Chancellor to state universities: Focus

We know college students are often trying to "find themselves." Now their colleges are as well.

In fact, figuring out their identity is the assignment Chancellor Eric Fingerhut has given all Ohio public universities. By December, all 13 will be expected to tell the state what they do best -- what academic areas make them Centers of Excellence -- and outline their goals for those programs and how they'll measure their progress.

Then the chancellor and the state's director of development will evaluate the list, making sure the programs are as good as the colleges claim and that they don't overlap -- long a problem for Ohio's universities. 'Winners' will claim that specialty and along with it funding and marketing. Losers will have to find another area of focus.

Does the idea make sense to you? Do you see clear areas of excellence for the University of Cincinnati and Miami University? Should state schools have to narrow their offerings?