Higher Education Reform

Making College More Affordable and Improving Lifelong Learning

During the FY10-11 budget cycle, federal stimulus funds were used to help operate colleges and universities across Ohio. These dollars were one-time funds. They aren’t coming back. While the state cannot and should not replace federal stimulus funds, the State Share of Instruction will increase 2.7 percent in FY 2012 and 0.9 percent in FY 2013.

COMMON SENSE REFORMS WILL INSTITUTE INCENTIVES AND REDUCE COSTS: For far too long, Ohio’s public universities have been trying to operate under an outdated system of rigid laws and inefficiency. It’s time to provide incentive-based relief that will meet the needs of both universities and their student bodies.

• New Tools for Flexibility, Savings, and Improvement: The Chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents will submit a report to the General Assembly and the governor containing findings and recommendations for developing the appropriate policy, administrative rule and statutory changes necessary to implement a charter university program. The plan will define the manner in which an institution of higher learning can receive increased freedom from state regulations in return for less dependency on state financial subsidies. Universities’ eligibility will be determined by certain performance measures determined by the chancellor;

• Ensure that Students are Ready for College: Colleges and universities often find themselves having to bring high school graduates up to the level where they are ready for college-level learning, which consumes time and funds. The Board of Regents will report the frequency of this—the “remediation rate”—and its cost for each school district based on graduates from each school. The Board of Regents will work with the institutions of higher learning to create a clear, actionable definition of what is meant by “remediation free.” This definition will be required to explain “remediation free” in such a way that school districts can determine the coursework and special programs required to assure every student is college-ready. The Chancellor and the State Superintendent of Public Instruction will produce a set of recommendations to reduce these remediation costs by 50 percent;

• Encourage 3-year Degrees: In many cases, students are taking five or six years to a complete a 4-year degree. A 4-year degree should take four years. In some cases, where we have especially gifted or ambitious students, they should have the opportunity to complete their degree in three years. Universities will be required to produce plans on how to move to 3-year baccalaureate degrees. The plan to transition 10 percent of their programs will be due in 2012 and a plan to transition 60 percent of their programs will be due in 2014;

• Faculty Should Teach One Extra Class Every Two Years: Ohio public colleges and universities will be required to increase full-time research and instructional faculty teaching loads by one class in every other year. The Ohio Board of Regents will report the instructional workloads of faculty for all colleges and universities for FY2010 through FY2013.

THE OUTCOME: REDUCED COSTS FOR STUDENTS AND INCREASED FLEXIBILITY FOR SCHOOLS:

• Modernizing Operations: Ohio’s institutions of higher learning will become more productive and efficient. Increased flexibility with standards will provide them with a clear performance expectation while granting them increased autonomy to achieve it.

• Preparing Students: College remediation costs thwart Ohio’s ability to provide advanced learning and consume many of the resources available to students who need financial assistance to attend college. By incentivizing schools to be better prepared, these costs will be reduced and students will be better prepared for university learning.

• Empowering learners: By allowing greater flexibility for advanced placement and international programs to be accepted for credit at institutions of higher learning, students will be able to obtain the schooling they need to compete for jobs in a 21st century workforce. In the long run, this saves the students unnecessary costs and rewards them for embracing education.

THE OUTCOME: With greater flexibility and less red tape, Ohio’s colleges & universities must remember that students come first. By continuing a tuition increase cap of 3.5 percent, students from across the state will have the opportunity to further their education and become a productive member of the global workforce. By enabling our students to succeed, Ohio can once again become a strong economic power in our ever-evolving economy.

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