Dear Ohio State students:The skies outside my office today are filled with gray clouds and there is a good chance that we will have snow before the end of the day. Here in mid-winter Maryland, we are immersed in spring semester. The campus is busy, and spirits are high. In just a few weeks, we will be seeing the first spring flowers. By just about every measure – the education of our students, research and scholarship that advance the body of knowledge, outreach to government and business with the expertise of services of a talented faculty – the university is ready for another period of growth and renewal.Through my recent visits to Columbus, I know that much the same can be said about Ohio State – where the pace of activity is swift and the opportunities to build on the impressive base of excellence are virtually unlimited.When I was first contacted about becoming president of The Ohio State University, I was not looking for another job. But as I learned more about Ohio State, the idea of becoming part of your community – of working to improve the student experience and build distinguished programs that are known for their excellence around the world – became increasingly attractive.When my wife Patty and I first came to campus, we were captivated by the spirit that surrounds Ohio State. We were invigorated by what we saw in your classrooms and research laboratories. We were captured by your warm welcome – and by your enthusiasm for learning.As Patty and I were considering a move to Columbus, I happened to read an article in the New Yorker entitled “The Next University.” Suggesting that higher education today is not responding to the needs of students and their families, the author predicts that the 21st century will usher in a new kind of university.In this vision of the “next university” there will be no permanent faculty, just a group of professionals, otherwise employed, who are hired for five to six weeks at a time to instruct one or two night courses. It will deliver many of its courses via the computer, so, as the author notes, many students will be able to “earn a degree without ever mingling with other students or even meeting a professor.” And it will have no homecomings – because with rented classrooms in local office buildings, there will be no place to come home to.To be sure, our colleges and universities must be aggressive in tapping innovative learning technologies and developing new administrative structures, but the “next university” as described in the article is NOT my vision of higher education’s future. In fact, after just a few days on Ohio State’s campus, I can’t imagine how anyone could embrace this future vision.What has drawn me to this remarkable university is the spirit of the students, faculty and staff, alumni and trustees who are enthusiastic about learning – and excited by discovery. It is a collective sense that Ohio State’s best days lie ahead.What guides me as I anticipate coming to Ohio State is a commitment to provide a high quality education to outstanding students, and to improve students’ experiences both inside and outside the classroom. It is a desire to enhance the university’s academic standing through anJ uncompromising pursuit of excellence, and to ensure that the university reflects the diversity of the state whose citizens it is honored to serve. It is a determination to reach out to the larger society by using the university’s expertise and resources to create jobs and make a positive difference in people’s lives.In closing, I have a request and a promise. First, I ask you to join with me, and with thousands of others, in making a great university even better. Sometimes, it will be a challenge. At other times, it will be exhilarating. It will never be easy. But together, we can all experience the excitement of moving Ohio State to the highest level of excellence.And my promise is to work every day to make The Ohio State University more responsive to the needs of students, and to help you – and the generations of students who will follow you – remember why there is so much pride for you – and for me – in being a Buckeye.

Sincerely yours, William E. Kirwan, president- designate