Ohio U President says university does not plan to grow, as college enrollment declines nationwide
Ohio University President Hugh Sherman said the university does not plan to expand student capacity during a media roundtable event on Friday. Sherman said Ohio U is paying close attention to state-wide and national predictions expecting college enrollment to decrease.
“It doesn’t make sense to continue to grow in a shrinking market, in a sense,” Sherman said.
Moving forward, the university is planning to maintain a freshman class of 4,000 students and focus on raising student retention and four-year graduation rates.
Sherman said that he and Ohio U Provost Elizabeth Sayrs requested that each of the university’s colleges submit a three year plan assessing how they would be impacted by a freshman class of 4,000. These plans will be used to assess future hiring needs.
This fall, Ohio U welcomed a freshman class of 4,441 students, the largest in university history.
Sherman said that Ohio U’s increased outreach efforts played a large role in attracting the record-setting class. He said the university has invested in more academic advising and supplemental instruction to support the influx of students. Sherman added that Ohio U is conducting a renovation of housing facilities across campus to improve students’ experience.
Sherman said that Ohio U is recovering from its financial difficulties, he added, “We are sitting with a very strong balance sheet.”
Sherman explained that the university has made progress in getting financial statements in order and increasing donations. He also said that in the past three years, alumni donations have gone from between $20-25 million annually to over $40 million annually in recent years.
“We have a very strong alumni base, 280,000 living alums. They had a great experience, they feel really loyal to the institution and they want to give back,” Sherman said. “The easiest way for them to give back is to invest in scholarships that have an impact on the next generation.”
Sherman also spoke on Ohio U’s search for a new president. The Ohio U Board of Trustees have appointed a presidential search committee. The university has also hired the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB) and Collective Genius to help with the search, according to reports by The New Political.
Sherman said that he believes university stakeholders want stability from a new president; however, Sherman is not applying for the position. Sherman hopes the next president will stay for five to eight years, prioritize student success and research on health issues impacting Appalachia.
“I’m really excited, because I think there are some incredible opportunities for someone to come and be president,” Sherman said. He said he plans to make some “hard decisions” in upcoming months so the next president does not have to, though he did not specify what those decisions are.
The university has struggled to increase the number of students from diverse backgrounds, Sherman explained,“we didn't go back, but we haven’t made progress.”
Ohio U is in the process of hiring a national firm to conduct an audit of university procedures and policies to find ways that the university can increase the diversity of the student body. The university is also planning to launch a cluster hire program to support diverse faculty.
“We know that we can do better and that we can be more inclusive. We’re not where we want to be,” Sherman said.
He said that feedback from both the President’s Student Cabinet for Inclusive Excellence and an advising cabinet of black alumni has prioritized what actions Ohio U is taking to become more diverse.
Sherman said that this year’s Black Alumni Reunion is the largest in Ohio U’s history. Over 2,000 alums returned to campus for the event. Sherman held a town hall event in association with the reunion last Saturday.
