By: Alicia Otto<\/p>\n
Helping the university better serve adults and become more military-friendly \u2014 those are Dr. Gordon Mapley\u2019s greatest achievements at Western<\/a>.<\/p>\n Dr. Jim Scanlon, who was president of Western at the time, called before Mapley was set to take early retirement from the University of Ohio. \u201cWe have an opportunity here that is right up your alley and you should take a look at it,\u201d Scanlon said to Mapley.<\/p>\n \u201cI did, and it was,\u201d Mapley said. Those few simple words changed the focus of several degree programs offered at Western.<\/p>\n The steps that have been taken in terms of online courses, bachelor of general studies (BGS) and bachelor of science in technology (BST) are all designed to do a few things. The programs are designed to grow enrollment, increase net revenue for the university and help balance the university budget.<\/p>\n \u201cMost importantly, they are designed to help adults get degrees so that they can more effectively provide for their families,\u201d Mapley said. \u201cThese three all fit together.\u201d<\/p>\n A major part of these programs was the Buchanan County Degree Attainment Initiative (BCDAI) Federal Grant. The goals of the BCDAI are to increase the number of individuals in Buchanan County<\/a> who hold a bachelor\u2019s degree, to increase the number of jobs in high-growth industries in the region and, most importantly, to strengthen the economy.<\/p>\n Almost 10 years ago, then-Gov. Nixon<\/a> had an idea for helping individuals earn degrees in a short period of time. Nixon was focused on helping high school students get credit for working, and he wanted universities to partner with industries so that students could take courses, such as those offered at Hillyard Technical School, but also take courses for college credit. Nixon\u2019s goal was for students to graduate college in three years instead of the traditional four.<\/p>\n Mapley countered that we could accomplish the goals of having more Missourians earn degrees and positively impact the community in terms of growing the economy. But Mapley wanted to focus on people who are working at Mosaic<\/a>, Boehringer Ingelheim, Altec, Triumph, Hillyard, etc. \u2014 individuals who have some college credit but never completed a degree.<\/p>\n \u201cIf they can complete their degree, they can be of more value to their employer, and they could get a raise, provide for their family and help grow the economy by having an advanced skill set,\u201d Mapley said.<\/p>\n Mapley rewrote the grant, and the state gave $1 million for scholarships. That part of Mapley\u2019s vision has had tremendous success in helping people get degrees. Given the realities of the university, Mapley knew his overall plan would take time.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re not going to get rid of me until I accomplish my last piece of my overall game plan, and the last piece of that is to make the university more military-friendly,\u201d Mapley said.<\/p>\n There are probably only a dozen universities that offer what Western is offering to the military.<\/p>\n Prior to Mapley\u2019s revamping of the program, seven people in 10 years graduated with a BST degree compared to seven proposals being processed during one week in the fall of 2018.<\/p>\n The changes made are two-fold: individuals only need 30 hours of applied coursework, and those 30 hours can be in any vocational area, not necessarily just \u201cacademic\u201d hours.<\/p>\n