COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State's top trustees say insensitive comments by the university president have embarrassed and divided the university.

The trustees say in a letter to president Gordon Gee that his comments risk diminishing the collective efforts of the university and of Gee's own good work.

The March 11 letter was obtained Friday by The Associated Press. It lays out several steps Gee must take following the revelation of remarks he made last year jabbing Notre Dame, Roman Catholics and the Southeastern Conference.

Gee, who has taken heat previously for uncouth remarks, told members of the school's athletic council late last year that Notre Dame never was invited to join the Big Ten because the university's priests are not good partners.

Gee said he negotiated with Notre Dame officials during his first term at Ohio State, which began more than two decades ago.

"The fathers are holy on Sunday, and they're holy hell on the rest of the week," Gee said to laughter at the Dec. 5 meeting attended by athletic director Gene Smith and several other athletic department members, along with professors and students. "You just can't trust those damn Catholics on a Thursday or a Friday, and so, literally, I can say that," said Gee, a Mormon.

Gee apologized in a statement Thursday and again on Twitter Thursday night.

"I am truly sorry for my comments-such attempts at humor do not reflect Ohio State values, nor my role as its president," the tweet said.

In their letter, the trustees laid out steps Gee must take including issuing personal apologies, getting help from professionals to revisit his personal communications and speechwriting processes and rethinking what speaking engagements he accepts.

Trustees told Gee that his attempts "to bring a bit of levity" to significant issues have had the opposite effect at times.

"As a result, instead of your words promoting and uniting us, they have sometimes embarrassed and divided us," trustee chairman Robert Schottenstein and trustee Alex Shumate, who led the search committee that hired Gee in 2007, said in the three-page letter obtained through a records request.

"Such comments are not befitting a great university like Ohio State or its leadership," the letter continued. It added: "Although we do not believe that you intended harm, such comments risk diminishing the effectiveness of our collective efforts and of your good work."

The letter said Gee is making progress on the board's list of requirements.

"Your willingness to seek guidance and counsel on multiple levels, from a variety of sources, on how to adapt and grow is a hallmark of your leadership style and one that we value highly," the letter said.

University and athletic conference officials have almost universally called Gee's remarks inappropriate but also said his apology has been accepted.

During his comments to the athletic council, Gee took shots at Arkansas coach Bret Bielema and Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany, and questioned the academic integrity of schools in the SEC and the University of Louisville. Gee has since emailed an apology to Bielema.