Ohio State hopes to enhance its academic reputation over the next three to five years by hiring at least 12 new world-class faculty.This is one of the strategies of the new Academic Plan; a plan OSU hopes will make the university one of the top educational institutions in the country.In 1998, the Ohio State University Research Commission found that OSU has fewer faculty who have attained the highest honors when compared to its peer institutions, which are: Arizona State University, University of Texas, University of Illinois , University of Michigan, Minnesota State University, Penn State University, Texas , Washington State University, University of Wisconsin and UCLA.As far as the qualities OSU is seeking in new faculty, said Keith Alley, senior associate vice president for research at OSU, “I think mainly what it would be is a faculty member who has been recognized for their contributions to scholarship and education in a national or international way. Some of the people, for instance, in the sciences that are in; the National Academy of Science, National Academy of Engineering, or people in the arts that are members of the Academy of Arts and Sciences. Things like that, which are widely recognized as awards that are meaningful for scholarship and education.”Alley said all of OSU’s colleges and schools have until Feb.1 to nominate individuals they feel are extremely high-quality educators who would enhance the university. This is the first step in identifying potential faculty he said.Another part of the plan is to recruit eminent faculty who will cover all of the different units of the campus. Based on studies done a few years ago, there are certain colleges on campus that have fewer faculty member than OSU’s peer institutions, particularly engineering and medicine, Alley said.”Those are clearly two areas that are important to the overall success of the institution,” Alley said. “It is a campus-wide program and people that have attained high credentials in the arts or humanities are clearly people we would like to be able to attract to Ohio State also.”Once suitable candidates are identified, the next step would be trying to get them to come to OSU.”I think the thing that draws any faculty member, whether it be a new faculty member or one that is well-established, is an opportunity to do their work in a way that they think will really make a difference,” Alley said.Working with well-recognized faculty that are already here, working in well-maintained laboratories and buildings, and the ability to work with both undergraduate and graduate students are also important in attracting faculty, Alley said.The estimated cost in hiring new faculty over the next five years is $32.1 million. This money will go toward salaries, benefits and a plan to match the average faculty salaries at the peer institutions.OSU feels academic excellence has to start with high-quality faculty. Alley said that this is not something that is going to be easy.He said the top 25 to 30 universities in the country are all trying to enhance their faculty, and everybody is competing for the same kind of people. It’s all an effort to provide students with greater opportunities.”I think we’re hopeful, the president is hopeful and certainly the people in the office of research are hopeful, that we have something to offer that people would feel comfortable with and would make them want to come to Ohio State,” Alley said.