Earlier today, Kent State Trustee Jane Murphy Timken was appointed to the Northeast Ohio Universities Collaboration and Innovation Study Commission, a committee introduced by Gov. Bob Taft in early December.

According to the original draft of the bill, the committee will research different ways for the institutions involved to combine and share undergraduate and graduate programs as well as some governance mechanisms, as long as the mechanisms relate to similar functions among the universities.

Kent State, Cleveland State, University of Akron, Youngstown State and Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine will all be involved in the program.

At first, the proposal was met with some resistance from Kent State’s Board of Trustees.

“Looking at these issues falls under the responsibility of the Board of Trustees,” Board secretary Charlene Reed said. “We don’t need a legislative mandate.”

She said the board proposed an alternative method with a more aggressive timeline for research results, as well as giving a report to the governor instead of working under the legislative mandate.

“The committee will figure out how Northeastern Ohio colleges should collaborate in rational, reasonable ways that make sense to each institution,” Timken said.

Contact general assignment reporter Amadeus Smith at [email protected].