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Chillicothe forms partnerhsip
to offer classes at Teays Valley High School
Ohio University-Chillicothe is entering into a partnership with Teays Valley High School to expand the campus' outreach mission of making higher education accessible to area residents. Beginning June 21,
OU-C will offer nursing courses and support courses at the high school, which is located in Ashville, in northern Pickaway County. Deaf studies and interpreting classes will be added this fall.
The nursing classes are being relocated from Berger Health System, where they are currently being offered.
The Pickaway Center as part of OU-C will hold classes in space that was recently renovated to accommodate projected growth in the Teays Valley School District. The partnership will be reviewed annually.
One distinguishing feature of this arrangement is that it builds upon the existing partnership that OU-C and Berger Health System have formed to serve the region. OU-C and Berger Health System, along with Circleville City Schools, have been in a collaborative arrangement since 2003 that allows area residents to earn an associate nursing degree from OU-C while taking classes at Berger Health System and Circleville High School. This program currently enrolls approximately 40 students.
"This partnership allows for residents of northern Pickaway County, which is a growing area, to have increased access to higher education and for the Chillicothe Campus to continue to offer classes in a manner that best serves area residents," OU-C Dean Richard Bebee said. "It also builds upon the strong partnership already in place between the campus and Berger Health System. In speaking with our colleagues at Berger Health System, it was becoming apparent that the program is outgrowing its current accommodations, and this renovated space at Teays Valley offers the type of space that is needed to support these offerings."
"Having Ohio University-Chillicothe faculty members instruct nursing students on our Berger campus has provided the ability for students to interface with hospital operations," commented Tim Colburn, president and CEO of Berger Health System. "And our successful partnership with Circleville City Schools provided us the additional resources we needed such as science labs."
"This spring, during a visit to the on-site classroom, I found that the program's success had led to students sitting elbow-to-elbow. We had outgrown our capacity," added Colburn.
On a separate, unrelated tour of the Teays Valley Schools renovation, Colburn noted a space that seemed to offer the opportunity to further expand and grow Berger's vision for health-care education in Pickaway County. Teays Valley and OU-C were able to connect on those possibilities, and as such, benefit the nursing students and their learning environment.
"We will continue to find ways for our students to interface with the hospital through clinical opportunities and on-site activities while also continuing relationships with our other partners in this venture," Colburn said. "These partnerships are good for the future of Pickaway County."
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