Vision of college evaporates, leaving ghost campus, classes

Colo. International University falls short of lofty goals

Jeff Kass, Rocky Mountain News

Published September 26, 2007 at midnight

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Colorado International University claims to have about 25 teachers and offer 75 classes.

But there is no sign on the door at the university's location - what appears to be a small group of offices in a building on South Parker Road in Aurora. No one answers the door or the phone. The course catalog said classes started Aug. 20. But throughout that morning, the door remained locked.

The school's founder, Kourosh Tavatli, did not return phone calls or e-mails from the Rocky.

At least some of the now-contested classes that Tavatli conducted for Community College of Denver were held at this location.

This is not the vision that Tavatli, a part-time math instructor, had for his school.

He saw himself at the helm of a 300-acre campus in Douglas County with hundreds of students, according to interviews and documents.

The school's "primary mission" was to enroll a mix of American and foreign students, especially from the Persian Gulf, he wrote in a 2005 application to the Colorado Commission on Higher Education.

Foreign students would come to his school because "several of the smaller" nations wanted to increase the ability of citizens to run their countries, Tavatli said.

Tavatli hoped to enroll the first students in fall 2006, according to his application. The commission granted Tavatli "preliminary status" to teach noncredit courses such as English as a second language and study skills, said spokesman John Karakoulakis. But the school is not authorized to give diplomas, he said.

Colorado International also has inquired about accreditation from The Higher Learning Commmission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. But Colorado International's contacts have been informational only, said assistant director for legal and governmental affairs Karen Solinski.

Tavatli's application with the state of Colorado says the university has "over $100,000 committed to initial accreditation efforts and startup operations."

"In the meantime the Governing Board is beginning to negotiate with potential investors to raise money to purchase land and establish our own campus," the application says. "Most of the investors whom we have identified so far are from the United -Arab Emirates."

But at least two of those listed on the eight-member governing board say they never attended a board meeting. One - real estate agent Marilyn Powell - helped Tavatli find his Castle Rock home and scout for the campus property. She said Tavatli asked her about four years ago if she was interested in being on the board. She might have said yes, she says, but did not know her name was on file with the Commission on Higher Education.

Others involved with the university recall two to three board meetings, with the latest occurring several months ago.

The Rocky attempted to contact six teachers listed in a 2007- 08 catalog. Two did not return phone calls, and one could not be located.

Another, Igor Goncharov, appears to be a professor in Israel and did not reply to an e-mail. Local businessman Frank Spitznogle, also listed as an instructor, said he did teach at the college level but had never heard of Colorado International University.

Charlene Belitz did teach at Tavatli's school a couple of years ago. Belitz, who normally teaches at the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center, said she enjoyed working with Tavatli and learning about other cultures as she taught a speech class primarily to Middle Eastern students.

She recounted that Tavatli at one point asked her, 'Could we consider you a professor here?' "And I said, 'You bet.' "

Where Kourosh Tavatli has taught

1981-1987: Colorado State University at Pueblo

1985-1993: Pikes Peak Community College

1998-1999: Community College of Aurora

2000: Colorado State University at Pueblo/ Continuing Education program 2002: University of Colorado at Denver instructors teach at Tavatli's Colorado International College

2002-2005: Tavatli and others teach on behalf of Adams State College, based in Alamosa, at the offices of Colorado International 2001-2006: Community College of Denver

2006: Trinidad State Junior CollegeSource: Kourosh Tavatli RéSumé, Various College And University Officials, Public Documents.

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