OHIO University Undergraduate Catalog 2014-15 [Archived Catalog]

Academic Opportunities – Universitywide

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• 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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Outstanding undergraduate students, who are not students in the Honors Tutorial College, may choose to earn departmental honors in their major program. 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/school supervisor helps in the decision of an appropriate project and guides you toward completion of the thesis or project. Departments/schools determine eligibility of students, and you should talk with the honors coordinator in the department/school about your interest in this program. To graduate with departmental honors, you must have satisfied the criteria required by your major department/school. You are advised to start planning this program as soon as possible.

Students who graduate with departmental honors are recognized in the commencement program, and it is noted on the students’ diplomas and transcripts.

The Office of Education Abroad (OEA) is dedicated to helping students fulfill their ambition to study, teach, intern, volunteer and work around world. A global experience provides students with opportunities to expand their personal and academic horizons and learn more about themselves and the world. The OEA can be a student’s first stop on the road to becoming a more effective and valuable member of the global workforce.

A team of professional advisors and trained student peer advisors, all of whom are study abroad veterans, work with students to help them choose the programs that best fit 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 predeparture health and safety orientations each semester 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 http://www.ohio.edu/educationabroad/ or email education.abroad@ohiou.edu . Students can also attend walk-in advising hours at the OEA, Monday–Friday, 1–4 p.m., in Walter International Education Center. No appointment is necessary.

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/Students/index.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 .

The Global Leadership Center (GLC) is an award-winning, innovative program that strives to develop internationally minded, locally engaged leaders prepared to succeed in a rapidly globalizing world. Open to all majors, the GLC brings together the resources of the various colleges at Ohio University in an interdisciplinary 19-semester–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. For most projects, GLC student teams have online international student partners. GLC students also travel together for one education-abroad experience.

For additional information, visit the GLC website 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.

Learning communities within the biological sciences and chemistry areas partner a peer–led tutoring laboratory (PLTL) with some of the more difficult science courses. For University College undecided students, the instructor for the freshman seminar also serves as the academic advisor.

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 and are offered to students their first semesters at Ohio University. Groups of up to 25 students are co-enrolled 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.

In most learning communities, students are enrolled in three required general education courses, as well as a freshman seminar. Learning communities include a peer mentor or learning community leader , 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 experience.

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

For more information please visit http://www.ohio.edu/learningcommunities/ or contact:

Director of Learning Community Programs
Chubb Hall 140
1 Ohio University
Athens, OH 45701-2979 
740.593.1936
learning.communities@ohio.edu

The Office of Nationally Competitive Awards (ONCA) assists 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, Critical Language, 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 3.6 GPA and be involved actively in both their studies and extracurricular activities.

ONCA is located at 35 Park Place. Call 740.597.2723 for more information or visit  https://www.ohio.edu/honors/onca/ .

The Provost’s Undergraduate Research Fund (PURF) provides awards of $100 to $1,500 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 or regional campuses and must be endorsed by a tenured or tenure–track faculty member. The funds 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.ohio.edu/honors/current-students/purf.cfm .