McCain accepts students' invitation to campus

Ohio State is a natural hotspot for presidential campaigning, according to a political scientist at the University.

"I think Ohio State University's location and size contribute to the likelihood that candidates will consider coming here to promote themselves. It's one of the few institutions in Ohio that has clear recognition and is looked at favorably across the state, and it regularly receives national attention, too," said Richard Timpone, assistant professor of political science. "The fact that it's popular among candidates turns out to be great for students, as well."

More than 2,500 students and community members flocked to St. John Arena on Ohio State's Columbus campus on Feb. 26 as Republican presidential candidate John McCain brought his "Straight Talk Express" into town.

Candidates' visits to Ohio State, such as John McCain's event at St. John Arena, above, demonstrate that the University is a popular campaign stop among some national leaders.

McCain held a town-hall meeting -- one of the scores of meetings he has held since his campaign began in New Hampshire several months ago -- answering questions from the audience for almost an hour.

McCain is the second presidential candidate to accept an invitation from the Ohio State Undergraduate Student Government (USG), Inter-Professional Council (IPC) and Council of Graduate Students (CGS) as part of the Inform 2000 project. The groups sent invitations in November to McCain, Vice President Al Gore, former Sen. Bill Bradley, Gov. George W. Bush and Steve Forbes. Gore held a campaign rally in the Ohio Union on Feb. 2.

IPC President Eric Ley said he is pleased that McCain opted for a town meeting format at Ohio State. "After Vice President Gore's visit, most students said they enjoyed the event, but they wished the next candidate would have more of a dialogue with the students," Ley said.

When Gore came to town, Timpone was so committed to ensuring that his students had a chance to experience the election season firsthand that he canceled his "Introduction to American Government" class and encouraged the 300 students to attend the Gore rally. When he heard McCain was bringing his campaign to campus, Timpone updated his faculty Web site with his own announcement about the event in St. John Arena.

"College students having the opportunity to attend a live campaign event is definitely something that helps highlight the importance of politics," said Timpone, whose research focuses on elections and the nature of American democracy through representation, voting behavior and institutional structures. "It's very useful to highlight the excitement of the game itself.

"I tell my students that whether they're Republicans, Democrats, Independents, Libertarians, or what have you, that actually seeing a candidate up close and personal is useful to solidify your views -- pro or con."

"McCain's town-hall meeting is a great opportunity for Ohio State students to learn firsthand about another candidate," added USG President Josh Mandel. "His visit demonstrates the significance of Ohio and Ohio State students in presidential elections."

Mandel was among the dozens of student volunteers who helped pull together the campaign event with just two days notice. That organizing becomes a learning experience in itself, said senior Aly Ryan, one of the chief student volunteers for McCain's visit.

Volunteers helped transform St. John Arena into an intimate in-the-round setting for McCain's town meeting and were responsible for getting the word out and generating a crowd. Ryan added that when McCain's advance team members arrived on campus Friday, "They told us they were extremely impressed with our level of organization."

Greg Lestini, a law student who chairs the Inform 2000 project, said he had hoped all presidential candidates would visit campus. But the end of the state's primary season won't necessarily spell the end of campaigning on Ohio State's campus.

The large student population is likely to work in Ohio State's favor in the fall, Lestini said.

"The last few national elections have shown what a great force this generation can be in the political decision-making process. We're getting more attention than we did in the past," he said. "Inform 2000 is the perfect way for candidates to convey their message to one of the largest student bodies in the world.

"We hope to keep this going, and we assume the presidential nominees will want to return after the primaries," Lestini said. "We're keeping the invitation open."

Schuster leads SIS, data access initiatives

Gene Schuster, University registrar at Ohio State since 1983, has been appointed director of Student Information Systems (SIS) development and also is leading an effort to assess and implement a "self-serve" method of accessing and changing records in University data systems.

Schuster took a leave of absence from the position of University registrar in October 1998 to lead the development and technology planning of integrated student information. As director of SIS development, he will devote his full attention to administration of the project.

SIS is a multidepartment, Universitywide effort aimed at enhancing student services support through improved electronic sharing of data. As director, Schuster reports to the chief information officer (CIO) and maintains an office in Baker Systems.

Schuster describes SIS as an effort to "coordinate and integrate all campus activities, with the exception of instruction, to best serve student interaction, whether it be in housing, career services, advising, financial aid, transfer credit or class scheduling." He said that ideally, the SIS project will create a seamless information technology support system.

Schuster also is leading the End User Access Assessment Project team, which seeks to establish a consistent electronic environment for campus access to data.

End-user access, considered a key information technology infrastructure necessary for an efficient and effective campus, is to be accomplished by developing a shared interface and tool set for all services. End-user access is a companion initiative to the CIO's Enterprise Data/Reporting effort, which is to improve data delivery and accessibility for management decision support.

Specifically, this effort will evaluate self-service activity that can be performed by any individual originating, changing or using information that resides in Ohio State's data records. End-user access applications range from establishing a new position appointment, processing payroll, determining student financial aid or changing personal employee records by updating benefits information.

The End User Access Assessment Project has been charged with identifying three self-service initiatives -- within student support, Human Resources or Finance/Procurement -- and a supportable technical infrastructure available Universitywide upon which they can be built.

Former Interim CIO Jim Davis, who recently left OSU to accept a position at UCLA, said he leaves the end-user access project in good hands.

"I think the project is off to a very good start as a result of Gene's involvement and leadership," Davis said.

A 12-week assessment of the end-user project began Jan. 24. The results of the End User Access Assessment initiative would likely be implemented next fiscal year.

The core project team, led by Schuster, consists of members from the CIO's Office, University Technology Services, the Administrative Resource Management System, the Research Foundation, and the offices of Human Resources, Enrollment Services, Finance, Student Affairs and Health Services. The group hopes to include offices throughout the University, including Technology Enhanced Learning and Research, to develop the technical infrastructure.

"We want to make sure anyone interested in this effort has the opportunity to view the proposals as they are developed and provide input," Schuster said. Efforts of the project team will be posted on the Web at www.osu.edu/eua.

Schuster joined the University in 1981 as director of registration records and scheduling, and began a three-year overhaul of the department's systems that produced such improvements as the ability for faculty to upload grades and class rosters via e-mail, the launch of online advising reports and transcripts, and the installation of a degree-audit reporting product.

During his tenure as registrar, Schuster introduced BRUTUS, a touch-tone registration system, and numerous Web-based services to the University community.

Besides his regular duties, Schuster serves as chair of the Business Partners Advisory Committee and is president-elect of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers. He serves on the American Council on Education's advisory committee for the Navy/Marine SMART records project, is on the Registrars Summer Institute faculty, and co-chairs the Association of American Universities Registrars Conference.

Myers named University registrar

Brad Myers has accepted the position of University registrar at Ohio State, effective immediately. Myers has been serving as acting registrar since July 1998.

"Brad brings considerable experience, talent and professionalism to the position of University registrar," said James Mager, assistant vice president for enrollment management. Mager added that during his tenure as acting registrar and senior associate registrar, Myers and his staff have demonstrated leadership in implementing a number of projects, including the conversion to live registration, the expansion of self-service Web applications and the successful Y2K conversion.

"Brad's expertise during this past interim period has moved us toward solutions that will better serve our students," said Martha Garland, vice provost and dean of undergraduate studies. "He is an essential part of an outstanding team, and I am delighted that he has agreed to continue in this critical leadership role."

During the past 10 years, Myers has advanced in the Office of the University Registrar from associate to senior associate and then to acting registrar. He also is a past president of the Ohio Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (OACRAO), and is the current chair of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers' (AACRAO) committee on academic policies, practices and facilities management.

A recognized expert on the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), records fraud, and legal issues in registration and records, Myers holds a law degree and a bachelor's degree in counseling psychology from Ohio State, and has completed doctoral work in higher education administration.

"Brad's work in the registrar's office reflects his dedication, energy and willingness to work with the University community in pursuit of larger goals. Brad's involvement in OACRAO, AACRAO and several institutional committees demonstrates his commitment to professional development and his vision of the Office of the University Registrar as an innovative leader in providing service to the campus community," Mager said.

next page...