WEST PLAINS, Mo.– A new pilot program at Missouri State University-West Plains aims to help area working adults earn an associate degree in two years by attending classes just one night a week.
The Great Opportunities for Adult Learners (GOAL) Program will allow working adults to complete all of the college courses needed to earn an Associate of Arts in General Studies degree – the university’s transfer degree – in two years time with minimum impact on work and family responsibilities, said Dr. Christopher Dyer, dean of academic affairs.
“It is designed for non-traditional learners who may have families and full-time jobs and cannot attend regular daytime courses,” he explained. “Students attend as a group, one course at a time, and have the advantage of working with other motivated adults in an exciting learning environment with outstanding instructors.”
The four-hour-long classes will begin at 6 p.m. weekdays at three locations within the university’s seven-county primary service area – the Missouri State-West Plains campus in West Plains, the Missouri State-West Plains campus at Mountain Grove, and at Summersville High School. They will be organized around a cohort model, compressed to five to six weeks in length, and be presented sequentially to best meet associate degree requirements. “The program is designed so that a group of students will start and finish together,” Dyer said.
Prospective students should be at least 22 years of age and a high school graduate or equivalent before enrolling. Financial aid and/or scholarship funds offered through Missouri State-West Plains can be applied to this program. For more information about financial aid options, call the financial aid office at 417-255-7243.
The first cohort of students will begin studies in August, with additional cohorts beginning in January 2012 and May 2012. Each cohort of classes will run for approximately 25 months. Application deadline for the August cohort is Aug. 1, with classes beginning Monday, Aug. 29.
For more information about the GOAL Program and how to enroll, contact Dyer at 417-255-7272 or the registration and records office at 417-255-7979. For more information about Missouri State-West Plains, visit the website at http://wp.missouristate.edu.