UC Announces Comprehensive Research Project To Identify the Higher-Education Needs of Warren County

Phone surveys, focus groups and regional demographic trends will all be folded into a comprehensive research project to explore how the University of Cincinnati can address the educational needs of Warren County. UC officials presented the plan to Warren County legislators, officials and educators during a March 16 gathering at the Kings Island Resort and Conference Center. Results of the research are expected to be presented this summer.

“You’re going to see UC become more strategic and more comprehensive – a significant leader in its approaches to the academic planning process,” said Provost Anthony J. Perzigian as he announced the project to be conducted by UC’s Institute for Policy Research.

Perzigian outlined the university’s interest in providing higher education opportunities to Warren County, including a presence in Warren County for nearly the past decade: The UC Warren County Center in Lebanon has provided on-site and distance learning programs, among them programs provided by the UC College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services. Last August, university officials announced exploring a partnership with the Wayne Local School District and the Warren County Educational Service Center as part of a long-term plan to provide opportunities for educational programming. And, he says UC is also interested in partnership activities with the Warren County Community College pilot project.

For more than three decades, the nationally recognized Institute for Policy and Research (IPR) at UC has done research in relation to building on the university’s commitment to education, research and public service. The IPR is the UC organization that manages the quarterly Ohio Poll survey and the semiannual Greater Cincinnati Survey, which includes input from Warren County.

The Warren County research conducted by the IPR will explore the county’s environmental, demographic and workforce trends, plus gather input from a random telephone survey and focus groups. IPR research associate Mark Carrozza said the demographic profile would be developed using census, regional and academic information gathered by the UC Southwest Ohio Regional Data Center. This research will paint a long-term picture of changes in economic and demographic trends, both in Warren County and large neighboring cities including Cincinnati, Columbus and Dayton.

IPR research associate Eric Rademacher added that additional input will come from a random-dialed phone survey of 350 Warren County residents age 18 or older who are planning to take courses in higher education over the next five years. Residents will be asked about degrees they would like to pursue (associate, baccalaureate or graduate) as well as fields of study. Furthermore, the poll will explore different pathways of learning, such as traditional or distance education, as well as daytime, evening and weekend classes, and the distances people are willing to travel to get to a college classroom.

“We’ve found a dramatic shift in attitudes regarding travel and health care,” Rademacher said. “People used to be willing to travel great distances to go to a health care provider. People are now willing to go to the provider that’s the closest to them. So, we’ll be looking into the educational needs we can meet out here for people who are not willing to travel great distances.”

Focus groups in the Waynesville area will be composed of high school students, high school administrators and area business owners. “We’ll be using multiple modes of data analysis to look at the broad picture and then compare it to what UC has to offer,” Rademacher said.

Warren County representatives attending the meeting included John Lazares, superintendent of the Warren County Educational Service Center, who said that more Warren County families want their children to stay in the county. Also in attendance was Tom Isaacs, superintendent for Wayne Local Schools.