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Ohio Faculty Council

Recommendation Regarding Development of the Concept of a Statewide Passenger Rail Service to Connect Ohio’s Universities and Colleges

May 08, 2009

In response to a request from the Chancellor of the University System of Ohio, the Ohio Faculty Council contacted campus representatives regarding expertise in passenger rail services. A number of experts were identified. In addition, a proposal for developing the concept of university-led passenger rail services in Ohio was considered at our meetings on April 10 and May 8, 2009.

Here are the main points of our consideration:

  • Ohio has nearly 6000 miles of railroad track, and rail lines pass in proximity to nearly every Ohio campus.

  • The faculties of Ohio campuses are encouraged to develop creative inter-campus collaboration on mutual projects and curricula.

  • Student participation in off-campus learning experiences (especially those at a distance) is often complicated by the costs and difficulties of personal transportation. Those (and other student transportation costs) would be significantly reduced, if economical passenger rail services were available statewide.

  • Passenger rail services, when used by students, would effectively reduce automobile emissions from students’ vehicles, thereby reducing the “carbon footprint” attributable to Ohio’s universities.

  • The OHERN Institute (www.ohern.org) is exploring the development of a statewide system of convenient and economical passenger rail services as a means to increase collaboration among faculty and on-site learning by students. The proposed system is called the Ohio Higher Education Rail Network (OHERN).

  • Because of its unique funding model, when fully operational, the Ohio Higher Education Rail Network should be capable of generating surplus revenue for the State.

For these reasons, the Ohio Faculty Council recommends consideration and development of the concept of economical passenger rail services to connect Ohio's universities and colleges in a statewide system and recommends consideration of the proposed Ohio Higher Education Rail Network (OHERN) model, as being developed by the OHERN Institute.

* The Ohio Faculty Council (OFC), recognized by the chancellor and the Ohio Board of Regents, represents the faculty at all of the four-year public colleges and universities in the State of Ohio. (http://www.ysu.edu/facstaff/ofc/ ) James A. Rhodes State Office Tower, 30 E Broad St # 36, Columbus, OH 43215