Spring Break
Miami highlights strong points with Centers of Excellence
Amelia Carpenter
Issue date: 6/19/09 Section: Front Page
During a time of financial insecurity, the University System of Ohio (USO) is working to improve higher education in public universities statewide.
A total of 15 universities have self-identified "Centers of Excellence" after Chancellor Eric D. Fingerhut's September 2008 proposal to have each Ohio public university identify its respective strengths in education as part of his 10-year strategic plan.
"There are multiple centers. Miami has proposed six of them," said Jim Oris, associate dean for research and scholarship at Miami University. "All of the public universities were asked to identify strengths and excellence and submitted (them) to the center as part of the strategic plan."
Miami's Centers of Excellence include the Scripps Gerontology Center, the Institute for Entrepreneurship, the Ohio Evaluation and Assessment Center for Mathematics and Science Education, the Center of Structural Biology and Metabonomics and the Center for Aquatic and Watershed Sciences.
The ultimate goal of these centers is to map out each university's strongest areas in which they will invest, according to Carol Whitacre, associate vice president for health sciences research at Ohio State University.
"It was really an important thing to do," Whitacre said. "We came out of it knowing ourselves better. It sort of is a plan for investments in those areas where you're the strongest. It (will) make us all better by focusing on our strengths."
Oris gave the example of a student looking to study gerontology. As a prospective student, Miami will look appealing because of its Center of Excellence in Gerontology that offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in gerontology.
Oris said the idea is to first identify the distinctive missions of each university and then move forward to compete for talent, recognition and potential funding.
"As we move forward there may be competitive funds awarded to the universities for their centers for excellence," Oris said.
A total of 15 universities have self-identified "Centers of Excellence" after Chancellor Eric D. Fingerhut's September 2008 proposal to have each Ohio public university identify its respective strengths in education as part of his 10-year strategic plan.
"There are multiple centers. Miami has proposed six of them," said Jim Oris, associate dean for research and scholarship at Miami University. "All of the public universities were asked to identify strengths and excellence and submitted (them) to the center as part of the strategic plan."
Miami's Centers of Excellence include the Scripps Gerontology Center, the Institute for Entrepreneurship, the Ohio Evaluation and Assessment Center for Mathematics and Science Education, the Center of Structural Biology and Metabonomics and the Center for Aquatic and Watershed Sciences.
The ultimate goal of these centers is to map out each university's strongest areas in which they will invest, according to Carol Whitacre, associate vice president for health sciences research at Ohio State University.
"It was really an important thing to do," Whitacre said. "We came out of it knowing ourselves better. It sort of is a plan for investments in those areas where you're the strongest. It (will) make us all better by focusing on our strengths."
Oris gave the example of a student looking to study gerontology. As a prospective student, Miami will look appealing because of its Center of Excellence in Gerontology that offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in gerontology.
Oris said the idea is to first identify the distinctive missions of each university and then move forward to compete for talent, recognition and potential funding.
"As we move forward there may be competitive funds awarded to the universities for their centers for excellence," Oris said.
Be the first to comment on this story