Milligan’s occupational therapy program has hired a new professor and has turned 180 degrees from being on hold to exceeding the goal of 15 applicants for fall 2003.
The program was put on hold last semester due to the lack of students. The goal of 15 applicants was not met when just two students enrolled.
Twenty-one applicants have been admitted for the fall, including 18 who have already paid their deposits, according to the March 5 faculty minutes.
Christy Gamble, assistant professor and admissions coordinator of occupation therapy, credited the program's success to God.
“It's a God thing,” Gamble said.
Gamble said since October the occupational therapy department had four to five months to find a new professor and have 15 students enrolled by their deadline of March 1. When March 1 came around, not only did they have a new professor, but they exceeded their goal and had 16 students.
This program, however, does not admit every applicant. Every student must meet the prerequisites including nine to 12 hours of math and science, nine hours of social science, six hours of communication and one to three hours of medical terminology. Students may fulfill this last requirement after admission.
Applicants must also have 40 volunteer hours in occupational therapy or a related area. They must hold a minimum 3.0 GPA and come for an admissions visit where they talk with the faculty.
This fall, Jeff Snodgrass, will be joining the staff full-time. Snodgrass is currently the Clinical Manager of Ergonomics at Wellmont Health System. Gamble said she is excited about Snodgrass joining their team because he has excellent work experience in O.T. and has already taught a class for the program.
Gamble credits the boost in numbers for the fall semester to the recent open houses, advertising in the cafeteria, neighboring universities and colleges and at other institutions of the Coalition of Christian Colleges and Universities.
Gamble said the first goal for the new O.T. program is to obtain a full class. While 30 students can be admitted, Gamble would like to see only 20 to 25 students so they can obtain a small group atmosphere.
Another goal is for a larger number of Milligan College students in the program. Four of the 18 students accepted for the fall will be Milligan graduates. Gamble would like to see half of the students be Milligan graduates.
The Milligan students that attend the graduate program have a good work ethic compared to some other students, she said. Gamble believes Milligan's humanities program forces students to study a lot, which helps prepare them for graduate coursework.
Gamble also seeks to continue to produce quality occupational therapists. When students graduate from the program, they are placed directly into jobs. There is 100 percent job placement with an average salary starting around $53,000.
She said she is excited about the improvement and recent success for the program, and she is hopeful for the future.