On the campus of The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Graham Stokes for the Ohio Capital Journal. Only repost photo with original story.)
An Ohio state senator recently introduced a bill that would give Ohio’s five “civic centers” created last year by Republican lawmakers more autonomy at various universities.
Ohio Senate Bill 461 would give academic centers “the rights and privileges of an independent university college,” according to the language of the bill.
Ohio State Sen. Jerry Cirino, R-Kirtland, has introduced a bill that would give center directors exclusive authority to hire faculty and staff and determine their rank, compensation and seniority.
Cirino was the lawmaker behind SB 1, which bans diversity efforts, regulates classroom discussion, bans faculty strikes, creates post-tenure reviews, puts diversity scholarships at risk, and creates an austerity provision that prevents unions from negotiating tenure.
Cirino’s latest proposal would give the modern centers “unlimited power” over the curriculum, he said.
“It clarifies that center directors have exclusive and unrestricted authority to supervise, develop and approve the center’s curriculum,” Cirino said.
The centers would also receive all tuition and revenue from the courses offered.
Under the bill, the civic centers of Ohio State University and the University of Toledo will become schools, and their directors will become deans of schools, effective January 1, 2027.
The University of Miami, Cleveland State University and Wright State University also have civic centers. The bill imposes an obligation on a student of a university with a center to take classes at its center.
“I think over time we will probably see the other three centers qualify as well as they expand their student body and their curriculum, but it is important that we recognize and legislate the complete independence of these centers so that there is no question in the future about what authority they have,” Cirino said.
Five civic centers in Ohio were created thanks to the state’s biennial budget in 2023 at $24 million.
Cirino said the civic centers have hired more than 60 faculty members and have developed or received approval for more than 60 modern courses.
“These are not conservative centers,” he said. “These are centers that foster open debate and inquiry on major issues.”
Miami expects 3,000 students to enroll in courses at their civic centers, Ohio State expects more than 800 students, Toledo expects 250 and Wright State expects 600 students, Cirino said.
The number of students at the Cleveland State facility is expected to grow from 28 to 1,400, he said.
As of fall 2024, downtown Toledo has hosted 15 courses, said university spokeswoman Nicki Gorny.
Ohio State Center will offer 10 courses in the winter semester including American faiths and conflicts, law and economics and how politics breaks the brain, said executive director Lee Strang.
Strang is a conservative scholar who worked with Republican lawmakers on a bill to create the centers.
Strang said 18 faculty and 159 students attended the Ohio State center last academic year.
The Cleveland State Center will offer two general education courses next school year – The American Republic and Great American Debates, a university spokesman said Krystyna Brokaw.
The center at Cleveland State hired seven faculty and 28 students admitted last academic year, – Broca said.
Next academic year, the Miami center will employ 11 faculty members, and last academic year the courses benefited 350 students, said university spokesman Seth Bauguess.
The Wright State Civic Center helps support Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, and the center will offer a 90-hour bachelor’s degree program for base personnel beginning in fall 2027, said university spokeswoman Deena John.
The Wright State center will also supervise as many as 20 sections of classes in the US Civic Literacy course in the coming academic year, she added.
The The Ohio Conference of the American Association of University Professors opposes SB 461.
“SB 461 requires Ohio universities to primarily fund five new civic centers – even if they do not offer courses to help students complete their degrees or do not have students enrolled in their programs or courses,” OCAAUP Executive Director Jennifer Tisone Price said in a statement.
“This completely drives up the cost of tuition for every other student at this university.”
Ohio lawmakers are on break and will return after the November elections. Any bill that is not passed by the end of the year must be re-introduced to the modern General Assembly for consideration.
Senate bill no. 1
The Ohio Senate Bill 1 The higher education reform came into force just over a year ago.
Cirino said the bill was intended to counter what he saw as leftist ideology on college campuses.
“I think that in our universities and colleges, a left-wing consciousness has taken over for a long time, and a lot of it has just gotten out of control,” Cirino said.
Ohio colleges and universities are also required to limit any bachelor’s degree programs that award an average of fewer than five degrees per year over three years.
“I think we’ve eliminated almost over 530 programs so far, and there will be more, and that will free up resources, deploy assets and resources to programs that are really important to us here,” Cirino said.
Earlier this year, the Ohio Capital Journal published an article on: almost 90-degree programs which has been cut since the passage of Senate Bill 1.
“There was very little demand for these majors and, frankly, if you support three students in a program, it doesn’t pass the smell test,” Cirino said.
“We can take the full professor position that we hold for such a small number of students and move it to another location… that is in greater demand.”
Dylan Repertorio transferred from Cleveland State University Down University at Albany in New York after signing SB 1.
“I took classes on diversity, equity and inclusion and it really opened my eyes,” he said. “The trip provided me with a more open academic environment.”
Repertorio, who is originally from New York, said he felt confident returning to his home state.
“I should just (in college) focus on getting my degree… I really don’t want to worry about these more bureaucratic things,” he said.
Cirino said she hasn’t talked to her yet Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy advocates for higher education.
Earlier this year, Ramaswamy said he wanted to consolidate colleges and universities in Ohio.
“I don’t know how much he knows about how higher education works in the state of Ohio,” Cirino said when asked about Ramaswamy’s comments.
“I look forward to discussing it with him.”
Ohio House Bill 698 would tie some funding for colleges and universities to SB 1 compatibility.
Ohio State Rep. Tom Young, R-Washington Twp., introduced bill earlier this year, Cirino, however, said the bill was “unnecessary and premature.”
“I don’t think it would be a good idea now to double down on punitive measures for non-compliance,” Cirino said.
“Let’s see how compliance goes. … I’m not opposed to requiring people to follow the rules, but I think it would be too early.”
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