Area universities look to big changes in 2022-23
After weathering COVID-19 over the last couple years, area universities are back on track to grow and expand in ways that continue to serve students, the Dayton area public and beyond. We caught up with some of the area’s leading institutions to see what is new and exciting in our own higher education backyard.
The University of Dayton
The University of Dayton is focusing on growth, both in buildings and in programs. The Roger Glass Center for the Arts is now under construction. The 51,000-square-foot facility will bring all the arts under one roof, where students can learn from each other and practice their crafts. The center will include space for theater, dance and performance technology, along with space for music and an art gallery. In a prepared statement, UD President Eric F. Spina said, “The great thing about the facility, and really the great thing about arts at the University of Dayton, is there are so many students involved from all areas—engineers in our orchestra and English majors in our acting troupe.”
Additionally, UD continues to grow its partnership with Sinclair College through the UD Sinclair Academy. This program offers dual enrollment on both campuses with the ability to access advisers and join student clubs. “The University of Dayton is proud to be an anchor institution in Dayton,” says Jason Reinoehl, vice president for strategic enrollment management. “The university continues to deepen its work in Dayton to improve student learning and the region’s prosperity.”
Sinclair College
In addition to its dual enrollment program with UD, Sinclair College continues its commitment to job-ready education with its Registered Apprenticeship Program, developed thanks to a grant from ApprenticeOhio. The apprenticeship program’s most recent class included 21 students who were able to earn while they learned, with progressive increases in wages as the students gained proficiency in their trade. Sinclair is one of 10 Ohio community colleges to be awarded a U.S. Department of Labor grant to develop an apprenticeship program.
Evan Smith, who completed an apprenticeship at LeROI Natural Gas Compressors and McGregor Metal, told the university this about his experience: “When you are paired up with the right people who are willing and eager to teach, you can receive years of experience in a very short amount of time. The apprenticeship that I was a part of helped me reach my career goals by giving me knowledge and hands-on experience that I can take with me to every shop that I work at.”
Zack Beatty, whose apprenticeship was through Waibel Energy Systems, emphasized the value of experience in job readiness: “Hands-on learning is the pathway to become more familiar and comfortable in any problem-solving situation; by learning the sights, feel and even sounds that are related to the task at hand, you will become more adept at handling any situation.”
Miami University
“The most beautiful campus that ever there was,” according to poet Robert Frost, may be seeing some extra red construction barriers this academic year, but the minor inconvenience will bring benefits for years to come.
Miami will be working on two new buildings that allow for an expansion of programs on its Oxford campus. The Richard M. McVey Data Sciences Building will be completed in 2023 and will house the university’s programs in data science and related majors. The commitment by the university and its alumnus McVey recognizes the value of communicating with data in the context of Miami’s liberal arts framework. Alison Riley, a co-major in data science and statistics as well as analytics, points out the value of learning to not just analyze but explain data. “I love telling stories using data,” she says.
The Clinical Health and Sciences building is slated to open in 2023 and will house the university’s health-related programs and staff. Located next to the Recreational Sports Center, the building will house offices, the student health and student counseling centers, and speech pathology and audiology program, the BSN nursing program, and Master of Medical Science/Physician Associate program.
The Miami University Regional Campuses are also continuing to grow with new programs. The Service+ program, in cooperation with AmeriCorps, encourages students to develop their job-related skills by working with nonprofits. Additionally, the Early College Academy allows local high school students to earn a two-year degree while finishing high school. The program is intended to help address college enrollment disparities for underrepresented populations.
Wright State University
Also building programs and partnerships is Wright State University, which has partnered with Amazon as a Career Choice partner. This program allows full-time and part-time employees to pursue certificates, associate degrees and bachelor’s degrees while Amazon pays their tuition. The partnership is a welcome addition to the benefits available to local Amazon employees.
Finally, Wright State is reminding its students about the availability of its food pantry that helps combat food insecurity. Students may shop at the pantry once every two weeks, and brown bag lunches are provided each day. The pantry welcomes financial contributions as well as contributions of unexpired foodstuffs and items from its Amazon wishlist.
