Owens considers classes in Fostoria

FOSTORIA - Fostoria residents can take classes at any number of nearby colleges and universities, but they can't take college classes in their city.

That could change.

City officials have been talking with Owens Community College about offering classes in Fostoria. No decisions have been made, although Owens representatives have toured potential locations in Fostoria, including a former Kroger store.

Michael Bankey, vice president of work-force and community services for Owens, said the idea began with an offer by a Fostoria property owner who proposed a downtown bank building to Owens. Mr. Bankey toured the building but found it would not lend itself to classroom space without extensive renovation.

"It just didn't meet our needs, but in conversations with the mayor's office and the chamber, they were expressing the need for an educational facility in their community," Mr. Bankey said. "We're exploring the possibilities of what we call a learning center - not a campus."

Owens currently operates campuses in Perrysburg Township and Findlay. It has smaller learning centers at the Source in downtown Toledo and at Arrowhead business park in Maumee.

Sheri Fleegle, executive director of the Fostoria Area Chamber of Commerce, said that while residents can and do take classes at Bowling Green State University, Owens, Tiffin University, Heidelberg University, and Terra Community College near Fremont, there are a lot of pluses to having college courses available locally.

"Having an educational center in the community gives employers that are already here a built-in opportunity to get training they would like to have for their employees without the expense of sending them off somewhere or paying for someone to come in and present on site," she said.

Having college courses available locally also improves the quality of life for residents and helps with attraction and retention of business, she said.

"The better trained the local employees are, the more advantageous it is for a new company coming in," Ms. Fleegle said.

Mr. Bankey said Owens is attempting to gauge interest in Fostoria and weigh that against potential costs. If it appears there is a market for an educational center, he said, Owens would want to partner with other educational institutions as well as business and industry to meet local needs.

Comments about the proposal may be submitted to faccinfo@fostoriachamber.com.