Bill Hall will speak at spring commencement

Columbus – William H. Hall, vice president for student affairs at The Ohio State University, will be the speaker for Ohio State’s spring commencement, set for June 12 in Ohio Stadium. Approximately 7,000 students will receive degrees during the ceremony, which begins at 1 p.m.

Graduates and guests can find complete information on the ceremony at http://www.osu.edu/commence/

Known for his tireless dedication and devotion to students and the university, Hall has played a leadership role in improving the lives of Ohio State students since joining the university student affairs staff in 1977. He served as Ohio State’s director of residence and dining halls until his appointment as assistant vice president in 1994. In 2001, he was named vice president for student affairs, after serving in an interim capacity for nearly a year.

Thousands of Ohio State undergraduates know Hall through his weekly email column, “Generally Speaking,” where he provides information, advice and humorous observations on campus life. In January, he told students about his recent cancer diagnosis.

Hall was nominated as speaker by Ohio State’s student newspaper “The Lantern.” The paper noted “his 28 years of service to Ohio State students makes him the ultimate Buckeye and ideal speaker for spring commencement. He exemplifies what it is to be a Buckeye beyond any celebrity we could draw.”

University President Karen Holbrook says Hall illustrates the best of Ohio State spirit. “Bill is the perfect choice to bring a message of character and courage to our students. His many years of dedicated service to students, involving very long hours of personal involvement in a wide variety of student activities and concerns, will make his message especially meaningful,” she said.

Hall says the ceremony will be a memorable occasion. “I am extremely honored and humbled by the invitation to give the commencement address. The fact that students nominated me for this role makes it truly special to me. I am looking forward to speaking to the graduates and their families and friends and sharing in the joy of their accomplishments,” he said.

Hall has overseen a number of major initiatives that enhance the student experience outside the classroom. They include reducing the density of housing in residence halls; vastly improving the student move-in process, revising the Code of Student Conduct to give the university more authority over the behavior of students living off-campus, guiding implementation of a student activity fee that greatly increased recreational and cultural opportunities for students. Under his leadership, several major construction projects have been completed or are under way: a 500-bed student housing complex opened in 2003, the Recreation and Physical Activity Center is nearing completion , and a new Ohio Union is in the planning stage. He has championed student involvement in all phases of university life and is a strong advocate of student government.

He is responsible for a wide range of services, including housing and residence education, dining services, student activities, the Ohio Union, recreational sports, student health services, counseling and career advising, off-campus student services, the Multicultural Center, disability services, parent association, student advocacy services, the Schottenstein Center, the Blackwell Inn, conference and hospitality services, and non-academic student discipline.

Involved for many years in promoting safety in the off-campus neighborhoods, Hall has been instrumental in building bridges between the university administration, student residents, city government and police agencies, business and property owners, and other stakeholders. He has been a visible presence on the streets as well as in committee meetings, speaking with students about responsible behavior and taking a firm stand on student discipline.

He has provided direction for major campus events, including multiple visits of presidents and presidential candidates. In addition, he has taken personal responsibility for insuring the success of the hundreds of student events that are planned each year, and often participates in them.

Prior to coming to Ohio State, Hall served as director of housing at the University of Southern Illinois, where he earned bachelors and master’s degrees in education. He also had a distinguished military career with the Ohio Army National Guard. He is a graduate of the U.S.Army War College and retired in 1998 with the rank of Brigadier General after 30 years of military service.