Elements of higher ed plan unveiled; Chancellor will release info on Fridays on 10-year master plan for Ohio's colleges and universities
BYLINE: By Stephanie Gottschlich Staff Writer
DAYTON - Ohio Board of Regents Chancellor Eric Fingerhut on Friday released the first elements of a mandated master plan for Ohio's public colleges and universities on the University System of Ohio Web site.
The chancellor is releasing goals and details on how institutions will be measured every Friday in November and wants the public to comment on the ideas.
The first goals involve educational attainment, a term used to describe the highest level of education a person has reached.
Gov. Ted Strickland has ordered that Ohio's system add 230,000 students in the next 10 years to increase the number of Ohioans who complete degrees.
Individual colleges and universities will have goals set for them in four areas:
* Total enrollment
* Total degrees and certificates awarded
* Total undergraduates enrolled who are 25 or older
* Total undergraduate degrees awarded to first-generation college students
Details and strategies on how institutions will reach those goals will be developed later, according to the chancellor's office.
Fingerhut said that by measuring and setting goals for institutions' enrollment "we can know that we are creating an innovative and skilled work force that can compete on a global scale" and turn Ohio's institutions into drivers of the economy.
Strickland and the Ohio General Assembly charged the chancellor this summer with drafting a 10-year master plan for increasing the number of Ohioans with college degrees and aligning institutions with the state's economic goals. Strickland and Fingerhut reorganized the state's public institutions into the University System of Ohio for sharing resources as a first step.
Fingerhut will read public comments and consider them as he finishes drafting the master plan, which is due to the legislature in March. To comment, visit http://universitysyste m.ohio.gov/master-plan.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-7404 or sgottschlich@DaytonDailyNews.com