William Willan: OUS strives to meet off-campus needs

Ohio University Southern continues to provide quality education to meet the needs of the surrounding communities and residents. While more traditional higher education opportunities -- including associate and bachelor's degree programs -- are available on the Ironton campus, other offerings are designed specifically to serve those whose schedule and location may be less traditional. Three examples of programs that have reached out to help meet these off-campus needs during the past year include: a new nursing program designed to help working licensed practical nurses earn their registered nursing license, the growth of services available through the one-year-old Proctorville Center facility, and customized training offered by the Business and Training Resource Center to meet the needs of employers in the Tri-State.

Nursing program

The LPN-to-RN program designed for working nurses was launched in 2007. Aware of the time challenges for working nurses and the need for additional registered nurses (RN) to meet a well-known nursing shortage, Ohio University Southern and Collins Career Center in Lawrence County teamed up to create a collaborative program designed to allow working licensed practical nurses (LPN) to earn an associate's degree in nursing and licensure as an RN. The first class was pinned -- a traditional ceremony to celebrate program completion -- in November. The licensing exam is taken following program completion.

All but one of the first class have now become registered nurses by passing the licensing exam. Overall, this has earned the class a 93 percent pass rate, well above both the national and Ohio averages of just over 86 percent for the latest reported period of January through September 2007.

The key to the collaborative program is that it accommodates the schedules of working LPNs so they can continue to hold nursing positions while completing classes. Classes are delivered online with limited in-person campus visits. Students also are required to spend one day each week in clinical training, but those clinical sessions are coordinated with the working LPN's schedule and geographic location, according to Debbie Meehan, former associate director of nursing at Ohio University Southern who helped to initiate the program. Students in the first class hailed from Huntington, W.Va., Ashland, Ky., and the Ohio cities of Athens, Ironton, Portsmouth and Lucasville.

"Flexibility is the name of the game," said Kay Swartzwelder, director of nursing at Collins Career Center, where more than 100 LPNs earn certification each year. Many of the former Collins students are expected to take advantage of the new program. Swartzwelder, who also is on faculty at the Southern campus, said most LPN-to-RN programs have more traditionally structured in-person class attendance requirements that often conflict with the LPN's work schedule.

The collaborative program was developed by popular demand. A 2005 survey of Collins LPN graduates, with 330 of 350 surveys completed, indicated a strong demand for a program that would be flexible enough to allow completion while working full time. After studying LPN-to-RN mobility program models nationwide, the collaborative concept was presented to the Ohio Board of Regents in 2006. The Board of Regents awarded a $25,000 planning grant for development and marketing of the program.

Classes in the collaborative program began in January 2007. It takes one year to complete the program.

"The collaborative program has the same academic curriculum requirements and standards as our traditional associate degree in nursing program," Meehan said, "but with added flexibility." In spring 2007, the Southern campus' nursing program received continued accreditation for eight years from the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, Inc.

For students interested in working in the health care field, a new Applied Science in Health Technology degree program is now offered at Ohio University Southern.

Proctorville Center

The Ohio University Southern Proctorville Center has grown during its first year as a new facility that provides customized training. The Proctorville Center -- boasting 18,000 square feet of floor space with 11 instructional spaces, a kitchen area, a compressed video room, a business training area and faculty offices -- is celebrating its first year in the new facility. The center is a satellite of the Ohio University Southern campus and serves the educational needs of students from eastern Lawrence and Gallia counties in Ohio, and neighboring Huntington. General education curriculum required of all students can be taken at either Ohio University Southern in Ironton or the OU Proctorville Center. Area working professionals are also benefiting from expanded class offerings and flexible scheduling with varied courses and programs offered at the center. Business Management and the four real estate courses required to take the Ohio Real Estate examination are just a few of the successful programs at the OU Proctorville Center.

Business and Training Resource Center

The Business and Training Resource Center of Ohio University Southern offers customized training to meet specific needs of employers throughout Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia. "Training is customized in content, location and time to help employees become more proficient in their jobs," said center Director Cathy Burns. Five major training topics include specialized, industrial maintenance, safety, management, and computers. Training is taught by industry experts with real-life experiences. The center's goal is to improve the performance and productivity of the client's business. For qualifying businesses, grant dollars are available to pay for part of the training cost.

The Business and Training Resource Center has training centers located in South Point and Proctorville, Ohio.

William R. Willan is the interim dean of Ohio University Southern.