Aug. 4, 2007 9:10 a.m.
COLUMBUS Gov. Ted Strickland has directed Board of Regents Chancellor Eric Fingerhut to establish The University System of Ohio and to establish a 10-year plan for the system, establishing clear benchmarks and a timeline for advancing a collective system of higher education in Ohio.
The goal is increase collaboration and cooperation among the state's public colleges and universities, according to a release issued by the governor's office Thursday.
"No single institution can provide everything this state needs to compete in the 21st century global economy, but collectively we can build a system that provides our state and its citizens with all of the education, training and centers of research we need to succeed," Strickland said. "Together we will create a new Ohio birthright access for every Ohioan to an affordable, world-class system of higher education,
The directive calls upon Ohio's 13 public universities, 23 public two-year colleges, the Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine and numerous adult career centers are asked to work together in a coherent, rational way to unify resources and maximize the potential of individual institutions. The directive does not change the governance structure of the university system or of individual institutions.
"The best systems of public higher education across the nation are more than just a collection of institutions," Strickland said. "They work together in a rational, coherent way that creates sums worth well more than the individual institutions themselves. The power of unifying resources and making sure each institution does what it excels at allows the best university systems stand above the rest."
Approved earlier this year, the state's 2008-2009 biennial budget invests additional resources in public institutions by providing additional state funding, freezing tuition for two years and increasing scholarships for students pursuing the STEM science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines.
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.