Big changes are in the works for Miami University's Middletown and Hamilton regional campuses.
After reassessing the campuses, a Regional Campus Committee will soon present plans for Middletown and Hamilton to offer a greater variety of baccalaureate degrees with a decreased focus on their traditional associate's programs.
Provost Jeffrey Herbst originally presented the proposed plan to the committee in October 2008. Herbst appointed the Regional Campus Committee and presented his plan in response to a strategic plan issued in 2008 by the Ohio Board of Regents aimed at increasing the number of degrees awarded by Ohio's public colleges and keeping graduates in Ohio upon completion of their degrees.
As stated in the preliminary report of the Regional Campus Committee Feb. 6, Herbst wrote, "Many of our policies and procedures governing faculty appointments, staff, curriculum and budget have been developed for Oxford and often create problems for the regional campuses, especially as they need the flexibility to respond to the needs of their communities and to develop new course offerings ... It is now time, before the degree mix at MUH (Miami University Hamilton) and MUM (Miami University Middletown) changes radically, to develop a holistic perspective on these issues that will serve the interests of everyone."
A few proposed changes to be made include uniting MUM and MUH under one budget and administration headed by a regional campus dean and which would be separate from the Oxford administration. Another entity to be added would be the Voice of America (VOA) Learning Center of West Chester to better serve regional campus students, according to the preliminary report.
Rob Schorman, MUM's associate dean for academic affairs, said he is unsure of the extent of the changes for the regional campuses.
"We don't know what changes are going to be made," Schorman said. "A committee has been working all year to do a report. They are just finishing the final version, which they will present to the provost and president to recommend changes."
According to Schorman, VOA will change along with other regional campuses across Ohio.
"It looks like the missions of regional campuses are going to be changing in the future and migrating a little more towards bachelor's degrees and bachelor's completion degrees and away from two-year degrees," Schorman said. "Given this and the opening of the VOA learning center administered by the two regional campuses, it seemed a time to reevaluate all the campuses."
According to Rod Nimtz, director of VOA, the learning center has offers both graduate and undergraduate courses.
"The VOA does serve undergraduate students in the southwest area of Ohio," said Rob Nimtz, director of VOA. "The undergraduate classes are coordinated through the regional campuses, but it also has graduate courses. In the fall, the new professional MBA program will begin through the Farmer School of Business. The VOA itself is more than just undergraduate courses."
Schorman does acknowledge VOA, MUM and MUH might be facing more changes.
"The committee recommends the two campuses plus the VOA operate in a more unified manner and try to collaborate on things and be much more in sync with everything we are doing," Schorman said. "That may involve developing more bachelor's degrees and changing administration organization or budget procedures. They could be looked at as giving the regional campuses independence."
Perry Richardson, Hamilton campus communication officer, said a few key factors differentiate branch campuses and their student bodies from the Oxford campus.
"Here, it is a commuter campus; we have no residence halls," Richardson said. "We have nontraditional students who are aged 24 years old or more and many work part-time jobs as well. We always have people coming and going. Students here have jobs and families of their own, and our program is specifically designed to meet the needs of those families."
Richardson said the auxiliary campuses rely on Oxford's guidance.
"It's a two-way street we have here," Richardson said. "Hamilton and Middletown provide excellent service opportunities for Oxford students. We are small campuses in thriving communities, which is prime for internships or co-op opportunities. We seek guidance from Oxford across the board. We are one Miami University, but Oxford is the mother ship."
Robert Benson, chair of the Regional Campus Committee, said the better integration of MUM and MUH is a way to "reinforce the economy of Ohio as well as to reach out to under-served populations in their immediate surroundings," as stated in the committee's report.
The new plans proposed will be presented and reviewed by Miami's board of trustees in April.
