An update regarding the "Advance Ohio Higher Education Act"
The following message was shared with the University community on Wednesday, March 26.
To our OHIO community,
Earlier today, the Ohio Senate voted to concur on Substitute Senate Bill 1: Advance Ohio Higher Education Act. The bill now moves to the Governor’s office for his consideration and signature. Upon the governor’s signature, the bill would become law.
As we shared in an update in February, these changes to Ohio state law would have a significant impact on University operations here at OHIO and at other public Universities across the state. We encourage members of our University community to read the legislation in full.
As indicated in an earlier message, Ohio University chose not to preempt the legislative process by making broad-sweeping changes before this legislation becomes law. Now, we must prepare to achieve compliance within the 90-day implementation period allowed by the state, following the Governor’s signature.
Any change, particularly the magnitude of change outlined in the Advance Ohio Higher Education Act, often comes with disruption and discomfort for many members of our University community. We realize this semester has already had more than its fair share of change, including new directives from various federal agencies, and the next several weeks are going to be even more challenging as we review, assess and navigate the potential impacts of this bill. Our commitment to you is that we will make every effort to protect and advance student success even as we make changes that may impact the experiences of individuals across our University community.
Know that we are actively planning a variety of ways to share more information, field questions, gather ideas and input and keep you informed of decisions as they are made. As we continue our work to share details on next steps, we will also provide ways for you to engage in the dialogue.
Sincerely,
Lori Stewart Gonzalez
President
Donald J. Leo
Executive Vice President and Provost