By John Kiesewetter
The Cincinnati Enquirer

WEST CHESTER TWP. - Indiana Wesleyan University will begin nursing and education classes in Union Centre in August, two months before completion of the school's two-story campus here.

The university, based in Marion, Ind., is building a 30,000-square-foot building to house 17 classrooms, a computer lab and offices at 9286 Schulze Drive, southwest of the Interstate 75-Union Centre Boulevard interchange.

The university will rent space at a Union Centre hotel to offer a master's degree program in education, and a bachelor's degree completion program for registered nurses, in August, said Joanie Gruber, assistant director of admissions in the school's temporary headquarters on Schulze Drive.

Eventually, the evening college will offer graduate and undergraduate degrees in business, nursing, education, computer information systems, management and marketing, said Alan Miller, university relations director.

The school, which has offered evening courses in Lawrenceburg, Ind., was authorized by the Ohio Board of Regents two years ago to provide instruction in Ohio.

Indiana Wesleyan guarantees that students in graduate programs will attend classes the same night, with the same group, throughout the 18- to 26-month course of study, he said. The school will be leased for business meetings during the day, he said.

The enrollment goal for the West Chester campus is 1,000 students in five years, Miller said. By that time, Miami University plans to open its Voice of America Learning Center on Cox Road, between Tylersville and Hamilton-Mason roads.

Founded in 1920, Indiana Wesleyan is affiliated with the Wesleyan Church, based in Indianapolis.

For information, call the IWU-Cincinnati office at 881-3600.

E-mail jkiesewetter@enquirer.com