The Board of Trustees approved a new textbook policy and an interim campus free speech policy Thursday. Credit: Lantern File Photo
Ohio State instituted a free speech policy and auto-adoption textbook policy during the Board of Trustees meeting Thursday.
The policies were among 36 items on their agenda, which also included increasing professional service and construction contracts, according to the meeting’s agenda. The board also approved new leadership of the Wexner Medical Center.
Textbook Auto-Adoption Policy
Another new policy approved by the Board is a textbook auto-adoption policy as a result of the Ohio General Assembly passing House Bill 110 in June 2021. This policy requires faculty to either post information about textbooks and materials before students register for a course or have the required materials from the previous offering of that course reposted automatically.
If the required materials for courses change, it is up to professors to inform their department, school or college leader.
The textbook auto-adoption policy will be implemented by the first day of registration for autumn 2023 classes.
Professional Services and Construction Contracts
Ohio State will enter into numerous professional service contracts — which are contracts involving trained professionals such as architects or engineers who provide services to the university — and increase other contracts in multiple projects, totaling $39.9 million.
According to the agenda, these projects include a new bus testing facility, roof replacement at Doan Hall, renovations at Celeste Lab, upgrades to the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system and interior in the Martha Morehouse Tower.
Ohio State’s health and medical construction projects include an emergency generator at Ohio State East Hospital, an emergency radio system in campus hospital buildings, construction at the Wexner Medical Center and construction at the Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Center.
Interim Campus Free Speech Policy
The Board of Trustees also approved a new interim campus free speech policy. This comes after Gov. Mike DeWine signed Ohio Senate Bill 40 into law in December 2020, requiring the Board of Trustees of Ohio universities that receive state funds to adopt a policy affirming the principles of free speech on campus.
According to the policy, Ohio State is committed to protecting free speech and promoting public discourse as a land grant institution. With this new policy, the university aims to “enrich” its campus environment and allow the “community members experience new ideas.”
“Although the university greatly values civility and mutual respect, concerns about civility and mutual respect shall never be used as a justification for closing off the discussion of ideas, however offensive, unwise, immoral, indecent, disagreeable, conservative, liberal, traditional, radical, or wrong-headed those ideas may be to some students or faculty,” the interim policy states.
As a part of the new policy, the university is also creating a process in which students, student groups and faculty can submit a complaint if an employee of the university has violated the interim policy. This includes any violation that affects a student’s grade on an assignment.
A complaint can be submitted to the Office of University Compliance and Integrity at [email protected]. Complaints can also be submitted anonymously via EthicsPoint.
New Leadership at Wexner Medical Center
Among the personnel items on the agenda, the Board of Trustees approved the appointment of Jay Anderson as interim co-leader of the Wexner Medical Center of Ohio State effective Sept.1. Anderson has served as the chief operating officer for the medical center since July 2021.
Anderson is replacing Mark Laramore, who is retiring after being the center’s CFO for seven years. Vince Tammaro will take over permanently as the center’s CFO. Tammaro comes to the Wexner Medical Center after most recently serving as executive vice president and CFO at Yale New Haven Health.
