Dear Ohio University Community:

I hope you had time over our academic break to relax and enjoy your time with loved ones. The purpose of my email is to share some of the things you may have missed during winter break.

• Fourteen Ohio University School of Visual Communication students earned 25 awards, including the 2006 College Photographer of the Year. They earned almost 30 percent of the 85 awards given in the national competition. And they were the only students from a university in the state of Ohio to win any honors at the oldest and most-respected collegiate photography competition in the nation.
  
  
• Fifteen of Ohio University's dedicated and talented faculty were recently recognized in Ohio Magazine's 2006 "Excellence in Education" program. Featured among the issue's 150 top professors in Ohio, our honorees represent four of our six campuses and teach in disciplines such as physics, fine arts, nursing, journalism, theater, and music.
  
  
• Ohio University and eight other universities and colleges in the Appalachia region have forged a historic educational coalition called Educate Tri-State. This partnership will help citizens in our region successfully compete in today's global fast-paced economy by providing appropriate courses and academic programs.
  
  
• In December, Dr. Shawn Ostermann, an associate professor and chair of the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in the Russ College of Engineering and Technology, was appointed interim Chief Information Officer. Specializing in computer networking with expertise in data security, he will fill the role while we continue our national search for a permanent CIO.
  
  
• The Academic Honesty Hearing Committee has made progress in its review of the plagiarism allegations within the Russ College of Engineering and Technology. The three-professor committee has made decisions in 16 cases so far. It was decided that nine cases require hearings, four cases merit rewrites with the option of a hearing, and three cases were dismissed.

The year 2007 marks a time for new opportunities to celebrate and strengthen our community. This quarter we have a number of events planned to bring us together:

• January 7: The OHIO football team will play in the GMAC Bowl against Southern Mississippi in Mobile, Alabama. This is our first bowl game appearance since 1968.
  
  
• January 26: We will hold our second University Town Hall meeting from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Baker University Center Ballroom.
  
  
• February 2: We will honor academic excellence at the Founder's Day Convocation at 10 a.m. in the Baker University Center Grand Ballroom. Vision OHIO Implementation Teams will share their progress in afternoon sessions in Baker University Center.
  
  
• February 10: We will hold a full day of festivities to celebrate the grand opening of the John Calhoun Baker University Center.

I look forward to honoring the people that make Ohio University such a wonderful community! Happy New Year!

Cordially,

Roderick J. McDavis
President