Walter “Ted” Carter Jr. (left) and Hiroyuki Fujita (right) at the Ohio State Board of Trustees meeting Aug.22, 2023. The board held nine meetings from Tuesday to Thursday this month. Credit: Caleb Blake | Photo Editor
The Ohio State Board of Trustees held a series of nine meetings from Tuesday to Thursday, providing updates on the university’s expenses, major construction projects and accomplishments of the university and its faculty.
Wexner Medical Center Board Meeting: Tuesday
John J. Warner, CEO of the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and executive vice president of Ohio State, officially shared with the board that the Wolfe Foundation has made a $50 million philanthropic commitment in honor of the late John F. Wolfe to help fund a new inpatient hospital tower set to open in 2026.
Hiroyuki Fujita, Ohio State board chairperson, said Wolfe’s thoughtfulness and wise leadership have transformed lives, institutions and the city in lasting ways.
“With your most generous gift to the new inpatient tower, you are extending that impact even farther to millions of patients and their families for generations to come,” Fujita said.
Members of the Wolfe family including John Wolfe’s wife, Ann Wolfe, and daughters Sarah Wolfe Perrini, Rita Wolfe and Katie Wolfe Lloyd were in attendance at the meeting.
“I think John would be very happy that his name would be on a piece of the hospital and he would be proud,” Ann Wolfe said.
Warner gave an update on the State of Ohio Adversity and Resiliency study, which was launched in January by the Wexner Medical Center to examine the causes of declining mental health in Ohio.
“In just the first month since the study has launched, more than 6,100 Ohioans, representing 78 of Ohio’s 88 counties, completed the initial survey,” Warner said.
The James Cancer Hospital and the James Outpatient care facility received three 2023 Press Ganey human experience awards in recognition of excellence in patient experience for the eighth consecutive year. The Press Ganey Guardian of Excellence award recognizes the top 5% of healthcare facilities in the country for sustained patient experiences.
Leslie Wexner, chair of the Wexner Medical Center Board, said the medical center has undertaken $3 billion worth of construction and all construction is on time and budget, including the inpatient tower.
Talent, Compensation and Governance Committee: Wednesday
At the Talent, Compensation and Governance Committee, appointments of athletic director Ross Bjork; acting Dean of the Moritz College of Law Camille L. Hébert; interim men’s basketball coach Jake Diebler; and Senior Vice President of Talent, Culture and Human Resources Katie Hall were officially approved by the board.
Ohio State’s bylaws were modified to clarify that the provost will be the chief academic officer of the university. The previous title for the provost was chief operating officer.
“The critical role of being provost is appropriately focused on academic issues and we want to make that clear in our bylaws,” John Ziegler, vice chair of the board, said.
Legit, Audit, Risk & Compliance Committee: Wednesday
The committee reported the university has $14 billion in assets, excluding the Wexner Medical Health System and Ohio State Foundation. Operating expenses for the university total $3.8 billion and operating revenue is $2.7 billion.
Stacy Rastauskaus, vice president for the Office of Government Affairs, reported that university President Ted Carter Jr. had at least 58 engagements with public officials in January.
“We really appreciate his support and leadership and devoting time to make those connections,” Rastauskaus said.
Academic Affairs & Student Life Committee: Wednesday
Interim executive vice president and provost Karla Zadnik presented to the board, highlighting academic achievements and providing updates on enrollment.
Zadnik highlighted professors Dr. Krystof Bankiewicz and Michael Tweedle for being elected to the National Academy of Inventors, and professors Antonio Conejo and Umit Ozkan for being elected to the National Academy of Engineering.
Ohio State’s fully online programs have been recognized by the U.S. News & World Report as the best online programs, according to Zadnik.
Zadnik said this spring, enrollment across the university remains strong, with a 3% increase in regional campus enrollments since Spring 2023.
“I am pleased to share just a few highlights from the Office of Strategic Enrollment Management, which of course continues its work year-round, year in and year out to work hard to support our students, while simultaneously recruiting the next cohort of Buckeyes this year,” Zadnik said.
The freshman retention rate is strong, with 98.4% of freshmen returning this semester, according to Zadnik.
Zadnik said looking ahead to the coming autumn semester, applications, admitted students and paid acceptance fees are all up for the university.
Zadnik announced the university has decided to extend financial aid priority dates and commitment deadlines.
“These adjustments, I thought of them as just the right thing to do,” Zadnik said. “They give students and families the time to adequately consider their financial options before making their autumn 2024 enrollment decisions.”
Master Planning & Facilities Committee: Thursday
Jay Kasey, senior vice president of administration and planning, presented to the committee updates surrounding campus crimes.
Kasey said major on-campus crimes decreased by 23%, and off-campus crimes decreased by 37% compared to last year’s statistics.
“This has been an effort across the last three years, in which we have worked to go across High Street and north and south of campus to look at the crimes committed in our neighborhood,” Kasey said.
Traffic accidents with injuries were above target by 66.7%, with 20 traffic accidents with injuries reported since the beginning of fiscal year 2024.
Kasey said after a thorough review, they have not found any sort of hotspot on campus where these accidents are being reported, but they are continuing to monitor the problem.
The committee reported that there are 12 projects with an approved budget of over $20 million, collectively totaling over $3 billion, including the Waterman Multi-Species Animal Learning Center, the Wexner Medical Center inpatient hospital tower and renovations on Campbell Hall and Celeste lab.
Finance & Investment Committee: Thursday
Mike Papadakis, Ohio State’s chief financial officer, shared the financial scorecards for the university, stating in the first six months of fiscal year 2024, the university is projected to be positive $360 million, which is $64 million ahead of plan.
Papadakis said one of the university’s goals over the past few years has been diversifying sources of revenue, with the university now having 10 various revenue sources, with tuition and fees being the largest at $684.3 million.
Kristine Devine, deputy CFO for Ohio State, said 94.2% of first-years return for their second year, and the four-year graduation rate was 71.1%.
Vicent Tammaro, the CFO of Wexner Medical Center and vice president for health sciences, said since the beginning of the year, the center has seen revenue of $75.1 million minus expenses.
Michael Eicher, senior vice president for advancement, updated the committee on the university’s fundraising numbers.
Ohio State has raised $4.37 billion in fundraising from over 751,000 donors.
Eicher said the number of donors is approaching a new record for the university.
Research, Innovation & Strategic Partnership Committee: Thursday
The committee recognized and congratulated Pierre Agostini, professor emeritus of physics, for winning the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physics. Agostini and his research partner, Ohio State physics professor Louis DiMauro, explained their work to the committee via Zoom.
Peter Mohler, executive vice president for research, innovation and knowledge and vice president of research, said this year is a year for firsts at Ohio State.
“In summary, over the past, we’ll continue to move forward aggressively to ensure Ohio State remains a leader in the areas of science and impact the citizens of the state of the nation,” Mohler said.
Mohler said Ohio State is home to the first advanced spectrometer in the U.S., which was installed at Ohio State late last year.
Mohler announced an Ohio State medical startup — Basking Biosciences — started by Ohio State neurological professor Dr. Shahid Nimjee, has moved through phase one clinical studies and raised an additional $55 million for further research.
Mohler said the university will see the first group of participants in Techstars Columbus Powered by the Ohio State University. The program will provide new entrepreneurs with opportunities to engage in software innovation and development in Columbus.
Mohler reported the university set a new research expenditure record at $1.449 billion.
Full University Board of Trustees Meeting: Thursday
The full board met for the first time during Carter’s tenure. On the agenda for the meeting were items such as an amendment to the bylaws of the board, faculty personnel actions and naming approvals.
Before any approvals were made, Fujita welcomed Carter to his first public session of the Ohio State Board of Trustees.
“I have been impressed by the energy he brings to his work, his commitment to Ohio State’s mission of service and his dedication to running and leading at the same time,” Fujita said.
Carter said 53 days into the job, he is proud to say he is even more excited and humbled to be a Buckeye.
Carter discussed the importance of the university’s commitment to safety, free expression and civility, saying he was “impressed” by the university’s efforts to make the campus safe, while also mentioning the importance of freedom of speech at Ohio State.
“We want our campuses to be places where everybody is welcomed, feels like they belong and where everyone’s voices can be heard,” Carter said. “Free speech is an important part of that.”
Carter’s statement comes at a time when university free speech policies have been critiqued, according to the Associated Press. Three students at Ohio State face potential disciplinary action after protesting Carter speaking at an All Staff Wellness Event on Jan. 25, and a protest was held on Feb. 3 after the reinstatement of an Ohio State student organization, with members accusing the university of suspending the club because of its pro-Palestinian programming.
