Pulitzer prize chat

By Al Zanyk Noted historian and Pulitzer Prize winning author David McCullough, left, joins Sen. John Glenn for a chat with students in Kuhn Honors and Scholars House before his lecture May 13. McCullough shared his perspective on world affairs and his thoughts on the need for greater understanding and appreciation of the country's founding principles as part of the Research Lecture Series, during which he was presented with an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree. The lecture was co-sponsored by the Office of Research and the John Glenn Institute for Public Service and Public Policy.

Invest Yourself! initiative builds community in University District

Student-faculty teams listen to student residents

By JONI BENTZ SEAL, onCAMPUS staff

On May 18, students and 13th Avenue residents Abby Dobina, Erin Murdock and Alicia Casmer received a personal visit from President Karen Holbrook. Holbrook was interested in their feedback to improve the sense of community on and around campus, learn about their concerns, and express the university's commitment to improve their campus community experience.

The visit was part of a new initiative from Undergraduate Student Government called Invest Yourself!, intended to create a more interactive relationship between faculty, administrators and students, and to show students that the university wants to foster community pride in the off-campus neighborhoods.

	President Karen Holbrook, middle, chats with student and 13th Avenue resident Abby Dobina, right, during the Invest Yourself! Neighborhood Visit May 18. Student volunteer Nicky Smolter, left, escorted the president to a few randomly selected homes.
By Joni Bentz Seal

Holbrook led the effort of nearly 100 students, teamed with as many faculty members and administrators, who walked through neighborhoods surrounding campus on an overcast Sunday, knocked on doors and talked with students about the importance of commitment to the university and the community.

USG President Eddie Pauline said the program was conceived autumn quarter after the group felt the lack of a sense of community among students was creating some very real and significant problems for the university -- among them the potential for riots or acts of irresponsibility. The leaders of USG thought community development in the off-campus area was something their organization could focus on and perhaps change.

"We noticed that many students seem to become disconnected with campus as soon as they leave the residence halls and we really wanted to curb that problem," Pauline said. "We didn't really know how to do it, but we noticed that students really seemed receptive when we would randomly go up to doors and talk to students during literature drops, neighborhood cleanup projects, or when we would stop in a coffee shop and chat."

Pauline said that USG felt it could build on those small cases to do something on a large scale, and approached the university to collaborate on the effort. "We thought getting faculty involved would really inspire some interest and create some much needed dialogue between Ohio State's two largest constituencies -- faculty and students," he said.

By Joni Bentz Seal Gene Mumy, associate professor of economics, teams with sophomore English major Deb Mason.

Pauline said Barbara Snyder, interim vice president for university relations, was helpful in publicizing the event to faculty. Holbrook and Provost Ed Ray were enthusiastic supporters of the initiative and were two of the first to volunteer to team up with students. Ray sent an e-mail message asking deans and chairs to encourage faculty to participate. USG coordinated the student effort and the logistics.

"Given the university's recent research in this regard and the recommendations of the Task Force to Prevent Celebratory Rioting, we felt this was an important initiative," Snyder said. "We are pleased that our student leaders were willing to organize this project to improve the sense of community among students living in the University District. We wanted to make sure they had our full support."

Bill Hall, vice president for student affairs, said the suggestions and feedback collected during the neighborhood visit would be helpful as the Office of Student Affairs refines its services and programs related to off-campus students.

"We are interested in hearing from students about what they think would be of most benefit to them in creating a safe and pleasant community off campus. These conversations between student residents and faculty are a great step, and I applaud USG for initiating the idea and the faculty for participating," Hall said.

While Invest Yourself! was a one-time event, Pauline is hoping the next USG administration continues with community-building events, and maintains dialogue with faculty, whom he hopes will be inspired to invest more time into the off-campus area after some of their neighborhood conversations from May 18.

"We need to open up, to start looking out for each other and realizing the potential our community has to really impact the university, the city, and even the state of Ohio," he said. "The scope is much broader than just a few off-campus streets."

And what did the students think of the effort?

"I'm impressed that the president of Ohio State made a personal visit to learn about our concerns and hear our ideas," Dobina said. "It's a privilege to feel that I have that much influence, and I hope others will remember that power and act with pride and responsibility in all situations. After you've met the president, you don't want to disappoint her."

Holbrook, Ray announce plan for Arts and Sciences

President Karen Holbrook and Provost Ed Ray announced at the University Senate meeting May 8 that they had issued a white paper that calls for a new federation of the five colleges of the arts and sciences. The paper sets forth the background, discusses the rationale and goals for the federation, delineates roles and responsibilities for the executive dean and the college deans, and outlines financial arrangements.

After more than a year of planning and deliberation, with arguments from all perspectives presented and considered, Holbrook and Ray said they believe a Federation of the Colleges of Arts and Sciences with a newly defined executive dean position is needed, and determined that the timing was appropriate to establish the effort to help streamline, add efficiencies, and reduce duplication. Michael Hogan, dean of humanities, will be named executive dean; a search for an interim dean of the College of Humanities will begin soon.

"Within the arts and sciences, working together in a coordinated, consolidated way on programmatic issues will help us move forward more easily," Holbrook said. "Creating the Federation of the Colleges of Arts and Sciences is an opportunity for the faculty to use their talent, expertise and broad networks to be creative and innovative, and to use this basic plan to help make the arts and sciences a central and pivotal element of the academic excellence and advancement of The Ohio State University."

To review the white paper, visit http://oaa.ohiostate.edu/Reports/A&S%20White%20Paper/Cover%20Page.html.

Construction growing pains paying off

Courtesy of Franklin County Engineers With workers on the job 24/7, the Lane Avenue Bridge, above, will open in November -- five months earlier than anticipated.

Lane Avenue Bridge to open early; lower costs result in 250 additional parking spaces

By RANDY GAMMAGE, onCAMPUS staff

Traffic and parking continues to be a major issue as an unprecedented wave of construction projects sweep over Ohio State's main campus.

The good news is that by late 2003 and early 2004, the fruits of that work will be blossoming throughout campus in the form of new garages, improved roads, safer bridges and new, modern buildings.

For example, in November one of the major gateways to campus will be open once again when a modern six-lane, cable-stayed bridge spanning the Olentangy River is completed. Originally, the new bridge was expected to open in April 2004. It will connect to an improved Lane Avenue -- which will be widened to five lanes in sections starting this summer from the river east to Tuttle Park Place, Neil Avenue and eventually to High Street. Traffic on Lane east of the bridge will be maintained throughout construction work.

"The access to and from campus will be significantly improved once these projects are complete, and we're going to have more central parking than we've had over the past two years," said Sarah Blouch, director of Transportation and Parking Services.

While parking will be tight in 2003, relief is on the way for 2004. A 975-space garage -- currently being built in front of Rhodes Hall and next to the new Ross Heart Hospital -- is expected to open in June 2004. A Neil Avenue garage will follow in December 2004. Blouch said the scope of the Neil Avenue garage, to be located west of Campbell Hall and north of the 12th Avenue garage, expanded when construction bids came in lower than expected, which allowed for two additional floors to be added.

"The garage was designed for 650 spaces, but the project has enlarged to approximately 900 spaces," Blouch said. "The downfall to that is that it delays opening by a couple of months, but we feel that it is well worth the wait."

Blouch is part of a Construction Awareness Committee, comprised of representatives from many departments, offices and organizations on campus, along with representatives from the city of Columbus. The group meets monthly to study how campus-area construction will affect traffic, parking and pedestrian traffic, and map out strategies for easing traffic flow and minimizing parking congestion.

While relief is in sight, Blouch said she and other campus planners are bracing for one of the worst years on campus, in terms of traffic and parking concerns, with limited options.

"Motorists must be aware that they need to allow extra time to navigate the campus because of traffic congestion and detours," Blouch said. "It will also be helpful if everyone will obey posted speed limits and watch out for pedestrians -- who are also having to navigate detours as construction occurs."

Blouch suggests that faculty and staff having a difficult time finding central campus parking use the Ohio Union and Tuttle parking garages, both averaging 200-300 empty spaces at any given time, or park in the Buckeye lot (Ackerman Road and Fred Taylor Drive) and ride the shuttle.

Traffic congestion will continue along Woody Hayes Drive, Cannon Drive, Ninth Avenue and 12th Avenue as construction projects proceed and detours are implemented or continued. Parking congestion will remain a problem in the Medical Center area and will increase slightly on the north side of campus as the Lane Avenue widening begins in June, Blouch said.

As for traffic, the preferred route to and from campus is state Route 315, Blouch said. Until the Lane Avenue Bridge opens, visitors are encouraged to use Lane Avenue to Fyffe to Woody Hayes Drive if they need to access the central campus area.

Additionally, faculty, staff and students should be aware of the South Campus Gateway project utility work taking place now through November, which impacts the southeast area of campus. This development includes the construction of 540,000 square feet of retail, residential and office space in four buildings, as well as a five-story, 1,200-car parking garage to be built on approximately seven acres located at High Street and 11th Avenue.

The Gateway project includes the burial of utility lines and the widening and reconstruction of High Street, and at times will involve the temporary closing of several area streets, said Tim Swauger, City of Columbus Traffic and Engineering Department.

Now through August, High Street is restricted to one lane in each direction from 12th Avenue south to Ninth. West 11th Avenue is closed from High Street to Wall Alley until June 10, and East 11th Avenue is closed from High Street to east of the existing Pearl Street until Aug. 28.

If High Street is the normal route taken coming from the south, begin to use Neil Avenue instead to avoid the construction, Blouch said; approaches from the east should use High Street to Woody Hayes Drive.

Other projects currently underway that are scheduled to be completed this year include:

• Graduate and professional housing located on Neil Avenue between West Ninth and 10th avenues, which will provide housing for 500 graduate, professional and undergraduate students when it opens this autumn.

• The Knowlton School of Architecture building, at the corner of Woodruff Avenue and Tuttle Park Place, is expected to be completed in December.

• Aronoff Laboratory (formerly Life Sciences Research Building), located between the Botany and Zoology Building and the 12th Avenue parking garage, is expected to be completed this month.

For general up-to-date information regarding parking, bus services, or traffic issues, contact Transportation and Parking at 292-9341, tpinfo@osu.edu or visit www.tp.ohio-state.edu. For updates on construction projects, visit an interactive map that tracks construction projects at http://map.physfac.ohio-state.edu/ and click on the Construction Awareness button. To view a new campus construction video, visit www.osu.edu/dosomethinggreat/construction.