Columbus, Ohio (Sept. 15, 2011) – Ohio's statewide higher education technology consortia have been reorganized today under an umbrella organization known as the Ohio Technology Consortium (OH-TECH), according to an Ohio Board of Regents (BOR) directive. While the Ohio Supercomputer Center, Ohio Academic Resources Network (OARnet) and eStudent Services (previously known as Ohio Learning Network) will maintain its distinct identity and mission, several governance structures are being modified to streamline management, and some support functions are being merged to further increase the efficiency of these highly regarded organizations. The official BOR announcement follows:
Chancellor Petro Announces Creation of Ohio Technology Consortium (OH-TECH)
Ohio's technology operations merge to cut costs, improve efficiency
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The Chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents (BOR) and The Ohio State University will enter into an agreement regarding the operations and management of the newly formed Ohio Technology Consortium, or OH-TECH.
By merging the Ohio Academic Resources Network, Ohio Supercomputer Center (OSC), Ohio Learning Network (OLN) and shifting all IT personnel from OhioLINK into a single consortium, the chancellor can leverage existing strengths for each organization and trim administrative costs, technological and management duplication and inefficiency.
OH-TECH will function as the umbrella organization for OSC’s cutting-edge research, and OARnet’s expansion of the broadband network to Ohio higher education, K-12 schools and state and local government. The consortium will also provide the IT infrastructure to the BOR and offer cutting-edge and innovative student services for higher education customers in Ohio.
“By establishing a more efficient technology consortia, we will be better able to allocate resources and more effectively concentrate on the core mission - to advance higher education,” said Ohio Board of Regents Chancellor Jim Petro.
After factoring in potential severance costs associated with the staff reductions, the consolidation results in estimated savings of $650,000 for the first year. Once the merger of the consortia is complete, the goal will be to look for additional efficiencies of operation within the organizations.
The Ohio Supercomputer Center (OSC) addresses the rising computational demands of academic and industrial research communities by providing a robust shared infrastructure and proven expertise in advanced modeling, simulation and analysis. OSC empowers scientists with the vital resources essential to make extraordinary discoveries and innovations, partners with businesses and industry to leverage computational science as a competitive force in the global knowledge economy, and leads efforts to equip the workforce with the key technology skills required to secure 21st century jobs. For more, visit www.osc.edu.
The Ohio Board of Regents is the state agency that coordinates higher education in Ohio. The agency is directed by its Chancellor, who is a member of the Governor of Ohio's cabinet. The Chancellor, with the advice of the nine-member Board of Regents, provides policy guidance to the Governor and the Ohio General Assembly, advocates for the University System of Ohio and carries out state higher education policy. www.OhioHigherEd.org
