A truly great university is a nucleus of artistic expression. It fosters creative, critical thought, and serves as a platform for civil discourse.

College graduates work in every sector of the American economy, and the research engines incubated within our universities generate a wealth of ideas and innovations that have an enormous impact on our lives.

The Ohio State University has a rich - if quiet - heritage of the arts.

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.

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.

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.