This document provides an overview of navigating the structure of Ohio State University. It discusses the major parts of OSU including academics, student life, athletics, administration, and governance. It presents organizational charts showing the hierarchy beginning with the Board of Trustees and President and moving down through various councils and committees. The document advises interacting with those higher up in relevant areas for support and gaining contacts. It also discusses following proper routes like committees and university governance for policy changes and projects/events.

1. NAVIGATING OSU

2. What’s Happening Now?
• Overview of the University’s Structure
• Understanding with whom and how you should
interact within that structure
• How to make friends and influence people at the
University

3. Infinity itself looks flat and uninteresting.
Looking up into the night sky is looking
into infinity—distance is
incomprehensible and therefore
meaningless…. [It] was anything but
infinite, it was just very very very big,
so big that it gave the impression of
infinity far better than infinity itself.
-Douglas Adams; The Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy

4. Act 1: The Idea
Let’s say you have an idea for an event, policy
change, program or life-changing, mind-
blowing rollercoaster ride of an initiative of
one sort or another.
Where do you start with this idea?

5. Aiming Your Idea
Treat Your Idea Like a News Story
• What – is that you want to do
• Who – benefits and needs to be involved
• When – what is the timeline
• How – what is needed to complete your project

6. ___________
Start Here.
__________
Obviously.

7. Aiming Your Idea
• Who – benefits and needs to be involved
• How – what is needed to complete your project
• Stakeholders
• Responsible Parties
• Interested Parties
• Collaborators
• Beneficiaries

8. Aiming Your Idea -
Example

9. Parts of OSU
Academics Student Life
Admini-
stration
University
Athletics Governance
Community

10. Structure of Ohio
State we care?
Why should
• Changes happen through channels of the
structure that affect all of us
• Enable project and event planning
• Gain support in useful areas
• Create contacts to help oneself and one’s
organization

11. Organizational
Charts Board of Trustees
President
Senior
University Presidential
Management
Senate Councils
Council
Senate
Council of Deans
Committees

12. Senior Management
Council
Vice President for Student Life
Executive Vice President and Provost
Vice President for Outreach and Engagement
Vice President and Executive Dean CFAES
Administrative Director and Assistant Special Assistant to the President
Senior Vice President of Government Relations Senior Vice President for University Communications
Counselor to the President Senior Vice President for Administration and Planning
Senior Vice President for Business and Finance Vice Provost for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion
Chief Financial Officer Vice President and Enterprise Executive for Energy and
Vice President for University Communications the Environment
Senior Vice President and General Counsel Vice President for Human Resources
Vice President for Strategic Enrollment Planning Chief Information Officer
Senior Vice President for Health Sciences Special Assistant to the President
Chief Executive Officer, Wexner Medical Center Vice President of Government Affairs
Senior Vice President for Alumni Relations Joint Vice President, Institutional Affairs for Battelle and
President/CEO OSU Alumni Association, Inc. Ohio State University
Secretary, Board of Trustees Vice President for Research
President, The Ohio State University Foundation
Senior Vice President for Advancement

13. Using Org Charts
• Can be found on most division/offices websites
• Aim just below the top for first contact
• Remember, there may be charts within charts

16. Caveats
• Sometimes groups do similar/overlapping things
• FOD & FML
• Not everything appears online/on an org chart
• Ask in your first meeting
• Sometimes there will be other interested student
groups/academic units = collaborators

17. ASK!

18. First Meeting
• Set it up letting them know the topic
• Come with some sort of take away
• Try to have as many questions already answered
• Have an agenda, but be flexible
• Leave with a to-do list

19. Routes to
Completion

20. Policy
• Petitions, Benchmarking…
Support • Collaborators
• University Senate Committee
Committees • Other Committees
• University Senate/Senior Mgmt
Passage • Board of Trustees

21. Project/Event
• Plan
Ideation • Collaborators
• Academic Unit/Administration
Support • Funding
• Getting it done
Execution

22. Types of Money
• Donations – Earmarked, usually
• Revenue – Athletics, Intellectual Property, Sales
• Fees – Student Activity, Residence Hall Activity…
• General Fund