March 2024 Updates Q&A - President Gonzalez

Following the June Supreme Court decision in the Harvard case, Ohio University began a process to review selection criteria for admissions and scholarships as well as language in our gift agreements to ensure our processes and agreements continue to follow the law. This review is ongoing, and the University will work with impacted donors to ensure we can continue to honor their support.

It is important to note that scholarships already awarded to current students are not impacted by this review, and current students will continue to receive renewable scholarships provided they meet the renewal criteria.

While this review process is one we must undertake as a University, OHIO remains committed to supporting students and ensuring accessibility to higher education. We will continue to ensure that our scholarship award programs and processes honor our students, and the donors who support them, while also considering the unique contributions that students from a variety of backgrounds bring to OHIO.

I assume you are referring to Senate Bill 83, also known as “The Ohio Higher Education Enhancement Act.”

Since the introduction of this bill, the University has been working with the Inter-University Council of Ohio (IUC), which represents all of Ohio’s four-year public universities, to provide critical feedback regarding the proposed legislation.

Throughout the process, we have advocated for Ohio University’s core values, including academic freedom, shared governance, diversity of thought and acceptance of all. We will continue to actively monitor the proposed bill and will respond as appropriate as it moves through the legislative process.