The interim president of Ohio State University says he has work to do to push the OSU brand across the country internationally, but he says he doesn’t feel damage control is part of that. Joe Alutto is taking over for Gordon Gee, who retired earlier this summer after a controversy over a series of headline-making verbal gaffes. Alutto says he doesn’t think he has to repair any burned bridges as he moves into Gee’s office.
"I don't think that's an issue," says Alutto. "I think every president is different, whether interim or permanent. I think the new presidents should be themselves when they come in. They shouldn't worry about what Gordon is or what I am. They just do what their strengths are. That's what they're recruited for. I'm in here because I have some strengths, I'm not going to change that”
Alutto also says Gee’s 5.8 million dollar retirement package was a Board of Trustees decision, so he says he doesn’t have to defend or comment on it. Alutto spoke before the Columbus Metropolitan Club, and when asked about college affordability, he said he expects cost-savings measures to trim $100 million over the next few years. And he says students need to be taught to be more savvy about money and whether incurring debt is worth it, even if it’s for education.