Councils & Committees
SOCHE is dedicated to advancing higher education through active collaboration, resource and knowledge building, and effective professional development programs. To accomplish this, SOCHE administers 16 active Councils and Committees. The purpose of a SOCHE Council or Committee is to provide an opportunity for representatives from higher education to be a resource for one another, share information and best practices, identify common challenges, and, ultimately, broaden awareness of the resources, services, and activities in higher education. SOCHE is also dependent upon the Councils and Committees for substantial input on annual professional development programs.
Academic Advising Committee
Academic Advising Committee
Purpose
The SOCHE Academic Advising Committee will provide direct support to students in the academic advising space, with opportunities to share best practices, network, and collaborate on future initiatives. The group will:
- Champion professional advising as essential to student development and retention at colleges and universities
- Work with state and local governments to dismantle systemic barriers and create greater equity and justice for at-risk student populations
- Represent the personal and occupational needs of education professionals, to develop and retain talent and promote wellbeing.
This group is a subset of the Retention and Completion Committee.
Scheduled Meetings
The SOCHE Academic Advising Committee meets in a virtual environment approximately twice per year, with other meetings as requested. Contact Mindy Claggett by email at mindy.claggett@soche.org for all upcoming meeting dates and to join this committee.
Accessibility & Disability Services Committee
Accessibility & Disability Services Committee
Purpose
Charged by the Chief Academic Officers, the SOCHE Accessibility & Disability Services Committee is responsible for:
- Exploring collaboration in the areas of disability services to respond to students’ requests for accommodations, ADA compliance and cross-registration issues
- Providing and offering professional support and renewal for those who wish to enhance student, faculty and staff success through involvement in an inter-institutional and interdisciplinary community of peers
- Identifying trends and issues that affect teaching and learning, and prepare faculty and staff to meet them
- Engaging members of the academic community in the collaborative, scholarly practice of supporting the needs of people with disabilities.
Formerly known as the “Disability Services Committee,” the group voted in spring 2023 to change the committee title to be more inclusive and indicative of the services they provide to students. Thus, the committee title was changed to “Accessibility & Disability Services Committee.”
Scheduled Meetings
The SOCHE Accessibility & Disability Services Committee meets in a virtual environment approximately three times per year, with other meetings as requested. Contact Mindy Claggett by email at mindy.claggett@soche.org for all upcoming meeting dates and to join this committee.
Articulation Council
Articulation Council
Purpose
The SOCHE Articulation Council was initiated by the Chief Academic Officers to develop, enhance, and expand varying strategies to improve the quality of transfer among SOCHE institutions. It is the vision of the Chief Academic Officers and the Articulation Council that SOCHE institutions will be the leaders in Ohio in assisting students in transferring credit between colleges and universities.
Key areas to facilitate this process include:
- General education transferability.
- Transfer student advising.
- Availability of academic programs.
Mission
The Articulation Council, initiated by the Chief Academic Officers, develops, enhances, and expands strategies to improve the quality of transfer among SOCHE institutions and assists students in transferring credit between colleges and universities.
Key areas to facilitate this process include:
- Fostering collaboration among institutions
- Providing opportunities for professional development
- Serving as a clearinghouse for statewide and national developments in articulation and transfer
Scheduled Meetings
The SOCHE Articulation Council meets in a virtual environment approximately three times per school year, with additional meetings as needed to plan the annual Articulation & Transfer Conference. Contact Mindy Claggett by email at mindy.claggett@soche.org for all upcoming meeting dates and to join this council.
How to Articulate
Transferring credits from one institution to another can be a confusing process, so the SOCHE Articulation Council has worked to provide you with resources to simplify it. We recommend that you begin with the FAQ’s, which provide answers to common transfer questions.
Frequently Asked Questions about Transferring:
Traditional Students (High School to College)
Non-Traditional Students (Adult Transfers)
College to College Transfers
Definition of Common Terms
An Articulation Agreement is a formalized agreement between two institutions which outlines the general transferability of students, courses and credits and facilitates movement of students from the sending institution to the receiving institution.
A Program-to-Program Agreement (or Parallel Program) is a program of study which articulates how courses at the sending institution transfer toward requirements for a specific program at the receiving institution.
The Ohio Transfer and Articulation Policy is intended to facilitate transfer from one Ohio institution to another. The entire policy is available on the Ohio Board of Regents web page.
The Ohio Transfer Module (OTM) is a subset or complete set of general education requirements that will transfer from one Ohio public institution to another. The Ohio Transfer Module includes courses in English composition, mathematics, arts and humanities, social and behavioral sciences, and natural sciences.
Transfer Assurance Guides (TAGs) are composed of courses and learning outcomes. The purpose of the TAG is to allow students to transfer, in a simple and direct manner, a core of courses that will count toward the major program.
Career Technical Credit Transfer Guides (CTAGs) help more high school and adult career-technical students to go to college and enter with college credit. Students who successfully complete specified programs technical programs are eligible to have technical credit transfer to public colleges and universities. This transfer of credit is described in Career-Technical Assurance Guides (CTAG). CTAGs are advising tools that assist students moving from Ohio secondary and adult career-technical institutions to Ohio public institutions of higher education.
Transferology is a nation-wide network designed to help students explore their college transfer options. It houses an equivalency system that allows students to determine the transferability of courses from one institution to another.
Why should you develop articulation agreements?
- To encourage and enhance interest in post secondary education for high school students
- To facilitate transfer from one institution to another
- To avoid duplication of resources
- To promote completion of degrees
- To create linkages and fosters partnerships within the learning community
When should you articulate?
- When you receive a high number of transfer students from one institution.
- When you are sharing the same information repeatedly to prospective students and advisors at other colleges.
- When you want to formalize transfer equivalencies.
- When you want to recruit transfer students from a particular institution.
Before Getting Started
- Determine to and from where your students are transferring.
- Consider what credits you accept from those institutions.
- Gather what has been established about transfer credits from these institutions.
- Assess the climate on campus and interest in creating articulation agreements.
- Gather support from appropriate administrators, staff and faculty at your institution.
- Determine the interest at the sending institution in creating agreements.
The Steps to Articulation
- Connect with the sending institution
- Create a general articulation agreement
- Evaluate all courses from the sending institution
- Build parallel program agreements
- Build course-by-course guides, if appropriate
- Inform students of new opportunities available
Career Services Committee
Career Services Committee
Purpose
The SOCHE Career Services Committee collaborates to support students and alumni by providing career and professional development resources, services, experiences and community connections that promote the essential information, skills, and behaviors necessary for career success.
Scheduled Meetings
The SOCHE Career Services Committee meets in a virtual environment approximately three times per school year. Contact Patty Buddelmeyer via email at patty.buddelmeyer@soche.org for upcoming meeting dates, committee information, and to join this committee.
College Credit Plus Committee
College Credit Plus Committee
Purpose
The SOCHE College Credit Plus (CCP) Committee will create a collaborative space for personnel from member institutions who are involved in work around the state of Ohio’s College Credit Plus dual enrollment initiative.
Key areas to facilitate this process include:
- Discussion and learning around best practices and strategies for enhancing CCP programs and overcoming existing barriers
- Partnering with Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, Ohio Department of Higher Education, and Ohio Alliance of Dual Enrollment Partnerships to understand new initiatives and legislative changes
- Reducing the stigma and misinformation surrounding CCP on member campuses
- Improving two-way communication with K-12 partners involved in dual enrollment programs
- Fostering collaboration for unified higher education advocacy and change implementation
This group is a subset of the SOCHE Articulation Council.
Scheduled Meetings
The SOCHE College Credit Plus (CCP) Committee meets in a virtual environment approximately three times per school year. Contact Mindy Claggett via email at mindy.claggett@soche.org for upcoming meeting dates, committee information, and to join this committee.
Council of Chief Academic Officers
Council of Chief Academic Officers
Organization/Membership
The Council of Chief Academic Officers consists of representatives of the academic units of SOCHE member institutions and, therefore, should be recognized as the organizational unit with the primary responsibility for the initiation, review, and approval of SOCHE programs.
Purpose
The major purposes of the SOCHE Council of Chief Academic Officers are:
- To foster communication and enhance networking among the SOCHE Chief Academic Officers and their constituent groups.
- To provide opportunities for professional growth and development among members and constituent groups.
- To provide a forum for discussing regional issues of concern to member institutions.
- To provide leadership for collaborative partnerships that will benefit the region.
- To serve as a communication link with other SOCHE Councils/Committees.
Activities
The Council of Chief Academic Officers assists in the development, review, and approval of existing and new programs and activities, including:
- Student Cross Registration
- Collaborative Grant Proposals
- Articulation Agreements
- Conferences, Seminars, and Workshops
The Council of Chief Academic Officers assists in communication with other standing committees, including:
- Student Affairs Officers
- Library Directors
- Faculty Development
- Marketing & Public Relations
- Registrars
- Diversity & Inclusive Excellence
- Articulation
- Retention and Completion
- Academic Advising
Scheduled Meetings
The SOCHE Council of Chief Academic Officers meets in a virtual environment approximately three times per year, with other meetings as requested. Contact Mindy Claggett by email at mindy.claggett@soche.org for all upcoming meeting dates and to join this committee.
Council of Registrars
Council of Registrars
Purpose
The Council of Registrars will be a forum to collaborate, to garner feedback from each other, professional development, knowledge, and a regional opportunity to network with colleagues. The Council of Registrars maintains, monitors, and enhances the Cross-Registration program and develops the registration process(es) and standard form used at all the campuses.
Scheduled Meetings
The SOCHE Council Registrars meets in a virtual environment approximately three times per year, with other meetings as requested. Contact Mindy Claggett by email at mindy.claggett@soche.org for all upcoming meeting dates and to join this council.
Council of Student Affairs Officers
Council of Student Affairs Officers
Purpose
The SOCHE Council of Student Affairs Officers serves as a forum for discussion and collaboration on topics and issues affecting the region’s higher education community by:
- Providing professional support and renewal for those who wish to enhance student-centered learning and development
- Identifying trends, issues, policies and regulations that affect students and staff and developing strategies to address these needs
- Utilizing regional student affairs professionals as a key professional development resource
- Engaging members of the student affairs profession in the collaborative examination of their practices
- Sharing information from our campuses to develop strategies to expand and enhance students’ access to higher education
- Making recommendations for possible programming in current areas of concern for the student affairs profession
Scheduled Meetings
The SOCHE Council of Student Affairs Officers meets in a virtual environment approximately three times per year, with other meetings as requested. Contact Mindy Claggett by email at mindy.claggett@soche.org for all upcoming meeting dates and to join this council.
Cybersecurity Committee
Cybersecurity Committee
Vision
Establish and enhance Southwestern Ohio’s reputation as a national leader in cybersecurity education, research, and private and public partnerships.
Mission
The Cybersecurity Consortium of Southwestern Ohio will serve as a highly valued Cincinnati-Dayton Regional Corridor resource for education, research, and workforce development in cybersecurity and information assurance.
Scheduled Meetings
Contact Patty Buddelmeyer by phone at (937) 258-8890 or by email at patty.buddelmeyer@soche.org for all upcoming meeting dates, committee information, and to join this committee.
Chair, Cybersecurity Consortium of SW Ohio
Thomas Skill
University of Dayton
Vice Chair, Education
Robert Mills
Air Force Institute of Technology
Vice Chair, Research
John Franco
University of Cincinnati
Vice Chair, Workforce Development
Vance Saunders
Wright State University
Diversity and Inclusive Excellence Committee
Diversity and Inclusive Excellence Committee
Purpose
The SOCHE Diversity and Inclusive Excellence Committee was created as the “Diversity Initiatives Committee” in 2001, with a name change in 2014.
The committee:
- Enables the creation and maintenance of professional networks between SOCHE member campuses that will develop a consortium-wide approach to the needs of creating educational equity
- Provides professional support and renewal for those who wish to enhance their skills through involvement in an inter-institutional and interdisciplinary community of peers
- Encourages dialogue about how various aspects of diversity impact the campus life experience, and identify trends and issues that campus climate and town/gown relations and, prepare students, administrators, faculty, and staff to meet them
- Enables productive exchanges of information about learning and teaching in both curricular and co-curricular contexts
- Identifies, disseminates, and fosters effective approaches to teaching, learning, and faculty development
- Develops consortial and public recognition programs for outstanding diversity programs on the member institution campuses.
Mission
To provide a structure across post-secondary education in southwest Ohio to support the development of the skills and knowledge necessary to meet the needs of a multicultural society on the part of faculty, staff, students, and institutions of higher education.
Vision
Inter-culturally competent institutions of higher education in southwest Ohio that educate students from every sector of our broadly diverse community to be successfully employed and engaged global citizens.
Goals and Strategies
- Create a professional network of individuals leading the work related to diversity, inclusion, equity, and development of intercultural competence for institutions of higher education in southwest Ohio
- Hold regular meetings of representatives from each SOCHE member organization to carry out this work, this group will be referred to as the Diversity and Inclusive Excellence Committee
- Provide social networking opportunities for individuals engaged in this work
- Provide professional development related to understanding diversity in higher education, recruiting and ensuring the success of students, faculty, and staff from diverse backgrounds, particularly those historically underserved by post-secondary education and best practices related to achieving inclusive excellence
- Hold an annual diversity conference in the region
- Include training related to cultural competence as part of all SOCHE conferences and trainings
- Invite experts on topics related to best practices in diversity and inclusion to Committee meetings
- Provides forums for civil, deliberative dialogues about difficult diversity issues facing society and our campuses
- Support and encourage the participation on the part of members of individual campus communities in these types of critical conversations taking place at institutions other than their own
- Promote multicultural programming and events sponsored by SOCHE member institution
- SOCHE staff will develop, update and publish a central repository of current diversity-related events sponsored by associated institutions of higher education
- Members of the Committee will inform their respective campuses of diversity-related events happening around the region and facilitate their participation
Scheduled Meetings
The SOCHE Diversity & Inclusive Excellence Committee meets in a virtual environment approximately three times per year, with other meetings as requested. Contact Mindy Claggett by email at mindy.claggett@soche.org for all upcoming meeting dates and to join this committee.
Faculty Development Committee
Faculty Development Committee
Purpose
The SOCHE Faculty Development Committee consists of representatives from SOCHE member institutions and focuses on planning and evaluating professional development opportunities that address faculty issues. The committee explores important trends and issues of interest to higher education, discussing best practices on curricular, organizational development, and faculty development, in addition to their implementation on member campuses. The committee provides input on and helps promote the SOCHE Excellence Awards process, in addition to facilitating special topics forums.
Online Faculty Development Resources
This section serves as a repository for member-recommended online resources that support teaching and faculty development.
“Preparing for Flexible Teaching” (University of Dayton)
“Teachers Essential Guide to Zoom” (CommonSense.org)
Scheduled Meetings
The SOCHE Faculty Development Committee meets in a virtual environment approximately three times per year, with other meetings as requested. Contact Mindy Claggett by email at mindy.claggett@soche.org for all upcoming meeting dates and to join this committee.
Financial Aid Committee
Financial Aid Committee
Purpose
The mission of the SOCHE Financial Aid Committee is to foster financial aid on member campuses. Given the many social, economic and environmental challenges that face our campuses and the communities we serve, a transition to financial aid in operations and academics is imperative. As such, this committee has formed to address the complexities of creating meaningful, lasting change at our institutions.
Scheduled Meetings
The SOCHE Financial Aid Committee meets in a virtual environment approximately twice per year, with other meetings as requested. Contact Mindy Claggett by email at mindy.claggett@soche.org for all upcoming meeting dates and to join this committee.
Graduate Studies Committee
Graduate Studies Committee
Purpose
The SOCHE Graduate Studies Committee members collaborate to address the needs of universities in attracting and retention of graduate students.
Scheduled Meetings
The SOCHE Graduate Studies Committee meets in a virtual environment approximately twice per year, with other meetings as requested. Contact Mackenzie Lawson by email at mackenzie.lawson@soche.org for all upcoming meeting dates, committee information, and to join this committee.
Library Council
Library Council
Purpose
The SOCHE Library Council seeks to be a networking community of library leaders committed to fostering the examination and discussion of library issues and trends for the benefit of its members.
Organization
Membership
SOCHE membership entitles an institution to full participation in the Library Council, which is comprised of the library directors/chief librarians (or designees) appointed from member institutions.
Activities
The Council shall regularly hold meetings and events consistent with its purpose. To accomplish its purpose, the Council may host speakers at professional development events and/or participate in other SOCHE events and conferences. The Conference Planning Committee shall meet with a frequency necessary to carry out its responsibilities in planning the event.
Scheduled Meetings
The SOCHE Library Council meets in a virtual environment approximately three times per year, with other meetings as requested. Contact Mindy Claggett by email at mindy.claggett@soche.org for all upcoming meeting dates and to join this council.
Retention and Completion Committee
Retention and Completion Committee
Mission
The primary objective of the SOCHE Retention and Completion Committee is to provide a forum to share, discover, identify, and help develop effective and strategic policies, practices, and processes that will enhance and support the student experience from admission to achievement of academic goals at SOCHE colleges and universities.
Purpose
The primary objective of the SOCHE Retention and Completion Committee is to provide a forum to share, discover, identify, and help develop effective and strategic policies, practices, and processes that will enhance and support the student experience from admission to the accomplishment of academic goals at the SOCHE colleges and universities.
Scheduled Meetings
The SOCHE Retention and Completion Committee meets in a virtual environment approximately three times per year, with other meetings as requested. Contact Mindy Claggett by email at mindy.claggett@soche.org for all upcoming meeting dates and to join this committee.
Title IX Committee
Title IX Committee
Purpose
The purpose of the SOCHE Title IX Committee is to facilitate a forum to discuss current issues, trends, regulations, and best practices as it relates to Title IX regulations. Members shall gain value in their membership by establishing professional networks, sharing ideas, struggles, resources, and discussing programs.
Scheduled Meetings
The SOCHE Title IX Committee meets in a virtual environment approximately twice per year, with other meetings as requested. Contact Mindy Claggett by email at mindy.claggett@soche.org for all upcoming meeting dates and to join this committee.
Veteran and Military Service Committee
Veteran and Military Service Committee
Committee Charge
Started in 2015, the SOCHE Veteran and Military Service Committee is charged with educating, developing, and suggesting policy, programming and GI Bill related practices that support student veterans and military connected students transitioning to college, being successful during college, and successfully transitioning out of college. Our focus includes:
- Considering joint policy (suggestions/endorsements) that the group can take to their campuses
- Sharing resources for staff/faculty/administrators who work with veterans and active duty military
- Programs that support campus education about the needs of veterans
- Joint/shared programming among/between institutions
- Updates on benefit changes, best practices for benefit allocation
- Support for financial literacy education for student veterans
Scheduled Meetings
The SOCHE Veteran and Military Service Committee meets in a virtual environment approximately three times per year. Contact Sandra Wild by phone at (937) 258-8890 or by email at sandra.wild@soche.org for all upcoming meeting dates, committee information, and to join this committee.
Advisory Committee
Brian Caudill (Shawnee State University) and Becky Jones (Sinclair College)
Women’s Centers Committee
Women’s Centers Committee
The Women’s Centers Committee is the first joint committee of the Greater Cincinnati Consortium of Colleges and Universities (GC3) and the Strategic Ohio Council for Higher Education (SOCHE). The committee gathers to network, share resources and best practices, and support each other in their campus and community efforts.
The GC3/SOCHE Women’s Centers Committee Goals are as follows:
- To provide opportunities for Women’s Center staff to meet on a regular basis and provide campus updates, exchange ideas and identify areas of common concern
- To serve as a resource for Women’s Centers in the region, state, and/or nation on an ongoing basis
- To identify and pursue 1-2 strategic initiatives for each academic year
- To create, analyze, and disseminate knowledge around existing data and data still needed to inform the work of Women’s Centers
Scheduled Meetings
The Women’s Centers Committee meets in a virtual environment approximately once per quarter, with other meetings as requested. Contact Mindy Claggett by email at mindy.claggett@soche.org for all upcoming meeting dates and to join this committee.
