The Adobe Flash Player is required to view this multimedia interactive. Get it here.

Miami regional campuses may add degree programs

Inmate escapes sheriff’s car
5/26/12
Cable worker hurt on the job
5/25/12
Beach Waterpark sued for failure to deliver
5/25/12
Lakota to discuss open enrollment proposal
5/25/12
AD resigns to take job at Kettering
5/25/12
> More headlines

By Steven Matthews  and Meagan Engle, Staff Writers 7:47 PM Saturday, January 21, 2012

Miami University’s regional campuses in Hamilton and Middletown could offer more four-year degree programs and better respond to the education needs of the region as their own academic division, top university officials said.

Miami President David Hodge said the regional campuses would be able to create degree programs faster if they were independent of the Oxford academic departments.

Hodge’s comments follow Thursday’s announcement by the dean of the regional campuses Michael G. Pratt, who said there are ongoing talks to give MUH and MUM more independence from Oxford by becoming a separate academic division.

“It’s hard work to make these kinds of changes, but I think it’s really worth it,” Hodge said. “This is really an opportunity for the regional campuses to be more nimble or agile and more immediately (respond) to the region.”

Hodge said the idea came up three years ago, but Miami chose to first focus on bringing the regional campuses together with common policies and administrators. A seven-member committee will begin having discussions and taking input next week.

“When I came to Miami ... we were told we couldn’t offer four-year degrees on regional campuses,” Hodge said. “Now we’ve done a 180.”

The proposed change would not hinder students from taking classes at all Miami campuses, and Hodge said relocating to Oxford might even be easier with a higher emphasis on four-year degrees because students will take more preparatory classes.

“It’s supposed to be a branch, so they’ve got to be connected,” said Timothy Purifoy, a MUM freshman from Middletown. “It always gives you a chance to make it to the main campus. That’s the goal, right?”

The changes are not expected to impact tuition costs at the regional campuses, Hodge said.

Lower tuition costs were what lured Devon Wells, 21, to MUM, which is the only school she applied to.

Wells, a junior in the nursing program, has taken classes at MUM, MUH and even four credit hours at the Oxford campus, but Middletown is where she belongs, she said.

“You still get a very prestigious degree going here,” said Wells, a 2008 Middletown graduate. “I don’t have to pay Oxford tuition or drive to Oxford to get a great education.”

An active MUM student, Wells is a campus ambassador and was a captain on the volleyball team all four years (three at MUM, one at MUH).

Those are opportunities, Wells believes, she would not have gotten on the main campus.

“There are smaller class sizes and you get to know the professors better,” she said. “I loved playing volleyball and meeting all of my friends. I meet people all day long.”

Nat McVay, a MUM sophomore, has other intentions.

McVay attended Wilmington College last year, but was looking to transfer. However, he didn’t have the grades to get into the Oxford campus, so he’s in his second semester at MUM with the goal of being at Oxford next year.

“I’m trying to get everything back in order,” said McVay, a 2009 Little Miami grad. “I’ve heard great things about the academic program and I’ve had friends who went there, and they all recommend it.”

While Hodge said Miami will be adding campus-specific information to degrees, Miami will also study how to keep faculty interaction among campuses high.

“This will make it harder, because they’re not automatically members of departments in Oxford,” Hodge said. “We have some hard work ahead to make sure we get that working as best as we possibly can.”

Share this article