Community colleges embrace state plan for four-year degrees - RACHEL ABBEY MCCAFFERTY, Crains Cleveland

A small entry in Ohio's fiscal year 2018-2019 operating budget will mean a big change for the state's community colleges, as they soon will be able to offer certain four-year degrees. The colleges say this will allow them to offer students affordable, convenient degrees in fields where there's clear demand. The colleges will be allowed to offer what are called "applied bachelor's degrees" — degrees focused specifically on particular career fields and with an emphasis on hands-on learning, instead of more general bachelor's degrees. But the state still is determining the process for approving such programs. http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20170813/NEWS/170819939/community-colleges-embrace-state-plan-for-four-year-degrees