Shepherd’s recently developed Martinsburg campus continues to extend educational services to students. Since the fall 2013 term, there has been an increase of over 100 seats being used, rising to a total of 266 students registered for the spring 2014 semester.
According to James Klein, “The Martinsburg Center has been designed and geared to serve the working adult. The building also may help to alleviate congestion in Shepherdstown, allowing better access for undergraduate programs.” The tuition for the center is equivalent to attending classes at the main Shepherdstown campus.
The purpose of the center is to provide a facility that can serve an adult population. The class hours primarily occur in the evening. Administrative staff works Monday through Thursday until 7 p.m. so that students have additional support.
Evan Dobry, a sophomore computer science major, stated that “there is a user support technician available at the Shepherd Martinsburg Center.”
The adult demographic and extended services may provide an additional revenue source for the university.
Klein states that the success of the Martinsburg Center is predicated upon two things: “I believe that the Martinsburg Center needs to serve the community by providing access to quality education that adult students may not otherwise receive at a convenient time in Shepherdstown.”
With proximity to Interstate 81, the Martinsburg Center may be more attractive to commuting adults trying to balance work, life and school. Klein continued, “Second, there are business goals that must be achieved without sacrificing student services or support. I think to be considered a success, the Martinsburg Center must be a profit center for Shepherd University by fiscal year 2016.” Klein stated that the staff of the center is working hard to ensure future success.
Lacee Weisenberger, a sophomore, has several friends attending the Martinsburg Center campus. “It helps people from Martinsburg not to travel as far, it’s more flexible, and I’ve heard it’s a nice facility,” Weisenberger said.
The Master of Business Administration (MBA) program at Shepherd has been moved from Shepherdstown to Martinsburg to open up space. “Since the Martinsburg Center is geared to provide evening classes, it makes sense that the MBA program would exist in Martinsburg,” Klein stated.
Evening classes towards the completion of the Regents Bachelor of Arts (RBA) are offered at the center. The emphasis of multi-categorical special education is also being delivered through the Martinsburg location. The courses in the endorsement may also be applied toward the completion of the Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction (MACI). The opportunity for students to enroll in Registered Nursing to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN to BSN) is another degree offered at the center.
In addition to graduate studies courses, students at the center have a variety of continuing education courses available to non-degree-seeking students such as community members. Early education is being considered as a potential future program for the center.
Klein states that the center continues to be innovative in recruiting non-traditional students to expand the enrollment of Shepherd University while receiving support from Shepherdstown. However, the center is still promoting the overall mission of the university. “The Martinsburg Center is not too dissimilar from White Hall. The distance from Ikenberry may be greater, but the focus and motivation of the building, staff and faculty is the exact same,” Klein states.
A recent flyer announces that on Tuesday, March 11, the Martinsburg Center at 261 Aikens Center will be hosting a “Financial Literacy College Night” from 5–7 p.m. to help provide parents and potential college students with information about paying for college, credit card dangers, investing, savings plans and budgeting.
Interested students can learn more about the Shepherd University Martinsburg Center at www.MartinsburgCenter.info.
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