Gov. John Kasich named OU President Roderick McDavis the head of the state’s newly assembled Ohio Higher Education Funding Commission 2.0 Friday morning.
The commission will be a collaboration of the state’s 37 public colleges and universities formed to prioritize a list of projects they recommend receive a portion of the state’s capital construction budget, according to a news release.
"I appreciate your leadership over the past several years and we look forward to working with you to build upon what we have achieved to make our higher education system stronger and more unified,” Kasich said in the release.
The original Higher Education Funding Commission met in 2011 and was chaired by former Ohio State University President Gordon Gee.
"The $400 million investment of the 2013-14 Capital Budget was critical to the higher education community being able to continue fulfilling its mission and providing a world class learning opportunity," McDavis said in the release. "But there are still many outstanding infrastructure projects that need to be accomplished as we educate today's students and prepare for those to come. I appreciate the governor’s confidence in us and look forward to working with my fellow presidents.”
Some of the 2011 commission's recommendations include, according to its online report:
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A majority of state funding at Ohio’s universities should only be awarded based on their ability to successfully graduate students
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The funding for community colleges in Ohio should transition from a system that mainly rewards enrollment in classes to one that rewards the completion of classes, certificates and degrees
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All university students on all campuses (main or regional) should be treated equally in the funding formula and in any relevant state laws
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Colleges and universities should be rewarded if they attract out-of-state students to Ohio and keep them in the state for employment or continued education
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Historical set-asides and earmarks should be eliminated so that all of the state’s funding flows through the new completion-based formula
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Ohio’s community colleges should review the current success points incentive system, which has proven very successful, to ensure it is fully capturing the range of activities that lead to completion
sj90610@ohiou.edu
@SaraJerde
