The Ohio House of Representative’s budget bill, released Friday, lightens the burden on state public university teachers by eliminating a controversial clause that requires faculty to teach extra classes.
The clause included in Gov. John Kasich’s biennial budget bill came under fire from some OU faculty members because it would require them to teach one extra class every other year. The Ohio House’s version of the state budget has no such provision.
“I know this (provision) has been couched as an increase in faculty workload, but I can tell you that faculty work very hard,” said Joe McLaughlin, chairman of OU’s Faculty Senate, in an email. “If that provision goes into effect, faculty won’t work more; they’ll just be spread thinner across more courses, and it’s the students who will suffer.”
Other OU faculty members who criticized the budget clause accused Kasich of having “no idea how things are run” at universities, according to a previous Post article.
Although the House removed Kasich’s clause requiring increased faculty workload, it upheld clauses that would move plans forward for three-year degrees and charter universities.
The budget requires the Board of Regents — Ohio’s higher education board — to submit a plan for charter universities by Aug. 15. This charter model would free public universities from some costly government restrictions in exchange for decreased state funding.
The House’s budget bill, however, also includes a provision requiring the state legislature’s approval before the Board of Regents can begin designating public universities as charter schools. This transition could begin as early as July 1, 2012, according to the House’s budget.
“We have not yet taken a position (on charter universities) yet because it’s still an evolving concept,” OU President Roderick McDavis said. “We hope to talk to senators as (the bill) moves through the senate.”
Before the state budget officially passes, the Ohio House and Senate must both approve a finalized version.
If the Ohio House’s version of the bill holds up, the state’s public universities also must draft plans detailing how students could earn a degree in three years. The bill requires universities to develop these plans for 10 percent of their programs by Oct. 15, 2012, and 60 percent of their programs by June 30, 2014.
“The (House budget) gives universities the right to determine which courses and which programs in which three-year degrees can be offered,” said Stephen Golding, OU’s vice president for Finance and Administration.
Another clause in the House’s budget allocates $75,000 in co-op internship funding for the OU Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs. Kasich’s version of the budget eliminated all state funding for the school.
pe219007@ohiou.edu
@ThePostCity
