Group finalizes community college plans

A proposed local community college aims to offer ‘affordable’ and ‘accessible’ education.

Staff Report

YOUNGSTOWN — Higher education is “the driver” of future economic growth in Ohio.

Those were the words Eric Fingerhut shared at the final implementation committee meeting for a proposed local community college on Tuesday.

“A community college only works if the community is invested,” said Fingerhut, Ohio’s Chancellor of Higher Education.

“And obviously you’re invested,” he said to the group who met at Youngstown State University to finalize the strategic planning of the school.

The appointed implementation group worked through the past seven months to build a firm foundation of the college that will serve Mahoning, Trumbull, Columbiana and recently added Jefferson counties.

The meeting was organized to act as a “refinement process” leading the committee to a firm consensus on the school’s mission and vision statements as well as its values, said Roy Church, president of Lorain County Community College.

“The mission describes who we are in the world, and the vision describes where we are going,” he said.

“The values and beliefs are how we’re going to behave in getting there,” said Church.

The rough draft of the mission statement relays the message that the college will offer “... affordable and accessible education fostered by strong community and educational partnerships ...”

Among the top values were opportunity, transferability, affordability and empowerment, which were recommendations by the committee as well as public polls.

“When we finish our work today [Tuesday] we’ll have a product to present to the chancellor,” said Church.

Suggestions made by the committee have already been translated into legislative language and it is hoped that the final product will be presented as part of the governor’s budget that takes effect July 1, 2009, said Fingerhut.

“I’m beyond optimistic,” he said of the community college project becoming a success.

“The governor has said higher education will be the first thing saved and the last thing cut, but that doesn’t mean we won’t have challenges,” Church said concerning finances, as he noted that other funding will help get the school’s feet on the ground.

Grant money and the “collaborative nature” of all those supporting the start of the community college provide solid funding for the beginning stages, he said.

With the strategic planning coming to a close, the next six months will be dedicated to operational planning, said Church.

Come the first of the year, focus will shift to how the school will operate, including the choosing of a name.

A few names have been tossed around, such as Eastern Ohio Community College, Buckeye Community College, Western Reserve Community College and Eastern Gateway Community College.