Faculty and staff at Ohio University gathered Monday to discuss the university updates. President Lori Stewart Gonzalez opened the meeting, welcoming everyone.
Executive director of government relations Eric Burchard discussed his team’s work to identify the institution’s advocacy priorities, craft messaging and manage the implementation strategy.
Having an executive director of government relations for the university is important, according to Burchard.
“Just about every aspect of the university’s operations are directly or indirectly controlled by state and federal laws, regulations and policies,” Burchard said.
Burchard said his office constantly works to ensure the university’s voice is heard during important policy and funding consultations, especially with so much at stake in Columbus and Washington, D.C.
“I work to proactively raise the institution’s profile so that key decision makers know the value of the university and the many ways it benefits the region and state,” Burchard said.
According to Burchard, the university’s facilities, real estate, airport and government relations team helped the university receive the funds to renovate the OU airport hangar. Burchard discussed how this would positively affect the school and the Athens region.
“The hangar renovation will help enhance the airport’s commercial capabilities and support increased regional economic impact,” Burchard said. “OU was one of only two public, four-year universities to receive this one-time state funding.”
Burchard said his colleague’s efforts helped to position the university for success at the State House and in Washington, D.C., and these intiatives are always a team effort.
Next to speak was Interim Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion Russell Morrow
Morrow said OU has received the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award for the seventh year in a row.
“When we hold the door open for all who want to have what we offer, we’re doing diversity and inclusion work,” Morrow said. “When we teach students who want to solve humanity’s most urgent challenges. We are doing diversity and inclusion work.”
The first priority lies in inclusion and connection efforts, enhancing the sense of belonging for diverse communities, according to Morrow, and the second priority is intercultural experiences, both inside and outside the classrooms.
“Opportunities for our students to learn, engage, work, and discover,” Morrow said. “Learn, engage work, and discover across difference, expanding the involvement of our make respect visible work, and encouraging academic freedom and freedom of expression as a tool.”
Morrow also discussed supporting the faculty and staff with mentoring programs, grant funding and professional development. Morrow discussed the exciting new grants that are now available to support projects and programs.
According to Morrow, funding up to $5,000 per proposal will be awarded to support implementation in the spring semester.
“Please reach out, connect, collaborate, get involved. Take care of yourselves. Take care of each other, especially this week,” Morrow said.
Eric Powers, the chief of police at the Ohio University Police Department, talked about the department and its service to the campus, answering questions and sharing things listeners may not have known previously about the department.
“Our jurisdiction is not defined by affiliation; it’s defined by geography,” Powers said. “If the land you’re standing on state property that belongs to OU, anywhere in the state of Ohio, we have jurisdiction there.”
OUPD’s criminal investigators are less visible than patrol operations, and the team handles more complex investigations, Powers said. This team is also part of the regional Major Crimes Unit serving South Central Ohio.
“That is to kind of help support the notion of keeping drugs out of our campus before it ever gets here,” Powers said. “And so we’ve had some real success doing that.”
Powers said OUPD’s goal is to keep everyone safe, protect property and protect everyone’s constitutional rights.
Kathy Fahl, the dean of students, said members of the OU community don’t realize they need the Office of Dean of Students until they do, sharing the office’s work in supporting students in moments of crisis.
“We also help students navigate and advocate events in the complex university system, which can be pretty complicated for students, especially first-year students,” Fahl said.
Fahl emphasized the Office of the Dean of Students' work behind closed doors to support OU students, reiterating that they are a simple call away.
