President Ravi V. Bellamkonda stands before the press after the Board of Trustee’s officially appointed him to be the 18th president of Ohio State. Credit: Sandra Fu | Managing Photo Editor
Reaction to the news that Ravi V. Bellamkonda would become Ohio State’s 18th president included praise from university and government leaders, skepticism from higher education experts and criticism from faculty and students.
The Ohio State Board of Trustees announced in a 9 a.m. meeting today that Bellamkonda, formerly provost and vice president of academic affairs, has replaced former President Walter “Ted” Carter Jr., less than a week after his resignation.
Carter’s departure sparked worry, confusion and fears about transparency in the board’s process of selecting a presidential successor, per prior Lantern reporting. Now that a new president has been named, here are some of the immediate reactions to Bellamkonda’s appointment following the board’s announcement this morning.
The Ohio State chapter of the American Association of University Professors, also known as AAUP, launched a petition calling for a “Transparent & Inclusive OSU Presidential Search” that gained over 700 signatures in two days.?
The AAUP released a statement immediately following the announcement expressing “surprise and disappointment” in the board’s decision.
“Ohio State’s system of shared governance – not to mention best practices in hiring university presidents – requires all of us having a say in the process,” AAUP wrote. “This hasty, undemocratic process starts this presidency on the wrong footing and sends the wrong message about our supposed shared values.”
AAUP said that the quick turnaround in appointing Bellamkonda “follows a troubling pattern of institutional entitlement,” and warned of further risks to Ohio States’ reputation.
“The last few years at Ohio State under Ted Carter have been characterized by mass arrests, a chilling of free speech, allegations of covering up abuse, and now corruption,” AAUP wrote. “Why risk more public mistrust when OSU is already constantly in the news for the wrong reasons and there has been so much reputational harm?”
The statement concluded “we wish [Bellamkonda] well and hope for a successful presidency. If the new president wants to win the trust of the community, he should take immediate action to show that he represents a new era – repeal Ted Carter’s anti-free speech policies, listen to abuse survivors, and commit to greater transparency and authentic shared governance going forward.”
Sabrina Estevez, president of the Ohio Student Association at Ohio State, also known as OSA, and third-year in international studies and political science said that the organization was “disappointed but not surprised,” by recent changes in the university administration.
“It feels very much [like] a usurpation of power from the Board of Trustees and the powers that be,” Estevez said. “It feels very ‘old boys club’ of them to keep this behind closed doors when there were several groups across campus calling for shared governance.”?
Estevez called for Ohio State to hold themselves to a much higher standard as the largest institution of higher learning in the state, as well as a greater utilization of shared governance.
“Not a single faculty member or any individual in the Buckeye community outside of the board of Trustees made this decision,” Estevez said. “That makes me really uncomfortable, we’re a public university, we’re not a business.”
Undergraduate Student Government President Jessica Asante-Tutu and Vice President Kathrina Noma — fourth-years in psychology and public management, leadership and policy, respectively — released a joint statement that expressed some optimism.?
“Many students are disappointed they were not included in the presidential selection process but nevertheless, we remain hopeful that student voices will continue to be valued as the university moves forward,” Asante-Tutu and Noma said. “We congratulate Dr. Bellamkonda on his appointment as the university’s next president. He is an accomplished scholar and academic leader whose contributions to research and higher education have been widely recognized.”
Higher education experts
Judith Wilde, a research professor in the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University, said this quick turnover is not something that happens frequently, but referenced other instances at universities where similar circumstances arose, including Wayne State University, Purdue University and the University of Virginia.?
“The issue really is less how quick it was, but more the fact that because it was so quick,” Wilde said. “There was no time for anyone to really talk about and determine whether he is the best person for the position.”
“Everyone thinks they know him because he’s been at Ohio State for a while, but no real due diligence was done, looking at his background and whether there might be any issues there.”
Wilde said because it was solely a Board of Trustees decision, tenets of shared governance were ignored that could potentially involve faculty, staff and even students.
“I’ve seen this happen in other arenas, where some places take up to two years to actually go through a lot of self surveys, self discussions among people involved with the situation and really take the time to figure out ‘Where do we need to go now?’” Wilde said. “‘Do we want more of the same?’ Which may be what happens since he’s already there, or ‘Do we want something a little different?’”?
Wilde said that a possible benefit of selecting a university provost as the next president is that previous experience and expertise in student and faculty affairs can better inform a president’s decision making.?
“The positive side of [selecting] somebody [internally] is that they know the actors around the university. They know what’s happening at the university with faculty and staff and students, a provost in particular should know what’s happening with faculty and students,” Wilde said.
Ann Marcus, a New York University professor of higher education focused on leadership studies, shared a similar sentiment.?
“It does seem very hasty and I don’t understand why they didn’t make the appointment ‘interim,’” Marcus said, adding that it was possible quick change may turn out to bring some relief.
“There are always many issues that are unknown to the larger community. They may have felt an urgent need to demonstrate stability and continuity,” Marcus said. “It will take a while to see if there is much reaction in the community, it may be that people will feel relieved and satisfied.”
Praise for Bellamkonda
Soon after the Board of Trustees meeting, Ohio State Athletic Director Ross Bjork sent his congratulations to the new president at 9:27 a.m. on X.
“Congrats Ravi! Looking forward to working with you to continue our momentum together as best in class & leaders in higher education! Onward,” Bjork said.
Head football Coach Ryan Day also added his congratulations to the new president at a press conference with the media, soon after the Board of Trustees meeting, per prior Lantern reporting.
“We’re here to serve, to educate and develop people at every level, including the student body, the faculty, the staff,” Day said. “I’m looking forward to working with Ravi to continue our excellence as we take it to new levels.”
In addition, J.P. Nauseef, president and CEO of JobsOhio, shared his excitement to work with the new president in a X post soon after.
“Congratulations to @OhioStatePres Dr. Ravi Bellamkonda on being named the next president of The Ohio State University,” Nauseef said. “@OhioState is a vital partner in advancing research, developing talent, and driving the innovation that powers Ohio’s economy. We look forward to working together to strengthen the collaborations that are helping move our state forward and are excited for what’s ahead for Buckeye Nation and for Ohio.”?
This is a developing story, and The Lantern will add more reactions as it receives them.
