As higher ed faces attack, Ohio State, Johns Hopkins presidents address role in democracy
Ohio State President Ted Carter and Johns Hopkins University President Ronald J. Daniels aimed to answer those questions during a public discussion at the Ohio Union Tuesday afternoon.
The discussion, called "Citizenship Education at America's Leading Research Universities," was the first public event held by Ohio State's Salmon P. Chase Center for Civics, Culture & Society and was co-sponsored by the Center for Ethics and Human Values, the Institute for Democratic Engagement and Accountability and the John Glenn College of Public Affairs.
Study up on education news: Subscribe to The Dispatch's weekly education newsletter Extra Credit
Though the Ohio General Assembly mandated the creation of five independent academic centers promoting intellectual diversity at Ohio State and four other state public universities in 2023, and the center has been active since this past fall, Tuesday's event was in some ways a public introduction to the Chase Center and its offerings.
Chase Center Executive Director Lee J. Strang moderated the hourlong event. Strang said the purpose of the event was two-fold: to provide information about citizenship education at the university level and to model civil debate.
Carter and Daniels both shared their perspectives as leaders of public and private universities, respectively, on how what they see as the role of a research university in promoting civic education. It is a question that Strang was particularly interested in hearing from Daniels.
Daniels, who has served as president of Johns Hopkins since 2009, wrote a book titled "What Universities Owe Democracy" in 2021. Strang read the book three years ago, about the same time that discussions started at the Statehouse related to creating the Chase Center and other like it. He thought it was interesting why the president of the country's leading research institution would write a book about citizenship education.
The two concepts are more intertwined than one might think, Daniels said during Tuesday's discussion.
He took attendees back to post-WW2 America, when inventor and science administrator Vannevar Bush led the movement responsible for creating the National Science Foundation. His push to promote national security and economic growth by financing higher education research through federal funds, Daniels said, was "true genius."
That relationship between the university and the federal government is crucial to the growth and existence of not only high-level research but also democracy itself, both presidents said. Ohio State, Carter said, wouldn't exist without its research arm.
"As a public (university), we are beholden to those dollars for us to be able to do this work for the nation," Carter said. "The United States has a gift for the future and the current work of research."
Both presidents submitted, however, that universities need to do a better job communicating all of the work they do and why it is crucial to civic engagement. A Gallup poll published in July 2024 found that Americans are nearly equally divided on their confidence levels in higher education. Those who have a lot of confidence in higher education, about 36%, just barely outweighs those who have some confidence (32%) and those with little or no confidence (32%) in higher education. That is in stark contrast to when Gallup first measured confidence in higher education in 2015, when 57% had a great deal or quite a lot of confidence and only 10% had little or none.
"It's a little bit under attack, to be quite honest, right now," Carter said. "But what it is that we do and how we do it is so important."
Daniels said that we've seen democracies around the world "drifting to authoritarianism" and "robust democracies becoming fragile."
"It's in that context that you ask the question, 'What can institutions do to ensure the survival and the flourishing of these political arrangements, of these institutions that we associate with the idea of democracy?'" he said.
Education, both Daniels and Carter said, is a huge part of the solution. Both shared how they've worked to integrate civics education at their universities.
At Johns Hopkins, Daniels said the university started "Democracy Day," a full day of programming during freshman orientation where new students hear all about the tenets of democracy, learn about opportunities across campus and in the broader community to get involved, and participate in activities to cultivate and practice civil discourse.
"We're trying to normalize this exchange, and again, be a corrective force to the deep polarization that exists in this country," Daniels said. "We're deeply, deeply divided, but we're not even talking to each other. We're just hurling insults and getting more and more entrenched... This is an opportunity to develop this ability to navigate these differences."
Carter noted that "Education for Citizenship" is both Ohio State's motto and its mission. He highlighted the university's Listen. Learn. Discuss. platform, launched during fall semester. The platform acts as an umbrella to campus groups dedicated to free expression and civics, including the Center for Ethics and Human Values, OSU Votes and the Divided Community Project.
Civil discourse: These Ohio State academics want to help you navigate difficult conversations better
It was almost fitting that an event about education did not take place without its detractors. About halfway through the discussion, two students seated in the audience stood up and called on Carter to join them at a protest outside the Ohio Union to hear directly from students.
About 50 students gathered before the Chase Center event to protest the university's recent decision to shutter two of its diversity offices, as well as the state of university's investments and student housing.
"We have students, faculty and staff who are concerned about the lack of democracy at Ohio State University," one of the students said. "... We want you to embody the citizenship you're talking about here."
The protestors were escorted out of the theater minutes later without issue. Before resuming the event, Carter said to audience members that he is proud that students feel comfortable expressing their freedom of speech on campus.
"As I said earlier, I wore the uniform for 38 years. I was committed to the Constitution of the United States, and part of that was First Amendment," he said. "So as much as it seems like a disruption, it's OK, and that's part of what we do here."
Higher education reporter Sheridan Hendrix can be reached at shendrix@dispatch.com and on Signal at @sheridan.120. You can follow her on Instagram at @sheridanwrites.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State, Johns Hopkins leaders speak at Chase Center's first event
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
15 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump Plans To Force Thousands Of USDA Workers To Leave D.C. Area
The Trump administration plans to push thousands of U.S. Agriculture Department workers out of the Washington, D.C., region by forcing them to relocate to far-away offices if they want to keep their jobs. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the plan in a press release Thursday, with her office claiming the move would 'better align' the agency 'with its founding mission of supporting American farming, ranching, and forestry.' Rollins said the department employs around 4,600 workers in the D.C. area, but by the time the transition is over, it plans to have 'no more than 2,000' left in and around the nation's capital. It also expects to close most of its buildings in the area, including a major research center. The D.C.-area employees would be transferred to 'hub' locations in Raleigh, North Carolina; Kansas City, Missouri; Indianapolis, Indiana; Fort Collins, Colorado and Salt Lake City, Utah, the agency said. Rollins acknowledged the move would create 'personal disruption for you and your families,' in a video directed at agency employees. 'This decision was not entered into lightly,' she said. Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, a union representing USDA workers, told HuffPost in a statement that the move would damage the agency. He noted that, despite common misperceptions, 85% of federal employees already live outside the Washington, D.C., region. 'But D.C. is the center of our nation's government for a reason, as it facilitates needed coordination between senior leadership and field offices and ensures agencies are at the seat of the table when decisions are made at the White House and in Congress,' Kelley said. He singled out the announced closure of the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center in Maryland as particularly misguided, calling it a 'crown jewel' for critical research. 'I'm concerned this reorganization is just the latest attempt to eliminate USDA workers and minimize their critical work,' Kelley added. The relocation proposal is reminiscent of a similar, controversial plan at the USDA from the first Trump presidency. In 2019, then-Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced that two agencies within the USDA would be relocated to Kansas City to save money and place employees in the Heartland. The move crushed morale and prompted many workers to leave rather than upend their families' lives; it also fueled a successful union organizing campaign among USDA staff. Mick Mulvaney, who had served as Trump's budget director, later boasted about how many resignations the plan had spurred. HuffPost reported earlier this year on how that move was still dogging the agency and its mission more than five years later. A USDA economist said the relocation plan appeared to be little more than a mass layoff in disguise. 'We had a lot of people who had spent their careers working on very specific fields — very niche questions,' the economist said. 'And when they left, it was so sudden and abrupt that there wasn't time to bring in the next generation. You had to just leave all of your work and go.' Rollins argued that pushing workers to other states would benefit the agency's work. 'President Trump was elected to make real change in Washington, and we are doing just that by moving our key services outside the beltway and into great American cities across the country,' she said. The proposal aligns with Trump's broader attacks on the federal workforce. Since taking power in January, the administration has gone to great lengths to push federal employees out of the government, either by firing them through legally dubious means, enticing them to leave through early retirement offers or making them so miserable that they decide to quit. More than 15,000 USDA employees took the administration's 'deferred resignation' proposal earlier this year, raising concerns about how it would continue to enforce food safety, administer agricultural programs and conduct critical research. In fact, so many chose to leave that USDA leadership had to encourage some to change their minds. Related... USDA Cuts More Than $1 Billion Earmarked For Local Food In School Lunches More Than 5,000 Fired USDA Employees Just Got Their Jobs Back Trump Has A Plan To Sabotage The Government — And It Worked Perfectly His First Term


Fox News
17 minutes ago
- Fox News
Student suspended for saying 'illegal aliens' in class gets cash, apology from school
A school district in North Carolina has been ordered to admit their mistake, issue an apology, fork over $20,000, and more after they were sued for suspending a 16-year-old student who used the term "illegal aliens." The settlement was approved on Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, following a year-long legal battle after a 16-year-old student and his parents sued Davidson County Schools for the mischaracterization of racial bias and violation of the student's First Amendment rights. "Although the parties initially moved to seal the revised settlement agreement, they have since withdrawn any request to seal any version of their settlement," Judge Thomas Schroeder stated in his Tuesday order. The 16-year-old student was suspended in April of last year after using the term "illegal aliens" during an English class discussion. "Do you mean space aliens or illegal aliens who need green cards?" the student asked. The student was later suspended for three days and marks denoting "racially insensitive behavior" were added to his permanent record. The story of Christian McGhee caught the eyes of Donald Trump, who wrote the student a personal recommendation letter as he seeks an athletic scholarship in the years ahead, according to the Liberty Justice Center, which helped with the litigation. In addition to the public apology required in the settlement, McGhee's school must correct his permanent record so it no longer denotes racial insensitivity and acknowledge "the inappropriate response to this matter by a former member." However, per Schroeder's order, the settlement does not amount to an admission of liability or wrongdoing. "As the Supreme Court has often reminded us in its First Amendment jurisprudence, students do not shed their free speech rights at the schoolhouse gate. That it took a federal lawsuit and ultimately a court-approved settlement (including an apology to Christian, and a payment of $20,000) is indicative of how far lost many educators have become in the wake of the previous administration's identity politics obsession," Sarah Parshall Perry, vice president and legal fellow at conservative nonprofit Defending Education, told Fox News Digital. "No more," Perry continued. "The mission of American education is rooted in the viewpoint diversity of a pluralistic society. Our hope is that after Christian's ordeal, schools will think twice about venturing into unconstitutional waters and trampling on the free speech rights of their students." According to the Liberty Justice Center, McGhee's mother spoke up in defense of her son after the incident happened, including at school board meetings, which led to an alleged attempt to smear her. The center claimed that two board members sent messages to county leaders and residents with the mother's arrest record and encouraged people to post it on social media. Neither Davidson County Schools, nor the district's board, responded to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.


Newsweek
17 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Donald Trump Reacts to Death of Hulk Hogan
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. President Donald Trump has reacted to the death of professional wrestling legend and ally, Hulk Hogan. Hogan died at age 71 following a cardiac arrest at his Clearwater, Florida, home early Thursday morning. The president, a longtime fan and a former professional wrestling heel, himself, posted on Truth Social, "We lost a great friend today, the 'Hulkster.' Hulk Hogan was MAGA all the way — Strong, tough, smart, but with the biggest heart. He gave an absolutely electric speech at the Republican National Convention, that was one of the highlights of the entire week. He entertained fans from all over the World, and the cultural impact he had was massive. To his wife, Sky, and family, we give our warmest best wishes and love. Hulk Hogan will be greatly missed!" Trump and Hogan have shared a decades-long relationship rooted in their mutual flair for showmanship and crossover appeal between entertainment and politics. Their connection dates back to the 1980s, when Trump hosted several WrestleMania events at his Atlantic City casinos, featuring Hogan as the headline act. Over time, they maintained a friendly rapport, with Trump praising Hogan's star power and Hogan occasionally invoking Trump's name in public appearances. Earlier on Thursday, as tributes began to pour in, Vice President JD Vance posted, "Hulk Hogan was a great American icon. One of the first people I ever truly admired as a kid. The last time I saw him we promised we'd get beers together next time we saw each other. The next time will have to be on the other side, my friend! Rest in peace." Donald Trump Jr. posted, "R.I.P to a legend." Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said on X, "We all have fond memories of @hulkhogan. From my childhood in the '80s, to campaigning with him last year, I always saw him as a giant in stature and in life. May he rest in peace." Trump's border czar, Tom Homan, told reporters Thursday at the White House, "I love Hulk Hogan ... I had an Italian Mastiff dog named Hulk Hogan." R.I.P to a legend. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 HULK HOGAN — Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) July 24, 2025 In recent years, Hogan has become increasingly involved in politics. During the 2024 Republican National Convention, he combined his signature WWE theatrics with the fiery rhetoric of President Donald Trump to deliver a forceful endorsement of his longtime associate. "Let Trumpamania run wild! Let Trumpamania rule again! Let Trumpamania make America Great Again!" Hogan shouted into the crowd. Donald Trump and World Champion Wrestler Hulk Hogan are shown at Wrestlemania Vl Convention Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey March 29 1987. Donald Trump and World Champion Wrestler Hulk Hogan are shown at Wrestlemania Vl Convention Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey March 29 1987. AFP/Getty Images He ripped off a t-shirt emblazoned with a picture of himself on a motorcycle to reveal a bright red Trump-Vance campaign shirt underneath. Then-presidential candidate Trump stood to applaud the move. In September of 2024, two months after the RNC, Trump publicly promote Hulk Hogan's beer brand, Real American Beer. Trump posted on Truth Social: "Hulk Hogan is doing a beer, and if he's doing it, it must be good. Great looking can and logo. Give it a try!!! DJT" This promotion came despite Trump's own admission that he doesn't drink alcohol. Though Hulk Hogan eventually became a favorite among Trump's base, according to ABC News, he supported Democrat Barack Obama during the 2008 election but later shifted his stance, backing Republican Mitt Romney over Obama in 2012. Hogan notably lampooned Trump in a 2012 video. As part of a promotional stunt, Hogan impersonated Trump by removing his sunglasses and mockingly styling a paper bag as a comb‑over. He then mimicked firing his own family and suggested Trump "turns his back on everyone," implying the then-real estate mogul and reality show star is self‑centered. Hulk Hogan ripping Trump in 2012 as not 'cool' and someone who turns his back on everyone including his own family. This was before he sold out to Trump to promote his beer. — PatriotTakes 🇺🇸 (@patriottakes) July 24, 2025 This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.