Sitting in his new office in Cutler Hall, Ohio University President Duane Nellis spoke of his dedication to communication and cooperation.
On Monday — a week since his first day in office — local media had a chance to meet with Nellis.
“I sensed, coming in as a new president, that people are really anxious to be engaged,” Nellis said. “I want to be very visible on campus and our extended network.”
The president will work on this pledge when he travels to OU’s Zanesville campus Wednesday, where he is scheduled to meet with faculty and students.
While it is early into his presidency, Nellis has high hopes for his tenure and sees the advancement of the university as a collaborative effort.
“My goal in coming in is to take a university that’s, in my opinion, been one of distinction, and figure out ways … to take us to higher levels of national excellence,” Nellis said.“How we define that, and how we get there, I want to engage the campus community … and Athens and beyond.”
Nellis declined to go into more details regarding his plans as president, citing a desire to reach out to more of the OU community.
“As soon as I start saying, ‘I think we should do x, y and z,’ people will be reluctant to be open with me about what they think,” Nellis said.
Nellis spoke of the challenges of leading a university in politically divisive times, calling it “challenging” and an opportunity.
“I believe in recognizing that we are going to have differences in opinion,” Nellis said. “We can even be arguing about what we don’t agree on, but, hopefully, in the end, when decisions are made, we can respect each other. Our country has lost some of that.”
Despite tense societal times, Nellis reiterated his desire to create an inclusive campus.
“We want to have an environment where everyone feels safe and that they can express themselves in a fair and open, civil way,” Nellis said. “We all need to work on that.”
Nellis also spoke about how, in his previous university positions, he introduced grants for course modifications that included multicultural dimensions.
“I’m a much better person today because of the experiences I’ve had interacting with international students,” Nellis said while alluding to his time working with students in southern Africa.
