Ohio University Student Senate welcomed Executive Vice President and Provost Pam Benoit and Vice President for Finance and Administration Stephen Golding to Wednesday’s meeting. Benoit and Golding presented about the possibility of guaranteed tuition at OU.
With a tuition guarantee program, there would be one tuition rate for incoming freshman that would remain constant throughout their four years at OU, or for a specific number of credit hours.
“We can’t cut or grow our way out of a dilemma,” Golding said. “We can’t cut and maintain the quality of education at Ohio and we can’t grow and dilute the quality of education.”
Benoit and Golding said they hope to continue conversations started with the Board of Trustees last December, regarding the possibility of such a program.
Within a tuition guarantee program, there is also a built-in financial incentive to graduate on time, a factor that goes along with Gov. John Kasich’s new budget proposal to base higher education funding on graduation rates, rather than enrollment rates.
“The incentive would help us in terms of State Share of Instruction, as well as students success towards graduation,” Benoit said.
Golding said the presentation for trustees was simply a model to start conversation regarding options and opportunities for a tuition guarantee program at OU.
“We want the trustees to understand there’s flexibility with managing costs and overall resources and still providing a quality education at Ohio,” Golding said.
Following Benoit and Golding’s presentation, Senate passed a resolution inducting Ali Pillow as the new Scripps College of Communications Senator.
During student speak out, Nicole Spears and Marisa Dockum presented OU Public Relations Student Society of America’s campaign for anti-bullying, called Reach Out for Friendship.
The campaign, part of the annual PRSSA Bateman Case Study Competition, will be implemented in Athens local schools throughout February. Last year’s winning campaign was adopted by United Way and was implemented throughout the country.
“We’re competing with 75 other schools and OU has never competed before,” Spears said. “We’re putting a lot of effort into placing in the top three and would love your help spreading the word.”
Reach Out for Friendship will meet Thursday, at 5 p.m. in Baker University Center Honors Collegium to film an anti-bullying video and will be painting the Richland graffiti wall at 12 p.m. Saturday.
jb351009@ohiou.edu
