PERRYSBURG – Owens Community College is raising its tuition at the same time it is seeing an increase in enrollment.
The college’s board of trustees approved the tuition change at its meeting Tuesday and learned of the bump in enrollment.
Amy Giordano, vice president of Enrollment Management and Student Services, reported that Owens had a increase of 551 students, or 7.7%, in total headcount enrollment and an increase of 154 students, or 8.6%, in full time equivalency enrollment compared to spring 2021.
Her numbers were based on enrollment on Feb. 14. That date allows for comparison across institutions with various academic calendars, Giordano said.
“With spring 2022 total enrollment at 7,157, our largest area of growth is in our new student population,” she said. “As of yesterday, new student enrollment is up 11.6%, or 58, over last spring.”
Total headcount includes all enrollment segments, including new, continuing, returning, visiting, non-matriculating and College Credit Plus students, Giordano said.
Full time equivalency reflects the number of credit hours for which a student is registering, she said.
“This strong, and continued, growth indicates early success of new tactics and strategies implemented over the last two years,” she said.
Changes such as the reorganization of the admissions team and operations, reimagined communication plan for prospective students, better alignment between enrollment management and College Marketing and Communication efforts, greater visibility for the Findlay-area campus offerings, updated college application, fully leveraging f college scholarships, and launching new partnerships have all created opportunities to stabilize and grow enrollment, Giordano said.
There are 37 students preregistered for Monday’s Presidents Day Preview, where prospective students and families can participate in campus tours, selective health program presentations, hands on FAFSA workshops, Financial Aid 101 information sessions, and engagement opportunities with representatives from the college’s Express transfer partners, Owens academic programs and student support areas.
The college has welcomed 117 Start Here Scholars this academic year. That is the largest number in the three years the scholarship, which is designed to encourage College Credit Plus students to enroll at Owens upon high school graduation, has been offered, she said.
Tuition will increase $5 per credit hour with summer term.
“We recognize our role as a community college, providing access to all members of our community,” said President Dione Somerville. “We believe that $5 is a very modest increase that will allow us to continue to serve our community, living our mission as a community college.
“Even with this increase, we are still incredibly affordable for our students and their families, while providing high quality education, from short term programs to transfer,” she said.
This summer, tuition will go to $183 per credit hour from $178.
The increase is allowable and provided by the State of Ohio budget, said Chief Financial Officer Jeff Ganues.
Out-of-state tuition, which is twice the in-state rate, will increase to $366 from $356 per credit hour.
The tuition increase is anticipated to generate $93,145 this summer and an additional $255,465 this fall, Giordano said.
“This increase allows the college to continue to provide services to our students and support the college’s strategic plan,” Ganues said.
It also will allow the college to hold other fees, such as the technology, student engagement, E-Learning and career service fees, flat for the next fiscal year, he said.
These other fees haven’t been increased since spring 2018.
Also at the meeting, Denise Smith, vice president of Academic Affairs, reported that her office was proposing that academic probation be changed to academic recovery and academic dismissal be rescinded.
Currently, the first time a student’s GPA falls below a 2.0, they are placed on a probation status of P1, Smith said, and a student can go to P5 if their GPA stays below 2.0 for five semesters.
Once a student hits P3, his or her case will be reviewed for dismissal, she said.
At the end of fall 2021 Owens had 455 students on P1, 130 on P22, 74 on P3, 15 on P4 and 14 on P5.
In 2021, 11 students were dismissed in spring, six in summer and 13 in the fall. The first time a student is dismissed they are prohibited from enrolling in the college for one semester immediately following the dismissal.
Smith proposed the system be changed to academic recovery, which will assist students in identifying the barriers that contribute to academic success and assist in matching them to resources.
Students can enter the Academic Recovery Plan at one of three phases:
1. Prevention – at risk of falling below a 2.0 GPA
2. Intervention – student has a GPA below 2.0 for two semesters
3. Resolution – student has a GPA below 2.0 for three consecutive semesters without an increase in GPA.
“Academic recovery is a cross-functional initiative that eliminates the need for dismissal and ensures that every student achieves the tools to reach their ultimate goal of employment and/or education,” Smith said.
Also at the meeting, the board:
• Approved the collective bargaining agreement between the Owens Support Staff Union and Owens Community College.
The union ratified the contract Jan. 20. The new agreement is effective through Dec. 31, 2024.
• Approved a collective bargaining agreement with the Fraternal Order of Police, Ohio Labor Council Inc. for a term ending Oct. 31, 2025.
The agreement is with dispatchers, who ratified the agreement on Feb. 11.
• Approved hiring Van Tassel Construction Corp., Toledo, as the general contractor for the College Hall Phase IV renovations. The amount of the contract is $1.95 million.
National Business Supply, Chicago, was given a $177,381 contract to furnish the renovated area.
The $2.1 million is from state capital money.
The project will be renovating the northwest corner of College Hall and will include office and programming space for student activities, student organizations and student government, Fast Track, TRIO, Campus and Community Connection and marketing.
The estimated projection completion is September.
