Cincinnati State expands Butler Co. presence to Miami Middletown campus & Butler Tech D. Russel Lee campus

At a news conference on December 5, 2022, Cincinnati State announced plans to open a branch campus at Miami University’s regional campus located at 4200 N. University Boulevard in Middletown, about 10 minutes from the I-75 exit at Rt. 122.

The news conference announcing the new partnership between Cincinnati State and Miami University was covered by the Cincinnati Enquirer, the Butler County Journal-News (in a front-page story), and the Dayton Daily News, as well as several Cincinnati-area TV stations and WVXU radio.

Starting in Fall Semester 2023, Cincinnati State students will have access to the full-service campus resources at Miami University Middletown, along with greater exposure to Miami’s four-year degree options.

Cincinnati State President Monica Posey said “Partnerships like this are where higher education is going. Our goal is to allow each student to affordably take the next step in their lives, toward a rewarding future.”

“Aligning our programs and creating pathways to greater higher education access is a win-win for Butler County and the State of Ohio,” said Miami President Gregory P. Crawford. “This partnership will enable us to help students achieve their educational and career goals and build a strong, high-performing, solution-oriented workforce for the future workplace.”

According to Provost Robbin Hoopes, planning for the expansion to the Miami University Middletown campus will take place in phases, with no new programs or courses planned for Middletown prior to Fall Semester 2024.

Provost Hoopes said during academic year 2023-24, assessment and discussion with program and department chairs will take place to determine future approaches. Any new CState program offerings at the Miami Regional Campus would not begin until Fall Semester 2024.

Provost Hoopes said, “The goal of our agreement with Miami is to create educational pathways that will serve community needs in Butler County, and possibly will articulate with Miami University bachelor degrees.”

“During our planning, we will try to create conditions for program faculty to innovate, and give faculty and academic administrators opportunities to visit and get to know the new campus,” Provost Hoopes added.

The new partnership is part of the work Cincinnati State and Miami are doing as part of Moon Shot for Equity, together with Northern Kentucky University and Gateway Community and Technical College. Launched in September 2021, Moon Shot for Equity aims to remove barriers and create solutions focused on reducing equity gaps in higher education by 2030.

Partnership with Butler Tech also expands in 2023

To further increase opportunities, in early 2023 Cincinnati State and Butler Tech will be announcing that Cincinnati State will begin teaching classes at Butler Tech’s D. Russel Lee Campus in Fairfield Township. Initial offerings at the D. Russel Lee campus are expected to include Information Technology and Business courses. These new pathways will augment the already growing partnership between the two institutions at Butler Tech’s Bioscience Center in West Chester.

Butler Tech Superintendent and CEO Jon Graft said, “We are honored to collaborate with Cincinnati State to expand additional high-quality college level learning experiences directly onto our campus.”

Cincinnati State’s expanded commitment to Butler County is drawing support from state officials also. Randy Gardner, Chancellor of the Ohio Department of Higher Education, said, “One of the things we are most proud of in Ohio is having an ‘all-of-the-above’ approach to educating students and preparing them for the jobs of today and tomorrow. These new partnerships give students even more options for completing their degree and achieving their goals.”

State Representative Thomas Hall commented that “the announcement shows how crucial higher education is to this great district, this Southwest Ohio region, and ultimately this state.” He congratulated Cincinnati State and Miami, noting that “together we can address concerns head on and develop solutions to move us forward.”

Butler County is one of Ohio’s fastest growing counties, with 390,000 residents and more than 7,000 employers. It connects Dayton and Cincinnati and is at the center of the Southwest Ohio I-75 industrial and logistics corridor with concentrations in auto and aviation manufacturing, health care, food service, insurance, and shipping.