MU works toward Ohio 10-yr goals

By: Lauren Karch

Posted: 12/2/08

In December, Miami University's Board of Trustees is expected to submit an outline of certain academic and economic improvements in response to the University System of Ohio's new plan to increase participation in higher education within the state.

"About eight months ago, the chancellor laid out a number of goals and critical measures to determine whether Ohio was achieving academic, social and economic goals within the university system," Provost Jeffrey Herbst said at the board's Nov. 21 Finance and Audit Committee meeting.

On March 31, Chancellor Eric Fingerhut presented a 10-year strategic plan for higher education to Governor Ted Strickland and the Ohio General Assembly.

The plan detailed strategies to meet the governor's goal of enrolling 230,000 more students in Ohio universities while keeping more graduates in Ohio and attracting more academic talent to the state, according to Fingerhut's statement, available on the University System of Ohio's Web site.

One goal is to increase Ohio's graduation rate, which is below the national average. According to the University System Web site, 33.4 percent of the Ohio's workforce currently holds an associate's degree or higher, which is below the national average of 37.22 percent.

In the nation, Ohio is ranked 38th in the number of its citizens with an associate's degree or higher.

The University System consists of the state's 13 public university campuses, one medical college, 24 regional campuses, 23 community colleges and adult literacy and workforce centers.

Fingerhut's plan, posted on the Ohio University System Web site, sets three benchmarks to be met by 2017. These include increasing enrollment and raising the number of students graduating from Ohio's higher educational institutions from about 73,000 to 100,000 per year.

The University System also hopes to bring the percentage of graduates living in Ohio three years after graduation up from 66 to 70 percent. The published plan also includes strategies to bring more degree-holders to Ohio than are leaving the state.

Herbst and Miami President David Hodge explained at the audit and finance meeting that a good deal of the enrollment increases Fingerhut hopes for will occur in community colleges and other non-four-year institutions.

"However, as you look at Miami in terms of retention and graduation rates, there are things making significant contributions to the state of Ohio," Hodge said.

Herbst agreed.

"(Miami's) contribution to improvement may not be high because we're already performing well in the areas where improvement is being sought," Herbst said.

According to Fingerhut's plan, 20 accountability measures have been established to determine how well the University System as a whole is achieving the major goals of the plan. The measures will assess how each institution is improving in the areas of access, affordability and efficiency, quality and economic leadership.

By Dec. 31, presidents of each institution are to submit plans stating how their institution will attribute to the meeting of these objectives.

The board of trustees, after working with a number of university departments, has also prepared two reports to be sent to the University System by Dec. 31.

According to the System's Web site, an Institutional Accountability Report is required to assess the accountability of each state in academic quality and efficiency and sets out estimates on progress toward the plan's objectives over the next five years.

An Institutional Affordability Report will also be submitted, presenting the cost of tuition and fees for the current year and a projection of the expected change over the next two years.