OSU gains affordability, excellence with no trade- offs

challenging as many variables must be addressed. At a minimum, you have to attract and retain top faculty, create avenues for a broad base of students to access the university, provide substantial financial aid to students, foster student retention and create faster paths to graduation, generate significant new private sources of revenue, enhance operational efficiencies to reduce costs and provide faculty with the resources and training necessary to continually enhance their pedagogical skills in a rapidly changing world.

Ohio State is doing all of this and more — and the results are remarkable.

All of Dr. Drake’s goals are being achieved and exceeded. Here is just a sampling of results. New private funding is providing for hiring of top faculty. Ohio State’s Columbus and regional campuses along with creative articulation programs with community colleges are providing pathways for all qualified students in Ohio to gain a top-quality post-secondary education.

Besides instituting a tuition guarantee and eliminating many fees, Ohio State has committed $100 million in additional aid since 2015, with 32,000 Ohio undergraduate students expected to benefit. This commitment includes covering any gap in tuition costs for Ohio students who qualify for Pell grants. Ohio State is ranked first among flagship universities in the United States for control of in-state tuition costs in the past decade. It is fourth for out-of-state costs. A 25 percent summer tuition discount saved students $9.2 million compared with fall and spring semesters and, simultaneously, provided increased opportunity to shorten their paths to graduation.

An increased focus on completion grants — funds that go to students who are very close to graduating but unable to register due a financial hold on their records — helped 160 students last year, up from seven just a few years ago. These grants were relatively small (about $1,000 each), but can you imagine the tremendous impact for those so close to crossing the finish line and becoming Buckeye graduates? More is on the way, including waiving additional costs for students taking heavy academic work loads and piloting a program for digital textbooks that would save students up to 80 percent on their course materials.

At the same time, significant new private revenues have been generated for scholarships and faculty programs. Since Dr. Drake arrived, annual total philanthropic support has increased at an average 14 percent annual rate, providing more than $ 400 million in additional cumulative support versus the previous baseline, reaching $602 million last year.

Creative partnerships like the Comprehensive Energy Management Project, the Digital Flagship initiative in collaboration with Apple, and the Nike partnership have generated more than $1 billion in new revenue and hundreds of internships and other important educational opportunities for students. Operational cost savings now total over $110 million, providing for many new scholarships and learningtechnology support.

Ohio State has established a novel University Institute for Teaching and Learning to provide pedagogical training for faculty. Ohio State is using its scale as a strategic platform to increase interdisciplinary teaching and research opportunities, and to enhance affordability and learning opportunities for students.

Under Drake’s skillful leadership, Ohio State has created and continues to enhance a new model for public universities — one that provides access, affordability and excellence with no trade-offs. This is a benefit to all Ohioans who are engaged with the university in some manner or provide support through their tax payments.

For transparency, I am a proud alumnus, former trustee and current member of the university’s Foundation Board. But facts are facts, and Dr. Drake and Ohio State deserve an A+ for vision and delivery.