SOUTHEAST `EXPANDS' ITS REACH

Students at a Jefferson County community college could obtain bachelor's degrees from Southeast Missouri State University without ever stepping foot on the Cape Girardeau campus, under a plan announced Wednesday.

Officials at Southeast said the plan calls for the university to offer upper-division courses in four academic areas at the two-year Jefferson College in Hillsboro, and allow students there an opportunity to earn bachelor's degrees.

Under the plan, academic programs initially would be developed in elementary education, industrial technology, criminal justice and mass communications.

The Board of Trustees of Jefferson College and Southeast's Board of Regents recently approved the measure. Final approval rests with the state's Coordinating Board for Higher Education.

If the agreement is approved by the coordinating board, courses in elementary education could be offered as early as January, said Leslie Cochran, Southeast's provost.

Industrial technology courses could begin next fall, followed by criminal justice and mass communications courses at a later date, Cochran said.

"The first area we see the greatest need or greatest interest in is elementary education," said Cochran, adding that Jefferson College officials have indicated that several hundred students would be interested in pursuing such a degree.

"Most of that instruction will be provided by faculty from our campus," he said. Those involved in the education program would be able to complete their student teaching requirements in that area, he added.

Cochran said industrial technology was a natural choice because Jefferson College has a strong program in that area.

"One of the major strengths of Jefferson College is its industrial technology program. They have been written up and have a great deal of strong support for their robotics program," he said.

As to criminal justice, Cochran said, the community college has a regional crime laboratory, and criminal justice faculty at Southeast have worked closely with their counterparts at the Hillsboro college.

The mass communications program is seen as more of a long-term goal, said Cochran. "We think that is an area of potential development."

He said the cooperative venture is designed to serve students at Jefferson College, many of whom are working and can attend school only part time.

"It is really an adult-emphasis kind of program," he said.

Dan Steadman, vice president for academic affairs at Jefferson College, said: "We have a large number of students here in Jefferson County, but for several reasons they cannot transfer.

"It becomes critical for us to provide this service here," he said. "The people of Jefferson County have shown a preference for attendance at Southeast Missouri State. Subsequently, this is a natural union for us. The climate is right. Everyone involved has eagerly awaited this day."

Steadman added that academic programs at the two institutions are "very compatible" and faculty at Jefferson College are "highly predisposed to form this agreement with Southeast."

Under the agreement, Southeast will coordinate the effort and provide regular faculty to teach the selected courses. Jefferson College will provide office and classroom space, and bookstore and library support.

Southeast would provide an on-site academic coordinator, and the university might employ two or three faculty members who would work full time at Jefferson College, Cochran said.

Jefferson College students would have access to the resources of Kent Library, and books could be delivered to the students through a delivery service the day after they have been ordered, he said.

In addition, university officials hope eventually to provide some academic instruction to Jefferson College students via satellite communications.

Kala Stroup, Southeast president, said in a prepared statement that "Southeast Missouri State is committed to serving higher education needs in our service region."

She added, "We are interested in community college students completing their degrees."