The Ohio Board of Regents is the coordinating board for higher education in Ohio. The board was created in 1963 by the Ohio General Assembly to: provide higher education policy advice to the Governor of Ohio and the Ohio General Assembly; develop a strategy involving Ohio's public and independent colleges and universities; advocate for and manage state funds for public colleges; and coordinate and implement state higher education policies.
The board consists of nine members, in addition to two ex-officio representatives from the state legislature. The nine regents are not compensated and are appointed by the Governor to nine-year terms of service. The Governor appoints the chancellor who leads a professional staff in service of higher education.
The regents have a direct, non-governing relationship with all of Ohio's colleges and universities. Working in partnership with Ohio's higher education community, the regents: advocate for and recommend how to best direct the state's investment in higher education; work with the Ohio State Board of Education to develop a seamless primary, secondary and higher education system to prepare citizens for the challenges of the 21st century; authorize and approve new degree programs; manage state-funded financial aid programs for students; and develop and advocate policies to maximize higher education's contributions to the state and its citizens.
The Ohio Board of Regents functions as the coordinating body for the University System of Ohio, which is one of the largest comprehensive systems of public higher education in the nation. The Ohio Technology Consortium (OH-TECH), a division of the Ohio Board of Regents, comprises the Ohio Supercomputer Center, the Ohio Academic Resources Network (OARnet,) the Ohio Library Information Network (OhioLINK) and eStudent Services.
Jim Petro was appointed chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents in March 2011 by Governor John Kasich.