The History of SOCHE
In 1967, the DMVC was formed to promote community service and inter-institutional cooperation in order to achieve educational advancement, research development, and administrative efficiency of the member institutions. 50+ years later we strive for the same goals by connecting higher education institutions to increase opportunity, propel change, and promote education.
1967
DMVC is Created
The Dayton Miami Valley Consortium was created in 1967 with the purpose of serving students and higher education in the Miami Valley.
1968
Consortium Libraries Share Materials
Librarians from SOCHE member libraries shared resources through an agreement with United Parcel Service for delivery service at $2 a week per institution.
1974
Xenia Tornado
SOCHE worked with member institutions to respond to the Xenia Tornado of 1974.
1975
Cross Registration Program
Created and continues to provide eligible students enrolled at any SOCHE member institution the opportunity to register and receive credit for courses offered by other participating SOCHE institutions.
1975
Project Reach
Project Reach guided individuals into a college education by providing encouragement, information, and opportunities for success.
1978
Committee on the Academic Uses of the Computer for Education
1978-1988 this committee worked to integrate computer technology into education.
1979
Established SOCHE office at Wright-Patterson AFB
1979-2017 this office worked to provide better educational opportunities for military personnel and promote a better relationship between Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and the local community.
1980's
Air Force Research Lab (AFRL)
AFRL’s goal was to provide student interns in support of AFRL’s mission of providing world class research and development to advance the Air Force mission.
Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT)
The original AFIT contract was awarded in the late 1980’s. The goal was to provide student interns to support AFIT’s mission-essential role of providing high-quality academic and continuing education, research, and development programs to enable the Air Force to sustain its competitive advantage.
1984
DMVC name change to SOCHE (Southwestern Ohio Council for Higher Education)
1988
Cable Television for Educational Outreach Committee
Identified first generation and economically disadvantaged youth to either reenroll in high school or the equivalent for a postsecondary degree.
1993
Faculty Retreat for Diversity Awareness
SOCHE created the Diversity Awareness and Campus Climate Committee and hosted workshops on strengthening diversity in higher education.
1996
Articulation Workshop: Reducing Barriers and Expanding Educational Opportunities
Created a more visible presence for the work of transfer advisors on member campuses.
1998
Technology in the Classroom & Distance Learning Workshop
This hands-on workshop featured advanced sessions on working with technology in the classroom and distance education.
2000
Degree Finder
Pioneered the new SOCHE Degree Finder which provides the Miami Valley’s first web-based listing of over 700 degrees offered by SOCHE member institutions.
2001
GC3 (formerly GCCCU) Partnership
This agreement with the Greater Cincinnati Collegiate Connection (GC3) continues to allow SOCHE students to cross-register with GC3 institutions in a manner similar to the current cross-registration process within SOCHE.
2002
Democracy in Action Award
13 campuses received Democracy in Action awards for hosting events following the tragedies of 9/11 & SOCHE conducted a faculty retreat focused on Higher Education’s reaction to International Conflict and Terrorism.
2008
SOCHE Sustainability Committee
The SOCHE Sustainability Committee was formed to share information with member institutions and to work towards economic, social, and environmental sustainability.
2011
SOCHE Talks
In collaboration with ThinkTV and WYSO, SOCHE Talks was designed to enlighten the listener with knowledge from higher education institutions in Southwestern Ohio.
2012
SOCHE Intern
SOCHE Intern’s focus is working with businesses, city, and county government organizations across the Miami Valley to recruit and hire interns. Since 2012, SOCHE has developed relationships with over 50 companies and governmental agencies across the region and places hundreds of interns in companies with a variety of specialty areas to include human resources, business administration, marketing, supply chain management, engineering, program management, quality control, and many more.
2013
Ohio Internship and Co-op Appreciation Day
SOCHE President worked with Senator Beagle on the development and passage of the Ohio Internship and Co-op Appreciation Day (2nd Tuesday in April).
2014
TEDx Dayton
SOCHE became the fiscal agent for TEDx Dayton.
2014
SOCHE Ed
The “We’re All In” conference brought 200 colleagues to the Dayton Art Institute (DAI) to discuss the future of higher education.
2016
CINDAY CYBER Created
Cincinnati-Dayton Cyber Corridor was created to establish and enhance Southwestern Ohio’s reputation as a national leader in cybersecurity education, research and private and public partnerships.
2017
Innovative Educators
SOCHE established a partnership with Innovative Educators to provide our members access to over 300 professional development training courses, as well as access to unlimited live webinars covering the most pressing topics in higher education.
2017
Ohio Community Connectors
The grant allowed SOCHE to work with underserved middle school children in the Dayton region to provide them an overview of in-demand careers through camp activities.
2018
APDC
SOCHE welcomes the Aerospace Professional Development Center (APDC) to help shape the future growth of the aerospace and aviation industry.
2018
SOCHE Engage
SOCHE Engage creates regional workforce initiatives and internship management to connect industry employers with talented students to develop the workforce of tomorrow by providing experiential learning opportunities to students through paid internships.
2018
Career Adventures Camp
The goal of the Career Adventures Camp was to provide Dayton area middle schoolers an opportunity to learn about and visit locations of in-demand career fields.
2018
myVeteran Community
myVeteran Community joins SOCHE to encourage community involvement. VA and community leaders have begun participating more actively in community-based efforts to maximize the collective impact of local services, stakeholders, and federal/state agencies working together to improve Veteran outcomes.
2019
Dayton Strong
SOCHE joins other area organizations to host the Dayton Strong Benefit Concert to raise funds for people affected by the 2019 Dayton Tornado.
2020
20 By 20 CHALLENGE
SOCHE launched the 20 by 20 Challenge in 2013 focused on increasing the number of internships in the region to 20,000 per year by 2020. Eight years later, the number of internships has increased at an annual growth rate of over 10%!
2020
Workforce We Need Summit
The purpose of the Workforce We Need Summit was to bring together Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) leadership with Ohio College and University leadership to share the current and future workforce opportunities at WPAFB. This event provided college leadership with an understanding of WPAFB missions and the career opportunities available.
2020
Launch of Federal Employment Portal
Portal designed to provide all job seekers quick and easy access to Federal employment opportunities.
2020
COVID Taskforce
SOCHE conducted collaborative meetings to bring together leaders from SOCHE colleges and universities to discuss COVID-19 challenges, share best practices, and define new policies and procedures for schools to reopen.