Average Age of: 42

Ohio Branch Campus: We are uniquely positioned to partner with an existing AG University. We believe the student and adult populations will be our starting focus. We will start evening programs, one night or multiple nights a week.

Ohio Branch Campus: We will likely start with B.A./B.S. programs (pastoral and business), adding M.A. level programs quickly. We are also exploring having a controlled, limited AA. program that could be a day program.

Geography and Enrollment: In the future there will be a premium on face-to-face learning experiences on a campus. This will not disappear but become more of a premium experience. This is why the live instruction and quality practicum sites from accredited programs that have students in mind are so critical.

Hybrid Model:

 Practicum Programs In addition to the online and/or face to face courses, we will be developing a practicum program. This will look different for each degree program.

 Ministry Programs The practicum will require credit achieved through hands on ministry in a local church setting with live practical experience in the context of a healthy church environment. Specialized tracks for the practicum program such as pastoral, youth, worship, media, etc. There will be reflective elements for the student to complete, such as book reading and reflection papers. A practicum church or ministry site will be evaluated on an ongoing basis.

 Criteria for Site Criteria for Ministry Practicum sites will include elements like: Regularly scheduled face to face time with a member of the pastoral staff Inclusion into weekly or biweekly church staff meetings Facilitating weekly congregational touch point based on the individual student track At least 1 preaching, teaching or worship experience (based on practicum in a live setting)

 Church Ministry Site Students will be responsible to locate a suitable practicum site Students will likely need somewhere around 100 hours required for the practicum. This means the internship could happen during a summer but are more likely to happen over the course of two semesters.

 Academic Requirements Journal: During the practicum the student must keep and submit a journal Project Portfolio: in most programs students are required to document one major project that they are involved in or responsible for during their time. Reports: Periodic reports will be required Reading: Students will likely be required to read a minimum of pages related to church ministries or the Christian organization they are serving

 The Goal As we expand, it will be possible to develop a virtual site at your church but we will need the critical mass at the Ohio Ministry Network to do so. Incentivizing student travel and learning beyond Columbus will be important. Building a cost structure that motivates students to not simply stay involved only in Columbus. We will be selective with approved sites to expand. There may be some personnel needs on your end of things.

 Critical Mass Everyone say: Critical Mass. This model won’t work if we do not have the economies of scale to fund a Practicum coordinator (salary) that can help us and you maintain quality programs. We can push people right out of the gate to do internships but the future is to actually have folks involved in learning at multiple sites in both a virtual and live instruction.

 Interested? Next Steps... Schedule a site visit for early 2016 to prepare for becoming a site in 2017.

Average Age of: 42