OHIO University Undergraduate Catalog 2010-12 [Archived Catalog]

Academic Opportunities – Universitywide

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• Community Service Programs
• Departmental Honors Programs
• Office of Education Abroad
• Global Leadership Center
• Learning Communities
• Office of Nationally Competitive Awards
• Provost’s Undergraduate Research Fund

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Community service gives you the chance to make a difference in the world around you—and, in the process, to make a difference in yourself. The Center for Community Service, located in Baker University Center 355, can help you find the right community service opportunity. Programs include volunteer referral, national service, and Community Service Federal Work–Study.

Outstanding undergraduate students at Ohio University who are not students in the Honors Tutorial College may choose to earn departmental honors in their major. A thesis or project is required and, depending on the major, may be either an expository or creative piece of original work, the result of supervised research, or a collection of artistic endeavors. A departmental supervisor helps in the decision of an appropriate project and guides you toward completion of the thesis or project. Departments determine eligibility of students, and you should talk with the honors coordinator in the department about your interest in this program. To graduate with departmental honors, you must have satisfied the criteria required by your major department. You are advised to start planning this program as soon as possible.

The Office of Education Abroad (OEA) at Ohio University is dedicated to supporting students in fulfilling their amibition to study, teach, intern, volunteer and work abroad in countries throughout the world. An experience abroad provides students with opportunities to expand their personal and academic horizons and learn more about themselves and other countries. The OEA is an Ohio student’s first stop on the road to becoming a more effective and valuable member of the global workforce.

A team of professional advisers and trained student peer advisers, all of whom are Study Abroad veterans, work with students to help them choose the program that best fits their needs. There are more than 60 Ohio University-sponsored programs to choose from, with numerous other programs offered through Study Abroad providers and other institutions.

In addition to extensive advising, the OEA organizes pre-departure health and safety orientations each quarter for all students preparing to study abroad. The OEA also provides comprehensive administrative service and support to Ohio University programs overseas.

For more information about these and other opportunities, visit our Web site at http://www.ohio.edu/educationabroad/ or e–mail us at education.abroad@ohiou.edu . Students can also attend walk-in advising hours at the OEA, Monday–Friday, 1–4 p.m, in Lindley Hall 185. No appointment is necessary. The Office of Education Abroad plans to move to 15 Park Place during the 2010-11 academic year. Please check the Web site for updates regarding the move.

The OEA is a division of the Center for International Studies at Ohio University.

To start planning an education abroad experience, visit http://www.ohio.edu/educationabroad/Resources/Planning.html .

To learn more about funding for education abroad, visit http://www.ohio.edu/educationabroad/Students/scholarship.html .

To learn about health, safety, and risk management, visit http://www.ohio.edu/educationabroad/General/healthsafety.html .

Information for parents can be found at http://www.ohio.edu/educationabroad/Resources/index.html .

The Global Leadership Center (GLC) is an innovative program that prepares students for leadership opportunities in a rapidly changing world. Open to all majors, the GLC brings together the resources of the colleges of Communication, Arts and Sciences, and Business in an interdisciplinary 30–quarter–hour residential program on global issues, with a strong emphasis on real–world projects and problem–solving skills.

GLC courses are not traditional classes with lectures, tests, and papers. Instead, students work in project teams on real–world problems and issues. Each GLC student completes at least two international and cross–cultural projects.

For additional information, see the complete program description in the Scripps College of Communication section or visit the GLC Web site at http://www.ohio.edu/glc/ .

A learning community (LC) is a group of students who take a common set of courses together or share a common experience around their academics. Participants in the LC develop a deeper understanding of the courses’ subject matter while they build relationships and learn together outside the classroom.

In most learning communities, students are enrolled in two required general education courses, as well as a freshman seminar. Learning communities within the biological sciences, chemistry, and mathematics areas partner a peer–led tutoring laboratory (PLTL) with some of the more difficult science and math courses. For University College undecided students, the instructor for the freshman seminar might also serve as the academic adviser. Some of our learning communities are residentially based, which means participating students not only take courses in common, but also live in either the same residence hall or the same residential area of campus.

The purposes of the learning communities are to help students gain a deeper understanding of learning at the college level, to assist in the integration of course material, to increase interaction and communication between students and faculty, and to increase involvement and engagement in the campus community. All of this together results in a holistic college learning experience.

Learning communities are designed around clusters of linked courses tailored to a specific topic or major. Groups of up to 25 students are coenrolled into two to four courses, one of which is typically a learning community seminar course taken only by the participants. The seminar becomes the hub of the community.

Learning communities include a peer mentor , who assists students in adjusting to college life and guides them through the exploration of Ohio University opportunities and resources. Out–of–class activities and study sessions are integrated in the learning communities.

Opportunities for first–year students to be involved in learning communities are available on a limited basis. Participating colleges will send information regarding learning communities directly to the students admitted to the college. Regardless of your major, there is a learning community designed to meet your interests. An information session and registration for many learning communities will take place during summer orientation.

For more information please visit our Web site at http://www.ohio.edu/learningcommunities/ or contact:

Director of Learning Community Programs
University College
Chubb Hall 140
Ohio University
740.593.1935
learning.communities@ohio.edu

The Office of Nationally Competitive Awards (ONCA) assists Ohio University students with virtually all facets of applying for some of the most prestigious awards available. This includes such impressive and competitive awards as the Rhodes, Fulbright, Marshall, Truman, Udall, and Goldwater Scholarships.

Services offered include providing specific information about scholarships and awards, mentoring and counseling students about their particular situations and candidacies, assisting with the application processes, and organizing seminars and supportive programs for students. Most national awards are merit based and extremely competitive. To be considered viable candidates, students should have at least a 3.7 GPA and be involved actively in both their studies and extracurricular activities.

ONCA is located at 35 Park Place. Call 740.597.1632 for more information or visit their Web site at https://www.ohio.edu/honors/onca/

The Provost’s Undergraduate Research Fund provides annual grants of up to $1,500 each to support the research projects, creative projects, and scholarly work of undergraduate students. To be eligible, students must be enrolled full time on the Athens campus and must be endorsed by a tenure–track faculty member. Grants may be used for research related materials, supplies, and travel. The fund is administered through the office of the assistant dean in the Honors Tutorial College. Guidelines and an application form are available on the Web: http://www.honors.ohio.edu/research_op.htm .