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Ohio colleges' switch to semesters won't be easy

Wright State summit provides opportunity  for leaders to share  their concerns.

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By Dave Larsen, Staff Writer Updated 1:35 AM Thursday, October 15, 2009

FAIRBORN — Up to 200,000 students will be affected when 20 Ohio colleges and universities convert to the semester system by fall 2012.

Approximately 400 leaders from those schools met Wednesday, Oct. 14, at a statewide summit on semester conversion at Wright State University.

“It’s a huge undertaking, but very important,” said Lillie Howard, co-chair of Wright State’s semesters transition team. “I think what makes it doable is we’ve agreed to work together to achieve it.”

Wright State is one of four remaining public four-year schools to convert from quarters to semesters, along with Ohio University, the University of Cincinnati and Ohio State University. Thirteen public two-year schools and two of the three private institutions to convert also were represented at the summit.

“It’s sharing some of the opportunities and some of the pain of the conversion, and making some collaborations that will hopefully help students down the line,” said Thomas Sudkamp, co-chair of Wright State’s transition team.

Craig Cornell, Ohio University vice provost for enrollment management, appreciated the opportunity to learn what other schools are doing. “It’s good to get together and talk about the issues in a more global sense,” he said.

Andy Jorgensen, the University of Toledo’s former director of calendar conversion, discussed that school’s transition to semesters from 1995-1997.

“It was challenging,” Jorgensen said. “We had to create 5,200 courses over 100 majors. It involved everybody on the campus.”

The University System of Ohio recommended the transition to semesters in its strategic plan. A common calendar would facilitate shared academic programs, ease of transfer between institutions and students’ ability to undertake internships and co-ops.

“The bottom line, in 2012 this is going to be a much better situation for students in the state of Ohio,” Jorgensen said.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2419 or dlarsen@DaytonDaily News.com.

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