With the beginning of Fall Semester less than a week away, the Ohio University Board of Trustees assembled Tuesday at the Dublin campus, working through a day of meetings in preparation for a day-long retreat.
OU President Duane Nellis began the afternoon board meeting with his second presidential report. He took the opportunity to showcase the highlights of his busy summer, including a trip to the newly-opened OU observatory and numerous meetings with state and campus officials.
“You can just feel the energy returning to Athens and the campus. It’s an extraordinarily exciting time,” Nellis said. “It’s an amazing place, a place that’s truly engaged in very important ways and one of the finest public universities in the U.S.”
The topic of online education dominated much of the board’s meeting, with Senior Vice Provost for Instructional Innovation Bradley Cohen delivering a presentation on e-learning, which he predicts will “explode” in the coming years.
Online enrollment, Cohen explained, has steadily increased over the last six years. Based on an enrollment increase of 1,696 e-learning students from 2012-2016, the university predicts that by 2020, approximately 10,179 students will be enrolled in online courses. In 2016, e-learning students accounted for nearly 25 percent of the university’s total enrollment.
Relative to OU’s peer schools, however, Cohen said fewer students are “blending” online and in-person classes. Courses in nursing currently drive much of the online program, but Cohen hopes the university will diversify its online course offerings to draw in more students.
“We’re getting deeper and deeper into this business,” Cohen said. “We are way ahead of our peers in respect to the percent of our students who are enrolled online. This is a serious business for us. We’re in it.”
A few details about the new online learning strategy remain unknown. Considering that a majority of OU’s e-learning students are logging on from Ohio, for instance, Cohen questions whether online enrollment will increase for students outside Ohio. And in an increasingly competitive market, it is uncertain whether students will be willing to pay as much in the coming years.
With few resolutions on the agenda, the board approved design for a Seigfred Hall chilled water connection project, restroom upgrades for Bryan Hall, repairs to the exterior of OU-Lancaster’s Brasee Hall and a conversion for the space under Nelson Commons, known as “South Pole.” The space, which trustees called “too small and out of date,” will be transformed into a “hub for South Green,” complete with entertainment, study and office spaces for an estimated $1 million.
The meeting concluded with a special presentation for Interim Executive Vice President and Provost David Descutner, who the board recognized for his “distinguished” service to the university. Descutner served as interim president during the transition between former President Roderick McDavis and Nellis, who began his term in June.
“I’m deeply touched. I didn’t expect this,” Descutner said as board members rose for a standing ovation. “This really, really means a heck of a lot to me.”
