OHIO Board of Trustees learn about the FY26 focus areas for year two of the Dynamic Strategy Plan during August meetings

The 花季传媒 Board of Trustees learned about the FY26 focus areas for year two of the Dynamic Strategy plan during meetings on Wednesday, Aug. 6, on the Athens campus.

Additionally, the Board approved a resolution to award the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters with Distinction in Scientific Exploration to alumnus Larry Connor for his remarkable contributions to scientific exploration, spaceflight, deep-sea research, aviation, and philanthropy. 

Additional highlights from the August 2025 Board of Trustees meetings include:

Dynamic Strategy Year Two Plan
The chairs of each of the Dynamic Strategy Executive Leadership Teams, Executive Vice President and Provost Donald Leo, Vice President for University Communications and Marketing Robin Oliver, Vice President of Research and Creative Activity Eric Muth and Vice President of Human Resources Mary Elizabeth Miles, presented on select activities planned for FY26 to move the Dynamic Strategy plan further forward into year two, as well as touched on accomplishments from year one.

Some of the focus areas include:

• Learn
  • Leo explained how they are building on the success from year one, with a focus on expanding the CTLA experiential learning certificate program, which includes 124 participants, with most of the participants being faculty members across all of OHIO鈥檚 campuses. The next steps involve exploring new opportunities to grow this initiative. He also explained how efforts continue with the student success data working group, particularly targeting improvements in first-to-second year retention, as well as how they are working on advancing their partnership with the John Gardner Institute to define a 鈥淭1 Institution,鈥� with experts from across the country scheduled to come in and begin discussions next week. Leo also noted that this year there is a strong emphasis on advancing industry-recognized and micro credential options that align with workforce goals. Additionally, he said how they will refine the strategic enrollment plan and review the state of doctoral programs in supporting research and scholarship.
• Discover
  • Muth explained how his office is supporting several key initiatives. In collaboration with the Provost鈥檚 Office, he is helping launch a comprehensive orientation program for new faculty, which includes sessions throughout the year to help them get started and stay engaged. He also shared how they are working to host focused symposiums, such as one on AI, encouraging faculty involvement. In partnership with the Russ College of Engineering and Technology, he spoke on how they are advancing OHIO aviation and working to discuss the future of the airport through 2035. Additionally, he shared how his office is supporting a Russ College of Engineering and Technology led effort by Dr. Jason Trembly in Carbon Materials, who secured a state grant to lay the groundwork for a Carbon Materials Hub in Southeast Ohio.  Muth also spoke on how in the next year he and his team will work to strengthen OHIO鈥檚 innovation ecosystem, actively shaping its future by building on existing strengths. He shared how they are also adopting a core personnel approach to enhance research infrastructure, ensuring state-of-the-art equipment is effectively tracked, maintained and accessible across campus to maximize its use.
• Engage
  • Oliver spoke on how they are currently focusing on refining their operational structure to better support community engagement and ensure that the pillar鈥檚 goals are effectively met. She shared how a workgroup will be formed in FY26 to explore non-credit-bearing programming that aligns with the state鈥檚 workforce needs, as well as how a pilot workforce analysis conducted at the Chillicothe campus in the spring is being refined and will serve as a model for future efforts. Oliver highlighted how they are also studying OHIO鈥檚 alumni mentorship program and will provide feedback on recommendations made for implementing this mentorship, especially for first- and second-year students.
• Work
  • Miles shared that a key focus has been discussions around salary and employee benefits, leading to the development of a total rewards statement. This statement, paired with a calculator, will provide a comprehensive view of the University鈥檚 total investment in employees, including salary, tuition, health, dental and other benefits. Additionally, she noted that there is an ongoing effort to evaluate and enhance wellness initiatives and that a dedicated committee of employees has been formed to identify gaps, ensure wise use of resources, and foster a sense of community by recognizing the multiple dimensions of well-being. Miles also shared how the recent Modern Think survey has helped gauge campus sentiment and that those results will be shared soon. Finally, she added how there is a focus on expanding professional development scholarships to further support staff growth.

Quasi-Endowment - Proctorville Fund for Scholarships and Training
The Board approved a resolution to establish one University quasi-endowment. At the April 2023 meeting, the 花季传媒 Board of Trustees declared the Proctorville Center Property to be surplus property. The property was subsequently sold for over $1.3 million, with the executive staff recommending using the sale proceeds to establish a quasi-endowment that would provide a perpetual income stream in support of several scholarships and grants to Proctorville area students and teachers.

Capital Projects 
The Board approved several new capital projects, including: 

• Marching 110 Practice Field- The Board approved a resolution for $2.97 million to develop the Marching 110 practice field, including putting in an artificial turf field, restroom facilities, a covered pavilion, director鈥檚 tower and field lighting. The Board has already approved $525,000 of this $3.5 million project that will be funded with gift funding.
• West Green Chilled Water Plant Upgrade 鈥� The Board approved a resolution to rebuild the existing cooling towers, installing new variable frequency drives (VFDs) to improve energy efficiency and control and replacing the unit substation to enhance electrical reliability and capacity at the West Green Chilled Water Plant to ensure continued delivery of chilled water service for campus cooling needs. The project will also replace Chiller 3 with a new 2,500-ton unit and ensure full integration with existing chilled water systems and campus infrastructure. This $5.3 million project will be funded with deferred maintenance century bond funding.
• Gordy Hall Envelope and Chilled Water Tie-in 鈥� The Board approved a resolution to replace the roof on the original (pre-1996) section of Gordy Hall, repairing surrounding parapet walls and replacing windows, addressing critical building infrastructure needs to extend facility life, improve energy efficiency and enhance occupant comfort. It also ties the building into the campus chilled water system and removes the failing rooftop chiller, improving system reliability and operational control through upgraded equipment and utility integration. This$4.5 million project will be funded with deferred maintenance century bond funding.
• Annual Campus Steam Repairs 2026 鈥� The Board approved a resolution to address campus steam distribution and tunnel improvements as identified through the annual tunnel assessment, prioritizing repairs that will be completed in coordination with the summer campus steam outage. This $1 million project will be funded with deferred maintenance century bond funding.

In other business, the Board also approved:

• The University鈥檚 submission of the Low Enrollment Course and Program and Duplicate Program Report as requested by the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE), enacted in 2015, per section 3345.35 of the Ohio Revised Code.
• The development of the American Civic Literacy plan.