A Letter From the Dean

Published Date May 28, 2025
News Type Public Address

The John Glenn College of Public Affairs is lucky to pursue its mission at The Ohio State University, one of the nation’s great land-grant universities driven by the motto “education for citizenship.” 

We work to improve public governance and policymaking by preparing professional public leaders, generating research for public impact and promoting participation in democracy.

We do this fully aware of the nation’s discontent: Confidence in public institutions is at an all-time low. Americans do not trust government or higher education to deliver value.

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We believe that if we do our work at the highest level of excellence, we can deliver value to students, their families, public and nonprofit sector employers, elected officials, policymakers and citizens. This work has the power to restore trust in the government and public service.

In the spirit of Sen. John and Annie Glenn, two smalltown Americans with a deep commitment to improve their nation for their fellow citizens, we strive to model and inspire the Glenn Way: service to the common good. 

The college now embarks on a strategic plan in service to this mission and in alignment with the university’s priorities in excellence in academics and research.

  • We will broaden degree accessibility and affordability by helping all students successfully complete their education as quickly as possible with a focus on landing a rewarding public service job or pursuing advanced study.
  • We will expand our graduates’ return on education through exceptional, innovative, skill-based degrees; an array of internships and professional development experiences in Ohio and Washington, D.C.; and meaningful connections to alumni, working professionals and elected officials.
  • We will advance the value we deliver to the state of Ohio and the nation by producing high quality research that positively impacts the lives of citizens and through our placement of our graduates in public service positions at the local, state and federal level. 

Our work draws on our academic and professional expertise in public and nonprofit management and leadership, public policy analysis and evaluation, and public budgeting and finance, as well as in areas that impact the lives of citizens — such as education, housing, public safety and national security.

How we operate matters as much as what we deliver. To serve as a workplace of choice, we will invest in our people, the faculty and staff that carry out our mission. To perform at the highest level with the lowest costs, we will improve our business practices and use artificial intelligence and other pioneering technologies in our teaching, research and operations. 

Through these efforts, we will work to strengthen democracy and restore faith in public service by following the direction of John Glenn:

Don’t give in to complacency and cynicism. Don’t ignore what is bad, but concentrate on building what is good. Don’t take America and the values reflected in our form of government for granted. And never forget that in our democracy, the government is not “them” — it is “us.”

 

Read the latest edition of Public Address, the Glenn College magazine.