Ohio University President Roderick McDavis painted a picture of an “enterprise university” at last night’s Faculty Senate meeting, prompting concerns about increased tuition.
Enterprise universities, sometimes called charter universities, would be relieved of state statutes, such as tuition caps and construction guidelines. In exchange, an undetermined portion of the university’s state funding would be earmarked for new need-based and merit-based scholarships.
“The set of mandates has not been announced,” McDavis said. “That’s to be confirmed.”
Final details have not yet been determined for the plan, which is still being mulled over by state legislators, McDavis said.
“This plan is aimed at keeping academically successful students in our state,” he said.
If the plan were passed, universities could save money by choosing to eliminate state statutes, said Becky Watts, McDavis’ chief of staff.
“At the end of the day, what you have to weigh — is this the best decision for Ohio University?” McDavis said.
A potential International Enterprise plan would go a step further and eliminate additional potential money-draining statutes, McDavis said. The university would have to meet seven of nine undetermined guidelines to achieve this designation.
“At the end of the day, we do not have to do this,” he added.
Senators spoke briefly with McDavis about details of the plan, and some expressed displeasure regarding the idea.
“We are preparing our own downfall,” said Bernhard Debatin, a senator from the Scripps College of Communication. “We could create a situation where these lift of mandates … drives us toward raising tuition to a point where it’s very expensive to be a student here.”
McDavis pointed to Virginia and Colorado as examples of the plan. Both states have already passed legislation similar to that being proposed in Ohio.
Debatin referenced tuition increases that have taken place in Virginia since the state passed similar legislation. The tuition at Virginia Commonwealth University increased by 24 percent in one year after it became a charter school, according to an article in the Columbus Free Press.
“There’s an element of gamble that I find a little bit discomforting,” Debatin said.
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