Collaborating with Board Members to Improve Student Access: A Case Study Session ID: 1666

1. Collaborating with Board Members to Improve Student Access: A Case Study Session ID: 1666

2. Ohio Northern University • Private, Methodist-affiliated, founded 1871 in Ada, OH • Five colleges • Pharmacy • Law • Business administration • Engineering • Arts & Sciences • About 3,600 students head count • Ethnic diversity: 9%

3. 35 active board members • Most are alumni • Chair of University Council • President of Student Senate • Full board meets three times a year • Executive Committee meets three times a year • Admissions, Enrollment & Financial Aid Committee established 2009-10 Board of Trustees

4. Ten Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards • Determine the organization’s mission and purpose • Select the executive • Support the executive and review his or her performance • Ensure effective organizational planning • Ensure adequate resources BoardSource

5. Ten Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards • Manage resources effectively • Determine and monitor the organization’s products, services and programs • Enhance the organization’s public image • Serve as a court of appeal • Assess its own performance BoardSource

6. Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards • Determining the organization’s mission and purpose • Supporting and evaluating the chief executive with the goals of the organization in mind • Ensuring effective organizational planning • Determining which of the organization’s programs are consistent with its mission and monitoring the effectiveness of these programs • Securing adequate financial resources for the organization to fulfill its mission Richard T. Ingram Ten Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards

7. Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards • Assisting in the development of the organization’s annual budget and ensuring that proper financial controls are in place • Defining prerequisites for potential new board members, orienting these new members, and periodically evaluating performance • Adhering to legal and ethical standards and norms • Clearly defining and articulating the organization’s mission, accomplishments and goals to gain support from the community and enhancing the organization’s public image • Overall, board members have a duty of loyalty to the organization, its staff and other board members. Richard T. Ingram Ten Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards

8. Personnel • Planning • Programmatic http://managementhelp.org/boards/compared-to-staff-roles.htm Roles of the Board/Staff

9. Roles of the Board/Staff

10. Roles of the Board/Staff

11. Give, get, or get off • Recommend students • Identify possible candidates for staff positions • Provide aid to students • Meet with admissions and university relations about marketing, branding Possible Involvement of Board Members

12. Support for the strategic planning • Working with the university to improve access • Directly supporting specific initiatives Possible Involvement of Board Members

13. Who “Owns” the Board? • President • Advancement

14. Characteristics of Good Board-Staff Relationships • Transparency • Clear expectations • Communication • Commitment • Mutual respect • Alignment with mission, vision, values of the university

15. Trustee Initiative • Need in local community • Desire of ONU to improve increase diversity and enroll students from low economic backgrounds in pharmacy and engineering • Partnering with the charter schools and ONU • Sustainable and replicable

16. Cleveland: Championship City in Urban Education 1999-2013

17. The Situation

18. 80% of kids from upper income families graduate from college Source: Teach for America, April 2012

19. Yet, only 8% of kids from low income families graduate from college Source: Teach for America, April 2012

20. In Cleveland, it’s even worse.

21. 100 children enter 9th grade in Cleveland 58 will graduate from high school 34 will start college 4 and only 4 will graduate SOURCE: June, 2013 The Cleveland Foundation

22. ENTER The Cleveland Plan

23. What Is The Cleveland Plan? Plan to TRIPLEthe number of students in high-performing district & charter schools THE CLEVELAND PLAN – and eliminate failing schools by 2018

24. The Plan & Breakthrough have garnered diverse, bi-partisan support

25. A little history…In 1999, something great started in Cleveland…

27. Since Breakthrough creation - Number of Schools & Students Served increased 2 ½ times! 2011 2012 2010 2013 1,379 students 6 schools 2,000 students 9 schools 1,108 students 4 schools 2,600 students 9 schools

28. And it is working

29. The Achievement Gap… REVERSED Ohio Achievement Assessment Results

30. We continue to be the highest-rated network of public charter schools in Ohio Citizens Academy East Citizens Leadership Academy Citizens Academy Breakthrough Schools E Prep & Village Prep CLIFFS SUPERIOR The Intergenerational School E Prep & Village Prep WOODLAND HILLS Near West Intergenerational School

31. Breakthrough serves K-8… THEN what?

32. Off to 30 or so highly rated High Schools in NE Ohio some Cleveland Districtsome Charter Schoolssome Catholic Schoolssome Independent

33. Where are those FIRST scholars today?

34. 47 students graduated from 8th grade at E Prep and The Intergenerational School in 2009: Tracked 40 of 47 37 of the 40 graduated high school (93%) 30 of 37 notified us of college acceptances (81%) 7 have GPA / ACT data below “college-ready” standards Three students have been held back a year in school

35. This Year… There are 51 graduates of E Prep/TIS who are now seniors We are hosting a 5-workshop series for these students as well as the juniors this fall Focus is on college selection and career search

36. Breakthrough’s Aspirational Goal in Cleveland 20 schools By 2020 Serving 7,000 Kids

37. Cleveland: aChampionship City in Urban Education Join the movement – be a Friend of Breakthrough Schools 1999-2013

38. Challenges of Getting E-Prep Students to College • Maintaining academic success • Identifying E-Prep graduates • Applying for admission • Understanding financial aid • Visiting campus • Paying for the education

39. The Friends of Breakthrough Schools Fund • Breakthrough Schools isone ofthe highest-performing networks of free, public charter schools in Cleveland, Ohio. These college preparatory public charter schools are nationally-recognized for innovative educational models & proven results. The public charter schools have high expectations for everyone – children and adults – and believe in every student. They put children's needs first, and make sure every child receives a high-quality, college preparatory education. • Their mission is to provide sustainable, high-quality public schools in Cleveland’s under-served neighborhoods, ensuring all students have access to a public, free, outstanding college preparatory education • The Friends of Breakthrough Schools Fund isrestricted by the donor to support students who have graduated from the Breakthrough Schools charter schools of the greater Cleveland area and who are attending fulltime and actively pursuing a degree from Ohio Northern University. The use of this temporarily restricted Fund is to support qualified students who are graduates of the Breakthrough Schools and who are attending Ohio Northern University.

40. The Friends of Breakthrough Schools Fund • If, in the future, it is the opinion of the Board of Trustees that all or part of the income of the Fund cannot be usefully applied to such purpose as defined in this document, the Fund may be used for any related University purpose that most nearly accomplishes the stated intentions of the donors.  • Awards made under the terms of this document, their benefits or any part thereof cannot be bought, sold, or transferred to any person for or without consideration.  • The University may publish names of all donors in University Advancement publications.

41. Breakthrough & ONU • Campus Visit(s) • Large group visit on campus • Individual visits on campus • Senior reception • Need estimates • Admissions Overview • Support of donors to manage the “gap” • Communication

42. Getting Other Universities Involved • Contacting universities • Demonstrating the benefits for them • Centralizing funding for scholarships • Sustainability

43. Outcomes • Student Applications • Nine (9) students applied • Decisions • Incomplete (2) • Denied three (3) • Admitted four (4) • Matriculated two (2)

44. Lessons Learned • Early & Often • Involve Parents • Constant Communication • Student Tracking (in high school)

45. Lessons Learned • Underestimating challenges • Sustainability • Partnering with colleagues outside the university • Competing priorities • Consistency with the strategic plan

46. Questions & Discussion Bob Kerscher Active Board Member bob.kerscher@gmail.com Larry Lesick VP Enrollment Management l-lesick@onu.edu Reginald Onyido Admissions Counselor & Multicultural Advisor r-onyido@onu.edu