Campus to Career Connections (Ohio Business Magazine Feature)

By Eric Spangler

Rob Twitchell knows the value of an education from an independent college in Ohio. Twitchell, the COO of Reliant Capital, an accounts receivable management company headquartered in Gahanna, Ohio, graduated from Ohio Northern University, an independent university located in Ada, Ohio.

That’s one of the reasons Twitchell says Reliant Capital recently decided to make a donation to The Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges to fund three renewable scholarships for students attending one of 33 independent colleges and universities in Ohio.

The only stipulation for the scholarship is that students preferably live in Franklin County and contiguous counties, since that’s where Reliant Capital is located; they should major in business, communication, finance or marketing; and must meet the academic standards of The Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges and demonstrate financial need, says Twitchell.

“We just kind of feel that as our company grows it’s our responsibility as a corporate citizen to give back to the community,” Twitchell says. “And since we support the higher-education industry it just kind of made sense for us to get involved and support their work.”

Reliant Capital helps colleges by managing their outstanding debt, he says. “We treat our borrowers with dignity and respect,” says Twitchell. “The institutions we support are extremely important to us and expect us to treat their alumni and former students well and we pride ourselves on doing that.”

He says Reliant Capital does everything possible to help people resolve their distressed loans so they can get back on with their life. “We just want to make sure that we participate in every phase of this by offering scholarships and helping people make it more affordable and hopefully people don’t end up as our customers,” Twitchell says.

Making a donation for scholarships is important to Reliant Capital because the money is being used to make a difference in students’ lives, he says. “I’m personally a big fan of a liberal arts education and I’ve seen the value of it in my own life.

“I realize that there are some people that might be on the edge of being able to afford attending one of these schools,” Twitchell says.

Scholarships through The Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges gives companies access to the state’s future workforce.

Scholarships through The Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges gives companies access to the state’s future workforce.

It’s that personal touch that has elevated The Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges, the national leader in providing unrestricted gifts and student scholarships to Ohio’s independent colleges and universities since its founding in 1950 to now, says Bill Spiker, president of the organization. Until 1986 the group raised money through corporate donations for general expenses at its member institutions, he says.

But The Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges started raising money from corporate donors specifically for student scholarships at member institutions in 1986.

“I like to say we dipped our toe in the water in 1986 and then today we’re up about chest high,” says Spiker. Today, about three-fourths of the money the group raises is distributed back to its member schools in the form of scholarships, he says.

The scholarships have been successful because corporate officials like to know where their gift is going and what their money is supporting, Spiker says.

Twitchell agrees with that assessment. “I really can’t stress enough that the money for The [Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges] goes right to the student so we’re getting the money right to the point of need, which I think is pretty critical,” Twitchell says.

Corporate officials can even get introduced to a scholarship recipient and that may lead to a new employee upon graduation, he says.

“Students may have a choice as to where they want to start their career and if a company has stepped forward with a contribution to help reduce the cost of attending a member school then that student may look more favorably on joining that company,” says Spiker. “So it’s a way of establishing that relationship,” he says.

That relationship creates a “campus to career connection,” Spiker says. “That’s what we’re saying to corporate Ohio, we’ve got something to return to you,” he says.  “It’s not just, ‘Give us money and we’ll do a good job with it.’ It’s really saying to them we can potentially give you a return on your investment, especially if you’re hiring.”

The scholarships provided by The Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges are creating a talent pipeline for corporate Ohio, says Spiker. “The reason we exist is to raise money from corporate Ohio, return it to the students who are attending the member campuses, making their education affordable and creating a future workforce for Ohio,” he says.

That, in turn, may help keep Ohio’s economy strong and growing. Twitchell says it’s well documented that Ohio is going to face a shortfall of qualified workers in the very new future. By providing scholarships to students with financial needs businesses are making it possible to address that shortfall of qualified workers, he says.

Spiker agrees that keeping qualified workers in Ohio is important to the economy and says the scholarships offered by his organization are creating a talent pipeline for Ohio business.

Twitchell succinctly sums up the scholarship program and its importance to the state’s economy. “I think by participating in this [scholarship program] we’re making the Ohio economy better, which benefits us all,” says Twitchell.

OFIC featured in Ohio Business Magazine

OFIC article begins on page 25 of the printed magazine (page 27 of the digital version below).

2016 OFIC Diversity Forum Pictures

Pictures from the 2016 OFIC Diversity Forum at Ohio Dominican University on October 25 are now available.

OFIC Names Liz Johnson, Cindi Marshall, Regional Vice Presidents for Development

Liz Johnson

Liz Johnson has been named Regional Vice President for Development, NE Ohio. "Liz has a great background in both fundraising and sales which will allow her to be successful in approaching Northeast Ohio business leaders in support of Ohio's independent colleges and universities," said OFIC President Bill Spiker. Most recently, Johnson was the Director of the Mount Union Fund at the University of Mount Union. Under her direction, the university raised over $5 million in philanthropic support toward the Fund during her three years as director.

A graduate of Cuyahoga Falls High School, Johnson enrolled at the University of Mount Union and with her liberal arts education in Communications and Elementary Education secured, Johnson began her business career upon graduation in 1993.  First hired as a patient representative at Berger Hospital (Circleville), followed by three years as a professional representative of pharmaceutical giant, Merck & Co., Johnson then extended her sales career with a very successful eight-year engagement with Progressive Insurance (Mayfield).  Prior to joining the advancement staff at Mount Union, Johnson worked six years for the Solon Board of Education as an educational aide. Johnson resides in Solon with her husband, Matt, and two high school aged children, Connor and Evan.

Liz will be responsible for Northeast Ohio regional campaigns of OFIC in greater Akron, Canton, Cleveland and Youngstown seeking support from businesses, corporations, private foundations, and individuals. 

Cindi Marshall, MCM

Liz joins Cindi Marshall, MCM, who has been promoted from Senior Director to Regional Vice President for Development. Cindi has been with OFIC for 4.5 years and has 20 years of resource development experience, which includes leadership development positions benefitting higher education, health and human service, and health care organizations. Cindi holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Master of Science in Communications and Marketing. Cindi will continue to be responsible for seeking support from businesses, corporations, private foundations, and individuals in Central Ohio, and in Western Ohio from Cincinnati and Dayton, north to Toledo.

Marietta names Dr. William Ruud as its 19th President

Marietta College announced today that Dr. William N. Ruud, current President at the University of Northern Iowa, will be the College’s 19th President. Dr. Ruud will succeed Dr. Joseph Bruno, whose four-year tenure at Marietta ended on May 13.

Dr. Ruud will begin his Marietta presidency on July 3, and Tim Cooper ’73 will serve as interim President until his arrival.

Sarah Bolton named 12th president of The College of Wooster

The board of trustees of The College of Wooster has chosen Sarah Bolton, dean of the college and professor of physics at Williams College in Williamstown, Mass., to become Wooster's twelfth president. She will assume her new duties on July 1, 2016.

2015 OFIC Diversity Forum Pictures

2015 OFIC Fall Diversity Forum hosted at Nationwide Hotel & Conference Center and sponsored by Libbey Inc. & TimkenSteel Corporation.

It’s a Matter of Fit

Nicholas R. Santilli, Ph.D.
Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs
Professor of Psychology
Notre Dame College of Ohio

Over the past several months, I attended several professional meetings where the topic of the future of higher education was front and center.  Sessions focused on the imminent demise of college as we know it replaced by the latest variety of digital education, degrees replaced by badges, flipped classes, adaptive learning, the unbundling of the educational experience, containing costs, and how unprepared today’s college graduates are for the world of work.  Cutting through the static of this latest assault on the college experience and fitness of college graduates for adulthood can be exhausting.  How does a thoughtful person cut through the din? In my opinion, the crux of the matter lies along these lines: the learning and developmental needs of traditional aged college students, how well the college experience meets these needs, and matching employers’ expectations  with the development of  contemporary, traditional-aged college graduates.

Millennials or Emerging Adults?

Not long ago I suggested the contemporary fixation on millennials is misplaced (Santilli, 2010). The conceptualization of millennials does provide convenient shorthand for today’s students: feelings of exceptionality, confidence, sheltered, team-oriented, achieving, pressured, and conventional. But do these qualities describe the 80 million millennials? I think not. Instead I suggest we think of this cohort of individuals not as millennials but as emerging adults.

The life-stage of emerging adulthood was proposed by Jeffrey Arnett in his article in the journal American Psychologist (2000) and later in his book titled; Emerging Adulthood: The Winding Road from the Late Teens through the Twenties (2004). Emerging adulthood captures a new life stage spanning the ages between 18- to 25-years old.  According to Arnett, delay in age of first marriage and parenthood, prolonged time for education and assumption of adult work responsibilities, and financial dependence, have introduced a new stage in the life course that stands between adolescence and young adulthood.  These five qualities define emerging adulthood:

•       Identity Exploration:  discerning life goals, especially in relationships and work;

•       Instability:  Consequence of exploration characterized by fluctuation in residence, relationships, and commitments (academic majors and careers);

•       Self-focused:  Normal and transitory focus on the knowledge, skills, and self-understanding necessary for adulthood;

•       Feeling in-between: In transition between the teenage years and young adulthood, and;

•       Age of possibilities: Individuals have an unparalleled number of opportunities to choose from to transform their lives.

In short, between 18 and 25 emerging adults seek to refine life-goals around personal relationships and vocation; experience periods of instability in life-choices around commitments to relationships, academic and vocational decisions, and residency; are intentionally self-reflective; at times show a lack of direction, and; show a degree of anxiety due to the seemingly overwhelming number of opportunities facing them.  College for these individuals needs to be a developmental experience that permits them to explore opportunities, feel discomfort, reflect and act.

College and Emerging Adulthood: Train Wreck or Good Fit?

The present discourse on the college experience seems to miss this point: College is a matter of fit.  Arguments around delivery systems, flipped or hybrid classes, or credentialing via badges take us down blind alleys.  Each has its place.  What we have neglected to discern is what educational experience best fits the students in the classroom or at the other end of the online connection.  This generation of college students is the most diverse in history.  Yet, we fall into the trap of considering college students as a homogeneous set, possessing more or less the same qualities (those millennial character traits).  Our students are far more heterogeneous today possessing varying educational needs and demands.  Veterans and adult students with transfer credit, seeking to complete college degrees are different than students fresh out of high school.  Some colleges get this point while others still try to force students down the same path, through one doorway.

So, what do emerging adults need?  In my opinion three things:  a liberal education, current fields of study, and access to high-impact educational practices.  The first two are often at odds.  Liberal education, steeped in the humanities, social, and natural sciences provide the grounding in human experience upon which professional studies build.  Current fields of study should be rethought, a move away from narrow, traditional majors. Instead, students should be offered educational pathways that blend and integrate knowledge from these disciplines—toward interdisciplinary studies.  The modern workplace is far too complex to become overly specialized in a single area of study.  The toolkit for the future requires not only knowledge of a field in depth but also knowledge of culture, history, communication, psychology, science, and technology; a blend of liberal education and professional preparation.  Liberally educated professionals are what the workforce needs and a democratic republic demands.

The third educational experience, high impact educational practices (HIP), has been shown to enrich the college experience.  George Kuh, architect of the National Survey of Student Engagement, has identified ten HIP’s that foster deep learning in college.  The HIP’s are: First Year Seminars; Internships; Undergraduate Research; Service-Learning; Learning Communities; Capstone Projects; Writing-Intensive Courses; Global Learning; Common Intellectual Experiences, such as, general education requirements, and; Collaborative Projects (Kuh, 2008).  HIP’s are not limited to specific academic majors but cut across the curriculum. These ten practices foster engagement in learning, relationships with faculty, and improve persistence and completion rates.

What’s an Employer to Do?

 I often speak to employers about emerging adults in the workplace.  Here is some simple advice.  First, recognize that your new employee remains a work in progress.  The developmental tasks of emerging adulthood continue through the mid-twenties.  While some new grads will be fully engaged in making the transition to the workforce and citizenship others may not be quite “job ready.”  This may be due less to lack of preparation in college and more a consequence to moving to a new and unfamiliar role:  From student to employee.  Second, when reviewing candidates for open positions ask them if they participated in any of the high-impact educational practices while students.  The applicant may not be familiar with the term “high impact practice” but she will know the more specific terms like “internship,” “learning community,” “service-learning,” or “capstone project.”  Engage your applicant in a conversation about what she may have learned by participating in the activity and how this learning may translate to their career aspirations and the specific job she seeks with your firm.  Finally, ask applicants what type of academic or extra-curricular work they engaged in outside of the major.  The best candidates demonstrate that they can be “more than their major.”  Did they study abroad, complete a minor, or participate in performing arts?  Ultimately you want a job candidate that found a way to blend his professional preparation with a liberal education experience.

2012 OFIC Service-Learning Leadership Award recipient Jenelle Krumlauf named to Business First's Forty under 40

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Jenelle Krumlauf, founder and president of Nellie’s Catwalk for Kids, and 2012 OFIC Service-Learning Leadership award recipient (Ohio Dominican University '13), has been named to Columbus Business First's Forty under 40 list this year.

Ashland University Names New President

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ASHLAND, Ohio – The Ashland University Board of Trustees has announced that it has hired Dr. Carlos Campo as the 30th president of Ashland University. Campo has considerable experience in higher education, including serving as president of Regent University. He will start in his new role on June 1, 2015.

“We have conducted a thorough, national search for our next leader, and we are very excited to be able to announce that Dr. Carlos Campo has been selected to serve as the next president of Ashland University,” said AU Board Chair Lisa Miller. “Dr. Campo is a proven, highly motivated and accomplished higher education professional with more than 25 years of exemplary experience, from professor to university president.”

Campo replaces Dr. William Crothers, who is serving as an interim president for one year while the board launched a national search for the new president.

The newly selected president and his wife, Karen, said they were anxious to get settled in Ashland.

“Karen and I look forward to getting to know the Ashland community,” Campo said. “In our brief visit, we were impressed by how kindly we were treated and the real sense of community we felt.”

Campo also noted that “the Ashland University community blends excellence and tradition in such a way that reflected their commitment to quality and the individual. We are honored and blessed to become a part of Eagle Nation.”