Ohio’s top higher ed advocate pushes hard for state funding

As president of Ohio’s flagship university, Ohio State, Gordon Gee has the burden of making the case for a strong university and college system — in the midst of an economic recession that has required sacrifice across the board. It is not an easy task, especially when the higher education system depends, in large part, on money from the state treasury. Over the years, state funding for Ohio’s universities and colleges has declined sharply, so that today less than 50 percent of the overall cost comes from Columbus. As a result, tuition increases and deep cuts in spending are commonplace.

The future isn’t any brighter.

Indeed, the universities and colleges are anticipating cuts of 20 percent in state subsidies for the fiscal year that starts July 1, 2011.

“ ... we are working very hard to make the case, which I believe that most people understand, that Ohio State and higher education are the economic engines that will drive the state,” Dr. Gee told the Columbus Dispatch, in discussing the forthcoming biennium state budget. “One thing I know about [Gov.-elect] John Kasich is not only that he is a very smart man, but he also is a guy who believes in making tough decisions and making good investment strategies.”

We hope the president of OSU is right in his assessment of the soon-to-be Republican governor, who during the campaign made it clear that he expects the 13 public institutions of higher education to tighten their belts, do more with less, and implement programs for cutting operating costs.

However, it is encouraging that Gee is pushing hard for state funding, given the intense competition already taking place for the limited pool of money.

At Youngstown State University, which is not a Tier 1 institution, President Cynthia Anderson and the board of trustees are bracing for a $7 million reduction in state funding for the upcoming fiscal year, in addition to the cuts already in place. YSU, which took a hit in current biennium budget, had to absorb another $3 million reduction in state allocations for the rest of this fiscal year.

This reality has forced Anderson to order a 8.5 percent cut in operating budgets of all university divisions, while the chairman of the board of trustees, Scott Schulick, has said that a tuition increase is likely.

Tuition option

Likewise, the president of OSU is exploring the tuition option if state funding for higher education is reduced significantly.

Asked by the Dispatch if he would apply a self-imposed limit on a tuition increase, Gee said, “Oh yeah, we’re not about gouging anyone. ... I’m a low-tuition guy. But obviously we have to look at a variety of sources to make certain that we meet the needs of the university and the needs of our students.”

Therein lies the challenge for all 13 public universities and colleges in Ohio. A national economic recession is not the best time to be picking the pockets of the students.

It is to be hoped that when Gov. Kasich and the Republican controlled General Assembly meet to develop the spending blueprint for the biennium, the discussion about higher education will center on the role universities and colleges will play in Ohio’s economic recovery.

A story in Tuesday’s Vindicator about V&M Star looking to YSU to fill high-paying jobs in its new state-of-the-art steel pipe-making plant shows the importance of a college degree in this economy.