🎓 President Emeritus. Led five great universities. Proud Father and Grandfather. Bow tie enthusiast.
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Articles by E. Gordon Gee
The Odd Couple Takes the Sandbox Live
RST: I’m pooped. We’ve had a fun and exhausting run of Odd Couple Live appearances, but seriously, dude, I don’t have the stamina to keep up with you. I still, however, find it easy to disagree. So often when you gave a response, I had to put my head in my hands and quote the SNL skit: “Jane, you ignorant slut.” Our distinguished audiences couldn’t believe I would be so disrespectful to a “national treasure”! But they have been laughing their asses off at our performances.
The Odd Couple: The Differences Between Colleges and Universities
RST: Since we started doing this column nine months ago (!), you’ve wanted us to take our show on the road. I said, “No way, minion.” I like to sit behind my computer at home, and we all know I write better than I talk. You are a showman and it’s terrifying to share a stage with you. But we just had our debut at Hendrix College. Thoughts? EGG: Well, first I am just recovering from my Valium stupor after you nearly killed us driving in the roundabouts in Conway, Ark.
College sports is coming apart. This bill will bring it under control.
College sports is coming apart. This bill will bring it under control. (washingtonpost.com) College sports is coming apart. This bill will bring it under control. By Nick Saban; E. Gordon Gee 2026100212530500 Saturdays once again belong to college football. Stadiums are full, rivalries have reignited, and grills are being fired up in parking lots across the country. Yet behind the tailgates and thrill of "College GameDay," the system supporting college athletics is coming apart.
The Odd Couple: Have We Forgotten How to Have Conversations?
RST: Gordon, you have to stop complaining about how much I boss you around. You’re finally doing real work and all you do is complain. EGG: One of the privileges of retiring is that I can now whine and complain, and I plan on catching up on 45 years of silence. So there! RST: Well, I know you’re still getting used to not being the big cheese, my minion. What I’ve come to understand is that presidents can never be the victim.
China is winning the science race while Washington freezes American innovation
Nearly 20 million students have returned to America’s college campuses. Those of us who have spent our lives inside universities never tire of it. Back to school is one of the most exciting times of the year. This year, though, campuses are quieter. Stay informed.Stay ahead. Join Washington Examiner for unlimited access to the news, analysis, and commentary that matter most. See Options › Already a member? Log in Already a print subscriber?
Character in Higher Ed
RST: Neither of us are religious, Gordon, but we both cherish some of the traditions of the faiths we were born into. I like to say I’m Jew-ish and you claim you’re culturally Mormon. EGG: Most meaningful to me are the small tokens of a value system that is critical to who I am, like not drinking alcohol, though I do indulge in too much diet Dr. Pepper. RST: Oh, I know all about that dirty little habit.
Building a Cabinet
RST: Gordon, yesterday we lost a national treasure. Dolly Parton’s America is one of my favorite podcasts ever. Many of us admired and even loved Dolly, but you were friends with her. I’m so sorry for your loss. EGG: Losing Dolly is a loss for anyone who believes in the power of kindness and always being one’s true self. I think she was everyone’s friend because she could connect with millions who never met or saw her. An American treasure indeed. RST: May her memory be for a blessing.
The Odd Couple: We’re Not Back in School
RST: Gordon, this will be the second year since the beginning of time that you don’t have to prepare for the academic year to start. I can imagine last fall was even harder for you after leaving the presidency in July. Was it? EGG: Rachel, I truly miss the energy of the beginning of school. And not being able to plug into that energy after so many years has been a challenge. From my perch, the unusual rhythm of the university is one of its most endearing qualities.
The Odd Couple: Celebrating What We Love
RST: Sure, we are an odd couple, but I thought of another way we’re alike, Gordon. EGG: We’re both small but mighty? RST: Yes, that. But also, under our snarky, wisecracking exteriors, we are complete mushballs who often wax sentimental. EGG: It is so true. It is sad that in academe expressing support or true kindness is often looked at as being either weak or even offensive. You and I have discovered in our time together that caring and kindness are something many leaders cherish.
You Say Bologna; I Say Baloney
RST: A retired president said something to me the other day, Gordon. EGG: Was it, “How did you get Gordon Gee to work with you? We all know that he is senile”? RST: No. They said the first time they saw this column, the response was “Why him?” There were a lot of other out-to-pasture leaders who would have liked to spout off in this space. EGG: That is because they don’t know how bossy and irritating you are. RST: I save most of that for you. From our first conversation, it was clear you were my guy.
The Odd Couple: The Mess of Intercollegiate Athletics
RST: Gordon, you have been a tiny bit slower than your usual speedy self getting back to me, because you’ve been busy with the Senate bill on intercollegiate athletics. You testified two weeks ago, after spending years trying to get this mess sorted out. EGG: It is funny that I am in a position to talk about football. I’m 5-foot-5 and weigh 140 pounds, and at 82, I really should be playing canasta on a beach. RST: Stop right there. Those are three truths and a lie.
Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Events and Jobs
Yet Another Piece About AI and Writing AI is valuable as a tool, but it becomes dangerous when it replaces the acts of judgment, audience awareness and human connection that produce authentic writing. Before a Vote of No Confidence Rachel Toor confesses, I sat in Faculty Senate and raised my hand to vote no confidence in a president. Now I believe I was wrong.
Who’s Doing the Teaching at Universities?
RST: Gordon, I will teach my last classes of the year today. I’m whupped. EGG: You, dear Rachel (my Big Boss), do truly walk the talk. Unlike so many of us who opine on higher education, you do the work of being a faculty member. I am going to teach a class this fall for the first time in 10 years. I am already starting to prepare, because I feel really uncomfortable having to carry a whole class by myself after so many years in the wilderness of administration.
Don’t let America’s greatest ideas become budget casualties
A postdoctoral researcher at Rice University holds up a vial containing a protein sample. President Donald Trump's latest budget request proposes significant funding cuts to university research, even though such research leads to valuable discoveries. Houston Chronicle/Hearst Newspap/Houston Chronicle via Getty Imag President Donald Trump’s budget request, released at the beginning of April, will once again put university research funding at the center of Washington’s fiscal debate.
Do Faculty Refuse to Recognize Financial Challenges?
RST: Gordon, I know I said you could wait to see The Devil Wears Prada 2 until your granddaughters visit in July, but I’m changing my mind. You must see it immediately so we can discuss its relevance to higher ed. EGG: I can’t keep up with all this homework! But Rachel, now that we’ve gotten to be great friends, have established a rhythm of working together and I understand that you are the boss, we need to get organized.
Why Fixing Mideast Studies is Key to Fixing US Universities
It is now the middle of college graduation season, and we will not be making any commencement addresses. One of us is a former president of several major universities who will mark the first time in 45 years not presiding over graduation festivities. The other heads an academic association composed of faculty at schools across the country.
The Odd Couple: The Pecking Order in Higher Ed
RST: Gordon, how do you have the stamina to travel so much? I start pretty much every text to you with “Where’s Waldo?” You’re in different state every day. EGG: Initially all of the travel was because they kicked me out of the president’s residence. I thought that after 45 years I would always live in a 30,000-square-foot house. I decided to spend a year in hibernation by visiting other institutions and taking advantage of their largess.
The Odd Couple: The Real Crisis in Higher Ed
RST: I’m worried about you, friend. How’s your back? EGG: It’s fine. Getting old is hell, but for me manageable because I still have all my marbles. RST: You have a lot of marbles, so here’s something I’m struggling with and want you to help me understand. EGG: I will try to help, but no dog grooming questions. RST: No, wise guy. It’s the problem of other minds.
The Odd Couple: Is Shared Governance Really Shared?
RST: You’ve been telling the presidents I introduce you to that I’m working you like a show pony. Wrong. I’m trying to get you to be a dray horse and actually pull some weight for change. EGG: I do feel like a dray horse with you constantly shoving more stuff at me. Maybe I’m more like a donkey. RST: Don’t you mean an ass? 🤣 EGG: Rachel, it is truly unkind to make fun of an octogenarian. You know that I am barely 5 feet 5 inches tall and have to sit at the kids’ table for Thanksgiving.
The Odd Couple: To Tenure or Not to Tenure
RST: I recently chatted with a current president who said, “Ohio State. Can you believe it?” What a quaint way for a leader to get the boot, instead of the more common instance of a board hiring a “change agent” and then not liking the changes. EGG: Of course, I am sensitive to this issue because of my long relationship with Ohio State. Any time a president loses their job there is always a lesson. Unfortunately, we often fail to ask what can be learned, but rather we move quickly past the moment.
The Odd Couple: Donât Go Changing
RST: Gordon! For some reason, I got a zillion texts this week about who might serve as interim president at Ohio State. Not it, right? EGG: Of course not. I am too busy and happy being harassed by you. đ€đđ» RST: Phew. The Odd Couple marriage needs to last. And sorry my husband Toby and I disappointed you by not ordering the most expensive things on the menu in D.C., but the conversation at dinner was even better than the food. And now Toby has a man crush on you.
The Odd Couple: Is the Presidency Dangerous?
RST: Gordon, after what happened on the campus of The Ohio State University a couple of weeks ago, I am concerned about your safety. And maybe mine. While I may not always agree with you, I will defend to the death your right to say it. But I’m not prepared to put my body on the line to protect you. Can we agree that there will be no more knocking cameras out of hands or assault and battery?
The Tyranny of Disciplines
RST: Good morning, my dear hard-boiled egg. Did you have a good trip to Austin, upholding the patriarchy and extolling the manly virtues of the Western canon? EGG: You are so irritating. Old white men need to have a little space in the lexicon of human endeavors. I stand for all of them. So there!! RST: 🤮 There’s been a theme in the responses I’m hearing from people about this column, and it has to do with bodily functions and fluids.
What Do People Get Wrong About the University Presidency?
Now that we text each other approximately 7,000 times a day, and we’re going forward as friends in a relationship of equals, we’ve decided to use our initials for this column. Gordon’s full name is Ebenezer or something that starts with an E. Rachel was born without a middle name and in college, among the preppies, decided to give herself an S. RST: That good with you? EGG: Do I have a choice? I would have preferred Your Highness but highly unlikely that would fly. RST: That’s what my phone calls me.
The Odd Couple: Rachel Toor and Gordon Gee
A Jewish atheist feminist columnist/professor and a devout Mormon bow tie–clad lawyer/university president walked into a bar. Or at least, shared a Zoom screen to talk about higher ed. Hilarity ensued. Especially since both have the sometimes-job-ending though not career-killing trait of talking faster than they think and never, ever being able to resist a sarcastic crack.
College athletics is in crisis - we must unite to save it Original
Just last week, President Trump sounded the alarm for a sacred American institution in crisis, college athletics. For more than four decades, I have had the privilege of serving as president at five remarkable universities. Nothing has inspired my work more than the knowledge that for countless students, college athletics serve as a powerful bridge to education, leadership, and community. And Trump is right that college athletics is in crisis.
I’ve been a college president and higher education needs to embrace diversity of beliefs
"The hostages are back." This simple declaration, delivered by President Donald Trump in his Oct. 13 speech in Jerusalem, is more than a mere statement of fact. It is a historic — and much-needed — reprieve from the war that has been tearing the Middle East apart for more than two years now, beginning with Hamas’s massacre of Israeli citizens and continuing with Israel’s military operation in Gaza.
'Together, we have positioned West Virginia University for the future'
Reader's Note: As he enters the final days of his presidency, retiring University President Gordon Gee has issued the following message for faculty, staff, students and other members of the University community. Dear Mountaineer Family, As I prepare to step down as West Virginia University president, my memories gather around this beautiful state, and what our faculty, staff, students and friends have accomplished for its people.
Challenges and opportunities in the year(s) ahead
At the beginning of a new year, most people find themselves looking forward and resolving to change their habits to improve their future. In the final year of my four-plus decades as a university president, I find myself pondering the future of West Virginia University and American higher education generally.
Challenges and opportunities in the year(s) ahead
At the beginning of a new year, most people find themselves looking forward and resolving to change their habits to improve their future. In the final year of my four-plus decades as a university president, I find myself pondering the future of West Virginia University and American higher education generally.
Michigan’s president admits to regulatory overcompliance, maybe.
Why so many emails? That’s the question Silke-Maria Weineck, a professor of German literature at the University of Michigan, asks in her latest essay in our pages. The emails are from Santa Ono, the university’s president. Here’s an excerpt from one: Late last night, a group of Jewish students had gathered for dinner at the Southfield home of a local rabbi when, shortly before 11 p.m., an armed individual entered through an open backdoor, stole a bag, and fled.
Michigan’s president admits to regulatory overcompliance, maybe.
Why so many emails? That’s the question Silke-Maria Weineck, a professor of German literature at the University of Michigan, asks in her latest essay in our pages. The emails are from Santa Ono, the university’s president. Here’s an excerpt from one: Late last night, a group of Jewish students had gathered for dinner at the Southfield home of a local rabbi when, shortly before 11 p.m., an armed individual entered through an open backdoor, stole a bag, and fled.
Opinion | The Demise of College Sports as We Know Them
Two years ago, a Southeastern Conference NIL collective paid $150,000 to keep a defensive end from transferring. To retain him this season, it had to pay $1.5 million — and that’s just for one player. There isn’t a day that goes by when university presidents aren’t forced to make difficult choices about the allocation of finite resources. Until recently, these decisions were hard, but navigable.
Focused to last: Making progress for generations to come
“Last” can be defined as a conclusion; a time when things are done. However, as I prepare for my final — or last — year at West Virginia University, I am not focused on concluding my tenure as a university president. Instead, I am focused on ensuring the work we are doing at West Virginia University — to ensure every West Virginian has access to a world-class education, to improve the future of our beloved state and to contribute to our American democracy — will last.
Focused to last: Making progress for generations to come
“Last” can be defined as a conclusion; a time when things are done. However, as I prepare for my final – or last – year at West Virginia University, I am not focused on concluding my tenure as a university president. Instead, I am focused on ensuring the work we are doing at West Virginia University – to ensure every West Virginian has access to a world-class education, to improve the future of our beloved state and to contribute to our American democracy – will last.
Vision for WVU as a modern land-grant university
Every summer as I speak with our incoming students and their families at New Student Orientation, I often share the story of how our University came to be. A young state representative from Vermont, Justin Morrill, met with President Abraham Lincoln to share his vision for accessible education for all. At the time, only the very wealthy could afford to pursue higher education.
Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Events and Jobs
Western Illinois University’s decision in 2024 to lay off 11 employees violated the university’s collective bargaining agreement with a faculty... Financial Headwinds Drive More Job Cuts in May Colleges across the nation cut multiple jobs and programs last month as many sought to rein in projected budget deficits ahead of the start of a new fiscal year. When Hampshire College announced its closure in April, officials said that it would shut down at the end of the...
Colleges must offer multiple roads to recognition for faculty (opinion)
This is my 40th year as a university president. I have been a faculty member throughout that time and have continued to teach and research even as I have faced immense challenges leading a university. The reason that I do so is because I believe that the teaching mission of our universities is absolutely vital to their success. I wholeheartedly endorse the views in the opinion piece by Lisa M.
President Gee on latest coronavirus updates
Dear West Virginia University family, In my 40 years as a university president, the crisis at hand is like none other I have ever experienced. As our nation grapples with the devastating novel coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, it is imperative that we at West Virginia University do all we can to support our state and our country. First, let me assure you that our University has risen to the occasion to ensure the safety of our campus communities.
Opinion | Don’t Forget Our Frontline Caregivers in the Opioid Epidemic
America’s opioid epidemic will go down in history alongside the Spanish flu, typhoid, polio and AIDS as one of our worst public health disasters. Between 1999 and 2017, almost 218,000 people in the United States died from overdoses connected to prescription opioids, and almost as many more died from overdoses connected to illicit opioids. Of the 70,000 drug overdose deaths in 2017, two-thirds of them were opioid-connected. Deaths continue at the rate of 130 a day.
What comes after the Confucius Institutes? (opinion)
Recent news coverage about the Confucius Institutes in the United States provides a sobering summary of the concerns and controversies swirling around the institutes. The concerns involve, in particular, questions about academic freedom and institutional autonomy, and the possible importation of Chinese state censorship when it comes to teaching and scholarship.
College admissions scandal: Lincoln's land-grant colleges are still helping students grow
Like all Americans, I was riveted by the breaking news this month that a fraudulent network of wealthy and celebrated individuals paid a shady fixer to secure their children coveted spots in top-tier colleges and universities, doing anything from rigging SAT scores to doctoring images in order to present their offspring as elite athletes worthy of scholarships. I found this story heartbreaking but not, sadly, surprising.
College admissions scandal: Lincoln's land-grant colleges are still helping students grow
E. Gordon Gee, Opinion contributor Published 7:00 a.m. ET March 25, 2019 Having helmed both an Ivy League institution and several land-grant universities, I'm proud to report the latter institutions are an ongoing success.
Cooperative Extension Services and the 21st Century Land-Grant Mission
Cooperative Extensions have historically played a critical role in increasing access to land-grant universities, but as communities evolve it’s critical for the Cooperative Extensions—and the universities they’re part of—to transform as well. Ohio State University professor Stephen M. Gavazzi and West Virginia University president E.
Our nation needs better trained math and science teachers (essay)
Great teachers are vital to the success of our nation’s students. Teaching also happens to be one of the most rewarding vocations a person can pursue -- one that directly affects the next generation, fuels our economy and changes lives. I’ve been thinking about this a lot as thousands of students and teachers have returned to school.
Gee: Budget challenges will not stop WVU from providing the best for its students
By Gordon GeeWVU president & honorary correspondentLiving on your own as a college student gives you a crash course in budget-balancing. If your employer scales back your working hours, or other circumstances staunch your cash-flow, ignoring the situation only makes it worse. You have to replace that income or reduce your expenses—immediately. Unfortunately, West Virginia is in a similar position now.
A university president's advice for Betsy DeVos regarding higher education
While Secretary of Education nominee Betsy DeVos is a passionate advocate for reforming our nation’s schools, her views on higher education are less well known. The U.S. Department Education has a major impact on colleges and universities and their students, especially regarding financial aid and civil rights. Mrs. DeVos’ confirmation hearing shed little light on the policies she would pursue.
E. Gordon Gee: Rock Creek Development Park right move for southern WV
The 2016 election has shone a national spotlight on American communities that are struggling as our nation shifts from a manufacturing-based economy to one that is fueled on knowledge and innovation. To West Virginians, these struggles are hardly a new revelation. For decades, many of our communities have witnessed the staggering decline of industries that supported generations of families.
E. Gordon Gee: We need to agree to listen to each other
Since the election, passions and tensions are running high on university campuses and in the general public. Part of this, of course, is that there were two candidates, both unpopular, and in theory, the more disliked candidate won. But here we are, a new president-elect, a Republican Party firmly in control of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate, and firmly in control of the vast majority of the states.
Guest opinion: Binding up wounds after divisive election
Since the election, passions and tensions are running high on university campuses and in the general public. Part of this, of course, is that there were two candidates, both unpopular, and in theory, the more disliked candidate won. But here we are, a new president-elect, a Republican Party firmly in control of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate, and firmly in control of the vast majority of the states.
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