This is the sixth in a weekly series comparing Ohio University to the other five Mid-American Conference universities in Ohio.
Some Mid-American Conference schools in Ohio have designated housing for presidents off-campus. Ohio University is not one.
OU President Roderick McDavis and his wife, Deborah, currently live at 31 Coventry Lane after moving out of 29 Park Place, OU’s former presidential residence. Of the six MAC universities in Ohio, five have a designated house for their presidents to live in.
The six MAC universities in Ohio include OU, Miami University, Bowling Green State University, the University of Toledo, Kent State University and the University of Akron.
Unlike the other six presidents, Miami’s Gregory Crawford lives on campus. Lewis Place has been the residence for Miami’s presidents since 1904, and the university purchased the residence in 1929.
Most of the houses are about three miles away from the universities.
“I definitely think it’s important for (university presidents) to come on campus and engage with students,” Kelly Shockley, a sophomore studying communication studies, said.
The Ohio University Foundation entered into a $1.2 million lease-purchase agreement on March 19, 2015 for a new presidential residence for McDavis at 31 Coventry Lane, about 2.6 miles from Baker Center.
McDavis will step down as president when his contract expires June 30.
“The university is under contract at (31 Coventry Lane) until June 30, 2017,” OU Spokeswoman Anna Hartenbach said in email. “Any considerations beyond that timeframe would be speculative at the moment.”
The 31 Coventry Lane house is listed for sale at $975,000, according to realtor.com.
The decision for the McDavises to move from 29 Park Place occurred after a bat infestation caused Deborah to break her foot. About 100 faculty members opposed the move in a signed letter.
John Wharton, owner of the Coventry Lane property, verbally agreed with Director of Athletics Jim Schaus that as part of the lease-purchase agreement, he would pay the rest of the money he had pledged to the Walter Fieldhouse and donate an additional $100,000.
Stephen Golding, then-vice president for Finance and Administration, said on April 13, 2015 he wouldn’t ask OU’s Board of Trustees or the OU Foundation to buy the property. He said Wharton’s agreement created a “problematic” situation for the university.
Hannah Paris, a freshman studying business, said it would better if McDavis and other university presidents lived on campus for accessibility.
“The only time I’ve seen him was the Freshman Convocation,” Paris said.
From 1952 to 2015, seven OU presidents — including McDavis — were housed at 29 Park Place.
Henry O’Bleness built the home at 29 Park Place in 1899 for Clinton L. Poston, an Athens coal mine owner and business executive. OU purchased the property for $60,000 in 1951.
The University of Toledo Foundation identified a new house for their university presidents in 2015. The former house was also off campus, but it was closer to UT. The foundation closed on the house for $922,000.
The future of 29 Park Place is being determined.
During March’s Board of Trustees meeting, then-Chair Sandra Anderson said 29 Park Place will not be used for presidential housing in the future. The property, she said, will be “preserved, protected and upgraded” for use in the future.
In August’s board agenda, 29 Park Place was listed as a facility with “opportunities to expand student program needs.”
