SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Members of the Missouri State University Board of Governors have approved three new academic offerings at Missouri State University-West Plains.
During the board’s executive committee meeting Wednesday, March 18, in Springfield, Missouri, members passed resolutions to add a manufacturing option to the Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Technology degree, as well as an Associate of Science (AS) in Pre-Engineering degree and a Certificate in Manufacturing Technology to university’s list of degree and certificate programs. The proposed programs now will be submitted to the Missouri Coordinating Board for Higher Education (CBHE) for approval at its June 2015 meeting, university officials said.
“These degree and certificate programs are coming at a critical time for students looking to enter a more highly-technical job market in our region and around the world,” said Dean of Academic Affairs Dr. Dennis Lancaster. “I also believe their development is coming at the right time for area residents who have, unfortunately, been laid off or have experienced their jobs being eliminated in the last few months.”
Once a hallmark of higher-wage job opportunities in south-central Missouri, manufacturing positions have been in decline in recent years. To stem that trend, it was announced at a recent West Plains City Council meeting that Missouri State-West Plains was teaming up with the City of West Plains and the South Central Career Center to increase new manufacturing opportunities in this area. The new AAS in Technology-Manufacturing option and manufacturing certificate are designed to aid that process.
“The AAS in Technology-Manufacturing option and the Certificate in Manufacturing Technology are very exciting additions to our program offerings,” said Cathy Proffitt-Boys, assistant professor of agriculture/entrepreneurship and chair of the division of business/applied technology and public services. “Manufacturing continues to provide significant employment opportunities in our region, and these programs will help students gain knowledge and skills to better prepare them for current and future jobs. The AAS in Technology-Manufacturing and the Certificate in Manufacturing Technology are a result of our partnership with South Central Career Center and will be a major component in the advanced manufacturing initiative offered by Missouri State-West Plains, South Central Career Center and the City of West Plains.”
The long-term success of the manufacturing industry here and elsewhere will depend on offering educational opportunities for those individuals interested in career progression, university officials pointed out in the resolution for the degree and certificate.
“Completion of the AAS in Technology-Manufacturing or its more limited certificate option should better position students for job openings at other manufacturers who expect incoming workers to have these fundamental skills and knowledge sets,” Lancaster said. “That’s why this degree and certificate are the initial offerings and the educational core of the still developing Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center (AMTC) being discussed in the partnership between Missouri State-West Plains, the South Central Career Center and the City of West Plains. But even if the AMTC doesn’t become a physical reality, Missouri State-West Plains and the South Central Career Center will offer this program, in a more limited way, however, to serve our area’s citizens and their workforce development needs.”
Classes for this degree and certificate will be offered both at Missouri State-West Plains and the South Central Career Center. In addition, several pieces of equipment needed to support the training will be purchased with funds from the $2.5 million grant awarded to the university in fall 2013 from the U.S. Department of Labor through its Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) Program. The grant, which runs from Oct. 1, 2013, through Sept. 30, 2017, is funding several new academic programs for displaced workers in the area, other unemployed and underemployed adults and veterans. The focus of these programs will be on “green” and/or sustainable jobs, university officials said at the time the grant was announced.
The AS in Pre-Engineering is designed to better prepare students to transfer into an engineering bachelor’s degree program and was developed after consultation with the Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla, which also offers a cooperative engineering program with Missouri State University in Springfield, university officials pointed out in the resolution.
“The AS in Pre-Engineering offers students an opportunity not previously available in our community, and it fits well with the advanced manufacturing initiative,” Boys said. “This program allows students to take the early math and science courses required for an engineering degree, as well as targeted general education courses. The AS in Pre-Engineering is ideal for students who would like to start their college experience on a smaller campus where they can use A+ Program funds before transferring to a four-year engineering program.”
If the degrees are approved by CBHE, Missouri State-West Plains will then be authorized to offer 18 associate degrees and 22 certificate options.
For more information about these degrees and certificate options, visit the Missouri State-West Plains website, www.wp.missouristate.edu, or call the admissions office at 417-255-7955.