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Gee's first weeks on campus

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  October 4, 2007

  Faculty Council speech: "It Is About Time... and Change"

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  October 1, 2007

  onCampus interview: "I have never been part of an institution where there is a more spirited group of people."

• 

  September 17, 2007

  Convocation: "You are what brought me home."

As students moved into residence halls last month, they met roommates, resident advisors--and, many of them, the incoming university president.

E. Gordon Gee wasn't yet officially Ohio State's president--he takes on that role this week--but he didn't want to waste any time in getting to know the new group of students. So he put on a Block O baseball cap, grabbed a basket of custom-ordered bow tie cookies, and hit campus.

“I have never been at an institution where there is a more spirited group of people,” he says. “I think it is very important in a very large institution to personalize it as much as possible, and that personalization starts with me.”

Gee built up plenty of goodwill in the 1990's, when he was Ohio State's 11th president; he was particularly popular among students.

“I think there is a little bit of an urban legend around me from when I was here from ’90 to ’97,” he says. “People ask me about a lot of these stories. 'Did you really sleep over night in the residence hall. Did you really pop up in classes and meet with students?' And the answer is yes, I did all those things, the answer is that I have done those for years, and the answer is yes, I will continue to do that.”

“The university has moved from good to excellent. We are ready for the next step: the stride from excellent to eminent, the leap from visible to visionary. ”
— President Gee

Since the July announcement that Gee would be Ohio State's 14th president, the excitement around town has been palpable. Alumni across the nation have sent the university congratulatory e-mails. Newspapers and magazines have heralded his return. Students have buzzed about Gee online. A Columbus seamstress has even created a bow tie yard flag in Gee's honor.

“The opportunity to reconnect with the students, faculty, and staff has been something that I have really enjoyed,” Gee says. “The reaction has been wonderfully affirming.”

Now that he's officially president, Gee says, it's time to get down to business.

Three days into his presidency, he outlined his six goals for the university in a speech to Faculty Council.

“The university has moved from good to excellent,” he told faculty members. “We are ready for the next step: the stride from excellent to eminent, the leap from visible to visionary.”

When Ohio State takes that step, Gee expects it will influence universities around the nation.

“You have the unique opportunity in this kind of an environment to think creatively about the future of the American university, not just Ohio State,” he says. “This is the largest academic platform in the country, and I think if we can do things well and do them right that we will have an opportunity to take a leadership role, and not simply be a great university but also be a great leadership institution.”

(text/video: University Marketing Communications)

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