Posted: 11:15 a.m.
Friday, Sept. 2, 2016
Cincinnati State Middletown enrollment
sets new record
By http://www.journal-news.com/staff/rick-mccrabb/" rel="nofollow - Staff Writer
MIDDLETOWN —
Cincinnati
State Middletown’s low teacher-to-student ratio, affordable tuition, diverse
academic options and location seem to be attracting additional students.
There
are 546 students taking classes this fall at the downtown campus and 180 more
taking online classes, pushing the total to 726, eclipsing the school’s highest
enrollment, said Director Mimi Summers. She said in the fall of 2013, there
were 710 total students — 616 on campus, 94 online.
The
enrollment numbers, though unofficial until Sept. 12, show the university is
heading “in the right direction,” she said.
Summers
believes within the next two years, enrollment at the downtown campus that
opened in August 2012 in the former Duke Energy building, 1. N. Main St., can double if the trend continues. She said staff
spent the summer recruiting students in Butler,
Warren and Montgomery
counties. They attended festivals and fairs and sponsored one of the First
Fridays in downtown Middletown.
She
said one recruiter specializes in high school students while another recruits
non-traditional college students at community events and churches.
“We
have a highly skilled, experienced team,” said Summers, who was named director
six weeks ago.
The
college also has sent out frequent e-mail blasts and hosted a one-day
registration event on a Saturday, she said.
She
mentioned three selling points offered at Cincinnati State Middletown, the
first branch campus in Butler
County.
The
college offers four major areas of study: business technologies, center for
innovative technologies, health and public safety, and humanities and sciences
and those encompass more than 30 programs. She said Cincinnati State
is known for its co-op program that prepares students for the workforce before
they graduate, making them “employable.”
Also,
she said, since Cincinnati
State has a 12-to-1
teacher/student ratio that affords students individualized learning in a
friendly environment.
“We
know names and that surprises them a little,” said Summers, who makes it a
point to introduce herself to students.
Tuition
at Cincinnati State Middletown is $148 a credit hour or $1,800 for a full-time
students taking 12 hours, she said. But most of the students receive federal
assistance or scholarships, she said.
Mario
Treglia, 19, a 2016 Lakota West High School graduate, said he took free college
courses through the College Credit Plus program last year at Cincinnati State.
He returned this fall because it’s an easy drive from West Chester Twp. to Middletown and the class
sizes are small, he said.
“People
here are down-to-earth,” said Treglia, who hopes to eventually transfer to the University of Cincinnati and study business finance.
Cheyenne
Hensley, 18, a 2016 Edgewood graduate, hopes to earn her associate’s degree in
culinary arts at Cincinnati
State. She likes the
short drive from her home and the money she is saving on traditional room and
board.
Safety
was one reason Erica Burns, 19, a 2016 Lakota West graduate, chose Cincinnati State. She said she’s impressed by the
cleanliness and safety measures at the downtown campus. There is a full-time
security officer at the entrance and an officer periodically patrols the
parking lot.
Summers
wants to continue to expand Cincinnati
State’s footprint throughout the
region, while still concentrating on attracting Butler County
students. She has joined surrounding chambers of commerce.
The
Butler County region is unique because of the
educational opportunities, she said. She mentioned Butler Tech, Miami
University Middletown and Cincinnati
State, and said the three
are not in competition, but rather work in collaboration.
“I
love our partnership,” she said. “We offer an opportunity for students to grow,
and an opportunity for the community.”
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