“It’s a very good opportunity for both Miami and Sinclair. Sinclair has very good programs in UAS. At Miami, we have data, analytics, aeronautics and a whole series of areas of study,” he said.
While Miami does research work, Sinclair has the actual physical equipment, such as flight simulators, in which that research could be tested, he explained.
“At Sinclair, they have a flight school that trains pilots to fly those devices … Miami University has an airport, but we’ve never had the authorization to fly drones there. Now we can fly out of that airport and we can use the aircraft to do testing, once the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) gives their approval,” Oris said.
The Federal Aviation Administration in May granted Sinclair permission to fly drones in some commercial areas.
Sinclair was the first Ohio college to secure an exemption permitting it to fly drones in the additional spaces and the second institution of higher education in the nation to win one, Sinclair President Steven Johnson said last month.
The college already had clearance to fly drones in some restricted areas, but the new exemption allows it to fly them up to 200 feet above commercial projects to perform services, test sensors and collect data.
The college also is also investing $5 million toward constructing an indoor pavilion dedicated to drone flight with a 40-foot ceiling and indoor GPS access, said Andrew Shepherd, its director of unmanned aerial systems.
Johnson said the drone industry could have an estimated economic impact of up to $94 billion annually by 2025.
Sinclair offers four certification programs and a two-year associate degree in the field of unmanned aerial systems.
The agreement will also allow Sinclair students to transfer more easily to Miami, officials said during a press conference Wednesday.
Sinclair students are guaranteed admission to Miami, they will have more scholarships available and they will not have to pay the $50 transfer fee. Additionally, advisors from Miami will work from Sinclair’s main campus to ensure that students are on course to finish their education at the university.
“Having an advisor here at Sinclair to make sure students are taking courses towards the right programs make all of the difference in the world,” said Miami University President David Hodge.
In 2013, Miami struck a similar partnership with Columbus State Community College. That agreement included transfer options and scholarship money for eligible Columbus State students who want to attend Miami University. Students would get their associate degree from Columbus State, then get their bachelor's degree from Miami University, officials said.
The Ohio Board of Regents had been encouraging the building of such relationships to allow students access to nationally ranked institutions, Miami officials said previously.
This article contains additional reporting by staff writers Tom Gnau and Malik Perkins.
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