Education

An expanding program in clean and renewable energy at the University of Dayton is exceeding enrollment expectations and drawing students from around the world.

The program at UD has swelled to three times the school's expectations for enrollment since it was launched in 2009.

Among its 50 students, the program has three Fulbright scholars - a record for any one program at the university.  Fulbright scholars are international students chosen for their academics and leadership potential.

2012 saw many education reforms in Ohio. . Students got new tests and requirements. Teachers got a new evaluation systems. Charter schools and universities saw changes as well.  But as StateImpact Ohio’s Ida Lieszkovszky reports, the New Year will bring plenty of changes to the way the state’s schools are run. 

Ohio runs on a two-year budget, but that doesn’t mean off years are slow. Governor Kasich crammed in several education initiatives into his mid-cycle budget. Several other education bills passed the legislature. Among the new programs is the third grade-reading guarantee.

In May 2012, Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology announced a partnership to offer on-line courses, free to anyone anywhere in the world. There is a historical resonance in MIT's involvement in the MOOC (massive open on-line courses) movement. MIT is a land-grant university and the announcement came during the 150th anniversary of the Morrill Land Grant Act which created the land-grants. Arguably the greatest democratization of higher education in history, the Morrill Act stressed that higher education should be practical and that it should be accessible. This month historian David Staley looks back over the 150 year history of this experiment in state-funded, democratic higher education.

An $11 million investment by the state of Ohio will create as many as 3,500 internships and co-ops for college students.

The Dayton Daily News reports that grants will be funded through casino license fees and are contingent upon the approval of the Ohio Controlling Board in January.

Experts tell the newspaper that the investment could help keep college graduates in the state and draw key industries to Ohio.

Protests and concerns continue this week at Wittenberg University concerning the school's plan to replace its long time housekeeping provider, ABM. WYSO's Wayne Baker reports that the move has been meet with resistance on campus.