Ohio Higher Ed Chancellor visited CState to celebrate first bachelor’s degree grads
Randy Gardner, the Chancellor of the Ohio Department of Higher Education (above), visited Cincinnati State on May 7 to congratulate the College’s first-ever bachelor’s degree recipients.
Chancellor Gardner said in a news release, “Cincinnati State’s Land Surveying program means students in the program don’t have to leave Ohio to get their bachelor’s degree, and they’re well prepared for a successful future.”
- Chancellor Gardner’s visit was part of a state-wide celebration of “In Demand Jobs Week” in Ohio.
- The Chancellor also visited Sinclair Community College and Lorain County Community College to recognize the first bachelor’s degree graduates at those schools.
At Commencement on June 26, Cincinnati State will award the degree Bachelor of Applied Science in Land Surveying to 21 students.
- All of the graduates have obtained employment, with annual salaries averaging above $55,000.
Steve Cahill, president of Abercrombie and Associates Inc., a Cincinnati civil engineering and surveying firm, said, “This new degree is a game changer for us– we need these young people in our profession.”
President Monica Posey said, “We are so proud of these students, and of our Land Surveying program.”
“Area employers have wanted this to happen for a long time, and we are honored to have been able to meet this crucial workforce need.”
Participants in the May 7 event were (from left) Dr. Monica Posey, Chancellor Randy Gardner, State Senator Cecil Thomas, Land Surveying students Ethan Armstrong and Rakeem Wright, Land Surveying program chair Carol Morman, Land Surveying students Luke Strotman and Cara Morman, Steve Cahill (President of Abercrombie and Associates), and George Vincent (Chairman, CState Board of Trustees).
- Media coverage of the event with the Chancellor included an article published at Cincinnati.com, and news reports on WCPO TV (Ch. 9), Fox19 TV, and WKRC TV (Ch. 12).
- The event took place with limited attendance to maintain campus safety protocols.
The bachelor’s degree graduates include two who are following in the footsteps of a Civil Engineering Technologies (CET) faculty parent:
- Ethan Armstrong (son of George Armstrong, Program Chair for CET – Architecture and Construction Management majors)
- Cara Morman (daughter of Carol Morman, Program Chair for the Land Surveying bachelor’s and the Land Surveying Technology associate’s degree, which was previously named CET – Surveying).
In addition, graduate Samuel Sketch is the son of former CET faculty member Greg Sketch.
Others in the College’s first group of bachelor’s degree graduates are:
- Nathan Burke
- John Dusa
- Thomas Edwards
- Daniel Hickey
- Gregory Liff
- Ryan Maxwell
- Tyler McClintock
- Christopher McKee
- Andrew Merchinsky
- Doug Piepmeier
- Bradley Pio
- Jacob Roll
- Michael Roth
- Luke Strotman
- Jacob Subler
- Paul Wimmer
- Benjamin Wing
- Joseph (Trey) Wolterman
Background:
Cincinnati State was in the first group of community colleges (along with Sinclair and Lorain) granted approval in 2018 to offer Bachelor of Applied Science degrees in addition to associate’s degrees and short-term certificates.
Cincinnati State has the largest initial group of community college applied bachelor’s degree graduates.
- Four Sinclair students are receiving the applied bachelor’s degree in Unmanned Aerial Systems this year.
- Three Lorain students are earning the applied bachelor’s degree in Microelectronic Manufacturing.
Prior to the full approval of the Land Surveying bachelor’s degree, Cincinnati State already offered some junior and senior level courses in Land Surveying through two certificate programs.
- Students who had previous completed the Surveying associate’s degree were able to accelerate their progress toward completing bachelor’s degree requirements.
- Six more students are expected to complete the Land Surveying bachelor’s degree at the end of Summer semester.
Cincinnati State’s other Bachelor of Applied Science degree, in Culinary and Food Science, anticipates its first graduating class in 2023. Currently, more than 40 students are enrolled in the program.
Below, students and the media listen to Chancellor Gardner’s remarks.
Below, Land Surveying graduate Rakeem Wright speaks.
Below, Land Surveying graduate Cara Morman speaks.
(Some information provided by Richard Curtis, Cincinnati State’s Interim Coordinator of Media/Communications. Photos provided by Elliott Ruther.)