Ohio State University President Walter "Ted" Carter Jr. set his vision for the next 10 years in a speech Wednesday, aiming to attract talented faculty, offer more affordable pathways to college for students and address the state's nurse and veterinarian shortage.
Carter delivered OSU's annual State of the University speech to outline his "Education for Citizenship 2035" 10-year plan. Ohio State already has a big year in 2025 ahead. The university introduced its AI fluency initiative this year and plans to open a new 26-story hospital tower in July.
Carter said Ohio State is doing all this while facing the same hardships as other universities.
"Ohio State is a different place. So when I add all that up, most schools right now — and we're not immune from all of this — are doing what I call playing defense," Carter said.
Carter is about 20 months into his presidency. During his tenure, he's had to deal with the state's overhaul of higher education causing cuts to diversity programs, majors and restrictions on how faculty can teach classes.
Carter remarks on free speech following Charlie Kirk assassination
Without naming Charlie Kirk, Carter started his speech calling the assassination of the conservative Turning Point USA founder last week at Utah Valley University "horrible."
Carter halted, repeating the word "pursuit" four times while talking about OSU's role in promoting civil discourse and academic freedom.
'We are an institution that's going to recommit to the principles of civil discourse, academic freedom, freedom of expression and the pursuit..... of diversified excellence. This is an important time for our nation," Carter said. "These principles cannot just exist. They must also get to the level at which we can lift ourselves up."
The university launched its Salmon P. Chase Center for Civics, Culture and Society this year, which in part will help facilitate conversations on divisive and polarizing topics.
Carter has faced scrutiny over his decisions on free speech while in office. This year, he banned chalking on campus sidewalks, blocking students from spreading political messages and advertising events.
Carter also took the helm amid tensions sparking nationwide protests at universities against Israel's actions in Gaza, which is increasingly being called a genocide.
Carter shut down a protest against Israel's war last year where Ohio State police arrested dozens of people. The ACLU sued Ohio State, accusing the university of violating a former student's civil rights on Wednesday after he was expelled for comments he made online about the war.
Carter told WOSU after the speech he knows because the shooting happened at a public university that many people are worried.
"Our security arm is very impressive. We're an open society, though, and it's really difficult. But yeah, we pay very special attention to those things," Carter said.
Carter's priorities leading to 2035 include affordability, new faculty and addressing nursing and veterinarian shortages
One of Carter's biggest announcements was three new scholarship programs, which includes the Buckeye Bridge partnership with Columbus State Community College earlier this week.
Carter called the first new program he announced "an attempt to attract the best students from the state of Ohio." The scholarship guarantees full tuition to Ohio students who achieve the highest possible ACT score of 36 or the highest SAT score of 1600.
The recipients would also receive a $5,000 research stipend.
Carter said this could include 400 to 500 students a year.
"I want them to pick Ohio State first," Carter said.
Carter said the second new program will allow transfer students who go to any of OSU's regional campuses and come from families with an adjusted gross income of less than $100,000 to get free tuition. Carter said these students have to study at a regional campus for one year and be in good academic standing before transferring and getting this scholarship to finish out their undergraduate degree.
Carter also turned his attention to two professions that he said Ohio is seeing a shortage of in recent years: nurses and veterinarians.
Carter said he wants to more than double the number of nurses going through OSU's program. He said program currently produces about 176 nurses a year.
Carter said the same of veterinarians, setting a goal to increase OSU's output of vets from 165 to 200.
"We have a veterinary shortage in this state, particularly when it deals with large animals, particularly in the rural areas," Carter said.
Carter said the university will find ways to encourage these students to stay in Ohio to work.
One of Carter's ideas he's already rolled out is the AI Fluency initiative. Carter said he's planning to push forward on that even more, hiring 100 new faculty to support the initiative.
Carter also said the university and private donors are investing $100 million to recruit and retain talented faculty at the university with what he calls "eminence."
"Twenty million of that have already been raised. And much of that money will be in there to retain some of our best faculty," Carter said.
Other initiatives Carter announced included creating a center to help students find paid internships and efforts to make OSU one of the best universities for veterans. Carter, a veteran himself, said OSU is already a top 25 university for veterans, but it can do better.
"We'll find them a path to a good-paying job. That's exactly what veterans are looking for, and we're looking for veterans to do things like become educators here in the state of Ohio," Carter said.
Lastly, Carter also announced the university will permanently add an academic winter recess. This will give faculty and staff a winter break from work.
