CAMERON, Mo. - Graceland University will offer college classes beginning in August at the local middle school.

"Our goal is to become an economic development engine for Cameron," said Dr. Parris Watts, Graceland's vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty.

One of the town's shortcomings since the 1930s is not having post-secondary education, said Shellby Hendee, Cameron's development director.

"It's a good thing we've got a real spark plug with experience who's hitting the ground running," Mr. Hendee said. Dr. Watts committed to the community by buying a home in Cameron and that says a lot, he added.

The Heart of America Conference, which Graceland is a part of, has been well-received in Iowa, Kansas and Missouri, Mr. Hendee said. Educational programs will be focused on working adults with jobs who want to have a convenient time for night courses. Degree programs will be offered in business administration, criminal justice, human services and organizational leadership at the bachelor level.

Classes will include about 15 students who will work as a group so they can bond with each other and their instructors. Health care management, health services and nursing will be offered in online educational classes. The nursing program includes a master's degree program.

The university plans to hire an area coordinator to begin working full-time in Cameron starting in January, said Dr. Watts.

Cameron is on the edge as the intersection of four counties, Mr. Hendee said. And it's also on the edge for Missouri Western State University, Northwest Missouri State University, North Central College and the colleges in Kansas City, as well as the vocational tech schools, he said.

"The Cameron location is ideal for us, being halfway between the university's two campuses," Dr. Watts said. Graceland has a residential campus in Lamoni, Iowa, and an extended campus in Independence, Mo.

Demographic research suggests that there are 20,000 people in the area who are potential students. The number doesn't include the communities of Chillicothe or St. Joseph. Another goal will be to build the student body to between 400 and 500 students.

Cameron is looking for a dedicated facility with day and evening post-secondary education classes, Mr. Hendee said.

Initially, the university will contract with the school district for classroom space, but a long-term goal is to increase the student population and build an auxiliary campus in Cameron, Dr. Watts said.

Marshall White can be reached at marshall@npgco.com.