COTC Coshocton Campus pulls through pandemic, looks to the future

COSHOCTON — The COVID-19 pandemic was tough on Central Ohio Technical College, but it's poised to come out of it stronger than ever thanks to local economic development.

This was the message from COTC President John Berry at a recent COTC 50th anniversary celebration and Coshocton Campus update. The event also included a presentation of the Legends of Loyalty Award to Marion Sutton.

Berry called the pandemic a series of highs and lows where they tried to find the silver lining in the darkest clouds. Even having to rush coursework to an online delivery system within a matter of weeks in spring 2020 broadened the skills of instructors and had COTC developing the classrooms of tomorrow. COTC has campuses in Newark, Pataskala, Mount Vernon and Coshocton.

However, enrollment figures still went down and Berry knows they couldn't have made it without government pandemic dollars. He looks for those numbers to rise above pre-pandemic highs because of new businesses moving into the area. Chiefly, Intel building two computer chip plants in Jersey Township of Licking County.

Not only will Intel need workers with skill sets that can be gained at COTC, but other industries will get a boost from construction to health care. Berry knows technical colleges like COTC will be at the forefront of their employee pipeline.

COTC by the numbers

In fall 2019, the Coshocton Campus had 181 students with 135 seeking degrees or certificates with 46 being non-degree students or College Credit Plus students from local high schools.

For fall 2021, there were 54 students with 48 seeking degrees or certificates and six not seeking degrees or being CCP students. Berry said there's no denying the blow the pandemic dealt.

"We recognize it and understand it. We now need to counter that and push through it," Berry said of the drop.

Still, the college remains financially sound thanks to $14 million in CARES Act funding. This included $6.1 million in emergency grants to students, $3.6 million in faculty salaries related to the change to remote course delivery and $2 million to cover loss revenue.

"CARES Act funding has, candidly, helped us squirrel away enough money to counter that enrollment (drop), but we're only good for about a two-year cycle. We have to rectify that promise and we're really committed to doing that right now," Berry said. "I want to be where we were, but I want to be steps above that."

COTC is committed to the Coshocton Promise, started in 2016. It guarantees free tuition once all other financial aid is exhausted to residents of Coshocton County with an annual household income of $60,000 or less. Committed for the current school year is $65,170. While pandemic numbers haven't been released, there were 157 students using Coshocton Promise funds in fall 2019 and 96 for summer 2019. Many were transfers or first-time college students.

"Coshocton Promise was having an enormously positive impact here in Coshocton pre-pandemic. It was having a wonderful impact on students accessing us and finding us in new ways," Berry said.

COTC is currently offering a mix of on-campus, hybrid, hi-flex and online courses. About 43% of students are taking online courses.

Overall, COTC has 3,282 students with 75% full time and 25% part time. The average student age is 27 with 57% pell-eligible and 38% being first generation college students. Almost all, 95%, of the students are in technical programs and 65% are in health programs.

Berry said students are asking for more short-term certifications, some which could have them in the workforce from three months to a year.

"We get that and want to provide that, but the longer-term pieces for Intel, we're going to have to do a degree process. They're not going to be looking for short-term certificate programs, maybe in some of the other supply chain areas," Berry said. "All of our degree programs are going to be somewhat touched by them, it's just how much."

The Intel boost

Looking to the future, Berry said COTC needs to strategically increase student enrollment and offer academic programs in full at every campus to meet local workforce needs.

While economic development is being seen across the area, the Intel project promising 3,000 new jobs and an average salary of $135,00 is viewed as an unprecedented homerun. Additionally, it should create 7,000 construction jobs and 10,000 indirect jobs just at the start.

Barry said the Coshocton Campus will see an increased focus on health care, IT and engineering. While Intel hasn't made it clear what it's looking for overall in workforce, they can get a sense by looking at other areas with Intel plants.

"What they haven't told us is exactly the proficiencies our students we work with have to have," Berry said. "We need to directly hear from them. 'What do you need? How do you need it? What does it need to look like?'"

Legends of Loyalty

When Sutton started working with COTC in 2004, it didn't have what one could call a campus in Coshocton. It had random classrooms scattered all over town. Her work helped to grow COTC locally and gain a permanent home at Montgomery Hall in Roscoe Village.

Sutton was a member of the Coshocton Campus Campaign Cabinet, which raised more than $5 million from 149 donors for renovation of the former hotel. She served on the Coshocton Campus Advisory Board form 2007 to 2011 and has been on the COTC Board of Trustees since 2014. She's chair of the board development committee.

The former chairwoman of the board for Jones Metal Products received an engraved glass clock and certificate from the office of U.S. Rep. Bob Gibbs. A $1,000 scholarship will also be given to a COTC student in her name.

"It's very easy to be loyal to COTC. It's the easiest thing in the world," Sutton said. "It's our own Coshocton institution of higher education."

llhayhur@coshoctontribune.com

@llhayhurst

740-295-3417

This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: COTC Coshocton Campus moves forward despite pandemic