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General Ohio University Discussion/Alumni Events Topic
Topic: Ohio Closing Proctorville Center
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Athens
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Posted: 4/14/2023 10:10 PM
Quote:expand_more
Ohio University’s board of trustees voted Friday to allow the university to sell one of its satellite campuses.

The Proctorville Center, located just across the Ohio River from Huntington, West Virginia, opened in 2007 with the goal of offering college courses at an accessible location.

But amid a statewide drop in college enrollment, the center has fewer and fewer students.

In a letter, University President Hugh Sherman said selling it is now in the school’s best interest.

Overall Ohio University student enrollment has fallen by more than 20 percent in the last decade, according to fall enrollment data collected by the university.

Enrollment on the school’s regional campuses has dropped even more – by nearly 50 percent since 2014.

But OU is not the only college in this position.

https://www.wvxu.org/2023-04-10/ohio-university-plans-to-...
Hugh Sherman is at it again with his "overbuilt" mantra closing the OU-Southern Proctorville Center. The Messenger interviewed the and daughter from the manf who gave the gift to build it and was dissappointed. It was built with a state matching grant of 5 million and now OU is selling it.

Quote:expand_more
The daughter of a man who donated nearly 20 acres to Ohio University for the Proctorville Center feels that the university didn’t give the property a chance.

“It just breaks my heart,” said Dee Rucker, whose father Marshall Lee Smith donated 19.0848 acres to Ohio University Southern campus in 2000.

During the university’s Bicentennial Campaign, Smith worked with others to fundraise about $5 million for the Proctorville Center, which opened in 2007. The state matched it.

https://www.athensmessenger.com/news/donors-daughter-thou...
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Last Edited: 4/14/2023 10:10:56 PM by Athens
OUPride
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Posted: 4/15/2023 9:20 AM
The entire branch campus system was a mistake and born of a misguided era when the state's philosophy was "more is better, and quality doesn't matter." Honestly, all the four year campuses should be abandon their branch campuses to the state and have them folded into a statewide community college system.
BillyTheCat
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Posted: 4/15/2023 12:21 PM
Campus Flow wrote:expand_more
Ohio University’s board of trustees voted Friday to allow the university to sell one of its satellite campuses.

The Proctorville Center, located just across the Ohio River from Huntington, West Virginia, opened in 2007 with the goal of offering college courses at an accessible location.

But amid a statewide drop in college enrollment, the center has fewer and fewer students.

In a letter, University President Hugh Sherman said selling it is now in the school’s best interest.

Overall Ohio University student enrollment has fallen by more than 20 percent in the last decade, according to fall enrollment data collected by the university.

Enrollment on the school’s regional campuses has dropped even more – by nearly 50 percent since 2014.

But OU is not the only college in this position.

https://www.wvxu.org/2023-04-10/ohio-university-plans-to-...
Hugh Sherman is at it again with his "overbuilt" mantra closing the OU-Southern Proctorville Center. The Messenger interviewed the and daughter from the manf who gave the gift to build it and was dissappointed. It was built with a state matching grant of 5 million and now OU is selling it.

The daughter of a man who donated nearly 20 acres to Ohio University for the Proctorville Center feels that the university didn’t give the property a chance.

“It just breaks my heart,” said Dee Rucker, whose father Marshall Lee Smith donated 19.0848 acres to Ohio University Southern campus in 2000.

During the university’s Bicentennial Campaign, Smith worked with others to fundraise about $5 million for the Proctorville Center, which opened in 2007. The state matched it.

https://www.athensmessenger.com/news/donors-daughter-thou...
And the family is NOT happy!
OhioCatFan
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Posted: 4/15/2023 4:57 PM
OUPride wrote:expand_more
The entire branch campus system was a mistake and born of a misguided era when the state's philosophy was "more is better, and quality doesn't matter." Honestly, all the four year campuses should be abandon their branch campuses to the state and have them folded into a statewide community college system.
I have an entirely different take on this as my father knew the man (Dean Adolph Armbruster) who started the OHIO extension service, which grew into the branch campus system. My father also drove from Athens to teach at some of these locations in the very early days. In those days in the late 1930s and early 1940s there were no actual branch campus buildings. OHIO professors would travel to a local high school in Lancaster, Zanesville, Portsmouth, Chillicothe, etc., and teach a class at night.

This was a service badly needed and allowed many who could not afford to stay in Athens as a full-time student to learn important subjects, enhance their knowledge and earn college credit. When OHIO started its branch campus system it was built on the backbone of this extension service. In many cases, the local communities themselves raised money to help start the actual branch campuses in the 1940s and '50s. Therefore, OHIO's branch campus system, unlike any of the others in the state, was developed organically and developed to serve very specific and needs recognized by local communities in SEO.

Ours were the first branch campuses in the state. In many cases other state universities started branch campuses just because they saw our model and decided they needed to do likewise, even if the need and rational in those areas was not similar to that in SEO.
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Note: My avatar is the national colors of the 78th Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry, which are now preserved in a climate controlled vault at the Ohio History Connection. Learn more about the old 78th at: http://www.78ohio.org
Last Edited: 4/15/2023 5:01:05 PM by OhioCatFan
OhioCatFan
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Posted: 4/15/2023 5:07 PM
On the Proctorville Center. I really don't know many of the specifics, but this appears to me to be a perfect setup for the new president to hit a home run in her first few days in office by saying she listened to the outcry and decide to reverse the decision. She understands the needs of these rural communities, and she is one of us. Etc, etc. . . . [This is not weighing in the merits of having this particular center, just on the optics of how it would look to the SEO public.]
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"It is better to be an optimist and be proven a fool than to be a pessimist and be proven right."

Note: My avatar is the national colors of the 78th Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry, which are now preserved in a climate controlled vault at the Ohio History Connection. Learn more about the old 78th at: http://www.78ohio.org
OUPride
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Posted: 4/16/2023 10:22 AM
OhioCatFan wrote:expand_more
The entire branch campus system was a mistake and born of a misguided era when the state's philosophy was "more is better, and quality doesn't matter." Honestly, all the four year campuses should be abandon their branch campuses to the state and have them folded into a statewide community college system.
I have an entirely different take on this as my father knew the man (Dean Adolph Armbruster) who started the OHIO extension service, which grew into the branch campus system. My father also drove from Athens to teach at some of these locations in the very early days. In those days in the late 1930s and early 1940s there were no actual branch campus buildings. OHIO professors would travel to a local high school in Lancaster, Zanesville, Portsmouth, Chillicothe, etc., and teach a class at night.

This was a service badly needed and allowed many who could not afford to stay in Athens as a full-time student to learn important subjects, enhance their knowledge and earn college credit. When OHIO started its branch campus system it was built on the backbone of this extension service. In many cases, the local communities themselves raised money to help start the actual branch campuses in the 1940s and '50s. Therefore, OHIO's branch campus system, unlike any of the others in the state, was developed organically and developed to serve very specific and needs recognized by local communities in SEO.

Ours were the first branch campuses in the state. In many cases other state universities started branch campuses just because they saw our model and decided they needed to do likewise, even if the need and rational in those areas was not similar to that in SEO.
Thanks for the informative history. And while I now better understand the historical need that drove the creation of branch campuses, it doesn't change my mind on the current situation. There were no community colleges when the branch campuses came about. Today, the state has a community college system with 23 campuses. I don't see any need for multiple redundant two-year campus systems run by the four year universities. Figure out which branches are relevant and would strengthen the community college system and merge them into a statewide community college system and let the four year campuses focus on being four year universities.
74 Cat
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Posted: 4/17/2023 9:56 AM
I spent 4 quarters (remember those) at was once known as the Lancaster Branch Campus. At that time, the branch experience was set up to basically allow students to get their 2 year pre-reqs taken care of and then transfer to Athens.

That was then, this is now. The branch nomenclature has morphed into a regional one so now it is the Lancaster Regional Campus. While students can acquire Associate Degrees there, there are also a number of 4 year degree and Masters programs available. Nursing was just recently started in Lancaster as well. While the system may be redundant, it certainly allows students who otherwise could not attend a traditional university an opportunity for higher education.

The experience on the regional campus (at least in Lancaster) has changed from what once was basically a 5th and 6th year in high school to a collegiate one.

I serve as an Advisor to chapters of a volunteer service organization, one located in Lancaster and one in Athens so I do have a sense of the similarities and differences between both campuses.
giacomo
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Posted: 4/18/2023 4:48 PM
I've read recently that community colleges and branch campuses are struggling. It seems odd that with the high cost of most 4 year schools, that CCs and branches should benefit.
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Posted: 4/19/2023 6:56 AM
giacomo wrote:expand_more
I've read recently that community colleges and branch campuses are struggling. It seems odd that with the high cost of most 4 year schools, that CCs and branches should benefit.
There's been a number of articles in the papers out here about the drop in CC college enrollment.

One issue has been the quality of the education for students who want to go on to get a degree in things like Accounting, Engineering, Sciences like Chemistry and Physics.

Students are finding they just aren't prepared to jump in to higher level
classes.
At FDU we've found a number of CC have to "start over" in things like Calculus.

Also students are finding out that, in the job market, an Associates Degree doesn't help much.
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Posted: 4/19/2023 1:01 PM
That makes sense. Also, I'm seeing a push from employers that they are considering more job candidates that don't have degrees. So, in the new era maybe you either need a 4 year degree plus, or nothing.
rpbobcat
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Posted: 4/19/2023 3:39 PM
giacomo wrote:expand_more
That makes sense. Also, I'm seeing a push from employers that they are considering more job candidates that don't have degrees. So, in the new era maybe you either need a 4 year degree plus, or nothing.
On the State level ,our Governor has just signed an Executive Order allow experience and skills training to be substituted for a 4 year college degree for certain positions.

Not a lot of details yet on exactly how it will work.
Last Edited: 4/19/2023 3:40:40 PM by rpbobcat
MonroeClassmate
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Posted: 4/19/2023 7:35 PM
Why a location that is next to a facility of higher learning? I can see Lancaster, Chillicothe and Eastern and Zanesville but why is a regional right next to Marshall a quality location? If it is a good location to have that competition then perhaps one should have been built a long time ago in Short North.
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Posted: 4/19/2023 9:27 PM
Good point. But back in the day, after McDonalds expanded on every highway exit, Burger King set up shop right across the street.
Andrew Ruck
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Posted: 4/20/2023 8:36 AM
giacomo wrote:expand_more
I've read recently that community colleges and branch campuses are struggling. It seems odd that with the high cost of most 4 year schools, that CCs and branches should benefit.
I agree, seems counter-intuitive. If I had to guess, I'd say CC used to be a place kids went without any real career path identified yet. Increasingly, those kids are saying screw it to college altogether. Meanwhile, the 4 year kids usually have more of a clear vision for a career that requires the education.
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BillyTheCat
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Posted: 4/20/2023 10:22 AM
The real benefit of the CC model is #1 cost savings in today's ridiculously overpriced world of education. #2 access to education for those who cannot afford the time or lifestyle to go away for a 4 year degree.
rpbobcat
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Posted: 4/20/2023 10:44 AM
Andrew Ruck wrote:expand_more
Meanwhile, the 4 year kids usually have more of a clear vision for a career that requires the education.
Or parents that are paying their tuition. :-)
rpbobcat
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Posted: 4/20/2023 10:45 AM
BillyTheCat wrote:expand_more
The real benefit of the CC model is #1 cost savings in today's ridiculously overpriced world of education. #2 access to education for those who cannot afford the time or lifestyle to go away for a 4 year degree.
But, as I posted, if a CC is not providing a quality education, cost doesn't matter.
OhioCatFan
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Posted: 4/20/2023 11:36 AM
MonroeClassmate wrote:expand_more
Why a location that is next to a facility of higher learning? I can see Lancaster, Chillicothe and Eastern and Zanesville but why is a regional right next to Marshall a quality location? If it is a good location to have that competition then perhaps one should have been built a long time ago in Short North.
And, also keep in mind that Marshall has for a number of years offered reduced tuition to students from Lawrence County, Ohio, and a few other adjacent river counties. Starting this fall, they are increasing the number of counties to encompass most of SED, including Athens County. This reduced tuition -- called the Metro rate -- is considerably less than regular out-of-state tuition, but more than the true in-state tuition rate.
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Note: My avatar is the national colors of the 78th Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry, which are now preserved in a climate controlled vault at the Ohio History Connection. Learn more about the old 78th at: http://www.78ohio.org
Athens
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Posted: 4/21/2023 4:35 PM
OhioCatFan wrote:expand_more
Why a location that is next to a facility of higher learning? I can see Lancaster, Chillicothe and Eastern and Zanesville but why is a regional right next to Marshall a quality location? If it is a good location to have that competition then perhaps one should have been built a long time ago in Short North.
And, also keep in mind that Marshall has for a number of years offered reduced tuition to students from Lawrence County, Ohio, and a few other adjacent river counties. Starting this fall, they are increasing the number of counties to encompass most of SED, including Athens County. This reduced tuition -- called the Metro rate -- is considerably less than regular out-of-state tuition, but more than the true in-state tuition rate.
With childern of Marshall alumni in that area it makes it more workable for them. OU is straight up offering West Virginia residents in-state tuition which is a better deal and Athens has a nicer college town than Huntington or Morgantown for that matter. The fact that Marshall isn't able to give Ohio residents in-state speaks to how desperately they need that out-of-state tuition money from Ohio and likely Kentucky somewhat too.
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BillyTheCat
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Posted: 4/22/2023 2:33 PM
rpbobcat wrote:expand_more
The real benefit of the CC model is #1 cost savings in today's ridiculously overpriced world of education. #2 access to education for those who cannot afford the time or lifestyle to go away for a 4 year degree.
But, as I posted, if a CC is not providing a quality education, cost doesn't matter.
Four year schools are not providing quality in the form of what they once were. Look at just the campus and student services, OHIO itself is a shell of what was once there. Grades are inflating, so the education must be better....right?
Athens
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Posted: 4/22/2023 2:43 PM
rpbobcat wrote:expand_more
The real benefit of the CC model is #1 cost savings in today's ridiculously overpriced world of education. #2 access to education for those who cannot afford the time or lifestyle to go away for a 4 year degree.
But, as I posted, if a CC is not providing a quality education, cost doesn't matter.
That might be the engineer's mindset around attending a CC but the trend that is driving CC participation down is the strong economy right now.

https://fortune.com/2023/03/09/american-skipping-college-... /

Institutions at the margins are hurting; online colleges, community colleges and some of the lower tier 4 year colleges.

Even OU had a year during the pandemic where it was hurting, getting outsold by other in-state colleges. This is why spending a little money on the athletics mall isn't necessarily a bad thing if it helps the perception. A pool that is properly attached to Ping Center and with an Olympic high dive.
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2010 97-83 win over Georgetown in NCAA 1st round
2012 45-13 victory over ULM in the Independence Bowl
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2025 17-10 defeat of WVU @ Peden in front of 26,740
Last Edited: 4/22/2023 2:44:20 PM by Athens
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