Key dates in Ohio State President Michael Drake’s tenure


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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio State University President Michael Drake announced his retirement plans Thursday.

Here is a look at some key dates in his tenure:

June 30, 2014: Drake, an ophthalmologist who served as chancellor of the University of California, Irvine, becomes Ohio State’s 15th president.

July 24, 2014: Drake fires marching band director Jonathan Waters, saying Waters “knew or should have known about” a sexualized culture that internal investigators had discovered inside the band. Waters stridently fought the firing, including through both state and federal lawsuits, but was never reinstated.

Sept. 11, 2014: U.S. Department of Education closes four-year investigation into Ohio State’s handling of sexual abuse cases, citing the school’s response to the band investigation.

May 8, 2015: Drake announces plans to freeze tuition, fees and room and board for all in-state students on the Columbus campus, a first in at least 40 years.

Jan. 24, 2016: Drake announces in his annual State of the University address that another $20 million in financial aid will be made available to needy students, part of a $400 million commitment over five years to lower students' costs and improve the value of their education.

Sept. 17, 2017: Ohio State announces record-high fall enrollment of 66,444, which included a record 20% minority students, up 6.1%. Incoming freshmen had the highest ACT scores to date for new students.

April 5, 2018: Ohio State announces investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct by the late Dr. Richard Strauss, a former wrestling team physician.

Aug. 23, 2018: Buckeyes football coach Urban Meyer is suspended for three games for mishandling repeated professional and behavioral problems of an assistant coach, including domestic violence allegations.

May 17, 2019: Drake expresses “profound regret and sincere apologies” and takes several other actions, after an outside investigation finds at least 177 men were sexually abused by Strauss and that many school leaders knew at the time.

Oct. 4, 2019: Ohio State announces the largest fundraising target in its history: $4.5 billion from 1 million donors.

SOURCE: AP Research

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