Carter asks university to prepare to pivot toward future of higher education

Carter asks university to prepare to pivot toward future of higher education

Ohio State president delivers 2025 Patterson Lecture

At 1,100 feet long, a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier is larger than the Empire State building and displaces more than 100,000 tons of water. Yet, when absolutely needed, the carrier can pivot 180 degrees in the ocean in less than 5 minutes.

Ohio State President Walter "Ted" Carter Jr. used that metaphor to encourage the campus community to engage in a similar pivot as higher education continues to face headwinds.

"I know driving an aircraft carrier isn't the same as running The Ohio State University. I get that. But we're at a moment in time where maybe we need to be thinking about how do we take our assets, our capabilities, and make this pivot?" Carter asked. "And time matters. … When I think about today, where is higher ed going to go? How are we going to convince the American public that we get it? And does the concept of what a land-grant university is, our roots, the thing we care about a lot, does that help us define what the future is?"

Carter, the university's 17th president, spoke today to university leaders, students, faculty and staff at the 2025 James F. Patterson Land-Grant University Lecture.

The annual event honors former Board of Trustees member Jim Patterson and his commitment to "a vibrant university fulfilling its land-grant mission in an ever-changing world." The lecture historically focuses on challenges facing land-grant institutions and the role of those universities in offering solutions.

Carter said three core principles underpin the university's strategic plan, Education for Citizenship 2035, that will guide how the university can define the future of higher education at Ohio State and serve as a model for the nation.

First, once the plan is finalized, the university must follow through. Second, the university community must remember Ohio State is a public institution and accountable to state and federal law. And finally, he said, Ohio State must change what it means to have opportunity.

"We still have to have that part of our mission, where we have opportunity. Opportunity for all walks of life. Everyone, welcome to the campus, to the Oval," he said. "We are the experiential academic institution for the United States."

He said that means focusing on scholarship programs, affordability, accessibility and the university's regional campuses that can serve as the backbone of helping more Ohioans get their diploma.

Carter said the university will work to expand opportunities in life-changing and lifesaving research. Part of that includes finding ways to incentivize more students, including U.S.-born students, to pursue PhD programs.

"We also have to increase the opportunity for Ohioans because we are the state's flagship," he said. "Our Extension is a model for how to do that. But how do we expand that to do other things that are extension-like with health care, with helping teachers, with helping communities?"

Expanding health care access is another area of opportunity. Carter pointed to the new Wexner Medical Center inpatient tower, which will present an opportunity to take care of more Ohioans.

Finally, he pointed to the university's sound financial footing as an opportunity to continue to invest in Ohio State.

"When I say invest in ourselves, I'm talking about increasing the talent of our faculty. And thinking of new ways of giving our students all the tools they're going to need," he said. "Imagine in five years, every student that graduates from Ohio State will be fluent in two languages, English and artificial intelligence."

Carter said the future is here and the university must be ready.

"The pivot is on the horizon. I am proud to be working with all of you to be your president, to be part of this future as we go forward and redefine not only the future of education, but what a land-grant university has been, is, and will be going in the future."

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