Ohio State president to address LSU transition team

The Ohio State University (emphasis on “the”) is a single university with 65,000 students spread over six campuses. The LSU System, as currently arranged, is more of a confederation of separate but interconnected institutions. LSU is working toward a system that looks a bit more like Ohio State’s, which is one reason why Ohio State President Gordon Gee will address LSU’s Transition Advisory Team today. William Jenkins, interim leader of the LSU System and the flagship campus, says Gee’s experience as head of multiple universities, including Vanderbilt, Brown, Colorado and West Virginia, also is of interest to the transition team. LSU won’t try to exactly replicate anyone’s model, Jenkins says, but lessons can be learned from how Ohio State managed its transition to a more cohesive university. Other universities that may be of interest include Penn State, Maryland and Indiana, he says. The Transition Advisory Team is scheduled to meet today from 4 to 9:30 p.m. in the Abell Board Room of the Lod Cook Alumni Center; the meeting can be watched live here. Gee will address the group via Skype around 4:30 p.m. —David Jacobs