Innovation through Partnerships

Expanding Student Opportunities while Reducing Cost

By Manuel Martinez, Ph.D., Dean of Undergraduate Studies & Jim Strode, Ph.D., Dean of Graduate Studies

As faculty at Ohio Dominican, we are energized by our colleagues who have been on the forefront of innovation in creating new, unique opportunities for our students. As the landscape of higher education changes and evolves, we’ve taken a creative yet practical approach to enhance our students’ experiences while allowing us to fulfill our mission.

One of the ways in which we’ve been successful in creating these opportunities is by pursuing partnerships with our peer institutions. Last fall, we signed two articulation agreements with the University of Dayton that provide students with accelerated pathways to UD’s graduate school of engineering and its school of law.

Under both agreements, Ohio Dominican students will take undergraduate courses at ODU for three years, and then transfer to UD for their senior year where they will begin their first year of graduate study. The benefit to these students is that they can earn both their bachelor’s and master’s degrees or Juris Doctor in as few as five total years, which is a significantly shorter period of time than students who pursue traditional tracks.

Our agreement with the University of Dayton adds to a long list of opportunities we provide our students who want to pursue graduate education. Another partnership we’re extremely proud of is with the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine. Our Medical School Early Assurance Program gives outstanding students an opportunity to earn their bachelor’s degree and Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine in as few as seven years. ODU is excited to have two 2018 alumni currently at OUHCOM through this partnership, Vincent Relli-Dempsey and Shilpa Murthy.

Vincent Relli-Dempsey ’18 and Shilpa Murthy ’18 attend the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine as part of ODU’s Medical School Early Assurance Program.

In addition to offering a similar assured acceptance program into our own Physician Assistant Studies master’s program, our 4+1 programs give students the ability to earn their bachelor’s and master’s in Business Administration, English, Sport Management, and Healthcare Administration in just five total years. These programs are key to helping us keep ODU’s talent on campus, as well as speeding up the educational process, which saves students money with regard to tuition.

Inside the classroom, our faculty continue to find creative ways to keep our students on the forefront of innovation. Finance professor Doug Ruml, D.B.A. provides the Bloomberg Market Concepts exam to his students, which allows them to earn an additional certification free of charge. Psychology professor John Marazita, Ph.D. is leading a research team of students and alumni to study cell phone distraction in the classroom. Public Relations professor Natalie Kompa helped a group of students start their own PR firm.

Innovation is critically important to our society—from the workplace to our personal lives—and ODU is committed to exploring and pursuing new ideas, concepts and programs to ensure our students have access to the resources they need to thrive and excel in their chosen career path.