University Outreach Services

Recognizing the ever-changing face of education, educators, and students, University Outreach Services serves as the gateway to the community, reaching out to learners in an ever-expanding service area. It provides the stable foundation upon which experimental educational ideas are offered, partnerships are formed, and quality programming and services are delivered.

Developed through a reorganization and redirection of university academic and community outreach services, the office is designed to provide a wide array of specialized educational opportunities. These include the educational and cultural enrichment opportunities critical to young students in the surrounding communities, technical training customized to meet the needs of workers in nearby businesses striving to compete in the high-tech work place, and the showcasing of the educational talent and expertise of Shawnee State’s faculty and staff through distance education, integration of academic services, and research and development of cutting-edge programming.

The purpose of University Outreach Services is to provide leadership in program innovation, research, and development; sustain partnerships with regional educational, business and industry, and community organizations; and offer diversified quality programming and services.

Community Education Program ■ The Community Education Program encompasses a broad range of noncredit personal development courses, programs, and activities, which are offered to the general public. Each fall and spring, a schedule of events is developed and distributed to the community. Courses that are included in the schedule are often suggested and taught by members of the community. Topics include ACT prep, seasonal arts and crafts, photography, health and fitness, personal finance, creative writing, and a wide variety of interests. If you would like to teach a course or be placed on the mailing list, please call 740.351.3274.

Computer Enrichment Training ■ Community members interested in honing their computer skills in a noncredit setting may enroll in a variety of proficiency classes. New classes begin quarterly, offering training on many popular software packages. Training sessions designed specifically for a group or organization are also scheduled as needed. Outreach Services provides a mobile computer lab of state-of-the-art equipment, enabling Shawnee State to offer on-site computer education and skills training to area businesses and organizations.

District Science Day ■ Shawnee District 14 Science Day is one of 16 district science competitions sponsored by the Ohio Academy of Science (OAS) and hosted by colleges and universities across the state of Ohio. It annually attracts more than 200 students, grades 5-12, from Adams, Lawrence, Pike, and Scioto counties. It is an avenue for students to develop independent or team scientific research projects which may lead to an opportunity to compete at State Science Day in Columbus, Ohio.

Grants Management ■ University Outreach Services provides resources and technical assistance to university-wide grant-seeking efforts. As the campus liaison for the Grants Resource Center, Outreach Services provides access to federal funding sources.

Ohio Academic Competitions ■ The Ohio Academic Competition (OAC) provides Ohio high school students the opportunity to exercise their reasoning, critical thinking, and recall skills in a healthy, competitive environment. Top students from all parts of Ohio are introduced to Shawnee State through the OAC. As the statewide point of coordination, Outreach Services registers nearly 90 teams for participation in regional competitions at four sites in Ohio. Shawnee State hosts the southeast regional statewide competition.

Online Learning ■ University Outreach Services offers over 200 noncredit continuing education courses online. Online courses provide flexibility in scheduling and location. All you need is access to the Internet. Courses are designed for the student’s personal enrichment and professional development. All courses are accessed through www.ed2go.com/shawnee.

Summer Honors Institute ■ The Ohio Department of Education funds the Summer Honors Institute for 16 selected state and private colleges and universities in Ohio. Approximately 150 students participate in the Summer Institute at Shawnee State University each year. The Institutes are designed to offer Ohio’s talented and gifted high school sophomores and juniors intensive learning experiences and exposure to the hosting college’s campus. Since Shawnee State became a part of the Summer Institute network, the University has consistently hosted one of the largest Institutes in Ohio each year.

College Tech Prep is a partnership among business, industry, labor, and secondary and higher education. It is a primary strategy for systemic change in Ohio that prepares students for technology based careers demanded by the increasingly competitive global economic community.

Tech Prep is a National Education Reform Initiative, which was launched in 1991. The program is aimed at meeting the needs of business and industry for qualified, skilled workers in high demand, technical fields.

Tech Prep is a combined secondary and postsecondary program, which provides students with the following:

• A preparation for employment, careers, and education beyond high school.
• A hands-on, real world approach to teaching and learning that includes teamwork, worksite experiences, critical thinking, and problem-solving.
• An integration of technical and academic curricula.
• A competency-based curriculum that enables students to certify their achievements.
• A planned sequence of courses from high school through an associate or baccalaureate degree.

Currently, programs in engineering, business, criminal justice, teaching professions, information technology, and health are available in the College Tech Prep program. The Ohio South Consortium partners Shawnee State University, Ohio University Southern Campus, and local school districts with a wide array of regional business and industry partners. College Tech Prep continues to grow and help students learn to prepare for the new career market.

The Contract Training programs as well as the Targeted Industries Training programs are initiatives of the Ohio Board of Regents and are coordinated through the Enterprise Ohio Network.

The programs share the common goal of creating partnerships with Ohio’s businesses to build and maintain a world-class workforce by making improvements in quality, productivity, and competitive ability through employee training. Customized training is provided to area manufacturers and health services employers with an emphasis on enhancing competitiveness, retention, and expansion.

Targeted Industries Training grant funds can subsidize 50 to 75 percent of the total cost of training, leaving only the remaining percentage to be paid by the company. This makes the much needed training affordable for Ohio’s small businesses. Nonmanufacturing businesses may also access funds for training employees in the area of information technology.

The Enterprise Ohio Network—of which Shawnee State is a member—is an association of two-year campuses in Ohio that partner with companies and public sector organizations as a part of the state’s economic development infrastructure.

Two five-year grants, totalling more than $2 million over a five-year period, has been awarded to Shawnee State University and the Ohio South Tech Prep Consortium partner school districts to provide out-of-school activities for rural students at four school districts in Scioto County.

Each center, or “After School Program,” offers a variety of opportunities, including tutoring and instruction for students at risk of failing the Ohio proficiency test or experiencing difficulties in the classroom. Expanded library hours and services, access to computer labs and Internet and computer training are featured at each center. Thematic and family reading programs, expanded drug and violence prevention education and counseling, and after school field trips to enrichment work sites and college campuses are provided. An emphasis is placed on social development through organized recreational activities, food service, and supervised relaxation areas for students to rest and listen to music with friends. In an effort to remove transportation barriers for rural participants, the grant provides ample funds for transportation home from each center.

For more information about University Outreach Services contact: