OHIO University Undergraduate Catalog 2008-09 [Archived Catalog]

Academic Opportunities – Universitywide

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• Community Service Programs
• Departmental Honors Programs
• Office of Education Abroad
• Global Leadership Center
• Learning Communities
• Linked Courses
• 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.

Ohio University is committed to encouraging and supporting undergraduate participation in international education programs. A global education helps to prepare the undergraduate student of today to be an effective and competent member of the global workforce of tomorrow. The Office of Education Abroad (OEA) provides abundant opportunities for students to engage themselves in worldwide academic experiences by living and learning abroad.

Ohio University offers undergraduate students more than 60 institutionally sponsored programs, with study sites on five continents. Moreover, the OEA takes protective measures regarding the health, safety, and security of its student participants abroad. By providing administrative services and support to Ohio University programs overseas, the OEA coordinates efforts to ensure a quality education in a variety of international settings. The OEA, in addition, maintains a resource library of materials and references regarding education abroad opportunities. Through extensive advising, workshops, and predeparture orientations, the OEA helps to prepare students to undertake an education abroad experience.

The majority of education abroad programming for undergraduates can be considered study abroad. Such programs are generally faculty led and involve a group of Ohio University students who take Ohio University courses abroad. Many of these programs are based on traditional classroom learning environments, although an increasing number of programs are taking learning outside the classroom and incorporating field research, service learning, volunteer projects, teaching, or interning.

Another education abroad option is student exchange, based on reciprocal agreements with partner institutions abroad. An Ohio University student directly enrolls at the foreign university for a semester or academic year and earns transfer credit for the studies abroad.

Ohio University also allows students to participate in programs through other accredited study abroad providers and institutions, which gives students nearly unlimited options.

International internships provide students with practical experience through on–the–job training in their fields, while simultaneously giving students the opportunity to experience a different culture and work environment.

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 . The OEA also offers walk–in advising hours, Monday–Friday, 1–4 p.m, in Lindley Hall 185.

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

To learn more about funding for education abroad, visit http://www.ohio.edu/educationabroad/students/Scholarship.cfm .

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

Information for parents can be found at http://www.ohio.edu/educationabroad/info/parents.cfm .

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 advisor. 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 Precollege.

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

Linked courses provide opportunities for groups of 20 students to take two courses together: their first–year writing course (ENG 151 or 152 or 153) and a general education (Tier II) course, such as History 121 or Anthropology 101. This gives students the chance to develop friendships and study groups through shared experiences in the classroom.

Linked courses are sponsored through Ohio University’s Center for Writing Excellence & Writing Across the Curriculum Program and the Department of English. Visit the Linked Course Web site at http://www.ohio.edu/writing/paired_linked.cfm or ask your Precollege advisor more about this option if you are interested.

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 competititve. 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/ .