Third Report on the Condition of Higher Education in Ohio
Meeting the State’s Current and Future Needs through a Competitive“Student-Centered” University System of Ohio
In the midst of turbulent economic times, record numbers of Ohioans are enrolling in college to raise their educational levels and sharpen their skills. Technological advances are creating new knowledge at a rapid pace, changing countless jobs and workplaces. These economic and technological changes are redefining the essential knowledge and skills needed to succeed in the workplace and in life. Ohioans know the economy will eventually improve, that many low skill jobs won’t come back to Ohio and that employers will be seeking workers with postsecondary credentials.
To be economically competitive, Ohio faces a significant challenge of educating 230,000 more students annually by 2017. The unprecedented economic crisis demands that Ohio graduate more students with high quality, efficiently and quickly. We believe that this can be done if Ohio focuses on being student-centered. Being student-centered means that institutions need to:
- streamline and where possible, consolidate and coordinate programs and services so that more students graduate from college with high quality degrees at a lower cost per graduate for taxpayers, at lower costs for students and their families and with dramatic benefits for Ohio’s social and economic health
- minimize the number of excess credits students earn on the path to a degree
- communicate what is required to enroll and succeed in college in transparent ways that are easy for students, families and counselors to understand
- teach in ways that link content, experience, knowledge and skills and that engage a new generation of learners, as well as adult learners who have not been in school for many years
- target strategic resources to majors that meet high priority economic state needs and result in good jobs for graduates without neglecting liberal arts
- expand availability of new lower-cost models for attaining a degree
- prepare students better, academically, financially and culturally
- improve graduation rates and time to degree for enrolled full- and part-time students
- reach new target populations, including students of color, first generation students, students from low-income families, working or unemployed, adults and those returning from the military
- realize additional administrative efficiencies so that resources can be available to educate more Ohioans
- use robust data systems with accessible information in K-12 and higher education to support interventions in high school that help students be successful in college.
In the Third Report on the Condition of Higher Education in Ohio, the Regents ask: How can Ohio graduate more students with a high quality education that prepares them for careers along with intellectual opportunities that equip them for a better future? We answer this question by assessing Ohio’s:
- Streamlined Paths to Degrees
- College Affordability
- Readiness for College and Work
- Effective Management of Educational Programs
- Efficient Management of Administrative Services
Information from the past three years was measured in these areas:
- Educational Attainment
- Financial Condition of Colleges and Universities
- Workforce and Research Contributions of Higher Education