Ohio Colleges Cooperate on Funding

Seeking a better way to allocate limited resources for higher education construction projects, college and university leaders in Ohio worked as a team to provide recommendations to Gov. John Kasich.

The Ohio Higher Education Capital Funding Collaborative delivered a report last month that spelled out its recommendations for distributing $350 million in capital funding to the state’s 37 public colleges and universities.

To determine which projects should be a priority, the collaborative evaluated which proposals would help create "world-class programs;" encourage private-public partnerships; enhance Ohio’s competitive advantage; improve workforce development opportunities; and encourage efficient construction practices.

Previously, the allocation of funds for higher-education construction in Ohio was determined by the age of an institution’s facilities, its enrollment numbers and the amount of infrastructure on a campus.

The new method, the collaborative says in a report to the governor, "was found to be more flexible, more accommodating, and presented a more strategic vision for the State of Ohio’s investment."

The largest project recommended is a $50 million Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Chemistry Building at Ohio State University in Columbus.