OFIC Connections Newsletter
Spring Semester 2021
A Message from the President
Bill Spiker | President, OFIC
When asked what OFIC does, I respond that we make connections between students on our 33-member campuses and corporate Ohio. We do that in two ways: raising funds and making career connections available. Celebrating seven decades of supporting students, The Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges has a strong philanthropic history. Since 1950 our generous investors have provided a total of nearly $173,000,000! Beginning in the mid-1980s our donors responded to the growing need of providing scholarship support for individual students enrolled on our 33-member campuses, resulting today in an impressive $51,000,000 of our total historic support, funding over 26,000 individual scholarships.
We are constantly exploring new and innovative ways to support the career exploration of OFIC students through partnerships with campus career centers and our corporate partners. After the global pandemic put a stop to in-person events, we decided to “go digital” hosting our annual flagship event, CareerFest, via Handshake, an online forum for virtual career fairs. The digital event attracted over 300 students, adding to the thousands already positively impacted by CareerFest over the years. In October 2020, our first online Diversity Forum resulted in more than 150 participants uniting to discuss methods of inclusion and ways to protect our communities and our futures.
We now more than ever remain outstandingly proud of our OFIC campuses, the students and our investors as we work together to further career connections to strengthen Ohio’s economy.
Thank You to Our Donors
Today we extend our gratitude to all those who support the students attending OFIC’s 33-member campuses. You make a BIG IMPACT! Thank you to all our donors who made gifts to the 2019-2020 OFIC campaign. This statewide effort resulted in $3,815,495 in campaign attainment. The two largest areas supported are scholarships with 901 students receiving $2.6 million in support; and over $806,000 in unrestricted gifts and from Collaborative Program Rebates for OFIC campuses. View our 2019-2020 Honor Roll for a full list of our donors and partners.
We so highly applaud the dedication and leadership on our 33 OFIC campuses. The health and economic impact of COVID-19 on our campuses and donors have posed unusual challenges. Thank you so very much for your commitment to independent higher education.
We invite you to read of impact from various points of view: Campus Presidents, Corporate Donor, OFIC Board and most importantly – our students! I hope you enjoy reading this update and invite you to reach out to me or by contacting OFIC President Bill Spiker.
Jim Gasior | President and CEO, Cortland Bank
Chair, OFIC Board of Trustees
2019-2020 Campaign Impact
Jengila Sengsourichanh, Class of 2020, Ohio Dominican University
Celebrating Our Student Scholars
OFIC donors help ensure that students are set up for success. Students, like Jengila Sengsourichanh, are able to afford a college education and prepare for the transition from campus to career. Learn more about Jengila’s transformative experience and her excitement of becoming a first-generation college graduate from Ohio Dominican University.
Preparing Students to Thrive
OFIC’s 33-member campuses are rising to the challenges presented by COVID and thriving in new ways every day. Presidents from Defiance College and Marietta College share the importance of Ohio’s independent colleges and their approaches to preparing students for the professional world.
Dr. Richanne C. Mankey
Dr. William N. Ruud
Defiance College Spotlight
Dr. Richanne C. Mankey, president of Defiance College, details how a Liberal Arts-based education positively impacts students and Ohio’s economy. Learn about Defiance’s “Jacket Journey” – a program that guides students on a four-year career preparation plan.
Marietta College Spotlight
Dr. William N. Ruud, president of Marietta College, shares how a strong liberal arts foundation makes it possible for students to explore and develop their passions while on campus. Learn how Marietta ensures students have a roadmap for life and stay the course.
Impacting Ohio’s Talent Pipeline
College On-Site Visit Day for OFIC students -National Interstate Insurance, November 2019
National Interstate Insurance strongly believes in investing in education and helping students transition from the classroom to the work environment. The team from National Interstate shares, “Partnering with OFIC allows us to engage with colleges and universities, as well as identify talent to join our growing teams through internships and full-time career opportunities.”
OFIC is grateful for National Interstate’s support of scholarships and their involvement with students. Read more about their connection with OFIC’s member campuses.
Francie B. Henry
Get to Know the OFIC Trustees
The OFIC Board of Trustees includes corporate leaders throughout the state of Ohio and the college presidents of OFIC’s 33-member campuses. Together they contribute personal or corporate dollars towards the annual campaign, advocate for the importance of private, independent higher education, and lend appropriate advice and counsel to OFIC’s work.
Today we invite you to meet Francie Henry. She is Past Chair of the OFIC Board of Trustees and Regional President of Fifth Third Bank - Columbus. Francie will highlight how she became involved and the importance of the corporate community’s connection with OFIC.