas Council showing the number of jobs available in certain sectors compared to local residents who have completed training or education in those areas.

For example, 120 people have completed training or education in information technology through a post-secondary school in Northwest Arkansas, but there are 1,066 positions available in that field in the region.

In the skilled trades, 87 have completed training, but there are 1,070 positions open in Northwest Arkansas.

"There is a lot of work yet to be done," Jorgenson said. "I think that speaks to how we see this new facility in Springdale developing."

Joe Spivey, chairman of the Land Use and Facilities Committee, asked Jorgenson how the college would avoid competing with Northwest Technical Institute, which offers training in some skilled trades.

Jorgenson said she's met with institute officials several times. The college and institute can work collaboratively that could benefit the institute, she said.

The institute isn't accredited, so students can't transfer credits they earn to another school, she said.

"So if we can find a way our accrediting body will approve our collaborative efforts, those NTI credits could transfer to our programs," Jorgenson said.

Jorgenson added she has met several times with David Gearhart, University of Arkansas chancellor.

"I'm sensing he's very pleased with the direction we see ourselves taking," she said.