The Ohio Legislature drew mixed reviews when they expanded the number of voting members on Ohio State’s board of trustees from nine to 15, last week. Governor Bob Taft appeared indifferent, President Karen A. Holbrook and some business leaders endorsed the proposal, and one democratic member of the legislature called it a “continuation of Ohio Republicans’ ‘pay-to-play’ scheme.”

“Membership on the OSU board is the most coveted board appointment the governor makes,” said David Payne, director of boards and commissions in the governor’s office. 

The state budget bill, passed on June 21, contained an amendment sponsored by state Senator David Goodman (R-Bexley) that gave the governor six more trustee appointments.

Three trustees will be added in 2005 with staggered terms ending in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Three additional members will be appointed in 2006 with the terms ending in 2012, 2013 and 2014.

In addition, a new member will join the board in July replacing Tami Longaberger, president of the Longaberger Company, whose term expired last month.

“The governor makes appointments to more than 200 boards and commissions, some of which pay over six figures per year. There is no compensation for serving on OSU’s board,” Payne said.

Goodman said he sponsored the amendment at the request of the Columbus Partnership, a 3-year-old group of business leaders dedicated to civic improvement. “OSU is our largest university with a lot of responsibility,” Goodman said. “Board membership is an honor and a liability. It’s not all fun and games.”

Limited Brands’ Les Wexner is the leader of the Columbus Partnership. His public and media relations staff did not return several phone calls left by The Lantern seeking comment on the expansion plans.

“The decision to expand our board is recognition by state policy makers that Ohio State is a uniquely large and complex university requiring a governance structure that fully meets its needs,” said Elizabeth Conlisk, OSU spokeswoman. “Similarly dedicated board members will enhance our governing resources and bring broad expertise and perspective.”

The governor, however, did not endorse the board expansion proposal saying only that he would not veto it, said Mark Rickel, the governor’s spokesman.

In responding to phone and e-mailed questions about why the Columbus Partnership had an interest in the OSU board of trustees, Executive Director Bob Milbourne said in an e-mail that due to the growing reliance on private funding and dwindling state support for public universities, a larger board would assist in raising the necessary funds for a growing and complicated institution.

“OSU is a massive organization, and as varied as any large corporation in Ohio. Expertise in health care, medicine, hospitals, finance, real estate, management, human resources, technology transfer, public-private partnerships, federal funding and a host of other areas would certainly benefit the institution. A larger board would permit OSU to recognize the importance of these issues and find a governance model that fits,” he said.

At least one legislator vehemently opposes the plan.

“The administration abuses the system by using the OSU Board of Trustees as a fundraising tool,” said state Senator Marc Dann (D-Youngstown). The board is “too important to play politics with.”

Dann said the amendment was “slipped into” the budget bill rather than presented alone when there could be testimony and debate regarding its merits.

“Nobody’s made the case to me as to why the board should be increased,” he said.

“In this pay-to-play environment, the situation at Workers’ Comp makes me cynical. (The governor) would do anything to raise campaign contributions, including adding to the number of contributors he can place on OSU’s prestigious board,” he said.

Richard Novak, vice president for public programs at the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges recommended 12-15 members on public boards.

In addition to the nine voting members on OSU’s board, there are two non-voting student members representing undergraduate and graduate students respectively.

Larger boards allow an institution to spread the responsibility around, expand the number of committees and alleviate the burden on individual board members, Novak said.

The largest university board is at Penn State University with 32 members, Novak said. All other Ohio universities have nine voting board members with two non-voting student members, Payne said. The University of Michigan has eight voting members according to their Web site.