MU in the Evening could be merged with regular program

Night classes could become available for fulltime students.

By Jared Grafman

Published Dec. 8, 2009

MU administration is discussing how to incorporate MU in the Evening into the general MU program at the recommendation of Faculty Council.

In a recent meeting, the council recommended to Provost Brian Foster the university discontinue MU in the Evening, which operates as part of MU Extension. Faculty Council Chairwoman Leona Rubin said MU in the Evening is a successful program but is too limited.

"Students and staff attending MU in the Evening expressed an interest in alternative degree programs," Rubin said.

Foster said he agrees it would be in the best interest of all students to incorporate the MU in the Evening programs into the rest of the university's programs. Rubin said by eliminating the distinction between MU in the Evening and the regular MU classes, non-traditional students would have the same degree options as daytime students.

Foster said evening courses would become part of MU in general and there would be more opportunities to take classes, which would lead to more degrees.

The discussions about ending the MU in the Evening program are not about terminating opportunities for students as some people might be led to believe, Foster said.

"I think this whole topic has been framed in sort of an odd way, as if we're eliminating something," Foster said. "In fact what we want to do is expand opportunities in the evening. The evening classes will become part of MU in general."

Rubin said Faculty Council has identified several limitations imposed by the MU in the Evening program structure, the most obvious being a separate administrative structure.

Another limitation is a Bachelor of General Studies is the only degree offered in the MU in the Evening program, originally designed for faculty members and people who, for various reasons, were unable to attend daytime classes.

"MU in the Evening originally targeted MU staff who could not attend day classes, but desired access to a degree program for professional advancement," Rubin said. "To expand degree offerings in the evening requires a larger infrastructure commitment than is possible through MU Extension."

The availability of the Bachelor of General Studies degree as part of the general MU program also negatively affects the benefit of MU in the Evening. The Bachelor of General Studies degree is offered in both the regular MU program and MU in the Evening, Foster said.

"Most of the students in the bachelor of general studies program are in the program during the day," Foster said.

Rubin said the discussion of merging MU in the Evening with the regular MU program is focusing on helping every student.

"We are trying to eliminate the administrative distinction between day and night with the hope of seeing more opportunities for evening and day students," Rubin said.

Sophomore Mary Kampelman, who takes a night class once a week for her pre-nursing program, said she's hesitant to jump at the opportunity for later classes as part of the regular MU program.

"If there was an option to take a long course for two or three hours in one night, I'd be interested, but if it was like Monday through Friday late at night then I'm not sure I would want to take it," Kampelman said.

How and when MU in the Evening will be incorporated into the regular MU program is still being discussed by the administration, Foster said.

"There really isn't a timeline right now, discussions are on-going about how to achieve the restructuring and expand the evening offerings," Foster said.