Economic Impact on the State

CSU has 425 full time employees, making it one of the top ten public employers in Greene County, Ohio. Its annual payroll totaled about $25 million in the 2011 calendar year. The University spends $6.8 annually for goods and services and has spent $94 million over the last 15 years on capital projects. Central State draws about 65 percent of its students from outside of Greene County. They and their families bring “new money” into the region. Visitors to the University also add dollars to the local economy, generating between $5 million to $6 million annually. The University's economic impact has been confirmed by outside researchers. The Economic Center for Education and Research at the University of Cincinnati, for example, estimated in 2007 that Central State had an $88.9 million impact on Greene and Montgomery counties the preceding year.

The University fosters economic development activities through the Tawawa Community Development Corporation (TCDC), a non-profit, community development organization sponsored jointly with Wilberforce University. The TCDC serves Wilberforce, east Xenia, and part of west Dayton -- communities located near Central State's main campus in Wilberforce and its Dayton location. In December 2008, the TCDC spearheaded a successful effort to build a Speedway convenience store near campus, meeting a longstanding need in Wilberforce for a commercial center that provides students and residents with convenient access to basic amenities. The TCDC worked in partnership with the City of Dayton to secure two separate awards of federal stimulus dollars totaling $2.8 million through the Department of Housing and Urban Development Neighborhood Stabilization Program. The money is being used to acquire vacant properties in west Dayton, rehab homes, and assist new homeowners. CSU also sponsors the National Environmental Technology Incubator, (NETI), an independent non-profit corporation formed as an affiliate to Central State in 2001. NETI helps technology companies, research scientists, and engineers find ways to commercialize innovative technologies. NETI assists companies with technology transfer, intellectual property protection, equity funding, prototype development, and business services. Over the last 10 years, NETI has raised more than $6 million in revenue and assisted more than 30 start-up companies, resulting in more than 100 high technology jobs in the region.

Community Health Services Wilberforce Residents and Surrounding Communities

Central State promotes community health and welfare in a variety of ways:

In 2008, the University was awarded a $4.5 million dollar grant to establish the Center for Allaying Health Disparities through Research and Education (CADRE). As part of the CADRE program, the University has:

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  Developed a Human Exercise and Performance Laboratory equipped with state -of-the-art Body Pod technology for use in a study on obesity among minorities;
  
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  Developed a Geospatial Database Center for Minority Health Disparities;
  
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  Developed a Psychology Testing Laboratory; and 
  
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  Begun research projects on how health technology can be used to improve the doctor-patient relationship and health literacy among older African Americans, and how snake venom toxins may be used to combat prostate cancer in African Americans.
  

The University has excellent recreation facilities, including a full size gym, weight room, tennis courts, and swimming pool on the main campus, and a small cardio room at CSU-Dayton location. Members of the public use facilities on the main campus for a small fee. The cardio room at the Dayton location is free to the public. In addition, members of the community are welcome to participate in a variety of non-credit recreation activities, ranging from Zumba classes to yoga instruction and water aerobics. In the 2011-2012 school year, the University hosted a weekly water aerobics class for senior citizens, a 5K run, the Southwest Region Special Olympics, and a community "splash and dash" (swim and run) challenge.

 The Ohio Board of Regents has designated Central State’s Fine and Performing Arts Department a Center of Excellence for Cultural and Social Transformation. The department sponsors a wide variety of public concerts, theatrical productions, choir performances, and art shows throughout the year. The Homecoming Gospel Concert, the spring Opera Workshop, the student art show, and the World Music Festival are especially popular. The choir regularly performs at schools and churches off campus and with major orchestras in Ohio, to include an annual Martin Luther King Day concert with the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra. In addition, fine and performing arts faculty and staff exhibit and perform in various venues throughout the state.

In Fall 2009, the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, an internationally renowned dance troupe, moved its headquarters to Central State’s Dayton location. The company presents an annual performance for the community in the Paul Robeson Performing Arts Center on CSU's main campus. Troupe members have taught a modern dance class (HPR 2232: Beginning Modern Dance), presented workshops for students, and offered technical assistance to students performing in the Opera Workshop. 

Since 2007, the University has provided free music lessons to community members during the school year. "Music Mentors" provides one-on-one music lessons, ensemble lessons, and theory classes for anyone in the Miami Valley Community. Lessons, classes, and rehearsals are held in the Robeson Center every Saturday. Hundreds of community members have participated in the program. 

The Central State Athletics Department hosts athletic competitions throughout the year and welcomes members of the community to campus for these events. Area high school marching bands participate each year in CSU's annual Homecoming celebration. The Central State Marching Marauders appeared in the movie, “David Chapelle’s Block Party.“ Dave Chapelle, the famous comedian, screenwriter, television/film producer, actor, and artist, is also a local Xenia resident who frequently collaborates with the Central State and local community—to the public’s good.

The College of Education trains students to become certified public school teachers. The University also provides extensive support to teachers who have already become certified. The Institute for Urban Education, for example,  provides training and services to educators who work in low performing, urban, and multicultural school settings. The Institute educates new teachers about educational theory, application and practice; disseminates research on effective teaching and learning in urban schools, and hosts a National Urban Education Conference at the University. The 2012 conference attracted five hundred participants from eleven universities. A short video explaining the 2010 conference is available on YouTube. 

 Civic Engagement/Community Outreach Programs

CSU students, faculty, and staff volunteer in a variety of local community organizations. The University surveyed its employees in the summer of 2012 to gauge their level of civic engagement. Ninety employees responded to the survey. Of those, nearly half -- 43 employees -- reported that they participate in a local community group. 

Students also participate in a range of community activities. Students serve as tutors in the local schools, mentor students through the Big Brothers/Big Sisters program, help with Thanksgiving Day programs at a local senior citizens center, and have participated in voter registration drives. Students who belong to Greek organizations are required to perform community service by their national organizations, as well as by the University. Some of their activities include the following:

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  Student organizations have partnered with community-based agencies and Dayton's Neighborhood Schools to bring community residents together by sharing music, food, storytelling and other cultural traditions. One student organization assisted with teaching 5th and 6 graders how to step dance. After six weeks of training, these middle school students performed at the Soul Rhythm Program on April 21, 2012, at the Dayton Masonic Center.
  
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  CSU fraternities and sororities visit area schools to talk to students about the importance of finishing high school and taking the next step, which is college.
  
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  Student volunteers worked with Habitat for Humanity and repaired area homes.
  
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  Students visit an area nursing home on Sundays throughout the school year to serve food, play games, and socialize with residents.   
  

The University contracts with Sodexho Magic to operate its food services operation. Sodexho, in turn, provides catering services to members of the public. Sodexho typically caters one off-campus event per month during the school year, in addition to many more events held on campus for groups that are not affiliated with the University. These groups include students participating in the University's many summer camps. In 2011 alone, Sodexho catered 59 non-CSU events worth more than $298,000. University guests often eat in Mercer Cafeteria or the Faculty Dining Room. 

The Natural Sciences Department hosts a plant sale in the spring that draws plant lovers from throughout the region. The College of Business offers free tax preparation help to members of the community. Central State has commemorated Constitution Day since 2005 with a variety of public activities. Finally, the Wilberforce community has its own post office, a resource made possible by the presence of Central State and Wilberforce universities. 

Use of CSU’s Facilities by the Public

 Local residents have access to many of Central State's facilities. It is University policy to offer non-profit community group’s free use of University meeting space when possible.

Residents of Wilberforce, Xenia, Dayton, Beavercreek and any areas surrounding the CSU campus may use recreation facilities on the main campus for a small fee. They may also rent space for wedding receptions, rehearsal dinners, retirement parties, and graduation parties for their children.

The Paul Robeson Cultural and Performing Arts Center auditorium is available to area organizations for performances and other events. Historic Emery Hall, which has undergone extensive rehabilitation and renovation, will also be available as a conference center. The University' event coordinator reported that in 2011 alone several community groups rented space on campus. 

CSU’s Hallie Q. Brown Library is open to the public. Visitors are not required to show a Central State identification card – or any identification – to use the periodical room, copy machines, or computers. Any local adult may register for a library card and more than 100 non-Central State patrons have one. Parents may borrow books from the children's collection in the library basement. 

For many years, CSU campus has been used by the community as a voting center for Wilberforce residents living in election precincts 353, 354, and 355. These residents can come to the campus to cast their votes at a polling station located in the Ward Center Ballroom.

The University has remodeled its Dayton facility. A large multi-purpose room is available to civic organizations whenever they need the facility for meetings or other functions. In the 2011-2012 academic year alone, a wide variety of groups have held meetings in the building. Organizations that have used the CSU-Dayton Location multi-purpose room have included:

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  The Alcohol, Drug Addiction Group
  
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  The Mental Health Services Board of Montgomery County
  
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  Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority
  
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  The City of Dayton
  
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  The City of Dayton Police Department
  
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  Dayton Contemporary Dance Company
  
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  Miami Valley Child Development Center
  
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  Montgomery County Office of Family & Children First
  
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  The Adam Project (child protection group)
  
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  The Urban League of Cincinnati.
  

Central State is a public University and as such, is very conscious of its obligation to be good stewards of taxpayer money. CSU is not motivated by a need to earn a profit or to contribute financially to a parent organization. Similarly, CSU contributes extensively to external interests and to the "public good". These contributions are natural by-products of the University’s educational mission.

At CSU, educational responsibilities take primacy over all other obligations. For example, the University dedicates about 55 percent (55%) of its total revenue to the Academic Affairs budget, which includes faculty salaries, instructional materials, classroom materials and equipment. When scholarships are excluded, the Academic Affairs budget represents about 49% of the University's general education (E & G) fund budget. Table 1.D.1. below demonstrates budget allocations in the past five years, from fiscal year (FY) 2009 to FY 2013, clearly indicating that the University’s budget priority is its academic programs even in the midst of budget cuts and financial challenges that led most recently to a hiring freeze for non-instructional staff.

Table 1.D.1. FY 2013 Budget Percentages Devoted to the Various Campus Operations

The primacy of CSU educational programs is further demonstrated by the University’s decision and actions during FY 2011 when it needed to reduce the budget and yet protect academic programs. The University executed a furlough by reducing the number of non-instructional employees across campus but did not reduce the number of full-time faculty members. As indicated earlier, President Cynthia Jackson-Hammond has launched six compelling priorities which, when implemented, will further strengthen the academic programs.

Too, in spite of the hard economic times of recent years, CSU continues to develop new academic programs. For instance, in Fall 2008, the University initiated the Criminal Justice and Environmental Engineering programs through approval by the University Senate, Board of Trustees, and the Ohio Board of Regents. Student enrollment quickly grew in both programs-- from an enrollment of 82 students in Fall 2008 to 229 students in the Fall 2011 in the Criminal Justice program, and from three students in Fall 2008 to 17 students in Fall 2011 in the Environmental Engineering Program. This growth was in part a result of the student and academic support services students began to receive in Fall 2011 through the University College as described in detail in 3.D.1.

The University’s unfailing commitment to its academic programs and mission is also reflected in the nationally recognized, accredited, and professionally certified programs its offers to its students. Examples of nationally accredited programs are provided below:

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  The Manufacturing Engineering program has been accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) continuously since 1989 and is one of only twenty one such programs in the country. The last ABET accreditation reaffirmation visit was in 2008, and the School of Science and Engineering is currently conducting a program review to launch preparation for the reaffirmation of the ABET accreditation of Manufacturing Engineering program in 2014.
  
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  The Chemistry program submitted its application in July 2012 for certification by the American Chemical Society (ACS).
  
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  The Music Program in the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM).
  
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  The Fine Arts program in the same school is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).
  
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  Professional Education programs in the College of Education are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) at the initial teacher preparation (ITP) level.
  

CSU has three Centers of Excellence—two of them designated by the Ohio Board of Regents (OBR), and the a third one by the Department of Defense. These Centers of Excellence support teaching and learning and allow the University to prepare students for the 21^st Century technology-dependent workplace:

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  The Center of Excellence in STEM and STEM Education (STEM-X-ED) in the College of Science and Engineering (CSE) provides students with opportunities for internships, undergraduate research experience, graduate and professional school preparation, professional development seminars, tutoring, and opportunities to participate in the Department of Defense Scholars’ Summer Bridge Program.
  
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  The Center of Excellence in Emerging Technologies (CEET), designated by the Ohio Board of Regents (OBR), is one of only a few centers in the state. CEET provides the College of Science and Engineering with excellent laboratories for instruction and research and trains students in the hands-on usage of advanced equipment. Faculty in the College of Science and Engineering are engaged in cutting-edge and unique research opportunities for federal agencies such as the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) of Wright Patterson Air Force Base, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Department for Energy (DoE), the Department of Defense (DoD), and the National Institute of Health (NIH). The Centers of Excellence in the College of Science and Engineering allow the College to stay well connected with larger universities in Ohio as well as federal laboratories throughout the Nation. CSE works closely with the National Environmental Technology Incubator (NETI) at CSU and engages in technological development and commercialization.
  
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  CSU’s Center of Excellence in Fine and Performing Arts (CEFPA), designated by the OBR as an Ohio Center of Excellence in Cultural and Societal Transformation, serves as a cultural hub for promoting musical and artistic excellence in area schools and communities and promoting local economic development. CEFPA is the second Center of Excellence designation awarded to CSU and the 51st overall awarded by the Ohio Board of Regents.
  

Central State has a number of external constituencies, including alumni, community members, state and federal government leaders and colleagues within the higher education community. As already shown through the numerous examples in section 1.D.1, the University engages with identified constituencies in extraordinary ways that benefit the University as well as the constituencies it serves. Other examples include: