Columbus – The Ohio Association of Community Colleges (OACC) voted unanimously today to pass a resolution in support of House Bill 384.

Community college leaders representing 23 schools offered their support for the legislation that would grant the Auditor of State’s office the authority to conduct performance audits of state institutions of higher education as one of the four required performance audits each biennium.

“Ohio’s state agencies have saved millions of dollars thanks to performance audits, and there’s no reason to believe that success won’t translate to higher education,” Auditor Yost said. “The OACC’s support for House Bill 384 proves that higher education is ready to reap the benefits of these audits.”

“The Ohio Association of Community Colleges is pleased to support House Bill 384 to expand the Auditor of State’s authority to conduct performance audits at institutions of public education,” said Jack Hershey, President and CEO of OACC, which represents all 23 public community colleges in Ohio. “For far too many Ohioans, the cost of a higher education continues to be a growing concern. Auditor Yost should be applauded for advancing this common-sense proposal that will be a useful tool to help our public colleges and universities identify cost savings and improve efficiencies on our campuses.”

“I am proud that the Ohio Association of Community Colleges has joined the growing list of proponents of House Bill 384 and I am grateful for their support,” said Representative Tim Schaffer. “It is my intention that performance audits can serve as a tool that administrators can use to help control the cost of higher education.”

The Ohio House passed the bill on January 27, 2016, and it awaits its first hearing in the Senate Finance Committee.

 ###
 

Additional Comment:

“Providing a quality, affordable education to meet the ever-growing need for a highly educated, highly skilled workforce is and always has been at the heart of the mission of Ohio’s community colleges,” said Dr. Para Jones, President of Stark State Community College. “Community colleges work hard every day to keep tuition affordable for Ohio students and to find new and innovative ways to improve student access and success, while operating in an efficient and accountable manner. As leaders of Ohio’s community colleges, we believe performance audits can provide valuable insights into how we can continue delivering quality education at affordable tuition to our students, while remaining accountable.”

Contact:
Carrie Bartunek
Director of Communications
614-644-1111

Tom Walsh
Vice President, OACC
614-221-6222