A message from Reimagining the Academic Enterprise Co-Chairs Jason Pina, Elizabeth Sayrs, Joe Shields, Hugh Sherman, and Brad Cohen

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Reimagining OHIO Day of Engagement on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019. 

It was an exciting day with hundreds of students, faculty, staff, and community members participating in person and online.

We were heartened by many in-person “table-top” discussions that lead to deeper understanding of the challenges facing OHIO, and the opportunities presented by the commitment expressed by all for our students and the positive impact our university makes in our communities. 

As we move to connect our campuses through the One OHIO Integration strategic initiative, it was particularly exciting to see the interactions that occurred in our online activities, demonstrating that we can connect intellectually and interpersonally across the geographic miles that separate our communities.

A preliminary observation: the message that came through, loud and clear, is that at Ohio University, helping our students thrive must remain our first priority. How we do that is our ongoing focus. We also heard the need for more opportunities for genuine and open discussions. 

We are planning additional engagement events across our campuses and online to bring even more people into this important conversation. As a leadership team, we are committed to increasing dialogue that leads to action as we plan the future strategic direction of Ohio University.

After the Thanksgiving holiday break, we will begin to reflect back to our communities the input we’ve received as we engage in an iterative process to answer questions, incorporate feedback, distill best ideas, and discern the pathway forward.