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Regional campuses to form partnerships

Taylor Graves

As part of the new master plan for the University System of Ohio, Miami University's branch campuses in Middletown and Hamilton, along with Sinclair Community College and Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, are in the early stages of developing a "university center"-a co-op of local universities that work together so that more students can attend and earn either a two- or four-year degree.

The partnership was introduced by the Ohio Board of Regents Chancellor Eric Fingerhut shortly after Governor Ted Strickland took office and implemented the new University System of Ohio this summer.

This system is designed to form partnerships between regional campuses and state institutions across the state, with the goal of providing convenient education for Ohio citizens.

As part of this system, the chancellor is now moving to establish university centers in the four quadrants of the state-beginning with Miami and Sinclair and Cincinnati State because of the obvious geographic fit.

According to Strickland's plan, the university center would consist of a "one stop baccalaureate model," a system that Miami, Sinclair and Cincinnati State are currently exploring as of Jan. 26. This model would allow Sinclair and Cincinnati State to offer some of their associate degrees on Miami's regional campuses in Middletown and Hamilton.

As it has been developed so far, the public affairs director for Miami's Middletown campus, Jan Toennisson, said the plan would enable students to earn credits at both Sinclair and Cincinnati State's campuses, as well as at Middletown and Hamilton. These credits would then seamlessly transfer to a four-year degree at Miami's two regional campuses.

According to Toennisson, not many details have been worked out since the program is still in its earliest stages.

With this new program students would be able start their four-year degrees through more affordable two-year degree programs in the area. They would then be able to finish their bachelor's degrees at the centers in Hamilton and Middletown in what Miami President David Hodge called a "two-plus-two" system.

According to Toennisson, Miami hopes to work with other partners in the future, however the pairing with Sinclair and Cincinnati State were ideal because of their geographic locations.

"Both Sinclair and Cincinnati State Technical and Community College are good partners for Miami in terms of location, courses offered and willingness to work with us and we hope to have other partners as well," Toennisson said. "We would add other partners if it would be to the benefit of the citizens of the region and the state."

This partnership is part of Fingerhut's 10-year plan for creating an integrated state university system.

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His plan is due at the end of March to Strickland, who issued an executive order in June to add 230,000 students to the university system in the next 10 years.

"This work is very consistent with the chancellor's plan for higher education," Toennisson said. "It is a relationship that focuses on the unique strengths of each institution. The focus of this program is on how we can best work together to meet the needs of our region and meet the needs of the state."

As of yet, Toennisson said that there haven't been any discussions concerning the other university centers, and with the plans still in their infancy, there are no dates set to do so.

Hodge stated in a letter address to the campus communities of Middletown and Hamilton that this partnership and proposed model would provide increased access to quality associate and bachelor's degrees for a wider range of people by reducing travel time, cost and other barriers that citizens often face when obtaining a college degree.

In proposing that the regional campuses make this transition, Hodge said he wants to ensure that citizens in the area continue having access to these quality associate degree opportunities.

According to Perry Richardson, campus communications officer for Miami Hamilton, the implementation of this plan would vastly expand educational options of citizens in the surrounding areas.

Sinclair currently enrolls more than 500 students from Butler County at both its Mason location and main campus in downtown Dayton.

Richardson also said the regional campus is pleased with the prospect of a partnership with Sinclair.

"We want the people of the region to have access to the best possible education, and Miami is a big part of that," Richardson said. "You team up and everyone brings their best to the plate, and the exciting part is, it's all for the benefit of the area residents."

The model that has been developed for the university center program calls for the regional campuses in Middletown and Hamilton to continue to offer selected associate degrees as well as a new comprehensive bachelor's completion degree.

According to Hodge, the review of this new bachelor's degree is currently moving through the divisional curricular review process. Recommendations will be forwarded to the university senate by the end of the spring semester.

Despite the plan's early stages, Hodge said most seem excited for and hopeful for the benefits the university center will bring.

"We envision Miami's regional campuses being strengthened through this novel model of partnerships," said President Hodge in a recent letter to the Middletown and Hamilton campuses. "The exciting thing about the two-plus-two model is that it allows the partnering institutions to bring to the agreement those things that they do best-all for the benefit of our area residents."


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