After canceling the search for a new chancellor amid uncertainty about the position's future, the Ohio Board of Regents is expected to name a new chancellor next week.
Eric Fingerhut, a former Ohio senator and current director of Economic Development Education and Entrepreneurship at Baldwin-Wallace College, is expected to be named chancellor March 14.
The position has been open since March 2006. The Board of Regents is the non-governing, coordinating body for state higher-education institutions and policies.
The board originally planned to name a chancellor in January but postponed a decision after Ohio House Speaker Jon A. Husted (R-Kettering) said he wanted the position to be under direct control of the governor, an idea Gov. Ted Strickland said that he supported.
Although he will be appointed by the board, Fingerhut did not apply for the position and is considered Strickland's favored candidate, said Bret Crow, assistant director of communications for the board.
Eric is one of the brightest leaders on higher education issues in the state of Ohio
and he truly understands that Ohio needs a highly educated workforce in order to bring the jobs of the future to our state Strickland said in a news release.
The chancellor historically has reported to the board, which was founded in 1963.
Fingerhut's salary has not yet been determined, Crow said. Previous chancellor Roderick Chu resigned last year and earned a $224,080 salary.
Governing education
On March 13, board chair Donna Alvarado is expected to testify in front of the Ohio legislature about two proposed bills that could affect the board's role, Crow said.
House Bill 2, sponsored by Rep. Shawn Webster (R-Hamilton), proposes that the board be made an advisory board, with the chancellor reporting to the governor.
House Bill 85, also sponsored by Webster, proposes that the chancellor report to the board, but that the governor approve appointment of the chancellor. The bill also proposes that the chancellor be made a cabinet position.
The board plans to testify in favor of House Bill 85 and oppose House Bill 2, Crow said.
We do not believe that the chancellor should report to the governor Crow said, adding that involving politics in education would not be best for students and families.
Last month, the board offered suggestions for improving higher education in Ohio. The suggestions focus on affordability, accountability and efficiency, according to a board news release.
In one suggestion, the board requested the responsibility and authority to set tuition ranges. Another proposed giving the board the right to close degree programs deemed unnecessarily duplicative.
The board does not know what universities could be affected if the suggestions are implemented, Crow said.
The suggestions were not in response to House Bill 2, but were offered after Husted challenged the board to brainstorm about legislative educational reform, Crow said, adding that the board has made suggestions in the past but it did not receive legislative support.
There's just never been the laser focus on educational reform that there is now
Crow said. It's now or never.
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