Out of the 13 public universities required to submit a report on three-year degree programs in Ohio, six universities have done so and Ohio University is not one of them.
As of Monday, six public universities in Ohio have submitted mandatory reports to the Ohio Department of Higher Education: the University of Akron, Bowling Green State University, Miami University, Ohio State University, the University of Toledo and Wright State University.
Ohio University is not on the list – more than a year after the report was due.
According to the Ohio Revised Code, all public universities in Ohio had until June 30, 2014 to submit reports showing 60 percent of their baccalaureate degree programs provide a three-year degree pathway.
Associate Provost for Faculty and Academic Planning Howard Dewald said there was a report submitted last summer, albeit an "informal" one.
However, Ohio Department of Higher Education Director of Communications Jeff Robinson said in an email the department has yet to receive any report from the university. Despite the tardy report, OU does not face any repercussions, Robinson said.
"At this point, we are periodically checking in with schools to see how they're doing," Robinson said.
OU Spokewoman Katie Quaranta said the informal report was all the department required.
Dewald said the only information submitted at the time was the link to the OU Undergraduate Admission website, which lists every program the university offers with a three-year degree option. However, there is no further information on the website of what percentage of programs have a three-year degree option in relation to the total number of programs OU offers.
According to a Post analysis of the number of programs with a three-year degree option against the total number of programs OU offers according to that website, only about 51 percent of OU's programs have a three-year degree option.
Dewald said he estimates the amount of programs with a three-year option to be around 55 to 60 percent.
"In the sense of it, (it) is sometimes difficult to determine what counts as a program, we estimate between 55 and 60," Dewald said, adding that programs can fluctuate from year to year.
In the case of the engineering programs offered at OU, many of them have specific tracks or concentrations. With multiple tracks being offered for one program, it is difficult to decide whether a program can simply be counted once or a program with its three different tracks counts as three different programs, Dewald said.
{{tncms-asset app="editorial" id="b53abb96-81af-11e5-a3a7-576c242c7fe0"}}
OU's chemical engineering program, for example, has three track options: biological, materials and energy and environment. However, each is listed on the OU Undergraduate Admissions website as an individual option along with an option for a chemical engineering degree without a track.
The report meant to be submitted to the state in the summer of 2014 was a "two-phase report," Dewald said.
It was a report of what the university had accomplished so far, Dewald said, and how the university would achieve the 60 percent mandate.
OU is not the only school to be late in submitting this report. Other state schools that have yet to submit the report are: Central State University, University of Cincinnati, Cleveland State University, Kent State University, Shawnee State University and Youngstown State University.
@kaitfoch
kf992915@ohio.edu
