CSU and Akron to merge?

Interesting article in today's Plain Dealer...your thoughts?

Merge Cleveland State and U of Akron? That's the buzz
Posted by Janet Okoben September 20, 2007 23:42PM
Categories: Education, Impact

An idea to shake up the state's college system could combine Cleveland State University and the University of Akron and bring a medical school to downtown Cleveland.

Some of the talk involves moving the Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy, known as NEOUCOM, from Portage County or expanding its Rootstown-based campus.
• Compare the three schools.Combining CSU and UA would eliminate overlapping programs and administrative jobs, and the two schools would then function under a single leader.

The two people with the ability to make these ideas happen, Gov. Ted Strickland and his higher-education chancellor, Eric Fingerhut, would not comment Thursday on what others familiar with the discussions say has a real chance of happening.

Fingerhut is in the midst of developing a master plan for the state's higher-education system, which was recently named the University System of Ohio.

He did acknowledge that big changes are needed here. "There's pretty broad consensus that the status quo in Northeast Ohio is not acceptable," Fingerhut said.

"The optimal solution will involve some significant changes to what we're currently doing because we're not getting the maximum benefit of the state's investment in higher education in Northeast Ohio."

Fingerhut said he's listening to all ideas, but wouldn't talk about specifics.

"I'm not there yet, and in any event it would be a shared vision, not my own vision, because the only way to be successful is for it to be a shared vision among civic leaders and higher education leaders and community leaders in Northeast Ohio, so I work on it every day," Fingerhut said. "We're a ways off from having any recommendations."

A state-funded public medical school could share research dollars and talent with the medical school at Case Western Reserve University, a private institution. It could build on the region's already strong hospitals and medical services.

CSU President Michael Schwartz and UA President Luis Proenza both said they had heard a number of ideas involving their schools, but nothing definite. Proenza has written extensively on what he calls higher education as an industry in transition.

A group called the Northeast Ohio Universities Collaboration and Innovation Study Commission has been meeting monthly since March to pitch ideas on improving higher education. The group, made up of university and business leaders, has until December to submit ideas to Fingerhut.

One member, Cleveland businessman Richard Pogue, proposed relocating NEOUCOM to a major city.

Strickland also would not comment on specifics, but said much change is possible.

"I am encouraging Eric to be creative in his approach and to not leave anything off the table necessarily at this stage," he said.

View Plain Dealer Article

Former Cant Convict Picked Up By Jets

Abram Elam picked up by Jets yesterday...

The Jets have built a reputation for seeking players with solid backgrounds, but they signed a player yesterday - former Cowboys S Abram Elam - who has considerable baggage. In 2002, Elam was one of four Notre Dame players charged with sexually assaulting a female student. He was the only one of the four convicted of any charges - sexual battery, a felony. He was acquitted on the more serious charges of conspiracy to commit rape and criminal deviate conduct. He received an 18-month suspended sentence, two years probation and 200 hours of community service. Elam was thrown out of Notre Dame, resurfacing at Can't State. The Jets' security conducted a background check on Elam and concluded it was an isolated incident, a team spokesman said. -- NY Daily News

Source