Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has a contradictory approach to higher education in Ohio, having signed a bill making Ohio much less attractive to students while telling colleges they need to step up recruiting.
That’s the take of the Today in Ohio crew in Friday’s episode.
The discussion centered on DeWine’s recent appearance at a conference hosted by the Ohio Department of Higher Education, where he implored college trustees to step up recruitment efforts both within and outside the state.
“Not a year, not a year after he sits there with his Howdy Doody grin and signs a devastating Jerry Cirino higher education bill (SB!) that will destroy the whole system because no one wants to come here, he announces he wants to step up college recruiting,” Chris Quinn exclaimed during the podcast.
The hosts argued that SB1, designed to combat “so-called liberal indoctrination,” fundamentally undermines the very goal DeWine now claims to support. Laura Johnston explained that the law creates concerning restrictions on academic freedom that would deter students from choosing Ohio schools.
“It’s a question of whether you’d want your kids to go in school in Ohio if they’re going to get a real education or if they’re just going to get authoritarianism, you know, shoved down their throats,” she said.
The podcast discussion highlighted several worrying aspects of the law, including a system of student reviews for professors that Quinn suggested would lower academic standards. He also noted that the bill contradicts the fundamental purpose of higher education.
“College is supposed to be a place where you go and your mind explodes with ideas. Jerry Cirino’s bill is aimed at crushing those ideas, even while claiming it’s the opposite,” Quinn said.
Beyond the immediate impact on student recruitment, the conversation touched on broader demographic concerns for Ohio, with Johnston pointing out that “Ohio is projected to lose 5.7% of its population by 2050” while the US population is expected to grow by 17%.
Said Quinn: “To sit there yesterday and say what he said is the height of hypocrisy. You can’t say, ‘hey, colleges get more people’ when you’re making it almost impossible for them to straight face recruit people. Shame, shame, shame. Mike DeWine, you’re on the wrong side of this one.”
Listen to the discussion here.
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