STEM College garners praise

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How a local community
college should function is
still on the table.

By HAROLD GWIN

VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER

YOUNGSTOWN — Ohio's chancellor of higher education said Youngstown State University's development of a STEM College should fit well into the state's creation of "The University System of Ohio."

"That's something we fully embrace," Eric Fingerhut said of the program during a visit to Youngstown on Friday.

Gov. Ted Strickland wants to create a statewide higher education system of collaboration that will have individual schools — and the state — focusing on their particular areas of expertise, yet retain their independence of one another.

He believes strengthening and improving Ohio's system of higher education will be a driving force in improving the state's economy.

He's directed Fingerhut to come up with a plan to create that system, and Fingerhut said he's been busy in recent weeks meeting with each college and university president as part of the effort to begin narrowing down what those focus areas should be.

There are already areas of agreement between the state and YSU on the latter's role in the system and some areas that still need discussion, Fingerhut said.

What it is

YSU's new College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics is a project the state is anxious to partner with to help make it a world-class program that is a magnet for students, he said.

The state also agrees that YSU has a role as a driver of the future of Youngstown's economy and a major catalyst for the city's redevelopment, he said.

The two are also fundamentally in agreement on the need for a community college in this region, the only metropolitan area of the state without one, Fingerhut added.

YSU President David C. Sweet got the issue on the table and now the university and the state need to find a way to make it work, Fingerhut said, adding that making a community college education accessible and affordable for every Ohio resident will be a major focus of The University System of Ohio.

Objective

There are no "sacred cows" as the state intends to look at every public institution of higher learning as it seeks to develop a collaborative system of education over the next decade, he said.

"Everything is on the table," he said, adding that there isn't any school that won't be examined.

There's a place for every college and university in the system, and the state intends to market each one's strengths to the entire Ohio populace, Fingerhut said.

He is charged with coming up with recommendations for a system master plan to present to the state Legislature by March 31.

Getting a plan in place is just the first step, he said, noting that it will take years and much transitioning to get it implemented.

gwin@vindy.com

Saturday, August 11, 2007