The Ohio University Board of Trustees will meet this week to vote on the appointment of OU’s next president but will do so about 100 miles away from OU's main campus.
The trustees will meet at OU’s Dublin campus on Wednesday at 10 a.m. to vote on the next president. Duane Nellis is the final candidate in the presidential search. He serves as the university honors professor at Texas Tech University. He served as Texas Tech’s president from June 2013 to January 2016. Prior to that, he spent four years as president of the University of Idaho.
“The special Board of Trustees meeting on Feb. 22 will be held at our Dublin campus, as it is a central location for our Trustees,” OU Spokesperson Carly Leatherwood said in an email. “There are no Trustees in this part of the state and with the short meeting notice, Dublin was the location that maximized Trustee attendance.”
It was announced Feb. 8 that the announcement would be at the Dublin campus. A live stream of the board’s announcement will be available.
That week, the other three candidates — OU Executive Vice President and Provost Pam Benoit, North Dakota State University President Dean Bresciani and former University of New Mexico President Robert Frank — all dropped out of the search.
David Descutner started serving as OU’s interim president Feb. 18 and his final day in that role is June 30. Former OU President Roderick McDavis, who was announced as president in Walter Hall Rotunda, left office Feb. 17.
Bowling Green State University, the University of Toledo, Kent State University, the University of Akron and the Ohio State University picked their most recent presidents at their main campuses.
Faculty Senate Chair Joe McLaughlin said he wishes the announcement was happening at the main campus but sees value in having it in Dublin.
“I believe Dublin is much more convenient for the Trustees as a group, so it makes some sense,” McLaughlin said in an email.
Student Senate President Hannah Clouser said the Dublin campus is more convenient for the trustees.
"The Dublin campus is closest to the airport, and I believe that the candidate is flying in for the announcement,” Clouser said in an email. “I'm not sure if there's a need to be on campus as long as the candidates comes to campus in the near future.”
