COLUMBUS, Ohio— The 17th president of Ohio State University is eager to develop a plan to drive the university's vision.
What You Need To Know
- President Walter "Ted" Carter, Jr. arrived in Ohio just after Christmas and started January 1
- He intends to take the next 100 days listening to the various circles of influence
- Carter noted that one of the biggest challenges will be taking the vision for the university to the next level
Walter "Ted" Carter, Jr., expressed his excitement for the first day of classes and getting down to business, recognizing the significant workload ahead. When asked about how he might manage everything, he said, “You have to just take it one day at a time, take a deep breath. It’s really all about the people at the end of the day.”
That’s why his main priorities include being humble, listening and earning the trust of students, staff and the community. As a part of that plan, Carter noted that he wanted to develop a strategy centered around student-faculty success, safety and security, meaningful research, clinical care and keeping athletics at its best.
While President Carter is looking ahead, there are some issues past and present that he didn’t shy away from addressing with the media. The first issue is the Israel-Hamas war, which has drawn responses from Congress and put university presidents on the hot seat.
“I feel bad for what happened in the testimony with those presidents. I don’t know that I would’ve answered those questions anywhere near the same. We have to have a moral backbone when it comes to doing the right thing,” President Cater said.
Calling the October 7th attacks despicable and expressing support for the first amendment and free speech, Carter went on to say that the university would not tolerate hate speech, Anti-Semitism, “Islamophobia, or any type of bigotry, harassment or any type of incitement to violence.” As for students, he wanted them to know that he’s glad that they have a voice and that they’ll continue to listen to them.
As for talks about head football coach Ryan Day keeping or not keeping his job, Carter quickly put it to rest after noting that the goal of a Big Ten championship wasn’t reached. “Ryan Day runs a fantastic program. He’s our coach. I’m proud that he’s our coach and he will continue to be our coach,” President Carter said.
In the meantime, President Carter said he’s excited to get started and knows he’ll have to engage with the various circles of influence in the next 100 days to get a full strategy for the future.