THE SEARCH FOR A PRESIDENT
The Board of Trustees at Ohio
Northern University (ONU)
announces the search for its
11th president and invites
nominations and applications
from persons who will provide
outstanding leadership.
Since its founding in 1871,
Ohio Northern has had only
ten presidents, testimony
to a longevity of leadership
consistently reflecting Henry Solomon Lehr’s founding
vision to provide a community of learning, rich with
opportunities for intellectual and personal development.
ONU is now poised to move to a position of significantly
greater regional and national prominence. The new
president will have an exceptional opportunity to build on
Ohio Northern’s impressive growth as a comprehensive
university with four professional colleges (Business,
Engineering, Law, and Pharmacy), all of which are
anchored by a College of Arts and Sciences that is
distinguished in its own right. By sharpening ONU’s
strategic vision and refining its strategic plan, a new
president can involve the entire University community
in the prioritization of important future initiatives.
Academically focused and committed to an overall
program of quality, Ohio Northern seeks a president who
will build on the University’s distinctive strengths while
providing creative leadership and decisive management for
a future of institutional achievement.
ABOUT OHIO NORTHERN UNIVERSITY
Ohio Northern University is a selective, comprehensive
University with an enrollment of more than 3,500 students
from 43 states and 23 countries that offers more than 70
programs of study. There are small, personal classes with
a 12:1 student-faculty ratio and an average freshman class
size of 23 (varies by college). The University is currently
moving to a new set of general education requirements and
will convert from a quarter system to a semester system in
2011-2012. In addition, an M.S. degree in Accountancy
and Professional Practice and a B.S. degree in Engineering
Education will be introduced in 2011.
Ohio Northern values excellence, innovation, technology,
diversity, and its people. At the turn of the 20th century,
Ohio Northern became affiliated with the United Methodist
Church (UMC). The University values its relationship with
the UMC and welcomes, serves, and supports students of
all faiths. The University’s motto, Ex diversitate vires (Out
of Diversity, Strength) illustrates ONU’s mission to provide
experiences and programs that prepare graduates to live in
an inclusive world.
The new president will succeed Kendall L. Baker who
retires in June, 2011, after 12 years of distinguished
accomplishment and devoted service. Dr. Baker’s legacy
will be warmly recognized at ONU and will provide a
strong sense of community on which the next generation
of leadership can build.
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Faculty
The faculty cohort is made up of 242 full-time and 72
part-time faculty, of which 197 have terminal degrees and
88 have master’s degrees. These educators bring extensive
academic, work, travel, and life experience to this studentcentered, service-oriented, values-based institution of
higher learning. The faculty is committed to a rigorous
pursuit of academic inquiry and achievement. Education
is a collaborative process at Ohio Northern; students work
side-by-side with accomplished faculty members. The
result is serious research, real collaboration and meaningful
learning experiences that extend to both sides of the
classroom. Each year the University sponsors a Student
Research Colloquium where students discuss their research
results and gain valuable presentation experience.
Faculty have also been successful in securing outside grant
support averaging over $1M a year. Sources include NSF,
NIH, and the US-Japan Foundation. The American Electric
Power (AEP) Foundation has provided recent support for
the College of Engineering to develop an advanced energy
curriculum.
Students
Over the past decade the academic profile of the student
body has steadily improved, with the latest class entering
this fall with a mean ACT score of 26.6 (up from 25.3 in
2004-05) and 49% of the entering first time students coming
from the top 10% of their high school class (up from 40%
in 2004-05). Seventy-five percent have come from the top
25% of their high school class (up from 69% in 2004-05).
The number of new students from out of state has grown
to 20% (up from 14% last year). There are also 301 newly
enrolled minority students with an additional 94 students
from other countries. In 2004-05, there were 138 students
of color and 23 from foreign countries at ONU.
Students choose from a variety of campus activities,
including nearly 200 student organizations, four national
sororities and six national fraternities, and music and
theatrical events. About two-thirds of ONU’s students were
engaged in community service in the last academic year,
donating nearly 38,000 hours of their time. Ohio Northern
was named to the 2009 President’s Higher Education
Community Service Honor Roll.
Ohio Northern participates in NCAA Division III with 11
men’s and 10 women’s varsity teams, and is a member of
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the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC). For an unprecedented
fourth consecutive year, ONU has won both the OAC
Men’s and Women’s All-Sports trophies. In 2009-10, 43
individuals earned Academic All-OAC honors. Seventy
percent of students participate in intramural and club
sports. Students utilize modern athletic facilities totaling
177,000 square feet of building space and 20.5 acres of
outdoor space.
The Campus
The beautiful, 342-acre residential campus is made up of
more than 60 modern residences and academic buildings.
Twenty-eight new facility and building renovations,
including new apartment living units for upper-class
students, have taken place over the last decade totaling
nearly $100M in capital projects.
The 95,000 square foot Mathile Center for the Natural
Sciences at Ohio Northern University opened in 2009
as a student-centered research and learning facility that
strengthens signature programs in pharmacy and chemistry/
biochemistry and blends hands-on teaching excellence
with advanced technology in a functional modern
environment. This fall, an astronomy observatory opened
on the northwest side of campus with three permanently
mounted telescopes, a roll-off roof, and high-tech CCD
equipment to connect the telescopes with computers and monitors.
The Freed Center for the Performing Arts showcases
some 30-40 annual theater, dance, musical events and
headliners. There is also a unique International Play
Festival, a Children’s Series, and various outreach activities.
The University fine arts exhibition venues include two
galleries on campus, the Elzay Gallery of Art and the
Stambaugh Studio Theater Gallery, which showcase the
work of invited artists and designers as well as the work of
students, faculty, and alumni.
Guests of the University, as well as the public, enjoy
the fine service, luxury and comfort of The Inn at Ohio
Northern. This two-year old facility offers more than 70
deluxe accommodations, fine dining and a pub, as well as
meeting and conference space.
In its recent facility development and throughout the
educational program, a sustainable environment has been
a focus of ONU’s attention:
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•Thirty percent of ONU housing features geothermal,
earth-friendly technology. During summer 2009,
renovation took place in the residence halls,
Founders Complex and Affinity Village Complex.
Each was updated to use a geothermal heating and
cooling system. It is expected to reduce energy use
in those areas by 30 to 40 percent and reduce water
consumption in Affinity Village by 30 percent.
•Ohio Northern University business and engineering
students initially formed the wind turbine research
team to determine the feasibility of installing wind
turbines to supplement campus energy usage.
Construction on three turbines began Jan. 28, 2010
and the turbines were dedicated in a ceremony on
May 24. The trio of turbines will meet up to 10 percent
of the University’s electricity needs.
•The nonprofit Arbor Day Foundation named Ohio
Northern University a Tree Campus USA for the
second consecutive year. Only 74 universities
nationwide have received this honor, placing ONU
among the most elite environmentally conscious
schools.
•Several electric vehicles are utilized on campus for
delivering mail and by the Physical Plant for its daily
operations.
•Energy conservation was a concern during the design
and construction of the Mathile Center for the Natural
Sciences and The Inn at Ohio Northern University.
High-efficiency water heaters, HVAC systems and
lighting were installed in both buildings in addition to
increased insulation and low-flow fixtures.
Five Colleges. One University - As a selective,
comprehensive University, Ohio Northern offers a
distinctive blend of sciences, arts, and professional
programs in its five colleges:
The Getty College of Arts & Sciences
•One of the top 200 programs in the nation for creative
students in Creative Colleges: A Guide for Student
Actors, Artists, Dancers, Musicians and Writers (2010).
•Honored by the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and
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Excellence in Education program for six consecutive
years.
•Chemistry and biochemistry programs accredited by
the American Chemical Society.
•One of only five institutions in the Midwest with a
nationally accredited exercise physiology program.
•Accredited programs and more than 50 offered majors.
•Faculty-fostered research opportunities, professional
mentoring and master classes.
The James F. Dicke College of Business Administration
•Ranked in the top 111 undergraduate business schools
in the nation by Bloomberg BusinessWeek (2010), The
James F. Dicke College of Business Administration
earned high marks in the nine categories used for the
rankings, including an A+ in “Teaching Quality.”
•AACSB International – Earned excellence; among the
best business colleges in the world.
•Distinctive, career-oriented business programs, such
as pharmaceutical business, entrepreneurship, and
forensic accounting.
•Peer and alumni mentoring and alumni networking.
•Experiential learning, required internships, and
opportunity for global business study.
•Historically high placement rates.
The T.J. Smull College of Engineering
•For the fourth consecutive year, the College of
Engineering has been ranked as one of the nation’s top
50 undergraduate engineering schools by U.S. News &
World Report in America’s Best Colleges (2011).
•Engineering graduates have a 95% pass rate for the
Ohio Professional Engineering Fundamentals Exam.
•The BSCE, BSCPE, BSEE, and BSME programs
are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation
Commission (EAC) of ABET.
•The BS in computer science program is accredited by
the Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC) of
ABET.
•A solid commitment to undergraduate education
coupled with personalized instruction and outstanding
facilities.
•Opportunities for valuable work experience through
co-op, internship, and Engineer-in-Residence
programs.
•Historically high placement rates for graduates going
on to jobs and graduate school.
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The Raabe College of Pharmacy
•With its 125-year history of excellence, the college is
recognized as one of the premier colleges of pharmacy
in the nation.
•The college attracts a national pool of over a thousand
high ability students and is highly selective in enrolling
about 160 of them.
•It is one of the country’s few 0-6 direct admit programs
that culminates in the doctor of pharmacy degree and
where students take pharmacy courses from day one.
•Cutting-edge clinical facilities include the Pharmacy
Skills Center, which features six state-of-the-art
compound/counseling pods with portable OTC
simulation stations.
•The college supports several post-graduate educational
programs (residencies) in contemporary and innovative
practices.
•100 percent job-placement rate for graduates.
The Pettit College of Law
•Celebrating 125 years, ONU’s law college is the second
oldest in the state.
•Fully accredited by the American Bar Association
(ABA) since 1948 and a member of the Association of
American Law Schools since 1965.
•The bar passage rate (overall and first-time takers) in
recent years has been among the highest in Ohio.
•National Jurist ranks the Taggart Law Library first among
private law schools in Ohio.
•Placement rates for graduates nine months after
graduation have averaged over 94 percent for each of the
past seven years, a rate higher than the national average.
•The LLM in Democratic Governance and Rule of Law
provides young lawyers with the training and tools to
implement law reforms that support stable democratic
institutions and the rule of law in a free-market economy.
The LLM in Democratic Governance and Rule of Law
provides young lawyers with the training and tools to
implement law reforms that support stable democratic
institutions and the rule of law in a free-market economy.
Ohio Northern’s Reputation Continues to Grow - In the
last several months, there has been increased evidence of
the expanding awareness of Ohio Northern’s reputation
to a national audience. ONU has received recognition for
teaching quality, high graduation rates, commitment to
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volunteer service and, most impressively, providing a high
return on investment (ROI) to its graduates.
•Ohio Northern University has been ranked No. 24
in the nation by Washington Monthly in its 2010
baccalaureate college rankings. According to the
magazine, “Colleges and universities do as much
to shape the future as any institutions you can think
of. They conduct cutting-edge research that drives
economic growth, provide upward mobility and mold
the characters of tomorrow’s leaders.”
•A new PayScale study released by Bloomberg
BusinessWeek ranks Ohio Northern University among
the top four colleges in the state of Ohio for its return
on college investment. ROI is a function of two things:
how much students spend to earn a degree, and how
much graduates earn. Nationally, ONU ranked 155 out
of 852 rankings.
•Ohio Northern University continues to rank among the
top Midwest Baccalaureate Colleges in the 2010 (No.
2) and among the top Midwest Regional Colleges in
2011 (No. 3) editions of U.S. News & World Report’s
America’s Best Colleges. Ohio Northern has been
ranked in the region’s top 10 for the past 19 years and
in the top five for the past eight years.
•Small class sizes, 12:1 student-to-teacher ratio, and
“strong blend of liberal arts and professional programs”
landed the University on The New York Times’ search
site’s (www.about.com) list of the top 10 colleges and
universities in Ohio.
•Ohio Northern University has been recognized in the
Center for Student Opportunity’s “2011 College Access
and Opportunity Guide,” a comprehensive guidebook
designed to help low-income, first-generation, collegebound students make their college dreams a reality.
Additional information about Ohio Northern University
may be found at www.onu.edu
onu.edu
THE AGENDA FOR NEW LEADERSHIP
The next Ohio Northern president will have the enviable
assignment of leading a fine emerging university to even
greater distinction. The ONU community is eager to support
new leadership and to embrace important change, while
sustaining its core academic strengths. The next president
will be asked to articulate a promising and robust vision for
Ohio Northern as a thriving comprehensive university. To do
so with clarity and credibility, several agenda items will be
important for the next generation of leadership.
Refocusing the Strategic Plan – Over the last decade, Ohio
Northern has periodically reiterated a standing long-range
plan titled Ohio Northern University Charts Its Future:
Directions for a New Century. The current version of this
plan provides ten general goals for improving ONU’s
future, each with selected strategies. Another less formal
planning initiative titled Becoming ONU has gained
traction in the last two years through the identification of
12 national colleges and universities which Ohio Northern
aspires to emulate. Most ONU constituencies hope that a
new president will see ways in which these two planning
initiatives can be made fully compatible and that a single
strategic plan can be articulated.
A refined plan will require identifying, balancing, and
reallocating finite resources against competing ambitions,
all in an environment of disciplined priority-setting and
strategic decision-making. Successful planning at ONU
will include metrics that help to define achievement,
attention to the resources needed to effectively “brand” the
University, and a detailed financial roadmap that supports
the plan’s several goals.
A new president can identify the elements of merit in both
of the planning initiatives by listening carefully, responding
openly, and communicating clearly. Moreover, an invitation
from new leadership for all constituents to become involved
in planning discussions will enhance an understanding
across trustees, faculty, staff, and students about ONU’s
future. Increased engagement among and between
stakeholders will add strength to the plan, will guide future
decisions about the University, and will clarify the vision
for ONU’s greater regional and national prominence.
Momentum around the strategic plan will be fostered
by building trust, reinforcing credibility, and reflecting
transparency in all decision making.
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Bolstering Enrollment Management – ONU’s dependence
on tuition revenues is central to the University’s sense of
well-being. While the College of Pharmacy continues to
enjoy the stability of an excess of qualified applicants for
the limited number of entering students each year, the
numbers matriculating to the other Colleges has varied
and in the last two years, overall enrollment has declined.
With total enrollment at 3,500 (approximate) and discount
rates that hover around 50 percent, a new president who is
knowledgeable about all facets of enrollment management
will be important. Current interest in engaging outside
consulting support from notable firms will, when enacted,
provide a new president with additional insights for
stimulating the admission and financial aid programs.
While continuing to leverage its historic strengths in Ohio,
it will also be important to diversify Ohio Northern’s
prospective student markets. Long-term efforts to protect
ONU from weakening demographic and economic climates
in the University’s geographic region will be important.
Many also believe that a more sophisticated effort at
“branding” Ohio Northern is equally important, an
analysis that can be linked directly to the development
of a new strategic plan. Whether repositioning ONU in
the marketplace, redefining the value added in the ONU
educational experience, contemplating greater emphasis
on “signature programs,” or recasting the ONU profile for
prospective students, future enrollment initiatives require
presidential engagement. Demographic, curricular, pricing,
financial aid, net revenue, and marketing issues all intersect
at a place that will demand the next president’s leadership.
Achieving Financial Sustainability – The current market
value of Ohio Northern’s endowment is approximately
$125 M and the operating budget is $142 M with 90
percent of annual operating revenues derived from tuition
and fees. As new economic realities impact all of higher
education, ONU’s president will need the fiscal acumen to
enable strong financial management across all areas of the
University’s program. As aspirations are weighed against
resources, the president will be asked to oversee reliable
operating budgets, build strategic academic business
models, integrate financial matrices with long-range plans,
identify new and existing resources for program and
infrastructure investment, maintain strong internal controls,
and evaluate tuition and financial aid models appropriate
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for future ONU students and families. The president’s
financial stewardship will be supported by strong trustee
leadership in this area and will call for qualities of
integrity, care for detail, and transparency to the greatest
extent possible.
Enriching a Culture of Giving – There is broad consensus
within the ONU community about the need to improve
the University’s resource base. A new president will be
asked to bring successful closure in 2012 to ONU’s current
$100 million “Campaign for Ohio Northern University’s
Tomorrow.” With $82 million of gifts and pledges now in
hand toward scholarships, academic enrichment, capital
projects, and annual operations, additional progress
will have been made at the time of the new president’s
appointment. Capital projects that remain outstanding
and which are likely to demand the president’s attention
include renovation of the School of Engineering building
and construction of a new Campus Center.
Whether focusing on the annual ‘Northern Fund,’
nurturing prospects for major or planned gifts, or
conceptualizing the inevitable transition between capital
campaigns, the ONU president as chief fundraiser
should have direct involvement and impact on the
University’s advancement program. Engaging ONU’s
28,000 alumni and other external constituencies, setting
advancement expectations, and establishing priorities for
future fundraising are all opportunities awaiting the next
president. Taken together, a new president’s engagement is
expected to result in an enriched philanthropic culture for
ONU.
Leadership & Management/Building the Administrative
Team – The new president will have full discretion, in
consultation with the Board of Trustees, to determine
the best personnel structure for his/her management and
leadership styles. With a search pending for a new VPAA
at ONU, the incoming president will have an immediate
opportunity to impact a new leadership team and to serve
the long-term needs of the University. Through a careful
process of identifying leadership strength, delegating
appropriate responsibility, evaluating professional
performance, and empowering administrative roles, the
next president can have meaningful influence on the
productivity and healthy environment for all of ONU’s
human resources.
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Nurturing ONU’s Governance Structure – A new
president will find in the Ohio Northern Board of Trustees,
a supportive partner and a committed resource. Board
leadership is eager to be appropriately engaged in ONU’s
future development and to be fully utilized as a valuable
University asset. The next president’s success will rest, in
part, with his/her ability to serve as an open conduit of
access and information between the campus and the Board,
thereby capitalizing on the energy and talent of everyone
in the University community. By maintaining dialogue
within and between all segments of a cooperative and
shared governance structure, the president will maximize
the potential of his/her leadership and enhance the overall
welfare of the University.
Broadening ONU’s Influence – There is a clear desire that
the next president will enhance the University’s external
reputation by building greater recognition of the ONU
program, both regionally and nationally. The opportunity to
extend existing relationships beyond the Village of Ada and
local sections of Ohio could involve increased partnerships,
collaborations, and an extended network of friends. It
should also involve the president’s active engagement in the
national landscape of higher education. Ohio Northern’s
leader should be knowledgeable about issues that impact
colleges and universities statewide and nationally, and
comfortable representing the University in a fashion
that will strengthen ONU’s recognition and appeal. The
president’s external role is crucial in communicating Ohio
Northern’s distinctive strengths and raising the University’s
profile among alumni, donors, prospective students, other
colleges and universities, and potential stakeholders of
influence.
Maintaining Student Centeredness – Ohio Northern
continues to be a warm and relatively intimate campus
community in which students remain the focus of the
educational program. Teaching and mentoring of students
is a task happily shared by faculty, administrators, and staff,
and the campus has become accustomed to presidential
visibility in all aspects of student life. A new president
will need to be sensitive to this cultural norm at ONU by
maintaining visibility and accessibility on the campus,
while applying his/her own personality traits to the campus
scene. Ohio Northern students value the attention they
receive and they will look to a new president to reinforce
this important thread in the fabric of their community.
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Valuing the Judeo-Christian Heritage – Ohio Northern
values its Judeo-Christian heritage and the nature of its
historical relationship with the United Methodist Church.
The value-centeredness of the campus environment
draws on an ecumenical commitment to inclusiveness,
acceptance, and respect for all persons. The new president
will be encouraged to practice his/her own spiritual beliefs,
while celebrating the breadth of religious backgrounds
on campus and the freedom of intellectual inquiry that is
central to the life of the mind.
DESIRED ATTRIBUTES FOR THE NEW PRESIDENT
Poised for positive change and new levels of regional and
national prominence, Ohio Northern will seek a new
president with vision, ambition, appreciation for the life
of the mind, and a commitment to quality. Leadership
for Ohio Northern will require a substantial track record
of achievement, the courage to make difficult decisions,
and an ability to decide upon and lead new institutional
initiatives. In addition, personal characteristics of integrity
and authenticity are essential, as are an uncompromised
work ethic and a genuine sense of humor. Strong academic
credentials are highly desirable; experience that reflects an
understanding of the academy is essential. Beyond this,
other specific attributes will be crucial. The successful ONU
president will be:
•A person of proven leadership who inspires trust and
confidence through his/her ability to communicate;
•A vigorous proponent of the contemporary qualities of
the independent comprehensive university, including the
appropriate application of technology to the educational
and administrative processes;
•A strategic and creative thinker, able to conceptualize,
plan, and initiate institutional priorities that will lead to a
robust vision for ONU’s future;
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•An effective fundraiser, capable of enriching ONU’s
culture of giving;
•A team builder who can maximize the effectiveness of
the University’s senior leadership team;
•A person experienced in the best practices of shared
governance, who can provide an open conduit for
information and understanding between ONU’s
constituent groups;
•A visible and accessible leader for the ONU community,
extending his/her on-campus engagement to bring
increased University prominence in ONU’s many
external communities;
•An enthusiastic campus presence, actively engaged in
the student-centered life of the campus and modeling
traits that will strengthen the ONU community.
THE APPLICATION PROCESS
The Ohio Northern Search Committee will be evaluating
application materials on a rolling basis throughout the fall
semester (2010) and will begin to narrow the pool early
in December. Although applications will be accepted
until the time that a new president is selected, candidates
should submit their materials by November 29 for the most
favorable consideration. The new president will be invited
to begin work on or about July 1, 2011.
Thomas B. Courtice of Academic Search, Inc. is assisting
with the search. Nominators and prospective candidates
may contact him at Tom.Courtice@academic-search.com or
at 614-405-9209. Applications should be addressed to Mr.
John J. Bishop, Chair, Presidential Search Committee, and
submitted electronically to ONUPres@academic-search.com.
•A person knowledgeable about the complexities of
admissions, financial aid, branding, and marketing,
capable of strengthening an enrollment management
program;
All applications will be received in full confidence.
Materials should include a letter of candidacy that responds
in detail to the Agenda for New Leadership presented in
this profile; a CV or resume; and the names and contact
information (phone and e-mail) of three references, none
of whom will be contacted until later in the search and not
without the formal permission of the candidate.
•A person of financial acumen who can lead ONU in
matching aspirations with finite resources and think
creatively about innovative growth opportunities;
Ohio Northern University does not discriminate on the
basis of race, religion, national or ethnic origin gender,
sexual orientation, age, or disability.
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