AICUO - The Blog

Same Goal - New Destination

2012-01-13T13:07:00.003-05:00

Kenyon will host hundreds of bicycle riders in August as the campus becomes the new overnight destination for Pelotonia, the Ohio bike tour that has raised more than $25 million for cancer research in three years.

Kenyon will gear up to welcome about 2,000 riders on August 11, with many of the riders accompanied and cheered on by family and friends. About 700 riders will spend a night in North Campus residential halls. Many of the riders are cancer survivors or have lost loved ones to the disease. As part of the partnership with Pelotonia, six Kenyon students will take advantage of medical-research internships this year at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Pelotonia is a nonprofit, Columbus-based organization that is fully funded by corporate partners and generates money through donations to riders for cancer research at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center—the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and the Richard J. Solove Research Institute. Riders raise money through sponsors and ride one of six routes, covering one or two days—this year August 11-12. Pelotonia's opening ceremony takes place in Columbus on August 10. About 1,300 riders will conclude their ride in Gambier on August 11. Another 700 will overnight in Gambier and make the return ride to Columbus on August 12.

An informational video can be found here.

E-Textbooks: Saving a Dollar, Literally

2012-01-06T14:21:00.005-05:00

One of the ballyhooed first programs of the “University System of Ohio” was an effort to save students money by pushing them toward “e-textbooks” that can be read on line or on a student’s computer or tablet.

The Board of Regents, the state agency that actually oversaw the e-textbook program, has now backed away from its direct involvement, and no wonder: According to an article in this week’s Chronicle of Higher Education, e-textbooks as a major cost-saver for students has failed to live up to its promise, as many students have saved as little as a single dollar over paper textbooks.

— Bob Burke

New Steubenville Logo Features Franciscan University’s Chapel

2012-01-06T11:13:00.003-05:00

An example of independent colleges' connection to their home-communities...

STEUBENVILLE, OH—Expect to see a new city of Steubenville logo soon on city trucks, signs, letterhead, even smartphone apps.The logo was designed by Nelson Woodcraft of Steubenville, run by Mark Nelson, a former Franciscan University student. Mark’s design team incorporated the most noted Steubenville landmarks and traits into the logo: home (family), Fort Steuben (history and tradition), the Veterans Memorial Bridge (link to commerce and the wider region), downtown (city center), the Franciscan University chapel (faith and education), a rising sun (a bright future), all anchored with the slogan “Where You Always Have a Home.”

“The ideas for the design were spearheaded by Cathy Davison (city manager) and other city and civic leaders and cheerleaders,” said Nelson. “There is a lot of pride in our community, and Nelson Woodcraft is honored and humbled to be able to contribute to Steubenville in this way.”

Davison said the new logo is part of the city's plan to be more progressive and give Steubenville a facelift for tourists and new businesses coming to the area. "The logo reflects economic development, the health and wellness of our community, and the quality of life here as we moved forward,” she said.

Late Rally Falls Short for Mount Union in Football Championship Game

2011-12-19T10:32:00.002-05:00

Football

NCAA Division III Tournament

Championship Game, Dec. 16 at Salem, Va.

Wisconsin-Whitewater 13, Mount Union 10

Mount Union Heads to 7th Consecutive NCAA Division III Championship Game

2011-12-10T18:11:00.004-05:00

Football
NCAA Division III Championship
Semifinal, Dec. 10: Mount Union 28, Wesley (Del.) 21

National Championship Game at Salem, Va.
Dec. 16, 7 p.m. EST
Mount Union vs. Wisconsin-Whitewater

— rpb

Football Results, Schedule

2011-12-06T18:54:00.003-05:00

NCAA Division III Championship

Quarterfinal, Dec. 3: Mount Union 20, Wabash (Ind.) 8

Semifinal, Dec. 10: Wesley (N.J.) at Mount Union, 12 noon EST

Ohio Wesleyan Wins NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship

2011-12-04T23:23:00.007-05:00

On Saturday night in San Antonio, Texas, Ohio Wesleyan's men's soccer team won its second NCAA Division III title by edging Calvin (Mich.) 2-1 in the championship game.

This victory represents the second NCAA championship won by an AICUO member institution this academic year; the Wittenberg volleyball team won its tournament, also in Division III, last month.

Ohio Wesleyan had defeated Montclair State (N.J.) 3-0 in the semifinal round on Friday. The final victory also set an NCAA record for Ohio Wesleyan's coach, Jay Martin, as it was his 608th, making him the all-time wins leader among soccer coaches.

The championship came after team vans were robbed of equipment and personal items, including computers with school work, shortly after their arrival in San Antonio. This near disaster attracted national attention but the team overcame this obstacle as well as its opponents to claim the title.

Other Soccer News: Rio Grande Falls in NAIA Quarterfinal

After defeating Madonna (Mich.) 4-1 and Belhaven (Miss.) 1-0, Rio Grande lost its quarterfinal game in the NAIA tournament 3-1 to William Carey (Miss.), Dec. 1 at Orange Beach, Ala.

—rpb

Ohio Wesleyan Men’s Soccer Reaches NCAA Division III Semifinal

2011-11-28T14:41:00.003-05:00

After third- and fourth-round victories over fellow AICUO member Ohio Northern and Hope (Mich.), Ohio Wesleyan’s men’s soccer team continues this weekend to the NCAA Division III semifinals in San Antonio, Texas.

On Friday at 6:30 p.m. EST, Ohio Wesleyan will play Montclair State (N.J.) in the national semifinal round. The winner of this game faces the winner of the Calvin (Mich.)-Oneonta State (N.Y.) semifinal in the championship game Saturday at 6:30 p.m. EST.

Friday's game represents the ninth time that OWU has reached the semifinals; Ohio Wesleyan won the 1998 national championship and finished as runner-up in 1990 and 1992.

— rpb

Football Playoff Results, Schedule

2011-11-28T14:38:00.003-05:00

NCAA Division III Championship

Second round, Nov. 26: Mount Union 30, Centre (Ky.) 10

Third round, Dec. 3: Wabash (Ind.) at Mount Union, 12 noon EST

—rpb

Wittenberg Claims NCAA Division III Volleyball Crown

2011-11-22T09:35:00.004-05:00

Without losing a single set, Wittenberg won all three of its matches in the NCAA Division III volleyball finals to become AICUO’s first national championship team of the academic year.

On Friday, November 18, in St. Louis, Wittenberg defeated California Lutheran, then triumphed the next night in the semifinal against Eastern (Pa.). In the final on Sunday, Wittenberg took the title by beating Christopher Newport (Va.).

The last national championship won by an AICUO member institution was the Division III baseball championship, won this past spring by Marietta.

—Bob Burke

Wittenberg Volleyball, Ohio Wesleyan and Ohio Northern Men's Soccer Play Tonight In NCAA Division III Third Round

2011-11-18T12:25:00.006-05:00

Men’s NCAA Division III soccer reaches third round play this weekend, with two AICUO members facing off tonight for a spot in the national quarterfinals.

Ohio Wesleyan hosts Ohio Northern in a third round game beginning at approximately 7:30 p.m., following another third round game between Hope (Mich.) and Luther (Iowa). The winners play in the national quarterfinal on Saturday at 6 p.m. for a spot in the finals next weekend in San Antonio, Texas. Ticket information is

To reach this round, Ohio Northern defeated first Rose-Hulman (Ind.) 2-1, then fellow AICUO member Case Western Reserve 2-0. CWRU had won its first-round game against DePauw (Ind.), 3-0. Ohio Wesleyan was given a first-round bye, then defeated Washington (Mo.) 1-0 in round two.

The other AICUO member to reach the tournament, Baldwin-Wallace, lost its first-round game 2-1 to Oneonta State (N.Y.).

In the women’s NCAA Division III tournament, all AICUO member institutions were eliminated before reaching the third round of play. Capital defeated Alma (Mich.) 1-0 in the first round, but lost its next game to Wheaton (Ill.) 3-0. Case Western Reserve defeated Lebanon Valley 3-0 before losing to SUNY-Cortland 1-0. Following a scoreless regulation and overtime, Ohio Wesleyan lost its first round game on penalty kicks to Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

In NCAA Division III volleyball, Wittenberg plays tonight in St. Louis in a national quarterfinal game against California Lutheran. The Tigers defeated Rose-Hulman (Ind.), AICUO member Heidelberg, and Calvin (Mich.) to reach the final weekend of tournament play.

Beyond Heidelberg, which won its first-round match over Geneva (Wis.) before losing to Wittenberg, other AICUO members in the volleyball tournament included Mount Union, which defeated Lebanon Valley (Pa.) before falling to Juniata (Pa.); Hiram, which defeated Stevenson (Pa.) before being eliminated by Eastern (Pa.); and Otterbein, which dropped its first round match to Hope.

NCAA Division III football playoffs commence Saturday, and the only AICUO member in the field, Mount Union, begins its trek toward its 11th national championship by hosting Benedictine (Ill.) at noon EST.

We'll have details next week on NAIA and other postseason tournaments, along with results of this weekend's NCAA games.

Sign On! Help Save Federal Student Aid.

2011-11-13T16:34:00.005-05:00

Today, I blog to ask for your support in speaking out to legislators on the importance of federal student aid to our nation’s students. The “Save Student Aid” campaign by the Student Aid Alliance has launched multiple efforts across all sectors of higher education to inform members of both political parties on the role federal student aid plays in our economy at this challenging time.

Over the past two weeks, more than 58,000 members of our campus communities, along with other concerned citizens, have signed the Alliance’s Statement of Support. The vast majority of these sign-ons have come from private, non-profit colleges. Here are some of the statistics as of last week:

· There are 73 colleges that have been identified with more than 100 signers

· Loyola Chicago is in first place with 3,320 signatures

· Loyola Marymount is in second place with 1,859 signatures

· Towson University, the only four-year public in the top 20, is in third place with 1,823.

If you haven’t yet engaged your friends and colleagues in the “Save Student Aid” effort, please do so today.

As idea starters, NAICU has gathered a sampling of what other institutions have been doing. The Super Committee is working against a November 23 deadline for its budget recommendations, so there is a limited window of opportunity for us to influence the debate. To receive updates, follow the Student Aid Alliance's campaign on Twitter.

A New Presidency, But Not a New President

2011-11-02T12:45:00.002-04:00

As much as possible, someone from the AICUO office attends the inauguration of all new presidents of our member colleges and universities. In many cases it’s our first chance to say hello and lay the groundwork for a future meeting to introduce the association and our work in detail.

But at the most recent inauguration this past month, there was no need to introduce ourselves. Dr. Daniel DiBiasio, the new president at Ohio Northern University knows our work in intimate detail, as he is the immediate past chair of the AICUO Executive Committee from his just-completed tenure as president of Wilmington College.

Bob Burke took part in the academic procession on the Ada campus as AICUO’s representative. He expressed our satisfaction that Dr. DiBiasio will continue to work with us, as he remains on the association’s executive committee after serving as chair from 2008 to 2010. It was also time for friendly conversation with two of Dr. DiBiasio’s predecessors: Dr. Kendall Baker, AICUO’s chair from 2006 to 2008, and Dr. DeBow Freed, for whom ONU’s performing arts center is named and who served as AICUO Secretary from 1981 to 1983.

Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony Held for Franklin University

2011-10-24T15:03:00.007-04:00

Franklin University held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday to celebrate the official opening of the newest building on campus . The new building houses the University's College of Arts, Sciences & Technology. Faculty and administrative staff now occupy 34 office spaces, 14 workstations, and multiple huddle and conference spaces.

The addition of the building on Grant Ave. to the University's Main Campus allows Franklin to provide additional professional office environment for its growing number of full-time faculty members.

The purchase and renovation of the building is the latest milestone in Franklin University's strategic growth plan, which sets out to strengthen its resources and offerings by expanding educational opportunities to students across the country and globe.

Pictured are Board of Trustees Chair, Gary James; Franklin County Commissioner, Paula Brooks; Franklin President, David Decker; and College of Arts, Sciences & Technology Dean, Dr. Keith Groff.

I would like to extend a special thank-you to Jane Sieberth, Assistant Chair of the Computer Science Department, for introducing me to multiple Franklin employees and the personal tour of this great new building.

In addition, I would also like to congratulate Jane and Dr. Christopher Washington, Provost, on Franklin's recent awarding of the "C.E.O. Best of Business Award for Best Online Degree Program." Franklin's dedication to the on-line world of educating students should make Columbus and Ohio proud.

What's Happening to High School Graduations?

2011-10-12T14:08:00.008-04:00

Today’s Graph of the Week shows the most recent in the annual series of projections by the U.S. Department of Education on the number of public high school graduations each year in Ohio. The message couldn’t be more clear: the source of Ohio resident traditional-age college students is getting smaller each year.

We’ve received several questions today wondering why this is, and an answer comes from the decennial U.S. Census, whose 2010 figures are now easily available at the American FactFinder website. In the period 2000-2010, Ohio’s total population grew, but at a rate of 1.6 percent, much slower than the U.S. total increase of 9.7 percent.

Table 1: Ohio Population by Age Groups, 2000 and 2010
Source: US Census Bureau, American Factfinder
	2000	2010	Change
Total population	11,353,140	11,536,504	183,364	1.6%
Under 5 years	754,930	720,856	-34,074	-4.5%
5 to 9 years	816,346	747,889	-68,457	-8.4%
10 to 14 years	827,811	774,699	-53,112	-6.4%
15 to 19 years	816,868	823,682	6,814	0.8%

In the detail of this population change, shown in Table 1, you can see that Ohio’s population of school-age children actually dropped over those ten years, except for the oldest group that includes the most recent high school graduates. We can’t say from the data precisely why that drop occurred, but it makes clear why high school graduations down the road will be going down — there aren’t as many second-graders around to graduate ten years from now.

—Bob Burke

Two AICUO Presidents Are "Most Powerful and Influential Women"

2011-09-08T11:32:00.003-04:00

The presidents of two AICUO member institutions were recognized today as among "2011 Ohio Most Powerful and Influential Women" at the fourth annual Ohio Diversity and Leadership Conference, held in Columbus. Presidents Barbara Gellman-Danley of the University of Rio Grande and Kathy Krendl of Otterbein University were among 15 honorees.

Photo by Robert P. Burke

AICUO President Champion of National Golf Tournament

2011-08-05T11:19:00.003-04:00

We love to report on our members’ sports achievements — there have been two NCAA national team championships won this year by AICUO campuses — but we don’t often get to blow our own horns like this.

Now we know that calling this week’s National Association of Independent College State Executive golf outing at the Hershey Links Golf Course a “national golf tournament” is a bit of a stretch, but our President Todd Jones is surely champion of it. He shot a 2-under-par 70 to win the individual trophy in a 20-person field, and his team, playing in a “shamble” format in which players take the team’s two best balls off the tee and follow individually to the hole, won in the net competition. Todd even managed to dodge a wayward drive from former Boston Celtic and Detroit Piston star M.L. Carr.

C. Todd Jones Addresses Mt. Carmel Graduates

2011-07-22T08:52:00.003-04:00

In early May, I had the opportunity to offer my first commencement address. The invitation was extended last fall by Mount Carmel College of Nursing, one of the state's largest nursing colleges and the only institution that I can see from the window of my office in the Huntington Center.

To say that I was honored understates my appreciation for the opportunity. That feeling deepened, however, when I learned this spring that the Board of Trustees had voted to grant me an honorary Doctor of Laws degree as part of the ceremony. The award was made in recognition of my work on behalf of education generally and nonprofit colleges in particular throughout my career.

On May 7, I joined the faculty and trustees of Mt. Carmel in congratulating 162 new baccalaureate degree recipients and thirteen master degree recipients. The ceremony was a family affair, with dozens of small children supporting their moms and dads as who earned degrees, as well as the hundreds of parents and siblings of traditional-age students.

In my address, I talked about how, unlike my work as a lawyer and others like farming, acting, building, or fighting, nursing is a young profession and one that is rapidly evolving. What was once a subsidiary role to doctors now has independence far greater than most long-tenured nurses in the audience might have imagined when they entered the profession. I then noted that the profession again will evolve over their careers, and will likely be very different when they themselves retire decades from now.

I encouraged the graduates to give back through service; to continually seek to learn more in all facets of their lives; to never assume that their path is set or that their options are limited; to take on new challenges; and to lead or support those who do.

The speech also presented a unique opportunity to me as well: one of the graduating nurses was a young woman of my long acquaintance. In closing the address, I offered my personal congratulations to Laura Eckl, one of the new bachelor's degree recipients.

After my address, I was presented with my honorary degree and its accompanying academic regalia, pictured at right.

The day will always be special to me, both as an opportunity to congratulate the new graduates, but also as the day I was blessed to receive an honorary doctorate. My personal thanks to the Board of Trustees, the faculty of Mt. Carmel College of Nursing, and especially to Mt. Carmel President Dr. Ann Schiele, whose support for me as association president is unending, and who encouraged her board to offer me the chance to speak and to be individually honored.

—C. Todd Jones

Post-Budget

2011-07-18T15:23:00.005-04:00

Substitute House Bill 153, the state operating budget, has been passed out of both chambers and signed by the Governor. This budget, as compared to the previous two, was friendly to independent college students. The Ohio College Opportunity Grant survived without any noticeable trim — aid to independent college students was cut by more than 50 percent over the last four years.

The current amount for the OCOG aid package will be $1,872, up from $1,848 last year. This amount is an across-the-board amount for all eligible students and will be the same no matter the estimated family contribution of the college student.

Many other programs important to independent colleges and their students received slight cuts of 5 - 10 percent. For a full, detailed look at the budget as it travelled from chamber to chamber and into conference committee, click here. The full bill, more than 4,000 pages, can be found here.

Malone Senior Wins David Toms Award From National Golf Coaches Assn.

2011-06-06T10:09:00.007-04:00

Malone senior Justin Lower, from Canal Fulton, Ohio, capped off a stellar four-year Malone career by earning the prestigious David Toms Award, presented annually by the Golf Coaches Association of America to one men's collegiate golfer (among all levels) who has overcome adversity to achieve collegiate excellence.

Three Malone Golfers Are NAIA All-Americans

At the NAIA men’s golf tournament, held May 24-27 at Silvis, Ill., three members of Malone’s squad earned All-American honors for 2011.

Lower, last year’s medalist, finished in third place, which qualified him for the All-America first team. Two underclassmen from Massillon, junior Richie Schembechler and sophomore Tyler Light, earned spots on the second team.

Malone finished third overall in the tournament, six strokes behind national champion Oklahoma Christian; Lower also finished six strokes behind this year’s medalist, Oscar Stark of the championship team.

NCAA Division II, III Tournaments

The Baldwin-Wallace women’s golf team ended up 15th in the rain-shortened NCAA Division III tournament, May 10-12 at Howley-in-the-Hills, Fla. Neither AICUO member that qualified for the men’s Division III tournament — Mount Union and Wittenberg — made the cut for the final two rounds, May 10-11 at Greensboro, N.C. In Division II, Ashland’s women tied for ninth place in the 12-team field, May 13-16 at Allendale, Mich.; junior Erin Misheff of Fisher Lake, Ohio, finished tied for sixth in the individual rankings.

— Bob Burke

Marietta Baseball Wins NCAA Division III Title

2011-05-31T10:44:00.006-04:00

Marietta's baseball team captured its fifth NCAA Division III baseball championship, by defeating Chapman (Calif.) 18-5 in the second game of the final day of the tournament, Tuesday at Appleton, Wis.

Chapman fended off elimination by defeating the Pioneers 15-4, giving the teams one loss apiece in the double-elimination playoff. The second game then became the de facto national championship game, and the Pioneers took charge early, forging a 9-1 lead after three innings.

Marietta is the all-time leader in NCAA Division III baseball championships, as this year's champs join winners in 1981, 1983, 1986 and 2006.

This represents the second NCAA team championship won by an AICUO member this year. In March, Denison upset perennial winner Kenyon, both association members, to capture the Division III men's swimming and diving championship.

The Pioneers came out of the winner's bracket in the double-elimination tournament, beating Salisbury (Md.) 8-0 on Friday and Chapman 9-4 on Saturday. On Sunday, a 5-1 win by the Pioneers sent Buena Vista (Iowa) to an elimination game, and on Monday, Marietta eliminated Keystone (Pa.) 11-2. By defeating Buena Vista on Sunday, Chapman became the last team besides Marietta in the tourney.

--Bob Burke

Woodrow Wilson Fellows Recognized

2011-05-17T13:26:00.004-04:00

From the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship website:

Chancellor Jim Petro announced today at the Ohio Statehouse that the Woodrow Wilson Ohio Teaching Fellowship will expand from four to seven university campuses in Ohio in the coming year, including the University of Dayton. Petro also welcomed members of the program’s inaugural class. These Fellows have been accepted into the program as high-quality math and science teacher candidates for high-need Ohio schools - two of whom are John Carroll University students.

Universities joining the Woodrow Wilson Ohio Teaching Fellowship are Ohio University, the University of Dayton, and the University of Toledo. Each will participate in the 2011-12 recruitment cycle, announcing their first classes of Fellows in spring 2012. These universities join four others already involved in the program: John Carroll University, the Ohio State University, the University of Akron and the University of Cincinnati. A map of the Ohio universities participating in the program can be found here.

The Woodrow Wilson Ohio Teaching Fellowship recruits accomplished career changers and outstanding recent college graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (the STEM fields) who will prepare for math and science teaching positions in the state’s urban and rural schools. For a factsheet on the Woodrow Wilson Ohio Teaching Fellowship, click here.

What would happen to a needy student's OCOG award if ...

2011-05-03T08:39:00.004-04:00

... the state budget passes in its current form?

It would drop by almost 2/3 from this year, and almost 7/8 from three years ago.

Want to know what to do about it?

Go here to write a letter to your legislator.

Ohio House to Slash OCOG Funding for Independent College Students

2011-05-02T09:02:00.002-04:00

OCOG on Chopping Block for 62% Cut

On April 28, 2011, Rep. Ron Amstutz (R-Wooster) released the House majority’s revision of the governor’s FY 2012-2013 Executive Budget. Through two significant changes to the Ohio College Opportunity Grant (OCOG) program, need-based funding for students at independent colleges will be reduced from $35.5 million to an estimated $13.35 million in the coming fiscal year. This will represent a 62 percent cut in aid in one year.

The reduction will be acutely felt by every OCOG recipient. In the school year now ending (2010-11), each eligible full-time independent-college student received $1,848. (This was down from a flat grant of $2,256 per year in 2009-10 and a maximum of $4,992 prior to that.)

Take action by writing a letter to your legislator today. Click here to get started.

2011 AICUO Awards Reception

2011-04-15T09:31:00.001-04:00

AICUO Award Winners (from left to right) Christopher Greathouse, Rose Hermalin, Ken Aschliman, Katherine Richards, Wendy Birchfield, Rachel Shelton, and Anh Hoang Vu hold up their unique physical awards.

The AICUO Awards reception took place last night on the Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU) campus. Activities began at 5:00 p.m. with the Student Panel Discussion in the R.W. Corns Building, then proceeded to the finalists' exhibition in the OWU Ross Art Museum.

The reception room boasted a showcase of the six finalists' works, ranging from 3-dimensional media to traditional oil painting, and a central table displaying the physical metal awards. After an interval of mingling and viewing the artwork, Todd Jones, president of AICUO, announced the various winners of the night, beginning with recognition for Caleb Boller, winner of the AICUO Sculpture Design Contest.

Next, Jones revealed the AICUO People's Choice Award winner to be Christopher Greathouse from Denison University. Each winner received a unique metal sculpture as a reward for their accomplishments, a legislative commendation from their hometown, and a prize package from our various in-kind sponsors.

AICUO President Todd Jones (left) with
Grand Award Winner Ken Aschliman

Following the People's Choice Award came the announcement of Ken Aschliman from the Columbus College of Art & Design as the Grand Award Winner. Along with the prizes listed above, Ken also receives a $2,500 cash prize as well as the chance to sell a piece of art to the AICUO office for permanent display.

The other award winners were honored at the reception with a presentation of their award sculpture, commendations and gifts from our sponsors. These winners include:

Wendy Birchfield from The Cleveland Institute of Art
Rose Hermalin from Oberlin College
Anh Hoang Vu from Ohio Wesleyan University
Katherine Richards from The Cleveland Institute of Art
Rachel Shelton from The Cleveland Institute of Art

Capital Student Testifies on Behalf of OCOG

2011-04-07T13:34:00.004-04:00

Christopher Meyer, a freshman at Capital University in Bexley, Ohio, heeded the call to action by AICUO staff when public testimony was slated for the House Higher Education Subcommittee this morning.

Christopher is originally from Upper Arlington and had a couple different options when making his choice where to attend college in Ohio. Because of the assistance that OCOG provided him, he chose Capital University to continue his education. He is a biology/pre-med major with a minor in religion. Chairman Randy Gardner (R - Bowling Green) joked that in whichever path Christopher chooses, he will be a healer.

Christopher testified before the five members of the subcommittee in the morning after hearing a few other witnesses before him give testimony on the healthcare pooling initiative within the budget. Members of the committee actually included the State Representative for his institution, Nancy Garland (D - Gahanna), who was very pleased to see a student from her district taking the initiative to do his part in the advocacy for this important program and wished him luck in his future endeavors.

AICUO would like to thank Christopher for his efforts and taking the time from his day to advocate for independent college students in Ohio. Christopher's testimony can be found on the AICUO website, here.

Legislators and Presidents Chat Over Breakfast

2011-04-06T14:06:00.007-04:00

AICUO held its Legislative Breakfast today to bring Ohio's independent college presidents and legislators together for an informal meet and greet prior to the AICUO/OFIC Spring Meeting. The event was held in the Statehouse Crypt and was well attended by both groups.

Legislators were able to ask questions of their local college presidents regarding their opinion on the as-introduced budget, specifically OCOG, as well as answer any questions the presidents had on local and state issues.

Although the event kicked off at 7:45 am, many were engaged and welcomed the informal group setting, I presume the bountiful coffee and fruit had something to do with that.

After the event, presidents walked to the Westin for the AICUO Spring Meeting to discuss more AICUO issues in depth and hear from the newly-appointed OBR Chancellor, Jim Petro, over lunch.

"ICD Round 2" Knocks it Out of the Atrium

2011-03-31T19:14:00.009-04:00

As Major League Baseball starts off its season, ten more independent colleges and over 60 students were at the Statehouse in Columbus to advocate for maintenance of OCOG funds within the Governor's Executive Budget. The bill, HB 153, appropriates $41 million in each year of the biennium for need-based aid to assist low-income students attend Ohio's independent colleges.

The students and their campuses were on display in tabletop form for legislators and staff to peruse throughout the day. Statehouse press corps were there to obtain real-life stories of how OCOG made the difference in students' lives and legislators and staff engaged students in conversation over lunch.

Students were also able to hear from House Education Chair, Rep. Gerry Stebelton and Rep. Jay Goyal. These legislators gave their insight on what it is like to be a state representative in this General Assembly and fielded questions from students on Various issues.

By the end of the day, many students had participated in legislative meetings and witnessed legislation being debated in various House Finance Subcommittees being held throughout the day.

We at AICUO would like to thank those students and campuses who participated in Independent College Day this year, Round 1 or 2, as well as a special thank-you to the legislators who took the time to view the displays and learn more about campuses across our state. We hope they saw the importance of these institutions and were able to to hear from the students why they attended a smaller, liberal arts campus.

We are already in the process of planning next year's event, and hope to see upwards of 25 or more campuses next spring.

Independent Colleges Represent(ed)

2011-03-24T16:22:00.003-04:00

Today more than 45 students from the University of Dayton, Baldwin-Wallace College, University of Rio Grande, Capital University, Wittenberg University, and Wilberforce University attended the first of two 2011 AICUO Independent College Days to advocate on behalf of their institutions and meet with legislators and staff. The event started with an Education Committee breakout session hosted by Senate Education Committee Chair, Senator Peggy Lehner (R – Kettering), and included unique display tables for the students and advisors to showcase their institutions as legislators and staff perused the tables and discussed policy and Ohio higher education with attending students. The students were also able to tour the Senate and House chambers, watch Senate skeleton-session in progress, as well as view committee rooms and other aspects of the historical building. Legislators were able to hear real-life stories about how need-based aid affects students and how important it is for them to remain in college; without it, many students would have to reconsider their educational path.

Independent College Day will return to the Statehouse on March 31, 2011 with more than 10 campuses already signed up to participate.

- Dustin A. Holfinger

Chancellor Petro Testifies Before House Finance Committee

2011-03-23T11:39:00.001-04:00

After only four days as chancellor, Jim Petro stood before the House Finance and Appropriations Committee on Tuesday to testify on the Board of Regents' portion within HB 153, the State Operating Budget. He was very brief in his comments to allow for questions from the committee members, who took full advantage of the extra time. Questions ranged from asking what other states, who are competing for Ohio's high school students, do to rein in costs and attract students, to the possibility of attracting more Ohio institutions to compete for Third Frontier dollars, to the possibility of consolidation of Wilberforce University and Central State University.

The chancellor will have his hands full while learning higher education policy during a budget year, but committee members were impressed and ready to work with him as this portion of the budget develops.

For a copy of his testimony, click here.

Student Aid Alliance Launches New Website

2011-03-21T15:09:00.008-04:00

We are pleased to alert you to the launch of the new Student Aid Alliance website. The following release provides an overview of the site's new features and a summary of what's at risk for federal student aid. NAICU, the national independent college association, co-chairs the Alliance with the American Council on Education.

You're encouraged to share word of the new site with your campus communities. Please invite students and others to visit the site for updates and to use our "action center" to contact their representatives; and encourage them to follow the Alliance on Facebook and Twitter. You can also show your support for the Student Aid Alliance by adding to your website an Alliance web button (follow the link, and scroll down the page to "How You Can Show Your Support, Too").

Other NCAA Basketball Results: Xavier Women Advance, Face Louisville Tuesday

2011-03-21T15:09:00.007-04:00

Division I Women’s Tournament
First Round

March 19 at State College, Pa.
Penn State 75, Dayton 66

March 20 at Cincinnati
Xavier 72, South Dakota State 56

Second Round

March 22 at Cincinnati
Louisville at Xavier, 7 p.m.

Division I Men’s Tournament

March 18 at Cleveland

Marquette 65, Xavier 55

Wooster Falls In NCAA Division III Men’s Hoops Final

2011-03-21T15:06:00.003-04:00

NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Championship

at Salem, Va.

National Semifinal

Friday, March 18

Wooster 73, Williams (Mass.) 71

National Final

Saturday, March 19

St. Thomas (Minn.) 78, Wooster 54

This Weekend’s NCAA Basketball Tournament Action

2011-03-18T09:22:00.005-04:00

Friday, March 18

Division I Men’s Tournament

Xavier vs. Marquette (Wis.), 7:27 p.m. at Cleveland

Division III Men’s Tournament

Wooster vs. Williams (Mass.), 6:00 p.m. at Salem, Va.

Saturday, March 19

Division I Women’s Tournament

Dayton at Penn State, 11:10 a.m.

Division III Men’s Tournament

Wooster-Williams winner vs. St. Thomas (Minn.)-Middlebury (Vt.) winner, 3:30 p.m. at Salem, Va.

Sunday, March 20

Division I Women’s Tournament

South Dakota State at Xavier, 2:30 p.m.

Division I Men’s Tournament

Xavier-Marquette winner vs. Syracuse (N.Y.)-Indiana State winner, at Cleveland, time TBA.

Turnovers Haunt Walsh Women in NAIA Tourney Semifinal Defeat

2011-03-15T12:31:00.002-04:00

NAIA Division II Women’s Basketball Tournament

at Sioux Falls, Iowa

Semifinal, March 14

Davenport 68, Walsh 55

Basketball Roundup: Walsh Women Play Monday Night in NAIA Division III Semifinal; Wooster Reaches NCAA Division III Men’s Final Four

2011-03-14T10:02:00.003-04:00

Walsh’s women’s basketball team plays undefeated Davenport (Mich.) in the NAIA Division III basketball semifinal game, Monday at 6 p.m. Central time in Sioux Falls, Iowa.

Torrid second-half shooting led Walsh to victory in its quarterfinal game over Black Hills State (S.D.) 83-73, while Davenport reached the semifinal by defeating Cedarville 81-58 on Saturday.

NCAA Division III Men

A 76-66 win Saturday over No. 1-ranked Whitworth (Wash.) brought Wooster to its third NCAA Division III men’s basketball semifinal, to be played against Williams (Mass.) Friday night at Salem, Va.

The previous night, Wooster dumped Cabrini (Pa.) 94-77 to set up the quarterfinal against Whitworth, which defeated AICUO member Marietta 93-77.
Wooster and Williams met in the semifinal in 2007, with Wooster falling in overtime. The other final four schools are Middlebury (Vt.) and St. Thomas (Minn.), setting up an all-independent Division III final.
Ozarks Ousts Walsh Men from NAIA Tourney

Home court had its advantage Saturday in the NAIA Division II men’s championship, as No. 1-ranked Walsh fell to the host school, the College of the Ozarks (Mo.), 71-66.

NAIA Division II Basketball Tournament Results, Upcoming Games

2011-03-11T10:55:00.008-05:00

Men’s Tournament

at Point Lookout, Mo.

First Round

March 10

Eastern Oregon 82, Cedarville 74

Second Round

March 11

Walsh vs. College of the Ozarks (Mo.), 7:30 p.m. CST

Women’s Tournament

at Sioux City, Iowa

First Round

March 10

Walsh 80, Florida Memorial 71

Second Round

March 11

Cedarville 81, College of the Ozarks 76

Walsh 72, Marian 58

First Round NAIA Basketball Results

2011-03-10T09:29:00.004-05:00

March 9

Men’s Championship at Point Lookout, Mo.

Walsh 81, Union (Ky.) 59

Women’s Championship at Sioux City, Iowa

Cedarville 73, St. Francis (Ind.) 58

NAIA Basketball Tournaments: Walsh Top Seed in Both Men’s Championship and Women’s Bracket; Cedarville Also In Both Tourneys

2011-03-07T14:11:00.002-05:00

Two AICUO members, Walsh and Cedarville, are participating in two of basketball’s “other” small-college tournaments, those sponsored by the National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).

The top seed in the men’s tournament in NAIA’s Division II is Walsh. The men begin play on Wednesday at 4 p.m. (CST) against Union (Ky.); if they win, they face the winner of the game between the host school, the University of the Ozarks (Mo.), and Sioux Falls (S.D.) on Friday evening.

Cedarville’s men face off against Eastern Oregon at 7:30 p.m. (CST) Thursday evening; the winner plays Friday night against the winner of the Oklahoma Wesleyan-Sterling (Kan.) game.

The entire tournament is played at Point Lookout, Mo., and concludes with a national championship game Tuesday evening, March 15.

In women’s NAIA Division II play, seeding is announced differently. Walsh is the top seed in its eight-team bracket, and will play Florida Memorial Thursday at 10:15 a.m. (CST); a victory leads to a second-round game Friday morning against the winner of the Marian (Ind.)-Mount Marty (S.D.) game.

Cedarville’s women are in a different bracket from Walsh’s. They play Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. against St. Francis (Ind.), and with a win will continue Friday morning to face the victor of the College of the Ozarks-Cardinal Stritch (Wis.) game.

As with the men’s tournament, all games are at a single site, the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa.

NCAA Division III Basketball Tournament Results: Men’s Sectional at Wooster This Weekend

2011-03-07T08:22:00.004-05:00

Wooster hosts one of the four NCAA Division III men’s basketball sectionals this weekend. AICUO members Marietta and Wooster play separately in first-night matchups, Wooster against Cabrini (Pa.) and Marietta against #1 ranked Whitworth, which travels all the way from Spokane, Wash.

Playing the first two rounds at home, Marietta advanced to the round of 16 by holding off Centre (Ky.) in the first round and rallying past AICUO member Wittenberg the next night. Wooster, also at home, defeated Benedictine (Ill.) and Manchester (Ind.) in closely fought games to reach the sectionals.

Neither AICUO member in the women’s tournament advanced to the second weekend. Denison fell for the first time all season to defending national champion Washington (Mo.) in the first round, while Mount Union followed its first-round victory over Wisconsin-Whitewater by losing to homestanding Thomas More (Ky.).

Men
First Round, March 4
at Wooster, Ohio
Wooster 74, Benedictine (Ill.) 68

at Marietta, Ohio
Marietta 67, Centre (Ky.) 62
Wittenberg 74, La Roche (Pa.) 68

Second Round, March 5
at Wooster, Ohio
Wooster 47, Manchester (Ind.) 45

at Marietta, Ohio
Marietta 63, Wittenberg 62

Coming games
Sectional Round, March 11
at Wooster, Ohio
Marietta vs. Whitworth (Wash.), 5:30 p.m.
Wooster vs. Cabrini (Pa.), 7:30 p.m.

Sectional Final, March 12
at Wooster, Ohio
Marietta-Whitworth winner vs. Wooster-Cabrini winner, 7 p.m.

Women

First Round, March 4

at Hope, Mich.

Washington (Mo.) 71, Denison 55

at Crestview Hills, Ky.

Mount Union 69, Wisconsin-Whitewater 55

Second Round, March 5

at Crestview Hills, Ky.

Thomas More (Ky.) 76, Mount Union 63

NCAA Division III Basketball: Ohio Women Road Warriors, Again, While Men Stay Home

2011-03-04T12:56:00.003-05:00

The Denison women’s basketball team, undefeated champion of the North Coast Athletic Conference, still has to travel six hours for its first NCAA tournament game tonight at twice-beaten Hope College in Holland, Mich. Hope, which has hosted the finals of this tournament in the recent past, received favorable treatment from the committee, as did tournament perennial Washington (Mo.), which picked up one of the few at-large bids to play Denison in tonight’s first-round doubleheader. DePauw (Ind.) faces Hope in the second game.

Also in the women’s tournament, Mount Union, which dominated the Ohio Athletic Conference, has a road trip just 90 minutes shorter than Denison’s, to the Cincinnati suburb of Crestview Hills, Ky., where Thomas More hosts another first- and second-round weekend. In a rematch of colleges that have played for the last six Division III football titles, Mount Union faces Wisconsin-Whitewater Friday night. The travel award goes to Piedmont (Ga.), which plays Thomas More in the nightcap.

In men’s play, in contrast to the women, the two AICUO members who are conference champions get to stay home, and the third member participating does not have to leave the state. At Ohio Athletic Conference champion Marietta, Wittenberg faces LaRoche (Pa.) Friday night, after which Marietta plays Centre (Ky.). Wooster, North Coast Athletic Conference champion, faces Benedictine (Ill.) at home Friday night, after a game featuring Manchester (Ind.) and Bethany (W. Va.).

Winners in all Friday action continue to second-round play Saturday at the host sites.

Schedule

NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Championship

March 4

First Round

At Marietta, Ohio

Marietta vs. Centre (Ky.)

Wittenberg vs. La Roche (Pa.)

At Wooster, Ohio

Wooster vs. Benedictine (Ill.)

Second Round

March 5

At Marietta, Ohio

Centre-Marietta winner vs. Wittenberg-La Roche winner

At Wooster, Ohio

Benedictine-Wooster winner vs. Manchester (Ind.)-Bethany (W. Va.) winner

NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Championship

First Round

March 4

At Holland, Mich.

Denison vs. Washington (Mo.)

At Crestview Hills, Ky.

Mount Union vs. Wisconsin-Whitewater

Second Round

March 5

At Holland, Mich.

Denison-Washington winner vs. Hope (Mich)-DePauw (Ind.) winner

At Crestview Hills, Ky.

Mount Union-Wisconsin-Whitewater winner vs. Thomas More (Ky.)-Piedmont (Ga.) winner

Finalists Revealed in the AICUO Award for Excellence in the Visual Arts

2011-03-03T15:17:00.002-05:00

On February 18, 2011, the first round of judging culminated in the selection of this year's winners for the AICUO Award for Excellence in the Visual Arts. You can see these exceptional senior students' portfolios on the official AICUO Art Award Web site,www.aicuoartaward.com. They are:

Kenneth Aschliman - Columbus College of Art & Design
Wendy Birchfield - Cleveland Institute of Art
Rose Hermalin - Oberlin College
Katherine Richards - Cleveland Institute of Art
Rachel Shelton - Cleveland Institute of Art
Anh Hoang Vu - Ohio Wesleyan University

The competition isn't over yet, though. A second round of judging will decide which of the award winners deserves the coveted Grand Award title, which comes with a substantial monetary prize and other significant privileges.

There is also a competition among all 22 nominees for the online People's Choice Award. Visit the official Web site to vote for your favorite piece by these fine student artists from institutions all across Ohio. The voting process is unlimited, so feel free to click on as many people as you like, as often as you like.

All winners will be revealed at the AICUO Art Award Reception on April 13, 2011. Check out the reception page for more information.

CCAD Alumnus Wins Grammy

2011-02-14T12:03:00.004-05:00

Columbus College of Art & Design alumnus Michael Carney (CCAD 2004) received the Best Recording Package Grammy Award for his art direction on the Black Keys album, "Brothers," during last night's Pre-Telecast awards show. Here is a look at the album cover.

Senate Education Committee Approves Kasich Appointments to State Board of Education

2011-02-08T17:03:00.003-05:00

Early this morning the Senate Education Committee approved Governor Kasich's appointments to the State Board of Education by a voice vote with no objections. The newly appointed members are C. Todd Jones (AICUO President), Tess Elshoff, Joseph Farmer, Thomas Gunlock, and Dennis Shelton.

AICUO In DC

2011-02-03T14:26:00.011-05:00

Todd, Stacey, and I are back in Columbus after a few days in Washington, D.C. for the NAICU 2011 Annual Meeting and legislative visits. While there, we were able to discuss pending higher education issues with colleagues from around the country and get the low-down from the NAICU government relations staff. We were joined by about twelve of our member presidents and several of their senior staff.

The first day was filled with information from the NAICU staff regarding the national budget, student funding, and tax provisions and what could happen to them in the near future. We all know that the deficit will shape policy in the coming months, but what will be affected, and how? The Pell Grant, the federal need-based aid program for low-income students, is priority number one and must be protected from potential budget cuts. We delivered this message to the offices of both of Ohio's U.S. Senators and staff from the offices of newly-elected members of Congress. (Members were in their respective districts for a scheduled district work week).

In the afternoon of the first day, we heard presentations from

Robert Putnam, The Peter and Isabel Malkin Professor of Public

Policy at Harvard University. His presentation focused on his new book, American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us. Mr. Putnam is an energetic individual that walked us through his views of the complex interaction of religion and politics over the past half century. Very interesting stuff. I was also able to catch the presentation by Mark Emmert, new President of the NCAA, and former president of my favorite collegiate football school, the University of Washington. Mr. Emmert discussed his new role and his priorities for the NCAA as it moves forward.

On the second day, much time was devoted to meeting with Senator Sherrod Brown and his staff, and the Chief of Staff for newly elected Senator Rob Portman. The college presidents were able to give their individual campus stories and explain how important the Pell Grant and other need-based aid programs are to students at their institutions.

Wednesday was full of meetings for Todd and me with staff of the newly elected members of the Ohio congressional delegation. We are encouraged by their enthusiasm and look forward to working with these offices as the 112th Congress moves along.

- Dustin A. Holfinger

Ohio House and Senate Committees Announced, US Senate too...

2011-01-28T14:19:00.002-05:00

Ohio Senate President Tom Niehaus (R-New Richmond) on Wednesday announced the chamber's committee assignments and chairs. Of note is that Sen. Peggy Lehner (R-Kettering) has been selected to replace Sen. Gary Cates as Education Committee chair, although Cates will remain on the committee. Also notable is the number of AICUO members represented by members of the Finance Committee, 24. The list of committees and assignments is attached.

Speaker of the House, Bill Batchelder (R-Medina) named his committees a few weeks ago, but meetings have just started within the last week. Most notable for our members is that Rep. Gerry Stebelton (R-Lancaster) was named chairman of the House Education Committee and Ron Amstutz (R-Wooster) was named as chairman of the House Finance Committee.

Lists of all committee assignments can be found here.

-------
At the Federal level, the U.S. Senate named committee assignments on Thursday afternoon. Sen. Sherrod Brown will remain on the committees he sat on during the last Congress, the Agriculture, Appropriations, Banking, Ethics, and Veterans Committees. Sen. Rob Portman was named to the Budget, Armed Services, Energy and Natural Resources, and the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committees.

The Sincerest Form of Flattery

2011-01-28T13:51:00.005-05:00

For more than three years, AICUO’s Graph of the Week has been offering a fresh look at statistics on higher education and public policy to an e-mail list now numbering more than 1,000.

It’s proved so popular that some of our sister state associations have picked up the idea. This map showing the distribution of undergraduates by county is a recent effort by the Tennessee independent-college association.

Other states that regularly transmit data in this manner include Indiana and Kentucky.

If you’d like to get the Graph of the Week from us, please drop us an e-mail and we’ll put you right on the list.

-- Bob Burke

AICUO President Appointed to State Board of Education

2011-01-18T11:08:00.006-05:00

Today the new governor, John Kasich, announced his appointment of AICUO President C. Todd Jones as a member of the State Board of Education.

The board has 19 members, 11 who are elected by districts and eight who are appointed at large by the governor. Established in 1956, the board sets education policy and directed the planning and evaluative functions of Ohio’s public schools, and appoints the superintendent of public instruction. It oversees elementary and secondary education in the state, and has no control over public or private colleges (including teacher education programs) nor over the various joint vocational education programs across the state — those fall under the purview of the chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents.

Todd was appointed to fill one of five vacancies among the at-large members of the board. His term will expire in December 2012, although he will be subject to reappointment for additional four-year terms thereafter.

Notre Dame College Successfully Defends NAIA National Wrestling Championship

2011-01-12T10:45:00.004-05:00

Senior Derek Foore pinned his opponent in 57 seconds to clinch Notre Dame’s second consecutive NAIA wrestling championship, 31-16 against Lindenwood (Mo.), January 9 at Cedar Falls, Iowa.

At the two-day meet, the Falcons defeated Waldorf (Iowa), Cumberland (Tenn.), and Missouri Valley before facing Lindenwood, outscoring its opponents by 141-31.

— Bob Burke

AICUO and OFIC Host Communicators' Summit

2011-01-10T13:56:00.004-05:00

AICUO and OFIC hosted the annual Communicators' Summit on January 6, 2011, on the campus of Ohio Dominican University. Nearly 50 representatives from member campuses attended this year's summit to hear presentations from national and regional media representatives. Kathryn Masterson from The Chronicle of Higher Education provided the keynote address in the morning and joined a media panel later that day with JD DiAngelis from Next Media's News-Talk 1480 WHBC Canton, Ohio, Tom Brockman from WCMH NBC 4 in Columbus, Ohio, and Carrie Ghose from Columbus Business First. In the afternoon, attendees were treated to an overview and tips from the 2010 College Media Conference.

For a brief video overview of the 2011 Communicators' Summit, click here.

Tiffin Partnership Featured in Inside Higher Ed Article

2011-01-05T09:30:00.003-05:00

Tiffin University, an independent nonprofit college in Tiffin, Ohio was featured in the lead-article of Inside Higher Ed for their innovative partnership with Altius, a for-profit company based in San Francisco.

The partnership created Ivy Bridge College, an online community college that offers a general studies associate degree program targeted at traditional-age students who wish to transfer those credits to four-year institutions.

For more information on this model joint venture, click here.

Wisconsin-Whitewater Rallies Past Mount Union in NCAA Division III Championship Game

2010-12-18T23:23:00.004-05:00

FOOTBALL

NCAA Division III

National Championship: Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl at Salem, Va.

Wisconsin-Whitewater 31, Mount Union 21

It's Déjà, Déjà, Déjà, Déjà, Déjà, Déjà Vu for Mount Union Football

2010-12-13T08:47:00.004-05:00

Sixth Consecutive NCAA Division III Championship Game Awaits

Against Wisconsin-Whitewater (Again)

Mount Union overcame the loss of its starting quarterback to defeat Bethel (Minn.) 34-7 Saturday in the semifinal of the NCAA Division III football playoffs.

The Purple Raiders head to the championship game, December 18 at 3:30 p.m. at Salem, Va., where they will face defending champion Wisconsin-Whitewater. Both teams have 14-0 records including playoffs. This will be the sixth straight year the two teams have met for the national championship. Wisconsin-Whitewater is the defending champion, having defeated Mount Union last year 38-28, but Mount Union has won three of the five preceding title games against UW-W. A victory would give the Raiders their 11th national football championship, and Ohio independent colleges their 20th since 1942 (compared to the 15 won by Ohio public universities).

Tickets and other information about attending the game, known as the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, are available through Mount Union's web site. The contest will be televised nationally on the ESPNU cable network and on the radio on WRMU 91.1 FM and WDPN AM1310 (Alliance), WANR 1570 (Warren/Youngstown) and ESPN 970AM (Ashtabula).

Mount Union Reaches NCAA Division III Football Semifinal for 16th Consecutive Year

2010-12-06T10:45:00.004-05:00

FOOTBALL

NCAA Division III

Quarterfinal, Dec. 4

Mount Union 37, Alfred 7

Semifinal, Dec. 11

Bethel (Minn.) at Mount Union, 12 noon EST

Tickets can be ordered here.

National Championship Game, Dec. 18

Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl at Salem, Va.

Bethel-Mount Union winner vs. Wisconsin Whitewater-Wesley (Del.) winner, 3:30 p.m. EST

Notre Dame Falls in High-Scoring NAIA Men's Soccer Final

2010-12-06T10:36:00.003-05:00

Notre Dame College’s dream of an undefeated national championship ended in a barrage of goals by Hastings (Neb.), as the Falcons lost 5-3 in the final game of the NAIA men’s soccer tournament, Sunday in Orange Beach, Ala.

Notre Dame Men's Soccer Advances to NAIA Title Match; Otterbein Women Fall in NCAA Semifinal

2010-12-04T09:38:00.003-05:00

A soccer story of Notre Dame winning in the national semifinal game is great news, from the standpoint of Ohio's independent colleges, no matter what happens elsewhere in the culture that dominates Columbus.

Men’s Soccer
NAIA Tournament at Orange Beach, Ala.
Semifinal, Dec. 3
Notre Dame 1, Mobile (Ala.) 0

National Championship Match
Sunday, Dec. 5
Notre Dame vs. Hastings (Neb.), 7 p.m. CST

The Otterbein women’s national title dream ended last night in a shootout that followed a scoreless tie with Hardin-Simmons.

Women’s Soccer
NCAA Division III Tournament at San Antonio, Texas
Semifinal, Dec. 3
Otterbein 0, Hardin-Simmons 0 (Hardin-Simmons won on penalty kicks, 4-2)

— Bob Burke

ODU Welcomes New President

2010-12-03T11:16:00.009-05:00

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of joining the inauguration of Dr. Peter Cimbolic as the 15th president of Ohio Dominican University (ODU). Held in the recently completed Alumni Hall, the well-attended event honored both the institution's new leader and the growth of the university.

During the '00's, ODU was one of Ohio's fastest growing independent campuses, not only in enrollment, but also in physical development. In the past three years, ODU has completed the Alumni Hall adjacent, the Bishop James A. Griffith Student Center, a new residence facility, Lyham Hall, and Battelle Hall Science Center. It also acquired a nearby building that is being converted to classes for its adult-focused LEAD program. The changes will properly set the stage for next year's ODU Centennial.

ODU has long supported AICUO. Not only have two of Dr. Cimbolic's three most-recent predecessors served on the AICUO Executive Committee, but ODU trustee Tom Winters currently serves in that capacity.

The more unusual aspects of yesterday's inauguration included a wonderfully personal introduction of the new president by a faculty member from American University in Washington, D.C. Dr. Kathleen Cimbolic Gunthert is associate professor of psychology who happens to be Dr. Cimbolic's daughter. She spoke not only of her obvious affection for him, but also of his commitment to education. I must also compliment ODU's Chair of its Board of Trustees, Galen Barnes, who easily was funnier in his five minutes than every other board-chair speaker I have ever heard at an inauguration.

Since I met President Cimbolic several months ago, I have seen him move matters forward on campus that elsewhere would have required months or years of unnecessary contemplation for its own sake. Yesterday's events formally commenced—for the better—a new era at Ohio Dominican University.

—C. Todd Jones

Otterbein Women's Soccer in NCAA Division III Semifinal Friday

2010-12-03T09:14:00.003-05:00

Women’s Soccer

NCAA Division III Tournament at San Antonio, Texas

Semifinal, Dec. 3

Otterbein vs. Hardin-Simmons (Texas), 5 p.m. CST

Final, Dec. 5

Otterbein-Hardin-Simmons winner vs. William Smith (N.Y.)-Messiah (Pa.) winner, 6 p.m. CST

—Bob Burke

Notre Dame Men’s Soccer Wins, Plays in NAIA Semifinal Friday

2010-12-02T08:54:00.003-05:00

Men’s Soccer

NAIA Tournament at Orange Beach, Ala.

Quarterfinal, Dec. 1

Notre Dame 2, Grand View (Iowa) 1

Semifinal, Dec. 3

Notre Dame vs. Mobile (Ala.), 4 p.m. CST

House and Senate Leadership Teams Complete

2010-11-30T16:26:00.004-05:00

Rep. William Batchelder (R-Medina) was selected as speaker;
Rep. Lou Blessing (R-Cincinnati) is speaker pro tem;
Rep. Matt Huffman (R-Lima) is majority floor leader;
Rep. Barbara Sears (R-Sylvania) is assistant majority floor leader;
Rep. John Adams (R-Sydney) is the majority whip;
and Rep. Cheryl Grossman (R-Grove City) is the assistant majority whip.

Rep. Armond Budish (D-Beachwood) is minority leader;
Rep. Matthew Szollosi (D-Toledo) is assistant minority leader;
Rep. Tracy Heard (D-Columbus) is minority whip;
and Rep. Debbie Phillips (D-Athens) is assistant minority whip.

Sen. Tom Niehaus (R-New Richmond) is Senate president;
Sen. Keith Faber (R-Celina) is president pro tem;
Sen. Jimmy Stewart (R-Albany) is majority floor leader;
and Sen. Shannon Jones (R-Springboro) is majority whip.

Sen. Capri Cafaro (D-Hubbard) is Senate minority leader;
Sen. Shirley Smith (D-Cleveland) is assistant minority leader;
Sen. Edna Brown (D-Toledo) is minority whip;
and Sen. Jason Wilson (D-Columbiana) is assistant minority whip.

Notre Dame Advances, Rio Grande Falls in NAIA Men’s Soccer Championship

2010-11-30T11:21:00.006-05:00

NAIA Men’s Soccer Tournament

at Orange Beach, Ala.

Updated

Second Round, Nov. 29

Notre Dame 2, Vanguard (Calif.) 1

Bethel (Tenn.) 2, Rio Grande 1

Third round, Dec. 1

Notre Dame vs. Grand View (Iowa), 12 noon CST

— Bob Burke

Sports Tournament Results Through Nov. 28

2010-11-29T09:41:00.002-05:00

FOOTBALL

NCAA Division III

Second Round, Nov. 27

North Central (Ill.) 28, Ohio Northern 9

Mount Union 31, Delaware Valley (Pa.) 3

Quarterfinal, Dec. 4

Alfred (N.Y.) at Mount Union, 12 noon EST

— Bob Burke

Fall Sports Tournament Results Through Nov. 21

2010-11-22T09:59:00.004-05:00

MEN’S SOCCER

NCAA Division I

First Round, Nov. 18: West Virginia 4, Xavier 2

NCAA Division III

Third Round, Nov. 20: Ohio Wesleyan 1, Johns Hopkins 0

Quarterfinal, Nov. 21: Lynchburg 2, Ohio Wesleyan 0

NAIA

First Round, Nov. 20: Rio Grande 2, Bethel (Ind.) 1; Notre Dame 5, Davenport (Mich.) 0

Second Round, Nov. 29 at Orange Beach, Ala.: Noon, Rio Grande vs. Bethel (Tenn.); 7:30 p.m., Notre Dame vs. Vanguard (Calif.)

WOMEN’S SOCCER

NCAA Division III

Third Round, Nov. 20: Denison 1, Wisconsin-Stevens Point 1 (Denison won on penalty kicks, 5-4); Otterbein 0, Loras (Iowa) 0 (Otterbein won on penalty kicks, 3-1)

Quarterfinal, Nov. 21: Otterbein 1, Denison 1 (Otterbein won on penalty kicks, 3-1)

Semifinal, Dec. 3, time TBA, at San Antonio, Texas: Otterbein vs. Hardin-Simmons (Texas)

FOOTBALL

NCAA Division III

First Round, Nov. 20: Mount Union 49, St. Lawrence (N.Y.) 0; Ohio Northern 37, Wittenberg 14

Second Round, Nov. 27: 12 noon, Delaware Valley (Pa.) at Mount Union; 12 noon CST, Ohio Northern at North Central (Ill.)

Fall Sports Tournaments: Some Begin, Some Continue

2010-11-16T14:35:00.007-05:00

A quick look at fall sports tournament action featuring AICUO member campuses:

Soccer, Men’s: Xavier begins play in the NCAA Division I tournament this Thursday evening at West Virginia. In the NCAA Division II tournament, Ashland, champion of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, lost in the first round to Missouri S&T on Nov. 12 at Highland Heights, Ky. In Division III, Ohio Wesleyan has advanced to the third round, defeating Catholic (D.C.) 2-0 in the first round and Kenyon — first-round victors over York (Pa.) — by the same score in the second round. The Bishops’ next game, Saturday against Johns Hopkins, will be at Delaware, Ohio, as OWU is the site of both the third and quarterfinal rounds. Ohio Northern also qualified for the Division III playoff, but lost in the first round to Calvin, 2-0.

Two AICUO members qualified for the NAIA men’s soccer tourney. Top seed Rio Grande, boasting a 21-0 record, hosts Bethel (Ind.) on Saturday, while Notre Dame, also unbeaten and the fourth seed in the 30-team playoff, plays Davenport (Mich.) on its home pitch.

Soccer, Women’s: Two AICUO members have reached the third round of the NCAA Division III playoff, and each travel this weekend for games at Dubuque, Iowa. On Saturday Denison, after defeating Penn State-Altoona 1-0 and Illinois Wesleyan 2-0 at Granville, plays Wisconsin-Stevens Point, while Otterbein, which eliminated Calvin 1-0 and Washington-St. Louis 2-0, takes on Loras, the host school. The winners play Sunday afternoon for a space in the tournament’s final four.

In the NCAA Division I tournament, Dayton won its first-round game 3-0 over Virginia Tech, but lost on penalty kicks to Ohio State after a scoreless regulation and overtime in Columbus.

Football: Three AICUO members qualified for the NCAA Division III tournament beginning this Saturday, and two play each other. Ohio Northern, runner-up in the Ohio Athletic Conference, hosts North Coast Athletic Conference champion Wittenberg. Mount Union, OAC champion and last year’s national runner-up, welcomes St. Lawrence (N.Y.) for a first-round game. Starting time for both games is 12 noon.

No AICUO member qualified for the NCAA Division II or NAIA tournament.

—Bob Burke

AICUO Art Awards Coordinator Featured in CCAD Magazine

2010-11-04T11:51:00.003-04:00

Noel Ang, AICUO Art Awards Coordinator and senior at the Columbus College of Art & Design (CCAD), was recently featured in CCAD’s Image magazine. For more information about Noel and what inspired him to pursue a career in art, check out the feature here.

Movember is Here - Gentlemen, Start Your Growing!

2010-11-01T10:32:00.004-04:00

When I was asked 3 years ago to shave my mustache for charity, I balked. I had taken a lot of time and effort to perfect my 'stache and here I was being asked to shave it, just to re-grow it during the month of November. In the end, I decided that this cause was well worth it considering I could be diagnosed and affected and the money raised could be the money that finds a cure. I shaved it and will continue to shave and re-grow every Movember, the month formerly known as November.

Movemeber started in 2003 in Australia with 30 guys who wanted to grow mustaches, but apparently none were man enough to grow them without a little support from others. The next year, they decided to raise money along with their growing efforts. Since they were all men, the logical charity is prostate and testicular cancer. Now, 7 years later, Movember has raised over $42 million across the US, UK, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, Spain, South Africa, the Netherlands and Finland.

Please click here to donate and help raise awareness for these important issues. I mean, I did shave my 'stache for this...

- Dustin A. Holfinger

Independent College Enrollment Growth Highest Since 2003

2010-10-27T14:28:00.005-04:00

For the 24th consecutive year, Ohio’s independent colleges and universities showed growth in enrollment. This fall’s preliminary headcount estimate of 139,933 is an increase of 4,494 students over the final fall 2009 headcount, or 3.3 percent.

It is the largest increase in independent-sector enrollment in seven years.

— Bob Burke

Wittenberg Hosts AICUO Annual Meeting

2010-10-12T09:32:00.017-04:00

The 2010 annual meetings for AICUO and the Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges, a sister-organization focused on joint fundraising for 34 of our 51 members, were hosted by Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio on October 6. The campus was bustling with activity as they prepared for Homecoming Weekend and red and white could be seen on almost all passersby.

Being from the Springfield area, I took this time to visit with

some friends, play a round of disc golf, and tour the town the evening before the meeting. The area has seen a lot of changes since I lived here: With a new hospital erected near campus, a new man-made whitewater section of Buck Creek (truly a fun time, speaking from experience), and the addition of a few beautification projects on campus, Wittenberg and Springfield are making the best of what they have and succeeding.

The Annual Meeting was held in James C. Shouvlin Hall, named for the late, great business leader of Springfield. Wittenberg's 14th president Mark Erickson welcomed us to campus and offered guided tours of the campus after the close of the meeting.

During lunch, a delicious one I might add, Dr. Warren Copeland, Faculty Director of the Center for Civic and Urban Engagement (also mayor of Springfield) outlined the wonderful things his students have done for the city of Springfield and how Wittenberg and the city have tightened their relationship through the creation of this new urban studies program. Students of the program also reviewed what the City of Springfield and Wittenberg have also done for them personally.

Coming to Wittenberg is always a special experience for me. Even though I did not attend the institution, I still feel a sense of home whenever I step foot on campus. I've made a lot of friends there and have spent some great times there. If you ever get the chance to drive through, stop the car and walk instead. You'll thank me.

For more information on Wittenberg University, click here for its webpage and here for its Wikipedia page.

photos (in order): Myers Hall, Buck Creek (Brad Lemon pictured), Weaver Observatory, and Koch Hall

- Dustin A. Holfinger

University of Findlay Welcomes Dr. Fell as 17th President

2010-10-04T10:48:00.008-04:00

Friday, October 1, 2010 was a beautiful day to be on the University of Findlay's campus as the student body, alumni, faculty, and visitors welcomed Dr. Katherine Rowe Fell as the 17th president of this Northwest Ohio institution.

The ceremony gave those attending a glimpse into the future of the university under Dr. Fells' leadership. Dr. Fell served as vice president for advancement at Centenary College, Shreveport, La., where she was been the chief development officer since 2000. She takes the reigns of UF from Dr. DeBow Freed who served as president from 2003 - 2010.

Dr. Fell will be a welcomed addition to the member-presidents that AICUO represents and we look forward to working with her.

You can watch her inauguration speech here.

One New Thing From Each Campus

2010-09-21T15:42:00.002-04:00

AICUO, in coordination with the Ohio Private College Admissions Directors group, represented Ohio independent colleges at four regional educational sessions around Ohio last week. Included in each session was a presentation on the private colleges and tips for counselors as well as a listing of One New Thing from each campus for this year. To view the presentation as well as the list of One New Thing from each campus, click here.

New Ohio Private Loan Marketplace Offers Innovative Online Resource to Students Seeking Higher Education Support

2010-09-03T13:25:00.008-04:00

One of AICUO’s biggest new initiatives is now under way with the launch of the Ohio Private Loan Marketplace.

College students in Ohio now can use a unique online service to seek additional loans beyond federal and campus sources. Sponsored by the Association and created by Overture Technologies of Bethesda, Md., the Marketplace is an online loan comparison and shopping service available to more than 140,000 students attending 51 Ohio nonprofit institutions of higher education. Prager, Sealy, & Co., LLC, a leading higher education financial services firm, serves as the program manager for AICUO.

The Marketplace connects borrowers with a wide range of competitive loan products from lenders including national banks and nonprofit credit unions. Students have access to many loan options from a growing network of lenders that currently includes Discover Student Loans, NASA Federal Credit Union, Northwest Federal Credit Union, Eli Lilly Federal Credit Union, and cuStudentLoans. A complete list of lenders is available at https://app.overturemarketplace.com/slmp/main/participatingLender.action

As part of Overture’s Student Loan Marketplace network of websites, operating in Ohio and 10 other states, the Ohio Private Loan Marketplace benefits students, families, counselors and higher education institutions by:

Presenting an upfront, accurate loan comparison without “as low as” advertisements for rates that may not apply to you and a complete listing of loan terms including total cost, monthly payment, interest rate and APR.
Helping students discover untapped sources of loans with national lenders, credit unions, and regional banks are presented side by side and up to date for an easy, in depth comparison.
Emphasizing financial literacy and smart borrowing habits, including the need to first obtain all possible federal and state grants, scholarships and loans before considering a private loan.
Preserving borrower credit scores and privacy, by using a single credit report to match borrower information with multiple lenders’ products, and allowing the applicant to choose which lender, if any, receives this information.
Providing schools with a straightforward path to HEOA Section 601 compliance, helping colleges comply with the Section 601 regulations with virtually no increase in burden for the financial If you’re a student interested in the Ohio Private Loan Marketplace, please contact your campus financial aid office

If you’re a student interested in the Ohio Private Loan Marketplace, please contact your campus financial aid office.

A Public-Private Partnership

2010-08-17T10:43:00.003-04:00

Here’s a mixed marriage you probably didn’t expect. The persons who last year inhabited the mascots of AICUO member University of Dayton and the nearby public Wright State University — Emily Schenck and Sam Blaine, respectively — were married this past June, as reported in the Chronicle of Higher Education. The Chronicle also published inside and outside costume photos of the couple, whose teams never faced each other while they were concurrently mascots.

Associations as Solutions: NAICUSE Summer Workshop

2010-08-02T13:45:00.017-04:00

Todd and I are back in Ohio after a four-day conference in New Mexico to meet with all counterparts from across the country. It's always nice to see this group, we are like one big extended family and always sad to leave. However, it is nice to be back in Columbus, in my chair, in my office, with my co-workers.

While in New Mexico we had quite a bit to discuss. The meeting kicked off on Monday morning, bright and early, with a little bit of rain. It is Albuquerque's "monsoon season." Despite the rain, most were in good spirits.

The first speaker of the day was John Bassett, the second President of Heritage University in Washington State and current Chair of the NAICU Board. He took office at Heritage in July 2010 after serving as President of Clark University in Worcester, MA for ten years. Prior to his career at Clark, Dr. Bassett was the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and professor of English at Case Western Reserve from 1993-2000. He is a fellow Ohioan, and received his bachelor's and masters degrees from Ohio Wesleyan University, and his doctoral degree in English from the University of Rochester.

During his talk, he discussed where he saw higher education is headed in this increasingly technology-based country and what role we (independent campuses) will play. He also mentioned specific issues our sector must deal with, mainly the increased federal regulation, challenged financial models, the growth of the for-profit sector, and the changing role of philanthropic foundations.

Later on Monday, we heard presentations with regard to higher education from four experts in the financial arena . John Nelson, of Moody's Investors was my favorite of the four. He knows his financial trends and gave a very intriguing presentation on the need for colleges to be very familiar their competitors and especially their own financial standing. Apparently, if a college is a "member" of Moody's they can check data on all rated colleges across the country, roughly 300.

The golf tournament is always one highlight of my trip with NAICUSE. I have a chance to play my one

round of golf annually and chat with old friends. We didn't think it was going to happen. Did I mention it is the monsoon season? After the majority of us purchased jackets, the temperature soared on the second hole. Everything was great, sun was shining, balls were going where told, sort of, and then it happened again. Over the mountains we saw a large rain cloud and it cut loose and cut us short at the 14th tee box. Oh well, looks like another trip is needed to finish my 18. Oh, and we saw this guy keeping an eye on the 9th tee box...

Tuesday...wow, I could get used to this lack of humidity out here. Even with rain, it still doesn't compare to Ohio!

Later we were able to get a good discussion going regarding the tax credits, tax increases, and new taxes that some states and their campuses have been fortunate enough to fend off. Most states are facing shrinking state budgets and legislatures and municipalities are developing new, creative ways to make up for the deficits. In Maryland they have worked to keep a differentiated rate for nonprofits with regards to energy taxes. In addition, the city of Baltimore wanted to establish a bed capacity fee for private nonprofit colleges and hospitals. The city and nonprofits found a compromise in which voluntary contributions to the city would be made over the course of six years totaling $20.4 million. In Rhode Island, the City of Providence introduced creative ways to spread community expenses (hydrants and firebox fees) to nonprofits and taxpayers. To fight this, their association has had to maintain the close collaboration of member campuses and quantify the consequences. In Massachusetts the state legislature proposed a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) Program that would have imposed an annual 2.5% tax on college endowments above $1 billion (9 members). They previously fought the same proposal in 2008 with a threshold of $250 million endowments, affecting over 20 members. Luckily the municipalities cannot mandate a PILOT, as only the state can enact new taxes, thus keeping PILOT programs voluntary. These sessions were very informative, and very eye-opening.

Wednesday, the last day of the conference, but, there was so still much to discuss. Funding was number one. No shock there. Most states were flat-funded and a nominal few saw increases; Ohio and New Jersey were the only two to have been cut in the last state budget. We will see what the next budget brings, but there are still many factors at play to even venture a guess. Even so, we are optimistic.

Now for the fire hose method of information-sharing: Sarah Flanagan, VP for Government Relations and Policy for NAICU, gave an overview of what is and what is not happening at the federal level. The Maintenance of Effort (MOE) provision is NOT happening, which is good, but it would have been nice to have the provision, but to include independent colleges' funding, not just public campus aid. The Pell Grant increase IS happening. We assume this is happening because MOE is not. And the tax extenders are possibly happening and possibly not. As for the Negotiated Rulemaking process, the comment period ended August 2, and we shall see what comes of that. Many states, including Ohio have taken time to discuss these provisions with their congressional delegation and senators. Credit Hour definition is Ohio's main concern. If you have any specific questions on this, please, ASK TODD.

This was another very good trip and a lot of information to digest on the flight back to CMH.

New Mexico, you're gorgeous, stay that way!

- Dustin A. Holfinger

8 Out of 5 Dentists Suggest Studying in a Library

2010-07-21T09:08:00.003-04:00

I LOL'ed at my desk, and nearly spit coffee all over myself and my computer when I saw this. Now you should go here, watch it. Keep coffee away from mouth while watching.

Libraries are cool again.