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Vol. 38, No. 18
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2-17-2009
By: Jeff McCallister Alutto: OSU’s strength means opportunity in tough times Ohio State’s academic engine is more powerful and more dynamic today than it has ever been, and despite the current state of the economy, has never been better tuned for even greater performance, Executive Vice President and Provost Joe Alutto told the University Senate Feb. 12.
“Today’s successes are the product of the energy, imagination, goodwill and tireless commitment of our entire university,” Alutto said in his annual State of Academic Affairs address.
Alutto began his address with a bit of self-examination, describing some of his personal values as a way to explain to senators why he and his office work they way they do.
Those values — respect for and appreciation of all members of the academic community here, his belief in accountability and in the value of strategic planning, commitment to excellence and high standards and to reasoned action over delay — mirror those of the university as a whole, and will help lead Ohio State through the turbulent times, he said.
“It is important to note that I stress these core values in the context of a dynamic university of increasing stature,” Alutto said, citing Ohio State’s rising rankings by publications such as US News & World Report and SmartMoney.
He also touted the best-prepared freshman class in the university’s history, last year’s 93 percent retention rate from the first to second years, Ohio State’s considerable contingent of AAAS fellows and the institution’s status among the top five universities in the country in industry-financed research.
At the same time, Allutto pointed out that “hanging over these successes — indeed, hanging over us all — is an economic climate that we will be weathering for an undetermined period.”
Ohio’s state leadership has steadfastly maintained a commitment to higher education, though Alutto conceded that significant investment in higher education is problematic.
“These are challenging times, to be sure,” he said. “But even in the face of economic difficulties, we can and will continue to make advances on our goals.”
He described several “anticipatory steps” the university has taken in the last year to ensure continued financial health — $100 million in savings through administrative efficiency and cost avoidance (with more to come during the coming year), the development of targeted reserves and momentum toward the upcoming capital campaign.
Senate Highlights
• Senate heard a report from Tim Gerber, chair of the ad hoc semester conversion committee. Gerber said the committee will present its report, including a potential calendar, to the full senate on March 12. He said the report is not yet written, but that if the committee recommends going forward, he expected to provide a calendar and compelling evidence for need of a change.
• Finance Committee Chair Ralph Boerner and Vice President for Business and Finance Bill Shkurti updated senate on the university’s financial situation. Boerner and Shkurti noted that an overall conservative approach — no new borrowing, a diverse portfolio, protection of reserves — has put OSU in a position of strength.
• Senate approved a request from the Department of Industrial, Welding and Systems Engineering that its name be changed to Integrated Systems Engineering.
• Senate passed a resolution of appreciation to the governor, legislature and chancellor for their continued support of higher education. |
But he said that as important as any contingency measures may be, it’s still important to think beyond them.
“This moment of economic challenge can present us with opportunities. Indeed, our academic priorities for 2008-09 have been developed to allow us to make the most of this challenging moment,” Alutto said.
He said Ohio State’s continued financial and academic strength has allowed him and President Gordon Gee to keep retention and recruitment of talented faculty and staff as their top priority.
Another top priority is to enhance programs for students to ensure their experience is “full-immersion learning” — academically, culturally, socially, personally — from the moment they arrive on campus.
The other priorities Alutto highlighted were:
- To push interdisciplinary work through allocation of resources (including the recently announced Centers for Innovation and Innovation Groups and the continued work of the Targeted Investments in Excellence programs);
- Engagement with the development of the University System of Ohio;
- Focusing on university infrastructure (with special attention on providing the latest technology tools);
- Academic programming, including better coordination of the life sciences and earth sciences programs, the possible move to academic semesters and the continued evolution of the arts and sciences.
- Expansion of Ohio State’s international presence;
- Reorganization of the Office of Academic Affairs to continue enhancing the emphasis on undergraduate education.
“Together, and with the leadership of President Gee, we are poised for even greater institutional successes,” Alutto concluded. “We will achieve those successes and make progress on our academic priorities and other institutional goals, despite the economic challenges that exist today.”
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