The 2015-2016 academic year included OU President Roderick McDavis announcing his retirement and Steve Patterson taking over as mayor of Athens.
The 2015-2016 academic year is in the books for Ohio University, during which OU President Roderick McDavis announced he will be stepping down, Steve Patterson took over as mayor of Athens and the university got a new vice president for Student Affairs.
OU President Roderick McDavis
On March 10, OU President Roderick McDavis announced he will step down when his contract expires in June 2017, according to a previous Post report.
McDavis started his presidency at his alma mater in July 2004. He is the second alumnus and first African-American president of the university.
Survivor Advocacy Program
The Survivor Advocacy Program will reopen Fall Semester. It was previously known as the OU Survivor Advocacy Program and closed in November.
The program will move to OU’s Division of Student Affairs, according to a previous Post report.
Other changes to the program include:
Hiring two full-time licensed individuals for the program, including a survivor advocate and a director
Setting up an after-hours hotline with trained professionals
Moving student advocates, who worked with the program's director before, to work with the sexual assault prevention educator
Shortening the program's name from OUSAP to simply SAP
In November, OUSAP was shut down after the program coordinator position remained unfilled. The program’s coordinator, Delaney Anderson, who was a non-mandated reporter, left OU on Oct. 16.
New Vice President for Student Affairs
Jason Pina was named the new vice president for Student Affairs. Previously, Pina served as an administrator at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts, according to a previous Post report.
Former vice president for Student Affairs Ryan Lombardi left OU on July 3, 2015 after accepting a job as vice president for Student and Campus Life at Cornell University. Following Lombardi’s departure, Dean of Students Jenny Hall-Jones was named interim vice president for Student Affairs. July 1, 2015 was her first day in that position.
UNITE Wins Election
In this year’s Student Senate elections, UNITE won all but two of the 39 total seats in the election when the results were announced March 30. Hannah Clouser, a rising senior studying actuarial science, was elected president. Courteney Muhl, a rising senior studying health services administration, was elected vice president and Steve Lichtenfels, a rising senior studying accounting was elected treasurer.
#1 Party School
OU was named Playboy’s top party school for 2015.
The magazine cited the Athens Halloween Block Party, the 18 bars on Court Street and the series of springtime fests as reasoning for the highest ranking, according to a previous Post report.
New Mayor and Athens City Council Members
Steve Patterson was sworn in as the 43rd mayor of Athens on Dec. 21. He ran unopposed for the position of mayor and previously served on Athens City Council. Paul Wiehl served as mayor from 2007 to 2015.
Peter Kotses and Pat McGee were elected and Jennifer Cochran was re-elected to Athens City Council in the Nov. 3 election.
Sexual Predator
On Jan. 28, it was revealed during an Athens Police Department news conference that DNA evidence had linked three separate sexual assaults.
According to Chief Tom Pyle, APD received results from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation that linked a Dec. 12 sexual assault to two others, one in June 2015 and the other in June 2006.
On April 6, a phenotype report made from DNA evidence collected from three separate cases dating back to June 2006.
Airbnb
Athens City Council began regulating Airbnbs in Athens last year, according to a previous Post report.
At an Oct. 12 City Council meeting, council members aired their concerns about Airbnb as members views the travel website Airbnb problematic since its users do not have to follow safety regulations, according to a previous Post report.
Airbnb is a website and app that allows its users to find places to stay or to host a room for other users to stay in when visiting an area.
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City Pool
The City of Athens may, at some point, have a new city pool.
At the March 21 City Council meeting, an ordinance was unanimously approved authorizing the use of $500,000 for design and engineering of the planned city pool.
Currently, the Athens city pool is located at 701 E. State St.
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