I believe that it is higher education's purpose and calling to keep open the door to the American dream.

I often have said that to be a college president, you need a thick skin, a good sense of humor, and nerves like sewer pipes.

The arts, quite simply, nourish the soul. They sustain, comfort, inspire. There is nothing like that exquisite moment when you first discover the beauty of connecting with others in celebration of larger ideals and shared wisdom.

People look at me like I'm crazy when I say that our greatest partnership here at Ohio State should be with the community colleges.

When the fabric of the universe becomes unknown, it is the duty of the university to produce weavers.

I believe everything learned in college is an answer to a question that someone has posed. Questions get posed differently and the answers that come back transport us to places we never knew existed.

So if a college education is indispensable, the challenge as I see it is how to make it more accessible.