On Monday, June 12, Duane Nellis stepped through the doors of Cutler Hall to officially take office as the 21st president of Ohio University. In the next 100 days, his nonstop schedule took him from his new home in the hills of Appalachia to the halls of Congress, where he represented OU on the national stage.
Three months have passed since he took office. Here are some of the most notable actions and initiatives the Nellis administration has taken so far:
Supporting DACA students
When President Donald Trump announced an end to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, Nellis was quick to issue a statement and make his own announcement: He would head to Washington, D.C., to defend the hundreds of thousands of young, undocumented immigrants living in the United States under DACA.
“Ending DACA protections threatens to undermine this commitment for the many young people who have worked very hard to be here and have so much to offer as global citizens,” Nellis said in a news release. “On behalf of Ohio University, I remain steadfast in my commitment to protect the rights of all of our students.”
Just three days after the news broke, Nellis co-signed a letter to Ohio legislators alongside members of the Inter-University Council of Ohio to stand united against the federal announcement.
Fostering sustainability through the Paris Accords
On his first day in office, after spending the afternoon on campus and picking up his official campus ID card, Nellis made two executive decisions: to appoint David Descutner as interim executive vice president and provost and to “reaffirm Ohio University’s commitment to sustainability.”
In response to a national debate surrounding climate change, Nellis signed onto a national declaration to continue meeting objectives outlined in the Paris Agreement. Under the agreement, which is a part of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, each member country sets goals to mitigate the effects of global warming.
In June, Trump announced his intent to withdraw the United States from the agreement, leading many individual institutions to reaffirm their own support for the objectives of the accords. Currently, OU plans to become a carbon-neutral campus by 2075.
“This is not a political statement,” Nellis said in a statement. “This is a promise to uphold the sustainability measures Ohio University already has in place for the good of the planet.”
Signing the interim “Freedom of Expression” policy
Although perhaps one of the most contentious points to arise within the early months of his presidency, Nellis’ involvement in the university’s interim “Freedom of Expression” policy has fueled a campus-wide debate over the First Amendment rights of students.
The policy, which effectively bans sits-ins, demonstrations, marches, protests and more, has drawn criticism from student and faculty groups, and prompted an extension of the deadline to Oct. 20 to submit feedback before the policy is revised.
“Truly, we want this document to be reflective of the spirit of the campus community,” Nellis said at a Sept. 12 Graduate Student Senate meeting. “We had to get something out there to kind of start the dialogue.”
Joining the Ohio economic development initiative
In September, Ohio Gov. John Kasich appointed Nellis to serve on the Third Frontier Advisory Board, an economic development initiative focused on supporting “diverse startup” and developing technology companies in the state.
“It is a true honor to be able to serve the state of Ohio through participation on the Third Frontier Advisory Board,” Nellis said in a news release. “I look forward to contributing to the advancement of innovation ... as well as seeking a greater understanding of how Ohio University can best support this significant statewide initiative.”
