Covenant

COVENANT of Lifelong Learning and Collaboration

WHEREAS, the needs of the learning community and workforce have profoundly changed, requiring new and more creative and collaborative responses from regional higher education institutions and organizations; and

WHEREAS, the member institutions of the Southwestern Ohio Council for Higher Education represent an extraordinary human development resource serving annually over 70,000 college credit students, an equal number of residents in credit free educational and cultural experiences, and hundreds of companies and organizations throughout southwestern Ohio and beyond; and

WHEREAS, citizens of the region need the opportunity to pursue higher education within their communities through the most cost efficient and effective connection within a seamless fabric of higher education opportunities; and

WHEREAS, the colleges and universities have a commitment to optimized transferability for students and their credits, and in the management of resources to enhance educational opportunities; and

WHEREAS, the strategic focus of these institutions is not only on the needs of individuals and of the local community today but also, more importantly, on the expanded global community;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, one, that the member institutions do hereby commit to expand higher education opportunities for the learning community through concerted initiatives encourage an expanded number of residents to pursue higher education; and

FURTHER, BE IT RESOLVED, two, that these colleges and universities commit to expand and extend articulation and transfer; and

FURTHER, BE IT RESOLVED, three, that these colleges and universities do hereby commit to work collaboratively to implement creative means for stretching the resources of the region through effective use of technology, improved planning and management initiatives and continuous improvement for the pursuit of lifelong learning; and

FURTHER, BE IT RESOLVED that these colleges and universities commit to collaborate strategically to meet the needs of the learning community from today forward.

This Covenant is effective beginning with this 2nd day of June, 2004, and will be reviewed in conjunction with SOCHE’s strategic plan review.