The following comes from a January 23 Fresno Bee article by Lewis Griswold:

Marymount California University in Southern California will soon begin a feasibility study of Visalia for offering bachelor’s degree programs, which local boosters say could evolve into the first traditional four-year college in city history.

Marymount California University – not to be confused with Loyola Marymount University – is a private, Catholic, nonprofit college based in Rancho Palos Verdes. It has two campuses in Los Angeles County and one in Lake County.

The $25,000 study is expected to begin this week and be completed by late spring, said Robert Aguilar of Visalia, a retired Delano schools superintendent who is spearheading local efforts to help Marymount.

“I’ve always felt Visalia is the appropriate place to have a university,” he said. “It’s a beautiful community, the lifestyle is outstanding. You have Fresno and Bakersfield, they have a university, why not Visalia?”

To fund the feasibility study, Aguilar raised more than $25,000 from local supporters, with donations ranging from $1,000 to $5,000. The city donated $5,000.

Getting a four-year college has long been a goal in the city, whose population is now more than 130,000, said Council Member Greg Collins.