SEMO to offer associate degree at satellites

Editor's note: The following story has been edited to reflect the correct fee for Southeast Missouri State's regional campuses.

Starting in fall 2014, Southeast Missouri State University will offer an associate degree program at its satellite campuses in Southeast Missouri, a move its leaders say will eliminate wasted course hours, allow students to take more advanced classes and make it easier to transfer credits toward a bachelor's degree at Southeast.

Students may start signing up for the program, called Associate's Plus, after the program's launch is announced today. Being offered in cooperation with Missouri State University-West Plains, Associate's Plus is a two-year degree with a bachelor's option, president Kenneth Dobbins said last week in an editorial board meeting at the Southeast Missourian.

Associate's Plus would serve students who want to get a four-year degree while getting their associate, or students who want an associate degree, but may want a bachelor's degree later on, he said.

The move figures to put the university in a position to increase its student market share in part of the region served by Three Rivers College, an institution that has increased its presence in the northern portions of its service area. Southeast already offers associate degree courses at its campuses in Kennett, Malden and Sikeston, Mo., but not an associate degree. This program offers an associate degree in 62 credit hours, which would benefit students in the Southeast service area, as well as students in neighboring states such as Arkansas, Tennessee, Illinois and Kentucky, if they wish to attend Southeast.

Jennifer Gadberry, left, listens as Chelsea Martin gives a presentation in her Careers in Psychology class Monday, Dec. 9, at Southeast Missouri State University's Sikeston, Mo., campus. The interactive television class includes students, like Martin, attending the class via a video connection from classrooms in Malden, Mo., and Kennet, Mo. Southeast will be offering an associates degree program at its satellite campuses in Southeast Missouri starting in the Fall of 2014. (Adam Vogler)

Through a spokesman, Three Rivers president Devin Stephenson declined to comment on the initiative.

By 2020, the White House's goal is to have 60 percent of the population with a degree or certificate, whether it's an associate or bachelor's degree, Dobbins said.

Dobbins said he and other Southeast administrators want to eliminate wasted hours and credits. He said he has heard instances where students accumulate 75 hours but could only transfer 62 of them.

He said this happens when students change majors or "sit out" of school for a period of time.

Associate's Plus is meant to offer one-stop higher education and ensure the transition from an associate to bachelor's degree is seamless, Southeast officials said. Through a reverse transfer agreement with Missouri State, students can attend classes at one of Southeast's regional campuses. "While they're going toward a bachelor's degree, they can get their associate degree from West Plains," have the same adviser and stay at one campus all the way through, Dobbins said.

Gerald McDougall, dean of the Donald L. Harrison College of Business and interim provost, said officials have identified 18 hours that West Plains will offer online that will be available to students on Southeast's regional campuses. Students would only have to complete 15 of those credit hours, however.

"So when that regional campus student is pursuing one of those bachelor's degrees listed, throughout our advising we can integrate those 15 hours from West Plains to satisfy our general education requirements ... When they complete 62 hours, they'll have 62 hours that apply to a Southeast [degree] and 62 hours that will apply to a West Plains AA degree. That's when they would apply for graduation with an associate of arts degree from Missouri State West Plains, then they continue on in their studies," McDougall said.

After 45 hours, Dobbins said students may take some 300-level courses without having to complete an associate degree.

As for cost, Brady Barke, senior associate to Dobbins, in an email to the Southeast Missourian said, "Students remain enrolled as Southeast students and simultaneously enroll in courses through Missouri State University-West Plains. ... The students simply pay for the credit hours in which they are enrolled, whether it be through West Plains or through Southeast," Barke wrote.

Cost per credit hour for Missouri residents at Missouri State-West Plains is $114 per credit hour and $129 per credit hour for online classes, if you are a Missouri resident, according to the Missouri State-West Plains registrar's office. Southeast charges $141 per credit hour at its Malden, Sikeston and Kennett campuses.

Dobbins said during the meeting there also are scholarships similar to the A+ program. Under A+, if a student meets certain criteria, he or she can qualify for a state-paid financial incentive to attend any Missouri public community college or career/technical school. "You get the same benefits. ... We use the same criteria," Dobbins said.

"The directors at the regional campuses are really excited because we've never been able to offer an associate degree on our campus," Dobbins said.

He noted it does not affect the Cape Girardeau Partnership for Higher Education, a partnership of Mineral Area College, Southeast Missouri State and Three Rivers College at the Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center.

Dobbins said he doesn't think Southeast will have to add any additional faculty for the Associate's Plus program, but it may have faculty teaching more courses. He added there are 14 or 15 full-time nontenure track professors at the regional campuses who can handle the job.

rcampbell@semissourian.com

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