25th Anniversary Legislative Event Speech Thank you for coming to help us celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Shawnee State University. Looking around the room, there are so many people here tonight who have made a difference in our university’s past, present, and future. All of you in this room, at one point, have made an investment in higher education – and in Shawnee State University. You know, every time you make an investment in a person, a business, a community, an idea, or a relationship — you take a risk. You wonder if the investment will be worth the effort, time, and resources. 25 years ago, Ohio legislators — under the gentle (and not so gentle) urging of Speaker of the House Vern Riffe — voted to invest in the future of southern Ohio by
authorizing that Shawnee State Community College become Ohio’s 13th university. House Bill 739 was one of the few bills Vern Riffe completely sponsored on his own. As many of you know, Vern’s bill was met with enthusiasm — and some skepticism — but it passed with overwhelming support by the Ohio House and the support of Riffe’s long-‐term colleague, Governor James Rhodes. Riffe and Rhodes believed that Shawnee State University would “bring hope of economic development and independence” to southern Ohio. This ongoing hope is reflected in the Shawnee State University mission to prepare students for the changing needs of business, industry, and education; to enrich the lives of the community we serve; and ultimately, to make higher education accessible to an underserved population. And, it’s why we’re here tonight.
I want to report on the status of Ohio’s investment in Shawnee State University — and to say thank you for your support for the past 25 years. I also want to take this opportunity to tell you how your investment continues to grow — and will — long into the future. You know, in the life of a university, 25 years is pretty young. In many ways, we are just getting started, but we’ve also come a long way. I’d like to share with you now some details about the impact that Shawnee State University has made over the last 25 years — and share with you our plans for the future. In 1986 — our first year as a university — roughly 2700 students attended Shawnee State. Today, nearly 4700 students are enrolled in programs on our campus.
That first year, ALL of those students were commuters. We had no housing. Today, more than 1,000 students live in university housing and applications are coming in faster than units can be built. And, these units have been built through a unique partnership with a private developer, with no cost to the state. Our housing growth has been incredible – with an 83% increase in just the past five years. Enrollment has grown by 39% in the last ten years. So we have more students. What does that really mean for Ohio? I believe numbers can help paint a powerful picture – and all of us in this room are people who rely on data. So, I want to share some compelling numbers with you to illustrate just what our growth has meant to us, and more importantly, our community.
We did an economic impact study more than two years ago – back when our enrollment was 724 fewer students than today. That study showed that Shawnee State’s existence translates to $93 million a year in economic activity in southern Ohio. That includes direct and indirect spending of the university, our 877 faculty and staff, and our students. It also includes the impact of our construction projects. The study also showed that through our spending, our existence supports 3700 jobs in the region. The economists tell me these are conservative numbers — and with more students now, we know that impact is much greater today. To our local businesses, these numbers are personal, as they have reported increases of 20 percent and greater in their businesses when school is in session. This study tells us a great deal – but it doesn’t tell the entire story of Shawnee
State University’s impact and the return you are getting on your investment. It doesn’t reflect the 13,000 lives that have been changed forever because of the degrees these people have received from Shawnee State University. Many of these alumni will tell you that, without Shawnee State, they wouldn’t have been able to overcome the barriers they faced to receiving an education. For many of them, the fact that Shawnee State University was close to home, was affordable, offered quality programs that would lead to a better life, and, more importantly, was sensitive to the challenges they faced and dedicated to helping them succeed — getting a college degree was suddenly an option for them. These graduates are now making a difference in our hospitals, in our schools, in big business and small business throughout Ohio — and beyond. They are creating companies of their own. They are innovators. Problem-‐solvers. They are educated men and women who are using their knowledge to change their corners of the world for the better.
Our corner of the world is southern Ohio. And, we are making an impact there. What can’t be defined in quantifiable numbers is our impact on the quality of life in our community. Having a University means access to continuing education, to experts in countless fields, to lectures and discussions aimed at helping us think differently. It means access to the performing arts, to cultural events, and to resources only found on a college campus. It adds a focus to the future — and that is something that is critical for southern Ohio. Our community is made up of proud people of Appalachian heritage with a 200-‐year history of invention and pioneer spirit. For much of its history, our community relied on manufacturing — and we have struggled in dealing with its loss.
Southern Ohio lags behind the state and nation in education attainment and, transitioning to a knowledge-‐based work force is a challenge — and a priority. Shawnee State University has become the hope of the community and its future. While not a tangible that can be measured, this hope is critical in our community’s ability to reinvent itself. A vital role of government is to foster this type of reinvention and instill this type of hope. You have done that with your investment in higher education and Shawnee State University. And I’m here tonight to let you know that your investment continues to grow. Today, Shawnee State University is efficient and flexible. We operate “lean,” maximizing limited resources and finding innovative ways to continue to meet the
needs of our students and parents while keeping education costs down. An example of this innovation can be seen in our recent University Center expansion — which was a LEEDs certified project. The use of ground source water to cool this building has allowed us to add 45,000 square feet of space with less energy consumption than before we expanded. HB 251 set a goal for universities to cut consumption of energy by 20% by 2014, with a benchmark year of 2004. We are proud to report that we have already met – and exceeded this goal. Shawnee State University is an incredible academic value. Our programs are among the best in the state — and our tuition is among the lowest. We have grown our academic offerings over the years – and continue to do so, keeping a focus on future needs of students and our society. Our Gaming and Digital Simulation programs have been ranked in Princeton Review as among the top 15 such
programs in the nation. We have been named as a Center of Excellence in this field and are continuing to partner with business and industry to prepare our students for jobs of the 21st century. Our Plastics Engineering Technology program is contributing to Ohio’s largest industry in very significant ways — through applied research that is being done on our campus, by supplying a good portion of the industry’s work force, and by advancing the field for generations to come. Students in all of our programs are competing with graduates from much larger institutions – and coming out on top. The first-‐time state licensing board pass rates for our Nursing and Teacher Education graduates are higher than the state and national average. Better than 90% of our pre-‐med students are accepted into medical school. All of our 2010 Master of Occupational Therapy graduates sat through
commencement knowing they already had jobs waiting for them. As we continue to grow — in enrollment, in degree offerings, and in student services — we also grow in our impact to our community — And, in partnership with our community. All of you in this room tonight have helped Shawnee State University make a difference — through your service to the citizens of Ohio. We have several community members here, too, who have served -‐ or are currently serving -‐ on our Board of Trustees. Each of you have helped us fulfill our mission through the years — and continue to do so. So it is with great pleasure that I have an opportunity tonight to say to each of you — on behalf of our community, the 4700 students on campus,
the 877 faculty and staff employed by Shawnee State, our Board of Trustees, our 13,000 alumni, and the countless future Shawnee State Bears — thank you for the past 25 years and the many years to come. Only through the generosity of the citizens of Ohio – and all of you – are we able to provide an education – and the promise of a better life that comes with an education – to a growing number of students in Ohio.
