As used in sections 3354.01 to 3354.18 of the Revised Code:

(A) "Community college district" means a political subdivision of the state and a body corporate with all the powers of a corporation, comprised of the territory of one or more contiguous counties having together a total population of not less than seventy-five thousand preceding the establishment of such district, and organized for the purpose of establishing, owning, and operating a community college within the territory of such district.

(B) "Contiguous counties" means counties so located that each such county shares at least one boundary in common with at least one other such county in the group of counties referred to as being "contiguous.

(C) "Community college" means a public institution of education beyond the high school organized for the principal purpose of providing for the people of the community college district wherein such college is situated the instructional programs defined in this section as "arts and sciences" and "technical," or either, and may include the "adult-education" program as defined in this section. Except for applied bachelor's degree programs approved by the chancellor of higher education under section 3333.051 of the Revised Code, instructional programs shall not exceed two years in duration.

A university maintained and operated by a municipality located in a county having a total population equal to the requirement for a community college district as set forth in division (A) of section 3354.01 of the Revised Code and is found by the chancellor of higher education to offer instructional programs which are needed in the community and which are equivalent to those required of community colleges shall be, for the purposes of receiving state or federal financial aid only, considered a community college and shall receive the same state financial assistance granted to community colleges but only in respect to students enrolled in their first and second year of post high school education in the kinds of instructional programs offered by the municipal university.

(D) "Arts and sciences program" means both of the following:

(1) A curricular program of two years or less duration, provided within a community college, planned and intended to enable students to gain academic credit for courses generally comparable to courses offered in the first two years in accredited colleges and universities in the state, and designed either to enable students to transfer to such colleges and universities for the purpose of earning baccalaureate degrees or to enable students to terminate academic study after two years with a proportionate recognition of academic achievement.

(2) An applied bachelor's degree program approved and offered under section 3333.051 of the Revised Code.

(E) "Adult-education program" means the dissemination of post high school educational service and knowledge, by a community college, for the occupational, cultural, or general educational benefit of adult persons, such educational service and knowledge not being offered for the primary purpose of enabling such persons to obtain academic credit or other formal academic recognition.

(F) "Charter amendment" means a change in the official plan of a community college for the purpose of acquiring additional lands or structures, disposing of or transferring lands or structures, erection of structures, or creating or abolishing of one or more academic departments corresponding to generally recognized fields of academic study.

(G) "Technical program" means a post high school curricular program of two years or less duration, provided within a community college, planned and intended to enable students to gain academic credit for courses designed to prepare such students to meet the occupational requirements of the community.

(H) "Operating costs" means all expenses for all purposes of the community college district except expenditures for permanent improvements having an estimated life of usefulness of five years or more as certified by the fiscal officer of the community college district.

(I) "Applied bachelor's degree" has the same meaning as in section 3333.051 of the Revised Code.

Amended by 132nd General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 49, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2017.

Amended by 131st General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 64, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2015.

Effective Date: 09-15-1965 .