Northeast Ohio Council on Higher Education

The Northeast Ohio Council on Higher Education (NOCHE) is the consortium of colleges and universities in the 16-county region that makes up Northeast Ohio. NOCHE's member schools range from large public and private universities, to two-year community colleges and a medical school. Collectively, these institutions enroll more than 200,000 degree-seeking students from across the United States and the world, grant more than 26,000 degrees annually, and employ more than 27,000 faculty, administrators, and staff.

History

The framework for what eventually became NOCHE began when a group of locals obtained a grant from The Cleveland Foundation to conduct a study to “look into the condition of higher education in Cuyahoga County and recommend potential avenues of cooperation and coordination.” As a result of the study, the Cleveland Commission on Higher Education was formed in 1954, consisting of five private colleges: Baldwin Wallace College, Case Institute of Technology, Fenn College, John Carroll University, and Western Reserve University

The driving force for the creation of the Commission was the rapid growth of higher education students due to the end of World War II, and the GI Bill of Rights, which provided military veterans free or reduced tuition. There was an enrollment increase of 30% in the decade following the war, which greatly strained the region’s colleges in trying to provide for the growth. Another problem associated with the influx of students was that some students lacked a sufficient secondary education that would allow them to succeed in college. To remedy these problems, the Commission recommended that a two-year college would be a great asset to the region. This recommendation eventually led to the formation of Cuyahoga Community College in 1963. However, there was still no public four-year university in Cuyahoga County. The realization of the need for more affordable education led the Commission to push for the creation of a local public university. Because of these efforts, and with help from other regional groups, Fenn College became Cleveland State University in 1964.

One of the more significant historical events in higher education in Northeast Ohio occurred in 1967, when the Commission and other groups pushed for the merger of the Case Institute of Technology and Western Reserve University. The merger eventually was realized with the formation of Case Western Reserve University.

In the 1970s, public trustees sought to increase collaboration among area colleges and universities to achieve cost savings and ensure the maximum use of physical and capital resources. This happened through a wide range of actions. Through a grant from the Ohio Board of Regents, cross-registration was instituted. Each school developed an institutional plan that included collaboration with others. Teacher preparedness (Student Teachers Employment Program-STEP), adult education (Expanded Learning Program-ELP), and weekend and evening courses were added at many schools. Sharing library resources and developing platforms for interactions of trustees across schools became important issues.

During the late 1980s and into the 1990s, the Commission expanded its membership dramatically. In less than a decade, the following campuses became member institutions: Cleveland Institute of Music, Hiram College, Kent State University, Lakeland Community College, Lorain County Community College, Malone University, and Youngstown State University. To reflect this expanded geographic activity, the Commission changed its name to the Northeast Ohio Council on Higher Education, or NOCHE.

In the mid-1990s, NOCHE assessed its own performance and future objectives. This evaluation resulted in the adoption of a new vision statement and set of objectives in 1999. In 2002, a clear vote of confidence for NOCHE was received in the form of a unanimous vote by member presidents to increase their institutional dues by 50%.

NOCHE served as the fiscal agent and provided professional support for the Northeast Ohio Universities Collaboration and Innovation Study Commission (“the Study Commission”). The Study Commission was created by the Ohio General Assembly in December 2006 and was tasked with exploring ways to leverage the individual strengths of the public universities through collaborative strategies and efforts.

Promoting Higher Education

NOCHE's member institutions include large, research-based universities, mid-sized schools with graduate programs, liberal arts colleges, community colleges, and programs focused on specific academic disciplines or professional fields. Collectively, these institutions enroll 185,000 degree-seeking students from across the United States and the world, grant more than 26,000 degrees annually, and employ more than 27,000 faculty, administrators and staff. Member institutions play an essential role in the strength of the economy.

Member institutions

The following institutions of higher education are NOCHE members:

• Case Western Reserve University
• Cleveland Institute of Music
• Cleveland State University
• Eastern Gateway Community College
• Cuyahoga Community College
• Hiram College
• Kent State University
• Lakeland Community College
• Lorain County Community College
• Malone University
• NEOUCOM - Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine & Pharmacy
• Chancellor University
• Siegal College of Judaic Studies
• Stark State College of Technology
• The University of Akron
• Youngstown State University

External links

• Northeast Ohio Council on Higher Education