Flash player is required to view weather conditions. Download

site web  

Local colleges are riding a wave of graduating high school seniors expected to peak in 2009 when 3.2 million seniors, the largest class in U.S. history, will graduate, according to the National Association of College Admissions Counseling.

Not only are there more graduating seniors, more of them are applying to a greater number of schools at once.

For entering freshmen in fall 2006, the number of students applying to seven or more schools was up 18 percent, according to the association.

The good news for Butler County students and adults looking for higher education degrees is there is new growth and options coming to the area in 2008.

Here's a look at some of the newest offerings in the area:

Miami University-Hamilton

Hamilton also opened a new location for Miami Hamilton downtown, said Daniel Hall, campus dean of Miami University Hamilton. The campus celebrated its grand opening during IceFest 2008 on Feb. 2.

A downtown location is "rapidly evolving into a thriving cultural complement to the Fitton Center," Hall said. "Over time it is my hope that Miami Hamilton Downtown will not only be a source of cultural programming, but that it will contribute to the economic revitalization of downtown and also provide a venue for addressing some of our region's most serious social, economic and political issues," Hall said.

The local job market for engineering graduates and co-op students is strong, and Miami Hamilton, which offers bachlor's degrees in engineering, are no exception.

Miami's Office of Co-op/Internship and Placement offers ENT students education and work experience as lab technicians, computer-assisted design operators, project engineers, operations technicians, quality control assistants, and process/development engineers with local, regional and national companies including Proctor & Gamble, General Electric, AK Steel, OPW, Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Valeo, Force Control, and Advanced Drainage, among others.

Approximately 70 percent of students who register are placed in a co-op or internship position within a year, and after graduation about 35 percent are offered a full-time position with the company, which parallels the national data, said Shelley Cassady, Miami-Hamilton Director of Co-op/Internship and Placement.

Miami is also offering more options for those wishing to do business in China.

Miami-Hamilton is offering local business leaders the chance to participate in a May 2008 trip to China. Participants will be offered the opportunity to tour the economic development zone and meet contacts from specific industry associations and government officials, explore business opportunities with pre-arranged prospects, gather information needed to develop or expand business initiatives in the China market, according to Perry Richardson, spokesman for Miami-Hamilton.

Interested parties can contact the Office of Continuing Education and Business and Industry Center at (513) 785-3131.

Miami University

Miami created a new major this year, East Asian languages and culture. It's also doubled the number of Mandarin 101 slots, which have been full every session, according to university officials.

The business school also has a new China business program. Miami leaders are also hoping to build and participate in a learning center in Shanghai.

"And this isn't all," said Jeffrey Herbst, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. "We're hoping to announce even more initiatives in the future, to South Asia and especially India. Asia is especially important to our students because their careers will span most of the 21st century. China has more than a billion people and is economically dynamic, and broader Asia is strategically important, both for the amount of conflict in the region and the potential opportunity for the U.S."

Miami University-Middletown

Miami University-Middletown and the Miami Valley Career Technology Center in Clayton are currently working together on a program that could help fill Ohio's need for college graduates by making it easier for high school students to make the transition to college.

The Dual Credit Program began in 2007 when Miami-Middletown physics and math faculty teamed up with teachers at MVCTC to offer intermediate college algebra and college physics at MVCTC. Dual Credit allows students to take a college level course and earn both high school and college credit.

Dual Credit differs from the Post Secondary Enrollment Option in that it removes travel and transportation barriers for the students.

"The collaborative goal of the program is to develop a replicable model based on rigor, relevance and relationships," said Miami-Middletown Dean Kelly Cowan. "We're also trying to focus on students who may not consider college as an option. It's a bridge for first-generation college students."

In addition, Miami University officials announced Jan. 17 the formation of the Miami University Corporate and Community Institute, a resource that will take a regional approach to providing training needs for personal enrichment and corporate training.

"The new name also reflects the merging of the continuing education functions on Miami's Middletown and Hamilton campuses and the future expansion to the Voice of America Learning Center, scheduled to open in January 2009," according to a release from the university.

Merging these entities will allow the branches to streamline the business operations of the continuing education department, which provides the opportunity to take courses that do not lead to a degree for personal or professional growth, said Patricia L. McNab, recently named the senior director of the institute.

Those courses include annual youth program each summer, corporate training courses done on-site for local businesses and enrichment courses such as gardening or photography.

Butler Tech

Butler Technology Career Center offers many educational options for nontraditional students and high school students. Bob Sommers, CEO of Butler Tech, cited 2007 as a "home run year" for Butler Tech. The addition of the Northwest Local School District in 2007 increased its operations by approximately 25 percent, he said.

The secondary work force education division's student performance reached the highest level among career-technical school districts this year and the adult work force education division ranked second in Ohio.

Sinclair to partner with Miami campuses

Sinclair Community College is in early talks with Miami University to establish a one-stop "university center" at Miami's branch campuses in Middletown and Hamilton as part of the new master plan for the University System of Ohio.

Sinclair trustees on Jan. 26 approved exploring a partnership with Miami to combine forces at Miami's two regional campuses, enabling students to earn Sinclair credits that would easily transfer to a Miami four-year degree at those locations.

The partnership was urged by Ohio Board of Regents Chancellor Eric Fingerhut, who wants to establish university centers in the four quadrants of the state. Other partnerships include Lakeland Community College with Kent State; Lorain Community College with Cleveland State University and the University of Akron; and Ohio University with southeast Ohio community colleges.

The university center concept is a first look at how an upcoming master plan for the University System of Ohio aims to increase access to associate's and bachelor's degrees from public institutions by eliminating barriers like traveling distance and affordability.

Students will start their four-year degree through more affordable two-year college programs and finish a bachelor's degree at the centers in what is called a "two-plus-two" system, Fingerhut said Monday.

Fingerhut appreciated the schools' willingness to combine forces "because it will benefit people of that region. This would vastly expand the educational options of people in Butler County."

Sinclair currently enrolls more than 500 students from Butler County in either its Mason location or downtown Dayton main campus.