Document Type
Article
Publication Date
5-1-2001
Abstract
This study examines the impact that Ohio's higher education instructional support funding process has on decision-making at two-year colleges. In Ohio, instructional support subsidizes credit (degree-eligible) but not non-credit instruction. The study methodology included six colleges selected on the basis of how active or inactive they were in the provision of job-related non-credit training against their predicted activity. The colleges selected represent the three relatively most and least active institutions. Interviews were conducted at the six colleges with the President, Chief Academic Officer, Chief Fiscal Officer and Chief Non-Credit Instruction Officer. The study found evidence of influence from the instructional support process on decision-making at all six colleges from direct and indirect comments made by the interviewees as well as six identified practices. These practices were used at the colleges to maximize instructional support revenues from the state. Examples of such practices included encouraging employers to consider subsidy eligible credit instruction for their training needs, and choosing to offer credit courses rather than non-credit courses because of subsidy eligibility. There was no discernable evidence that the more active colleges were influenced to a greater or lesser degree than the least active colleges, although the presidents at the more active colleges did not directly identify subsidy eligibility as an influencing factor in decision-making. Presidential tenture and higher education experiences outside of Ohio were found to be a predictor of a college's relative activity in job-related non-credit training activity. Two disctinct models were employed that reflected alternative views of the relationship between credit and non-credit instruction. the more active colleges used a model that viewed non-credit instruction as an entry point for credit instruction and thus supportive of credit instruction. The least active colleges used a model that viewed non-credit instruction as taking away demand for credit instruction and thus was not supportive. The implications of the study include the potential that the instructional support may not be as effective as desired in the provision of affordable higher education. In addition, the provision of instruction by colleges may be based on financial objectives at the expense of mission considerations.
Keywords
education, higher -- Ohio -- finance
Rights
© The Author(s). Kelvin Smith Library provides access for non-commercial, personal, or research use only. All other use, including but not limited to commercial or scholarly reproductions, redistribution, publication or transmission, whether by electronic means or otherwise, without prior written permission is strictly prohibited.
Department/Center
Design & Innovation
Recommended Citation
Beverage, Morries W. Jr., "A Study of the Impact of Ohio's Instructional Support Funding Process on Institutional Behavior at Two-Year Colleges" (2001). Student Scholarship. 64.
https://commons.case.edu/studentworks/64