Dec.
12 ,2002
Vol. 32, No.11
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Holbrook tours regional campuses
By Randy Gammage, onCAMPUS staff
After taking office Oct. 1, Ohio State President Karen Holbrook wasted little time in scheduling visits to the four regional campuses and the Agricultural Technical Institute in Wooster.
At each visit, Holbrook stressed the importance of the regional campuses. "I want to make it clear to all faculty, staff and students on the regional campuses how important they are to the University, and that they play a significant role in the Academic Plan,"Holbrook said.
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Distinguished Professor Linda Saif, left, guides Holbrook on a tour of OARDC’s molecular and cellular imaging center.
By Ken Chamberlain |
Her message was consistent throughout, and reinforced the role the regional campuses play in the overall University system.
"The regional campuses expand access to the University in a dramatic way, and provide an excellent teaching environment enhanced by small class size and faculty/student interaction,"she said. "They also extend Ohio State’s geographical presence to the small cities and multi-county regions each serves enhancing economic development in those regions and strengthening the learning and cultural opportunities within the local community through outreach and engagement activities."
She also acknowledged the wealth of research activities at each campus, strong relationships with the local community, and the impressive level of community support each campus has generated.
Holbrook traveled to Ohio State Lima on Nov. 6, Ohio State Marion and Ohio State Mansfield on Nov. 7, Ohio State Newark on Nov. 13, and ATI on Nov. 15. At each campus, Holbrook met with the administration team, and participated in separate discussion sessions with faculty, students and staff. She also met with the board of trustees of each campus.
At each stop, Holbrook received a warm welcome. At Lima, various faculty presented research projects (see related story below). At Marion, Holbrook visited with an English class plus other interested students who shared with her their experiences. At Mansfield, the Richland County Alumni Club hosted a reception in which OSU alumni and other community leaders met with Holbrook. And at Newark, in sessions with faculty and staff, there was discussion of the implementation of the recommendations of the Presidential Commission on the Regional Campuses.
"Overall, I felt that those groups meeting with her were very pleased that the president was able to visit so early in her term, and that she was able to view them both individually and as a system of campuses,"said W. Randy Smith, vice provost for curriculum and institutional relations. Smith accompanied Holbrook on the visits.
Smith convenes regular meetings with the deans of the regional campuses and has worked with them for the past four years. He also is a member of the 17-member Presidential Commission on the Regional Campuses, which was convened by former President Brit Kirwan in June 2001 to, among others things, clarify the role of the regional campuses and their link to the Academic Plan.
Holbrook’s visits were a follow-up to the commission’s final report, released in August, which recommended that the University pursue a more clearly defined "system"approach to the admissions policies, curriculum offerings, student services and government practices across the campuses. She said it was helpful for her to receive first-hand knowledge of the campuses as implementation of the report’s recommendations moves forward.
John Riedl, dean and director of Ohio State Mansfield and coordinating dean of the regional campuses, said feedback from all sides -- both on and off campus -- was extremely positive surrounding Holbrook’s visit.
"It conveys to the Mansfield community that Ohio State Mansfield really does matter,"Riedl said.
He was extremely impressed that Holbrook was familiar with the commission’s report, he said, and that she was interested in implementing the proposed new practices outlined. Some of those findings are already starting to materialize, as the University moves toward adopting a "one University, many locations"approach to the regional campuses, Riedl said.
For example, University admissions literature is promoting the "one University"theme, and starting autumn quarter 2003, prospective students applying to Ohio State will be asked to indicate both a first choice and alternate choice campus, easing the admissions process for applicants guided to attend a regional campus for at least their first one or two years of college. A revised admissions process will more clearly state that option.
Other changes being discussed or developed include:
- Expanding curriculum, with a limited number of bachelor’s degree programs to be developed based in part on local demand. Riedl said that the Ohio State Mansfield curriculum committee is discussing possible new degrees.
- Enhancing student services on each campus, including building University-owned and managed student housing -- a project already in motion at most campuses.
- Expanding student activities by creating collaborations with the Columbus campus.
- Amending the University vision statement to elaborate on the regional campuses’ role in expanding Ohio State’s reach and service across the state. Riedl said proposed changes to that document would be relatively minor and would make it clear that the mission/vision applies to all campuses.
- Standardizing bylaws and the selection process of regional campus boards of trustees, which currently is under discussion by the boards of all the regional campuses.
And tying all the changes together and communicating them within the Ohio State community and beyond will be the challenge of a new committee of regional and Columbus campus representatives that is being formed to develop a coordinated, University-wide communication plan
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President Holbrook greets Lima Dean and Director Violet Meek and Charles Moseley, associate professor of chemistry and president of Lima’s Faculty Assembly, during her stop at the northern Ohio campus.
By Pam Joseph |
Lima acquaints Holbrook with small-campus feeling
By Pam Joseph, Ohio State Lima Communications
When junior Joanna Schmersal spoke about "fair repute and spotless fame"from the second verse of Carmen Ohio in her remarks to the new Ohio State president, she gave President Karen Holbrook a new way to get her message across about Ohio State’s continuing academic mission.
"To raise the value of its degrees, Ohio State needs to have fair repute and spotless fame in all it does on its rise in academic stature,"Holbrook told a group of honors students and student group leaders during her first visit to Ohio State Lima on Nov. 6.
From the time she stepped on campus until the last community member shook her hand, Holbrook got a feel for just how important a part of the Ohio State system the regional campuses are.
"What we are trying to create on the Columbus campus is what you naturally have here,"Holbrook said. "We want exactly the same thing for all of our students -- the personalized experience. We want them to feel like it’s a family. The nice thing is that you have it."
Holbrook listened as a roomful of students told her what having a place of their own at a university of Ohio State’s caliber means to them. She then encouraged them to continue to reinvent the educational experience and increase the value of an Ohio State education.
"As we improve the teaching in our programs by bringing in top quality faculty, a degree from Ohio State will continue to increase in value. This will happen as our standards rise and as our students enter with better credentials,"Holbrook said. "In the end, your degree will be a credential of pride for the rest of your life."
Holbrook met throughout the day with students, faculty, staff and board members to learn what makes Ohio State Lima tick. She impressed all her audiences with genuine interest in their jobs and her enthusiasm for their efforts.
"Her willingness to visit our campus and ask about our efforts means a great deal,"said Jon E. Rockhold, director of external relations.
Questions flowed both ways as curious faculty, staff, students and well-wishers took the opportunity to observe the new president in action. The questions ranged from how she is faring in her new state -- with its fickle fall temperatures, to her speculation on the outcome of the football game against Michigan, to why she chose Ohio State.
"One of my public career goals has been to lead a great institution,"Holbrook said. "I wanted to do it in an environment that I thought was challenging and exciting. Ohio State, in my mind, has always had one of the highest reputations of being an extraordinary place to be."
Presentations throughout the day highlighted faculty research, staff input and student activity. Through it all, Holbrook took careful notes, asked questions and let everyone know how pleased she is with the personnel and programs at Ohio State Lima.
"President Holbrook impressed me with her interpersonal skills and professionalism. I would expect nothing less from the president of The Ohio State University, but her personal warmth, genuine concern and obvious interest in our campus was a pleasure to behold,"said Joe E. Brandesky, associate professor of theatre. "She hears, understands and obviously takes good notes."
Holbrook’s visit to Ohio State Lima was her first chance to see the regional system in action. With a smaller student body and less physical space than the Columbus campus, Ohio State Lima feels like a small liberal arts college. While the students benefit from being part of a world-renowned research university, they also benefit from smaller class sizes and greater access to faculty.
"My impression overall is this campus fosters a first-rate experience for students,"Holbrook said. "It is a very personalized environment, a place where they can work one on one with faculty, create opportunities for themselves and feel like a family."
