Education First: Ohio Higher Education Report for 2016-2017, Part 8

POSTED BY MARTIN KICH

What follows is the eighth section of the most recent higher education report produced by the Ohio Conference of AAUP. John McNay, the President of the Conference, and Sara Kilpatrick, the Executive Director of the Conference, deserve kudos for doing the bulk of the work on this report. The report has been distributed to all of the members of the Ohio legislature and the state’s major newspapers, several of whom have done follow-up investigative reporting on the topics covered in the report.

The previous Ohio Higher Ed Report was similarly published in sections to this blog. The links to those posts, as well as to the two posts in this series, are provided at the end of this post.

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CONCLUSION

State decision-makers and public institutions of higher education should reexamine their current course down the road of corporatization and unsustainable, shortcut tactics that do not fully address the real problems that we face in higher education and that short-change our students.

In short, here are our recommendations to improve Ohio higher education:

1. Increase SSI and OCOG funding to provide opportunity to all Ohioans, especially those with fewer means.

2. Study critically the ramifications of the “less education is better” model that College Credit Plus and competency-based education encourages.

3. Beware of amassing debt in the name of constructing new buildings or subsidizing athletic programs. Students end up with their own debt paying for these endeavors.

4. Consider short- and long-term solutions for diversifying boards of trustees so that they are not filled with appointees who only understand the corporate model.

5. Prioritize quality instruction and work on plans to convert adjunct positions to full-time faculty positions.

6. Reassess the recent tax changes and the subsequent revenue shortages. Create a tax system that is fair and generates the revenue necessary to adequately fund education at all levels.

7. Talk to and engage with faculty. We are the ones doing the core work of Ohio’s colleges and universities. We can and want to be part of crafting solutions that make sense for our institutions to succeed.

It is not too late to chart a new path that focuses on reinvestment, opportunity, and quality of education. We ought to be concerned as much about these principles as we are with number of degree holders. This renewed focus is what will improve our public institutions of higher education and facilitate making Ohio a place where people want to live, work, and locate their businesses.

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Previous Post in This Series:

2017 Ohio Higher Education Report, Part 1: https://academeblog.org/2017/05/22/education-first-ohio-higher-education-report-for-2016-2017-part-1/.

2017 Ohio Higher Education Report, Part 2: https://academeblog.org/2017/05/24/education-first-ohio-higher-education-report-for-2016-2017-part-2/.

2017 Ohio Higher Education Report, Part 3: https://academeblog.org/2017/06/17/education-first-…2016-2017-part-3/.

2017 Ohio Higher Education Report, Part 4: https://academeblog.org/2017/06/24/education-first-ohio-higher-education-report-for-2016-2017-part-4/.

2017 Ohio Higher Education Report, Part 5: https://academeblog.org/2017/07/05/education-first-ohio-higher-education-report-for-2016-2017-part-5/.

2017 Ohio Higher Education Report, Part 6: https://academeblog.org/2017/10/14/education-first-ohio-higher-education-report-for-2016-2017-part-6/.

2017 Ohio Higher Education Report, Part 7: https://academeblog.org/2017/10/15/education-first-ohio-higher-education-report-for-2016-2017-part-7/.

Links to 2015 Ohio Higher Education Report

2015 Ohio Higher Education Report, Part 1: https://academeblog.org/2015/06/20/2015-ohio-higher-education-report-part-1/.

2015 Ohio Higher Education Report, Part 2: https://academeblog.org/2015/06/20/2015-ohio-higher-education-report-part-2/.