Vernon Baisden makes a presentation during a recent community meeting on the Heritage Festival.

Safety first: OSU poses challenges for Baisden, but it's 'a great place to be'

Vernon Baisden admits he was very content on the quiet New Hampshire campus of Keene State College, where, for seven years, he served as director of a campus safety force consisting of 30 staff and 20 students. A native of Hartford, Conn., he had never even visited Ohio as of about a year ago. But a friend encouraged him to contact Ohio State and pursue the position of assistant vice president for public safety, which was to be left vacant by the retiring John Kleberg.

Baisden was selected to succeed Kleberg, and arrived on campus last Aug. 14. He assumed responsibility for overall public safety at Ohio State, which includes the 56-officer University Police department; University Security Services, which provides building security and 24-hour monitoring of all campus alarms and surveillance cameras; disaster planning; fire safety; and community relations.

According to Baisden, OSU is everything he expected -- and more.

"It's definitely a challenge, and certainly a great place to be," he said.

Among the many challenges Baisden said he has faced to date are student disturbances off campus, planning for the African American Heritage Festival, personnel issues, and "a couple of heart-wrenching incidents" involving students.

Baisden said he finds the campus community supportive -- not only in his role as assistant vice president, but as an individual. Baisden is routinely invited to numerous events and organization meetings. "As a matter of fact, my calendar is booked up for the next two months," he said recently.

In turn, Baisden makes an extra effort to support the community in which he works and lives. Whether it is riding a bicycle to get around during the Heritage Festival or spending "getting to know you" time with the Columbus Division of Police and Fire in the University area, he never passes up an opportunity to improve community relations or promote public safety on campus.

Responsible for overseeing a total staff of 126 employees, Baisden lives by a guiding philosophy: He never asks any officer to do something that he would not do.

"I've been out on patrol with the police officers, out on rounds with the security officers, and I will help when and where I can," Baisden said. "I don't have a clock -- I'm available 24 hours a day, seven days a week."

His intense work ethic was demonstrated as a public safety officer with the University of Michigan, where his campus safety career began in the mid-1980s. Baisden rose from a patrol officer to the rank of lieutenant and commanding officer in the Office of Community Relations and Special Programs Unit in the Department of Public Safety. In 1989, he was awarded the Chief's Civilian Award by the City of Ann Arbor Police Department for assisting in the capture of an armed robbery suspect.

He also earned several honors while serving Keene State, including the President's Award for Excellence in 1998, the Longevity Award in 1999 and a Citizen Award for Community Service presented by the mayor of Keene.

Baisden now is focused on leading Ohio State's Public Safety Division to national prominence. His long-range goals are to have the division recognized nationally for quality service and professional excellence, and to work toward diversifying his staff at all levels, he said.

Short-term goals include maintaining the pace and quality of training, creating more outreach efforts with students and staff, and promoting a stronger connection between OSU and local, state and federal public safety efforts.

"Connecting the emergency operations centers of Ohio State and the Columbus Division of Police is a goal and would increase efficiency, improve communications and reduce response time if a joint response were needed," he said.

After leading OSU's safety forces for six months, Baisden observes that there is never a dull moment in his role. He said that University and local politics can become quite complicated, and he is concerned about the quality of life and the behavior of students east of High Street. Issues seem to be more manageable on campus.

Baisden is confident in the abilities of his police and security officers, illustrated by the reports and comments that he receives from people around the campus.

"I'm particularly impressed with the professionalism of our police officers," Baisden said. "In my opinion, university policing is much more difficult than municipal policing or traditional policing. University police officers need to have the skills and knowledge of a municipal officer, training in traditional policing, and the temperament and understanding of the uniqueness of the higher education environment, student issues, and campus bureaucracy."

As he settles into his role at the University, he said he hopes to leave a positive impression on Ohio State.

"The only thing I ask," he said, "is that after I'm long gone -- 10 to 15 years from now -- people will remember Vern Baisden as somebody who cared and tried to make a small but positive contribution to the quality of life at Ohio State."

New OSU Police recruits are sworn in recently by Larry Lewellen, associate vice president for Human Resources. Left to right, Lewellen, Marjorie Rizalvo, Susan Liu and Aaron Ward.     By Nathan Robinson

Committee recommends pursuing semesters

The committee studying Ohio State's academic calendar has recommended that the University begin planning for implementation of a semester calendar, pending decisions about a number of related issues ranging from the availability of financial resources for a conversion to the effects a new calendar would have on curriculum.

The Ad Hoc Calendar Committee has issued its report and recommendations after an intensive four-month examination of student and faculty issues and costs and benefits associated with converting from quarters to semesters. The committee voted 11 to 4 in favor of the conversion; however, the panel unanimously supported a list of 11 accompanying recommended actions the University should take if it decides, after deliberations end next autumn, to convert to semesters.

Among those additional recommendations are suggestions that the University pursue a conversion only when adequate financial resources are available; that any conversion be used as a catalyst for rethinking and re-engineering Ohio State's curricula and that the timetable for a conversion allow adequate time for this to occur; and that the new Student Information System (SIS) be fully functional prior to a switch to semesters.

"Even though there were some on the committee who didn't vote in favor of the conversion, we reached unanimous agreement on the things that should be done, or must be done, if Ohio State moves forward with the calendar change," said Grady Chism, Ad Hoc Calendar Committee chair and professor of food science and technology.

University Senate convened the committee in December in response to a request from President Brit Kirwan that separate committees be appointed to study the issues surrounding a shift to semesters and to examine the General Education Curriculum. The University's Academic Plan lists a conversion to semesters among its facilitating actions based on an expectation that Ohio State would be better served by such a change for purposes of pedagogy, collaborations with other institutions, flexibility in course offerings and cost savings over time.

University Senate is scheduled to discuss the recommendation at its June 2 meeting. To allow for comprehensive Universitywide discussion, no Senate vote on the recommendation is expected until November.

The Ad Hoc Calendar Committee reviewed the conversion to semesters at other universities, sought input from the Ohio State community on the proposal to convert here, and analyzed the potential costs and benefits of a change to semesters.

In its report, the committee notes that though the "perceived pedagogical merits of the different calendars vary," a search of research-based literature revealed "virtually nothing on the pedagogical pros and cons of semesters vs. quarters." In discussing costs, the panel suggests that no significant short- or long-term fiscal benefits can be expected from the conversion, asserting that the anticipated reduction in administrative costs would be "marginal when compared with the University's administrative budget."

In addition to the recommendations previously cited, the committee recommends that:

• Teaching loads for faculty and graduate assistants not be increased as a result of the conversion;

• Additional resources be provided for advising students before and during the transition;

• Graduation requirements be liberally interpreted for students enrolled during the transition;

• One semester be counted as one quarter currently is counted for the purposes of special research assignments, sabbaticals and other faculty leaves;

• Flexibility within the semester system be built in to accommodate such diverse programs as seven-week courses, "minimesters," etc.;

• The Council on Enrollment and Student Progress develop specific dates for the semester calendar that includes 15 weeks of instruction with one week of exams and a summer session that accommodates P-12 teachers;

• The University pay faculty and graduate assistants contemporaneously with work performed, with salary payments reflecting the earlier start date; and

• No "unfunded mandates" be imposed.

In the committee's numerous meetings with faculty, staff and student groups, the panel gained "some sense of the wide range of opinions within the University," but was "unable to draw from them any conclusions about the degree of support for a conversion to semesters," the report states. A scientific poll was ruled out because of a lack of funds.

According to the committee's report, those in favor of semesters cited a number of expected advantages under a new calendar, including: a more relaxed pace of instruction with fewer stops and starts, more opportunities for in-depth study and research, more time available for writing and revising papers, and improved opportunities for innovations in teaching. Supporters of the switch also noted that the national trend indicates that universities with quarter calendars are converting to semesters, and that benefits of conforming with other institutions are likely to include more opportunities for student employment, internships and study abroad. The report indicates some committee members feel the time is right for Ohio State to do the same, especially considering the planned revisions to the GEC and installation of an integrated Student Information System.

Committee members voting against the conversion, according to the report, have cited the lack of proof that Ohio State would be better off pedagogically under semesters, less flexibility under semesters than under quarters, and the potential that the conversion would divert resources needed to support the Academic Plan. Some also are concerned about reconciling a calendar conversion with the expected curriculum revision and the budget restructuring occurring across the University. Faculty also have expressed concern about the conversion's impact on teaching loads and research opportunities.

"There is not a silver bullet either way. It's a matter of style and preference," Chism said. "The process did the best it could do. It looked at everything. I think this report demonstrates a fantastic performance on the part of the committee, for it to have done what it has done in the time available."

In addition to issues covered in the institutional recommendations, subcommittees identified a number of issues for consideration during Universitywide deliberation about the next course of action.

Resources

• A significant amount of unreimbursed faculty time is expected to factor into a conversion to semesters, but because of the planned curricular revisions that will also take place, it is difficult to determine the value of faculty time that would be committed to conversion alone.

• Instructional costs are expected to increase -- in the form of additional instructors -- with the replacement of five-credit-hour courses with three- or four-hour courses to avoid larger class sizes or longer waiting lists.

Faculty issues

• This subcommittee seeks to assure that a conversion is neutral in terms of faculty teaching load and research support; intellectual content of programs not be adversely affected; and class sizes not increase in classes that currently have enrollment ceilings.

• A survey of deans of colleges at recently converted universities overwhelmingly indicated that a conversion to semesters had no perceptible effect on the ability to recruit or retain faculty or graduate students.

Student issues

• Based on polls, OSU undergraduates appear not to want a conversion, while graduate students favor semesters.

• The cost of tuition for each semester will be higher than quarterly tuition, but the total cost of textbooks can be expected to drop.

• Transferring to Ohio State from a semester institution will be simplified

Heshima reigns at Heritage Fest

By Jo McCulty Tariq Seifullah performs May 15 at a poetry presentation, one of several events held during the University's weeklong African American Heritage Festival. Upon the festival's conclusion May 20, organizers reported that a comprehensive and coordinated effort between Ohio State, the city, neighborhood groups and corporate sponsors yielded a successful and smoothly run celebration. "I'd have to say that this year's event was the best ever," said Interim Vice President for Student Affairs Bill Hall. "Our message of 'Heshima' clearly made a difference." Heshima is the Swahili word for respect. "Everyone was committed to making this a positive, safe and enjoyable event," Hall said. "And it worked."