Events Calendar
In This Section
Most Read Stories
NFL star Chris Spielman's wife loses cancer battle
Man found dead in North Akron home is identified
Dad accused of forcing son into field, killing him
Coventry man killed in crash at I-77 ramp
Poor machine maintenance blamed for fire at Akron business
College student mistaken for deer, shot to death
Indians add 7 players to 40-man roster
Man allegedly paid teens to spit in his face
Body with gunshot wounds found in Canton Township creek
Blogs:
Pets:
Sick Pets Get High-tech Health Care
The Heldenfiles:
Friday Night Notebook
Patrick McManamon:
The proposed new LeBron mural doesn't do it for me
Akron Zips:
Two blowouts, one night
Tribe Matters:
Seven players added to Tribe’s 40-man roster
Cleveland Browns:
Hey, somebody's gotta stick up for the Browns
Kent State Sports:
Singletary update
Cleveland Cavaliers:
Gameblog: Cavs at Indiana Pacers
Buckeye Blogging:
OSU – Michigan college football rivals meet in Baghdad
Varsity Letters:
Bowling season starts today
All Da King's Men:
Attention Haters, Palin And Hannity Together
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Muslim McCarthyism & Death Prayers
Akron Law Café:
Federal Judge Declares DOMA Unconstitutional
See Jane Style:
Vintage Chic
Car Chase:
TIME TO GET YOUR COLLECTOR CARS WINTERIZED
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Silverdome Potentially SOLD!
Ohio Travels with Betty:
Norma asks if Barkitecture is still at Stan Hywet.
Sound Check:
Steely Dan Plays "The Royal Scam" at E.J. Thomas Hall
HRLite House:
Colloquium at University of Akron
Akron Gamer:
Nintendo's Mario endures even as games come and go
Eric Fingerhut has made many sound choices for higher education. One is not the proposed axing of the Ohio Urban University Program
Published on Thursday, Mar 12, 2009
The decision also meant that Fingerhut had the job of finding savings elsewhere in the higher education budget. On Tuesday, he reiterated to an Ohio House subcommittee that the process involved close examination of ''each and every line item.'' He measured the items against the goals of the 10-year strategic plan for colleges and universities and ''the relationship between the particular program and the prosperity of the state.''
Again, almost all of his choices were sound, and the chancellor deserves credit for managing thoughtfully a tough process.
That said, one choice should receive the attention of lawmakers. The chancellor has proposed eliminating the Urban University Program, a joint effort of the universities of Akron and Toledo, Cleveland State, Youngstown State, Kent State, Ohio State and Wright State. The Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University serves as the headquarters and, frankly, plays a dominant role. The proposed savings of $5 million is small change in view of the $54 billion state budget plan.
Advocates of the program aren't seeking to protect every dollar. A case can be made that the program should receive the same treatment as the Voinovich center at Ohio University and the Glenn school at Ohio State, these public-affairs programs looking at a roughly 50 percent reduction. Thus, require the Urban University Program to take a substantial hit, yet keep its mission alive.
Why? It may seem at times that Northeast Ohio hardly would suffer if one, two, three or more organizations dedicated to talking about economic development disappeared from the scene. The Urban University Program serves as a vehicle for the state to elevate an essential discussion, generating analyses and statistics, inviting collaboration, reinforcing the shared perspective of larger cities, the true drivers of regional economies. If the program isn't as strong as the chancellor and others would like to see, then press to improve its work.
One partner in the urban program is the respected Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at the University of Akron. It doesn't play a large role, yet its presence reinforces that the urban program deserves better.
Get the full article here.
Comments
Click here to post your comments
