AU awarded $1.7 million from state to support three growing programs
ASHLAND, Ohio – The State of Ohio has awarded Ashland University approximately $1.7 million for upgrades to three of its programs—the Center for Addictions, Correctional Education and Military & Veteran Services—as part of the biennium budget passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by Gov. Mike DeWine this month.
“Congratulations to Ashland University for (its) success in receiving funding for these outstanding academic programs,” stated State Sen. Mark Romanchuck (R-District 22). “We know that all three of these will serve our regional community, and benefit students. I am grateful to have had a role in this important process. We also thank the governor and lieutenant governor for their ongoing support of education in Ohio.”
“I am honored to have played a role in securing this funding from the State of Ohio for Ashland University. The university continues to offer exceptional educational opportunities for students of all backgrounds from all across Ohio, and even the world, and this funding will help the school administration and faculty meet the ever-changing needs of our employers and their workforce,” added State Rep. Melanie Miller (R-Ashland).
An appropriation of $700,000 will go to help expand AU’s Correctional Education program, which is the longest continually operating post-secondary correctional education program in the U.S. The funding will support its transition and alumni services, a Formerly Incarcerated Persons (FIP) initiative that will establish a pathway to higher education attainment through distance education, data research and reporting and the expansion of a reentry summit. The latter is an annual conference held on the AU campus that brings together community and government leaders to discuss best practices of correctional education and reentry initiatives.
AU’s Center for Addictions, which provides education for those preparing for a career in the rapidly growing field of addictions treatment, will receive $500,000 from the state. Ashland plans to launch an additional specialty area to its current master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling and will utilize the funding for training of faculty, expansion of continuing educational opportunities for current professionals and marketing and recruitment of future clinical counselors.
Another $500,000 will go toward AU’s Military & Veteran Services program. Designated a Collegiate Purple Star campus for its commitment to military-connected students, Ashland counts nearly 400 veteran and military-affiliated students among its student body. Now, it will support them further with funding for expanded programming, individualized recruitment and staffing and statewide marketing and promotion.
Ashland University is a mid-sized, private university conveniently located a short distance from Akron, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. Ashland University (www.ashland.edu) values the individual student and offers a unique educational experience that combines the challenge of strong applied academic programs with a faculty and staff who build nurturing relationships with their students.