Fingerhut, YSU trustees review plans

The proposed college should be on its own within a decade.

By HAROLD GWIN

VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER

YOUNGSTOWN — Youngstown State University wants to be designated as the lead institution to develop and operate a local community college — until that college becomes a separate and independent institution.

The university has been working on a community college plan for the Mahoning Valley for the past 18 months but has had a somewhat difficult time getting the state to buy into the YSU vision of how it should be done.

The YSU Board of Trustees got a look at the latest version of the university’s plans Thursday.

Dr. Nathan Ritchey, charged with spearheading YSU’s community college plan, told the board the university is still looking at an integrated partnership model that will involve other institutions of higher learning as well as county governments and local career and technical centers.

The proposal calls for YSU to take the lead in developing and operating the Mahoning Valley Community College but also calls for the new school to become a free-standing entity by July 1, 2017.

Eric Fingerhut, Ohio’s chancellor of higher education, has seen an executive summary of YSU’s plan, and, although he hasn’t signed off on it, he told The Vindicator on Friday that the proposal “brings us much closer to a conceptual agreement.”

The state is committed to expanding community college programming across Ohio, and Fingerhut said he has been having some “very constructive dialogue” with YSU on the parameters of a community college here.

There’s still a lot of work to be done on the YSU document, he said, pointing out that any community college would have to be a shared vision among regional institutions of higher education, adult career centers and even other community colleges in nearby regions.

YSU “needs to be a major player, but so do other institutions,” Fingerhut said. “Each could take the lead in different aspects.”

The YSU plan suggests that current two-year programs it operates as well as the Kent State University branch campuses in Cortland, Salem and East Liverpool could become a part of the community college.

Fingerhut said he has had discussions with Kent about finding ways to partner with a community college.

A community college could use some of those campus facilities to offer classes, but the university also would be encouraged to expand its bachelor degree programs at those locations, he suggested.

Dr. David C. Sweet, YSU president, said the proposal presented to the trustees represents YSU’s perspective on a community college. YSU realizes that it is working in a larger spectrum that includes the chancellor, Kent and other entities, he said.

The YSU plan said the state is expected to provide sufficient resources to support the development of the community college and that funding needs to be identified and secured by July 1, 2008.

Fingerhut said that might be premature.

The state provides funding for community colleges every year, and it is hoped that plans for a community college here could be finalized so it can secure funding assistance in the state budget to be adopted by June 30, 2009, he said.

The YSU plan acknowledges that the university could lose some enrollment in the early years of the community college and calls for development of a financial plan to help the university maintain its financial viability during that transition period.

The state would be expected to help there as well, according to the plan.

As the community college evolves, so would YSU, Ritchey said, suggesting that YSU could begin to put more emphasis on baccalaureate and graduate programs as well as the development of new doctoral programs.

The university, which has an open admissions policy, now expends a lot its resources on providing remedial programs for incoming students.

Sweet pointed out that the university would always maintain a commitment to open access and wouldn’t change that part of its mission.

Having remedial work handled at the community college level, however, would provide YSU with better-prepared students seeking to advance their education, he said.

gwin@vindy.com