By: Mira Calabria
Last fall, Tri-C made some cuts to classes and programs due to Senate Bill 1, the new higher education law in Ohio. The summary of this bill is that if less than five people graduate from a program per year, then those programs need to be removed from the program list. This led to 30 associate and certificate programs being terminated. Many of those programs that were cut are technical and vocational skills.
A few programs that were cut are Restaurant/Food Service Management in Hospitality, Business Management-International Business, and Criminal Justice: Security Administration (Tri-C Programs). As of August 22, 2025, no new students can sign up for these programs and the other programs that were cut. The students who were already part of these cut programs are allowed to finish the rest of their programs out.
Why is it a problem that these programs are no longer available? For starters, these are programs that many people will come into contact with at some point in their lives. These programs teach people how to excel in positions in difficult jobs and situations that most others may never have to deal with. Many of these programs require communication skills, and not every job is the same. There are different ways to approach different situations in every job.
Restaurant/Food Service Management is a big part of Hospitality. Knowing how to run a restaurant or food related business is something that is learned. Yes, it is possible to learn on the job. However, if the business is high-end or the position that someone wants is higher up on the working scale, it is expected to have a degree. In many places, if someone does not have a degree, they will not be hired. Some businesses do not even consider candidates if they do not have a degree. To run a business, a person must know how to handle high pressure situations and adapt to them. There is more to running a restaurant/food business than knowing how to cook and talking nice to customers. Knowing how to properly communicate with not only the customers, but with food distributors as well. Time management, accounting, and other valuable skills are built into this program specifically for this job.
International business management is also a crucial job in society. We, as a society, are constantly doing business with other countries. Just like restaurant/food service management, communication is important. A person is not just communicating with customers or suppliers, but they are also communicating with people from other countries. They are representing a business or business group while in other parts of the world. A person knowing their audience and being able to adjust to them is an important skill that is needed for the job. Knowing other cultures of people that someone may interact with for business is important. Being able to speak the native language or some of the native languages of people from other countries is also important. This is how businesses build relationships with other countries, how the United States Government has and builds relationships with other countries. Without these skills we would not be able to interact with other countries and civilization would crumble.
Criminal Justice: Security Administration was another program that was cut. This program teaches about security and the different aspects of it. With this program, people can work in the security field as a private or public security agent. Some could work for the government in homeland security or work as a secret service agent. They are taught how to physically and virtually protect people, businesses, and even the country. This program produces jobs that are just as vital to society as any of the other programs that were taken away from the students at Tri-C.
These programs exist to educate people how to properly and effectively do these jobs. Without these programs, people will not be able to do these jobs correctly. Though not many pursue these jobs, they are important and are needed in order to keep society going.
