- Emailsmith.70@osu.edu
- Office
Columbus, OH 43210
W. Randy Smith joined the Office of Academic Affairs in 1994 as the university's first provosts faculty fellow, and in that capacity, coordinated Ohio State’s decennial institutional re-accreditation process. Subsequently he was named associate provost, and since 1998 has been vice provost for academic programs (formerly, curriculum and institutional relations).
His current portfolio focuses on academic program development and review for the university's 15 colleges and four regional campuses. In that capacity: he coordinated the university's conversion from a quarter to semester calendar from 2009-2012; oversaw two subsequent successful institutional re-affirmation of accreditation processes, in 2007 and 2017; and helped lead a review of the university’s general education program. In addition, he is heavily involved in terms of both policy and practice — with the Ohio Department of Higher Education’s statewide initiatives on articulation and transfer among the state’s 36 two-year and four-year public colleges and universities.
He has been extensively committed to, and involved in, national professional organizations, statewide committees and task forces, and university governance throughout his career at Ohio State.
He received the Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching in 1990 and was honored, in 1997, as one of the initial recipients of the Faculty Award for Distinguished University Service.
A member of Ohio State’s Department of Geography since 1978, Vice Provost Smith specializes in urban geography, especially urban historical geography, and urban and regional systems. He received his BA (Honors), MA and PhD from York University in Toronto, Canada.
Primary responsibilities
- University-wide academic program development and review
- New workforce development programming
- Institutional and specialized accreditation
- Teaching/learning activities and student learning outcomes
- Compliance with statewide academic priorities and practices from the Ohio Department of Higher Education (transfer and articulation, College Credit Plus)
- Committee on Academic Misconduct
- Review of academic centers/institutes and interdisciplinary programs
Executive Assistant
Katie Reed
reed.901@osu.edu