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The Northeast Ohio Council on Higher Education (NOCHE) is the consortium of 21 colleges and universities in the 14-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 180,000 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.

NOCHE's mission is to mobilize the region’s higher education and business communities for collective action that advances regional economic development.

Contents 1 History 2 Programs 2.1 Public policy and advocacy 2.2 Access and aspiration 2.3 Talent development 3 Member institutions 4 Board of trustees 5 External links

History

The framework for what eventually became NOCHE began when a group of local visionaries 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 Art, Cleveland Institute of Music, Hiram College, Kent State University, Lakeland Community College, Lake Erie College, Lorain County Community College, Malone College, Oberlin College, Walsh 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%. Today, NOCHE seeks to maintain its prominence as the leading organization to promote the livelihood and success of higher education in Northeast Ohio, as well as to further the economic development and well-being of industry in the region.

Programs

NOCHE achieves its mission by developing and implementing 3 main programs:

• Public Policy & Advocacy
• Access & Aspiration
• Talent Development

Public policy and advocacy

NOCHE communicates the strengths of higher education and economic growth to prospective and currently enrolled students, community leaders, and industry.

NOCHE produces a brochure that highlights the the region's wealth of higher education opportunities. This marketing piece is used by regional economic development organizations and school communications departments as a business and job attraction tool. We also regularly update stakeholders on policy issues in NOCHE Policy Points.

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.

The Study Commission Report can be downloaded here.

Access and aspiration

NOCHE is dedicated to ensuring that higher education is accessible to all. Through NOCHE’s innovative College Caravan Program, admissions staff from regional colleges and universities travel to high schools with high numbers of students who are typically underserved in the higher education realm. This experience provides students with higher education opportunities and offers practical, first-hand information to begin the college application process.

Talent development

NOCHE is a leader in developing regional talent, attracting and retaining talent from other regions, and aligning higher education curriculum with the needs and goals of regional employers. NOCHE has developed the following programs to accomplish these objectives:

Industry Roundtables bring together academia and business representatives to discuss curriculum alignment, internships and collaboration on research and innovation. The roundtables focus on a specific industry and/or topic and what higher education can do to better prepare its students/faculty for changing trends.

NEOintern.net offers students, higher education institutions and employers a variety of internship-related services. The site easily connects students and employers to increase the number of available internships and number of students interested in a particular market. These internship programs provide hands-on experience to supplement course work. They also serve to strengthen student ties to the region, develop job opportunities for students in the region, and provide employers with an experienced talent pool.

The Blueprint for Talent, Ideas & Innovation identifies strategies to help Northeast Ohio compete globally. This blueprint has the goal of attracting and retaining the world’s best and brightest, and filling regional talent development gaps. The blueprint specifically calls for internship programs for international students.

Member institutions

The following institutions of higher education are NOCHE members:

• Case Western Reserve University
• Cleveland Institute of Art
• Cleveland Institute of Music
• Cleveland State University
• The College of Wooster
• Cuyahoga Community College
• Hiram College
• John Carroll University
• Kent State University
• Lake Erie College
• Lakeland Community College
• Lorain County Community College
• Malone College
• Mount Union College
• Myers University
• Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine and Pharmacy
• Siegal College of Judaic Studies
• Stark State College of Technology
• University of Akron
• Ursuline College
• Youngstown State University

Board of trustees

The NOCHE board of trustees consists of the presidents of each member institution, along with an equal number of regional business and civic leaders.

Institutional Presidents:

• Dr. Brian Amkraut – Interim President, Laura and Alvin Siegal College of Judaic Studies
• Dr. Morris W. Beverage, Jr. – President, Lakeland Community College
• Mr. David Cerone – President, Cleveland Institute of Music
• Mr. Thomas V. Chema – President, Hiram College
• Dr. Roy A. Church, Vice Chairman – President, Lorain County Community College
• Mr. David L. Deming – President, Cleveland Institute of Art
• Mr. Richard W. Durst – President, Baldwin-Wallace College
• Mr. Marlin Krislov – President, Oberlin College
• Ms. Barbara R. Snyder – President, Case Western Reserve University
• Dr. Frederick J. Finks – President, Ashland University
• Dr. Richard F. Geise – President, Mount Union College
• Dr. Grant H. Cornwell – President, The College of Wooster
• Dr. Gary W. Streit – President, Malone College
• Mr. Richard Jusseaume – President, Walsh University
• Dr. Lester Lefton – President, Kent State University
• Rev. Robert L. Niehoff, S.J.- President, John Carroll University
• Dr. Lois Margaret Nora – President, Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine
• Dr. John D. O’Donnell – President, Stark State College of Technology
• Dr. Luis M. Proenza – President, University of Akron
• Dr. Andrew P. Roth – President, Notre Dame College
• Dr. Joyce A. Banjac – President, Myers University
• Dr. Michael Schwartz – President, Cleveland State University
• Sr. Diana Stano, OSU, Ph.D. – President, Ursuline College
• Dr. David C. Sweet – President, Youngstown State University
• Dr. Jerry Sue Thornton – President, Cuyahoga Community College
• Mr. Michael T. Victor – President, Lake Erie College

Public Trustees:

• Mr. Paul R. Bishop – Chairman and CEO, H-P Products, Inc.
• Mr. Theodore V. Boyd – Chairman, FirstCommunications
• Dr. Glenn R. Brown – President, Generation Foundation
• Mr. Chris Coburn – Executive Director, Cleveland Clinic Foundation
• Mr. Robert B. Crowl, Treasurer – Senior Vice President, Corporate Comptroller, National City Bank
• Dr. William Demas – Professor of Clinical Radiology, Akron City Hospital
• Ms. Lynne S. Dragomier – Vice President of Public Relations and Marketing, Mercy Medical Center
• Mr. Paul M. Dutton – Attorney-at-Law, Harrington, Hoppe & Mitchell, Ltd.
• Mr. Richard R. Grigg – Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, FirstEnergy Corp.
• Mr. James L. Hambrick – President and Chief Executive Officer, The Lubrizol Corporation
• Mr. C. Thomas Harvie – Sr. Vice President and General Counsel, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
• Mr. Robert W. Mahoney – Retired Chairman and CEO, Diebold Inc.
• Mr. Henry L. Meyer III – Chairman and CEO, KeyCorp
• Mr. Steven Minter – Executive-In-Residence, Cleveland State University
• Ms. Sandra Pianalto – President and CEO, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland
• Mr. Richard W. Pogue – Advisor, Jones Day
• Mr. Robert H. Rawson Jr., Chairman – Partner, Cleveland Office; Jones Day
• Mr. Robert P. Reffner – Vice President, Legal, FirstEnergy Corp.
• Mr. Richard Schiraldi – Partner, Cohen & Company
• Mr. Robert F. Seaton – Retired President, Planned Giving Systems
• Mr. Eric L. Small – President and CEO, SBK Brooks Investment Corporation
• Mr. William B. Summers, Jr. – Retired Chairman, McDonald Investments
• Mr. Edward Taylor – CEO, Integrated Consulting Services
• Ms. Margaret Wong – Attorney-at-Law, Margaret W. Wong & Associates

External links

• Northeast Ohio Council on Higher Education