Functional Mission Statement 1996

As a regional campus of Miami University, the Middletown Campus shares much with the overall university functional mission statement. Additionally, the Middletown Campus Functional Mission Statement further details its distinctive educational environment and mission.

The sections following describe the Miami University Middletown Campus' purposes and contribution to Miami University's institutional mission. Section 1 provides an institutional overview of Miami University Middletown, its constituencies, and the relative emphasis given to technical education, liberal education, and pre-baccalaureate education. Section 2 describes efforts to ensure affordable access to academic programs. This section describes the relative advantages for students attending the Middletown campus as a regional campus of Miami University. Section 3 identifies Miami Middletown's goals and priorities for the next three to five years and its strategies for achieving them.

1. Institutional Overview

Miami University Middletown plays an integral role in Miami University's mission to meet the diverse educational needs of Ohioans. As a growing (2400+ students), comprehensive, open-door institution on a 140-acre campus two miles from the center of the Interstate-75, Cincinnati-Dayton corridor, the Middletown Campus is ideally situated to provide a broad spectrum of educational programs designed to promote learning and create informed and productive citizens.

Constituencies Served

Miami's Middletown and Hamilton campuses share a common service region: Butler, Preble, and Warren Counties. Although the Ohio Board of Regents officially designates this region as the service responsibility of the Middletown and Hamilton campuses, because of the mobility of its population and easy access to major transportation arteries, parts of this region are served also by a number of postsecondary and adult education institutions.

Within a relatively short driving distance, in addition to the programs and services of Miami University Middletown, citizens also may choose from among the offerings of Sinclair Community College; the University of Cincinnati's Raymond Walters College, Evening College, and College of Applied Science; and Cincinnati State Technical and Community College. Additionally, academic and technical education programs for adults are offered throughout the service region by Wright State University, Wilmington College, and a variety of local comprehensive and vocational high schools. The Middletown campus' constituencies include:

• Enrolled students and their families;
• Recent high school graduates and their parents;
• Local business and industry;
• Citizens using campus community service programs;
• Counselors, teachers, and administrators from local school systems;
• Public and private human service agencies;
• Local and state governments; and,
• Taxpayers at large.

Predominant Emphasis

Miami Middletown's predominant emphasis is on lower division courses, preparing students in degree and non-degree educational programs for career preparation and life enhancement. These meet student needs for certificate and associate degree, pre-baccalaureate, career-based coursework, and technical education programs. Additionally, the campus offers specifically designed workforce education and specialized training programs developed in partnership with the private and public sectors of the region. The campus also offers selected upper division and graduate courses for placebound students whose family and employment responsibilities hamper them from attending the Oxford campus or other comprehensive university or college campuses.

To help its students succeed in reaching their varied learning goals, Miami University Middletown offers excellent academic support services, including comprehensive entry-level academic skills assessment for accurate course placement, academic advising, a full-service library with state-of-the-art search and retrieval capabilities, technologically sophisticated computer laboratories, developmental education, and learning assistance. These services are buttressed further by a comprehensive student development program including personal, educational, and career counseling; placement, and cooperative education programs; financial aid; intramural, recreation, athletic and wellness programs; and social and cultural activities. Access to the campus and its programs is enhanced further by its child care center, which serves pre-school age student and staff children and is licensed by the Ohio Department of Human Services.

Particular Strengths in Instruction and Public Service

The Middletown campus is especially strong in its pre-baccalaureate instructional programs which provide courses that fit within the liberal education mission of the university and are a part of the statewide transfer module. This is reflected in the consistently high proportion of students attracted to Arts and Science majors (62% of degree-seeking students). This percentage of enrolled students and their course credits reflects many who are seeking specific career preparation at the associate or baccalaureate degree level in fields outside of Arts and Science, including, for example, teacher education, systems analysis, accounting, and business administration.

The campus has a large proportion of students enrolled in career preparation fields in pre-baccalaureate programs in the School of Business, the School of Applied Science, the School of Education and Allied Professions, and in technical degree programs in Applied Business and Applied Science (36% of degree-seeking students). Indicative of instructional strengths are the Selective Excellence Awards received by the Biological and Chemical Sciences, Sociology and Applied Human Services, Nursing, and Business Technology programs. The Engineering Technology associate degree program articulates with the baccalaureate degree in Engineering (2+ program).

Miami Middletown excels in public service. Particularly significant are its programs to enhance K-12 science education through the Center for Chemical Education; its applied research and consultative services to public and private human services institutions and agencies through the Applied Social Research Center; and its workforce education and training services to individuals and to public and private sector organizations through credit and non-credit continuing education programs. The campus is a host site and lead administrative unit for regional Training Opportunities for Program Staff-in Human Services (TOPS) course programming for social service personnel.

Middletown campus provides students with access to a wide array of academic services whose goal is ensuring student success. These services include extensive developmental education support programs: individual and group testing for academic preparedness, advising, and tutoring; personal and career counseling; laboratories devoted to assisting students in writing and mathematics; retention services; and co-operative education and job placement opportunities.

Noteworthy also are campus programs providing qualified registered nurses for employment in regional hospitals, health care agencies, and community-based healthcare sites; consultant services to public school teachers in the region through formal education partnerships and informal relationships between the Middletown Campus faculty and teachers in the K-12 schools; its service in providing state-of-the-art library services to the region via the library's connection to Miami University's automated, on-line library system, SHERLOCK, and Ohio's OhioLink system; and many informational, intellectual, and cultural programs and services, including use of Campus facilities, for the regional community.

2. Affordable access to academic programs

Ensuring affordable access to academic programs involves several dimensions: overall student cost, access to adequate levels of financial assistance, and academic coursework offered at convenient times and places. Important also is the access to university-wide programs, services, and academic quality.

Holding down the rate of increase in tuition and fee costs has been a top priority for the Middletown campus. The total annualized tuition and fee costs for academic year (AY) 1992 was $2,944, increasing by 2.3% for AY 1993 ($3,012), .06% for AY 1994 ($3,014), and 1.7% for AY 1995 ($3,066). The anticipated increase for AY 1996, pending approval by the university Board of Trustees, is approximately 2% (making the annualized tuition and fees for AY 1996, $3,127). This represents a total increase of only 6.2% over a five year period, well below inflation indicators such as the consumer price index (CPI). Our current annualized tuition and fees is significantly lower than that charged students on the Oxford campus (>$1,350 difference).

At the same time, increasing the number of scholarships and ensuring student access to sufficient financial support has continued to be a major focus of our development efforts. The most recent figures available (AY 1995) indicate that 78% of all full-time students receive financial aid. Adding part-time students to that mix (many part-time students do not qualify for certain federal financial aid programs) the number increases to 82% of total student headcount. The average financial aid award for AY 1994 was $3,158.66; tuition and fees for the same time period was $3,014. Overall, for AY 1995, 988 students received slightly more than $3.1 million in financial support.

A growing co-op employment option is available for students in technical programs who want to gain related work experience for pay while pursuing their associate degrees. In AY 1994, 29 co-op students earned over $176,000, an average of more than $6,000 for each co-op student.

Students beginning their work on the regional campuses may relocate to the Oxford Campus upon completion of 20 credit hours without additional applications, application fees, or transcript reports. Miami Middletown's relatively low student-faculty ratio of 18:1 allows for smaller class sizes, particularly in the technical degree programs in Nursing, Engineering Technology, Computer Technology, and Systems Analysis, and encourages close interaction between faculty and students. Students get personalized attention. Students can enroll for courses simultaneously on all three campuses which are within 15-25 miles of each other, maximizing educational access and opportunity.

Balanced schedules of classes are offered from 8:00 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday, and 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday. Selected courses, chosen on the basis of local interest surveys, are offered at the Warren County Career Center, Eaton High School (Preble County), Lakota High School, and in Union Township in southern Butler County. Additionally, career and job enhancement courses are offered on-site for businesses in the service region.

Miami Middletown students are fully eligible for University-wide scholarships and grants-including undergraduate research grants, have access to student life programs on any of Miami's Campuses, participate in the governance of the University through representation on University Senate, and are recognized on a University-wide basis for academic and personal achievement by the President's and Dean's Lists, the President's Distinguished Award Program, and eligibility for national honorary societies. Miami Middletown and Miami Hamilton are unique among Ohio regional campuses in that work completed there counts toward election to the university chapter of Phi Beta Kappa.

Reflective of the primacy of instruction, Miami Middletown faculty teaching loads range from 21 to 24 classroom contact hours per year. Each faculty member also devotes a minimum of 8 hours per week through office hours for student access for advising and learning assistance. Additional hours of service are required for institutional, professional, and public service. University policy regarding tenure criteria recognizes the importance of service to the mission of the regional campuses, placing service as second in the tenure criteria order followed by scholarship. Faculty can opt to re-order service and scholarship through mutual consent of the campus' Executive Director and the faculty members' University department and division. The vast majority of faculty have been tenured by the teaching/advising-service-scholarship order indicative of Miami Middletown's commitment to teaching and public service.

The faculty evaluation and reward system reflects the primacy of teaching. Promotion through academic ranks is heavily dependent on demonstrating excellence in teaching/advising, service , and scholarship. Teaching/advising carries the heaviest weight in the annual performance evaluation and salary increment recommendation process. Service and scholarship may be differentially weighted according to mutually defined contractual emphases for each faculty member and carry less weight than teaching/advising.

Faculty have full access to campus and University-wide faculty development programs and support services, such as instructional improvement and scholarship grants; faculty improvement leaves; and extensive instructional technology and computer facilities-hardware, software, and support. All administrative offices on the Middletown campus and nearly all faculty offices have personal computers linked to a University-wide network and to the internet. Miami University encourages faculty involvement on all three campuses (Hamilton, Middletown, and Oxford) in a comprehensive array of services supporting innovation in teaching and scholarship. These include:

• The Office for the Advancement of Scholarship and Teaching, including the Alumni Teaching-Scholars Program;
• The Liberal Education Council;
• The Committee for Faculty Research;
• The Committee for the Improvement of Instruction;
• The Miami Computing Information Services (computing, audio-visual and multi-media support); and,
• The University Honors Program.

Additionally, faculty and staff at Middletown have access to Middletown campus development funds and programs-Classified Staff Development Fund, Unclassified Staff Development Fund, Faculty Development Fund (separate funds are available for full and part-time faculty), Teaching-Scholar Award, Instructional Improvement Grants (two programs funding modest as well as extensive classroom and instruction-based projects), Student Scholarship Grants (for students who work with faculty on scholarly projects), and a Summer Institute on Teaching with Technology; and travel support. Opportunities for release time and professional leaves are available to support the development of innovative programs.

3. Miami Middletown's Strategic Goals 1996-2000

Miami Middletown is fully committed to meeting the educational, economic, and public service needs of its service region. Accordingly, it is committed to meeting the Ohio Board of Regents 9 Service Expectations for regional campuses. Through our ongoing strategic planning process the following major goals and strategies for the next five years represent priorities for the campus.

1. Develop and strengthen programming to meet educational and workforce training needs of the region.
2. Increase access, diversity, and success of people the Campus serves.
3. Enhance the campus' teaching and learning environment.
4. Strengthen campus-wide assessment and continuous quality improvement of programs and services.
5. Strengthen community relations and support for institutional advancement.

Strategies for achieving these goals

1. Develop and strengthen programming to meet educational and workforce training needs of the region.
   1. Provide an appropriate range of career or technical programs preparing individuals for employment in specific careers at the technical or paraprofessional level.
      • Continue to offer and refine existing certificate and associate degree programs in Business Technology, Computer Technology, Engineering Technology, and Nursing.
      • Implement revised Computer Technology Associate degree program, which includes three concentration areas: Microcomputer Software Support, Microcomputer Systems Support, and Programming, beginning fall, 1996.
      • Implement new Chemical Technology Associate degree program beginning fall, 1996.
      • Finalize development of Early Childhood Development Associate degree program.
   2. Continue to offer and refine pre-baccalaureate programs for students planning to complete baccalaureate degrees at Miami University (Oxford) or through transfer to other institutions.
      • Develop and refine AA/AS degree programs in the humanities, mathematics, sciences, and social sciences.
      • Develop and refine transfer articulation agreements with other campuses and institutions.
      • Enhance staffing in academic disciplines with consistently high student demand-computer technology and teacher education, for example.
   3. Enhance existing partnerships with industry, business, government, and labor for the retraining of the workforce and the economic development of the region.
      • Establish Center for Business and Industry Training, providing improved focus for campus efforts.
      • Strengthen ties to regional Chambers of Commerce.
      • Expand outreach to the public and private sectors of the region.
      • Strengthen and refine non-credit continuing education offerings related to workforce training.
   4. Strengthen linkages with elementary, middle, and high schools joint vocational schools) to ensure that students are adequately prepared for academic success at the post-secondary level.
2. Increase access, diversity, and success of people the Campus serves.
   1. Develop and implement a comprehensive campus-wide marketing program to reach underserved sectors of the service region.
      • Implement up-to-date regional education needs assessment.
      • Target efforts to enhance African-American student enrollment by at least ten percent each year.
      • Target efforts to reach and broaden cross-section of students representing the socio-economic range of the service region population.
      • Target efforts to provide education and training services to traditionally under-represented adults-displaced workers and homemakers, for example.
      • Strengthen campus outreach to area secondary schools.
   2. Implement campus-wide student retention program.
   3. Continue to offer, expanding as appropriate, courses at extension sites in the region-Warren County Career Center, Eaton High School (Preble County), and Lakota High School (southern Butler County), for example.
   4. Develop distance learning education delivery opportunities for adults in the region, including those who are place-bound.
   5. Continue cost-containment efforts to ensure that student fees are as low as possible to maintain open access to the campus' educational programs.
3. Enhance Miami Middletown's teaching and learning environment.
   1. Continue to enhance support for faculty and staff development programs.
      • Establish the goal of achieving benchmark levels of program support at exemplary peer institutions.
   2. Develop a technology-enriched teaching and learning environment.
      • Develop and refine instructional technology facilities and provide support for teaching with technology plans integrating technology with course content and pedagogy.
      • Enhance campus computing and telecommunication systems including linking to the Miami University data, audio, and visual network.
      • Provide increased support for faculty and student users of instructional technology.
      • Establish links to regional schools, government, and businesses as their interactive network capabilities and policies allow.
4. Strengthen campus-wide assessment and continuous quality improvement of programs and services.
1. Continue to evaluate and refine existing assessment efforts.
2. Implement campus institutional research and student tracking program.
3. Incorporate assessment, institutional research, and student tracking in the continuous quality improvement of programs and services.
5. Strengthen community relations and institutional advancement
1. Develop and implement a comprehensive and integrated community relations, marketing, and institutional advancement plan.
   • Strengthen campus development and fund-raising capability by establishing a campus-based development office.
   • Develop and implement an integrated community relations, marketing, and development team approach.
2. Strengthen relationships between the campus and program advisory councils.
   • Seek the advice and counsel of the advisory councils pro-actively, and incorporate this advice in campus decision-making processes.
   • Strengthen regional representation on the Campus Citizens Advisory Council.
   • Promote active participation and involvement by the advisory councils in on-going development of campus programs and services.