TOLEDO, Ohio — Owens Community College wants to bring a new campus to Toledo to create opportunities for the underserved inner city.
Toledo City Council approved partial funding of just over $27,000 for a $55,000 feasibility study on the potential of the project.
About 30% of students enrolled at OCC, located in Perrysburg Township, travel from Toledo, according to the college.
Council member Vanice Williams expressed support for making classes more accessible with a Toledo campus.
"We once had it here, we had an Owens Community College at 1301 Monroe Street," Williams, who represents district four, which includes downtown Toledo, said. "We really need to bring that back. There are not many post-secondary options in the central city at the reach of the people that need it the most."
OCC President Dione Dorsey Somerville said the money will go to Texas-based higher education research firm Trellis Company, which can reach a specific group of potential students in the surveying process.
"People who either applied and did not attend or who really haven't availed themselves of higher education at all," Somerville said. "So, understanding what their barriers are will be hugely important and that will be what this study will help us with."
Since 2013, two-year colleges have seen a 36% drop in student enrollment. After pandemic-era restrictions were lifted, schools now compete against employers that offer higher wages and don't require degrees, according to a CBS News broadcast story.
Somerville said an education is valuable no matter the state of the economy.
"We understand that training and education beyond high school is necessary for people to be able to live their dreams," she said.
The college has explored the idea of both downtown and the Swayne Field area of Central Toledo. Somerville said the study will not only decide the location, but also the classes, programs and trades that are most desired.
"You have to understand the need here and poverty plays a big factor. Everyone doesn't own a car, everyone cannot afford a bus pass, and so, when we talk about that, education is key," Williams said. "We have to help focus on that piece of poverty. Education is key."
A spokesperson for Trellis said its study will include enrollment trends and enrollment deserts, as well as transportation and location analysis. The final report is expected to be completed before the end of 2023.