Ohio State to unveil new majors, programs and facilities this fall
A host of new programs, trends, events and facilities will accompany the start of Ohio State University’s 2011-12 academic year which begins next Wednesday (9/21). Ohio State, recently ranked as one of the top public universities in the country, will once again welcome its best and brightest freshman class.
Beginning autumn quarter, students can major in Atmospheric Sciences, take a course in sustainability and cheer for the university’s 2011 Solar Decathlon Team.
This is Ohio State’s final academic year on the quarter system, and preparations are in full swing for the shift to semesters in the summer.
Two popular campus dining options are making a comeback, and the Wexner Center is growing a rooftop garden.
A complete listing follows of new academic programs, events, initiatives and facilities.
New this year
Ohio Stadium goes green. Ohio State football fans see a big difference in their Ohio Stadium surroundings this season. Ohio Stadium is the largest stadium in the country attempting to achieve Zero Waste – diverting 90 percent of trash from the landfill by recycling or composting.
For the first time in the Horseshoe's history, there will be no trash cans on the premises. Instead, bins for recycling and composting will be available throughout the stadium. Fans will either recycle or compost their used items that are purchased inside the stadium such as water bottles, nacho trays, plates and cups.
The Zero Waste effort builds on the university’s work to control the 108 tons of waste that streams out of Ohio Stadium each season.
The goal of Zero Waste project is to achieve the 90 percent diversion rate by the end of the 2012 season. CONTACT: Corey Hawkey, Sustainability Coordinator, Energy Services and Sustainability, (614) 292-1528, hawkey.13@osu.edu
Introducing OSU Mobile. Buckeyes have a new way to get campus information: the OSU Mobile smartphone app. OSU Mobile is a partnership between Ohio State students and staff from various university offices. Features of the free app include personalized grade, schedule, and BuckID information; suggestions for nearby amenities such as restaurants; a real-time bus locator; the Buckeye Stroll historic tour of campus; and the latest news and events.
View details and download the app: http://osu.edu/osumobile/ CONTACT: Jim Burgoon, University Communications, burgoon.5@osu.edu or Steve Fischer, Office of Student Life, fischer.141@osu.edu
Student Legal Services – New this year, Ohio State students can sign up for a new service that provides legal advice and representation. Student Legal Services is a non-profit law office employing professionals that assists students with legal matters such as drafting documents, landlord-tenant disputes, criminal misdemeanors and traffic offenses. The service is available to degree-seeking Ohio State students and costs $40 for the three-quarter academic year. Students may opt-out of the service if they wish.
SEE: http://studentlegal.osu.edu/
Share the Road at Ohio State. Whether you are a pedestrian, bicyclist or automobile driver, sharing the streets and sidewalks at Ohio State can be a challenge. Who has the right of way? Where can I travel and how can I stay safe? Where can I park? Several university offices are working on an initiative to educate and increase safety for all campus commuters, whether they walk, ride or drive. One result: a new website with information on how to Share the Road on campus. SEE: www.sharetheroad.osu.edu
Ohio State safety alerts changing for 2011. Ohio State is updating its Buckeye Alert system that provides rapid notification to alert students, faculty and staff about an emergency situation that requires immediate action in order to be safe. Buckeye Alert has been activated three times since it was launched in 2006.
The updated system streamlines the university’s process to insure delivery of emergency text messages as quickly as possible. The previous system contained information dating back to 2006, much of it outdated.
The upgraded system will include only current students, faculty, staff and parents. Once registered, they will receive Buckeye Alert text messages during emergency situations on campus.
Students are being asked to register or confirm their cell phone information entered in the online student information system by Sept. 30. Faculty and staff will be asked to do the same before the start of autumn quarter. Once registered, students, faculty and staff may subscribe their parents/spouses, etc. at www.buckeyealert.osu.edu CONTACT: Amy Murray: murray-goedde.1@osu.edu) or Bob Armstrong: armstrong.349@dps.ohio-state.edu).
MySwitch helps guide students through semester conversion. A joint project of Undergraduate Student Government (USG) and the Offices of Academic Affairs and Student Life, the MySwitch website is a student-focused site that consolidates links to semester conversion information from throughout the university. It has been created—and is now being finalized—with considerable input from students. MySwitch is a one-stop shop for links to all semester-related information, including advising tools, the Course Conversion Guide, scheduling tips, calendars, financial and housing information, and considerations for the short summer of 2012. It is designed to be attractive to students, easy to use, and easy to maintain. SEE: http://myswitch.osu.edu/
Facilities
Kennedy Commons reopens – Kennedy Commons, located at 251 W. 12th Ave., re-opens after a total renovation that has added air conditioning and restored many of the traditional architectural features while updating the décor. It houses the newest operation in Campus Dining Services, 12th Avenue Bread Company. Featured foods are sandwiches made with artisan breads, fresh soups and salads, quiches, and pastries. There is seating indoors and outdoors. CONTACT: Karri Benishek, marketing director, University Residences and Dining Services, (614) 292-8287.
Veterans’ housing - In 2009, a group of military veteran students approached the university in hope of finding a home for veterans who wanted to live and learn together. A university-owned property at 237 E. 17th Ave. has been renovated and furnished to serve this purpose and is open this autumn. CONTACT: Jim Miller, (614) 292-8005 or miller.156@osu.edu
Mason Hall reopens – Mason Hall at Fisher College of Business will reopen after a six-month renovation project. The reconfigured building will meet the increasing needs of the college’s students, faculty and staff for more flexible and collaborative space. To enhance educational, research and extracurricular activities, the new design will add breakout and conference rooms equipped with state-of-the-art technologies. The second floor will house Fisher’s centers of excellence and research and a multipurpose space for meetings, special events and academic activities. Also new to the building is the Rohr Café, featuring Starbucks coffee and light food options from the Blackwell. Outdoor tables, floral landscaping and a patio will provide an added gathering area for the Fisher community. Mason Hall is named after the late Maj. Gen. Raymond E. Mason, Jr., 1941 alumnus of the college. CONTACT: Patty Allen, (614) 292-8837, allen.965@osu.edu
New café opens in Wexner Center – The Wexner Center offers a new operator and concept for its café: Heirloom. Opening Sept. 12, Heirloom features local and seasonal ingredients, including breakfast dishes (served all day), soups, salads, sandwiches, entrees, and baked goods, plus fair-trade coffee from Stauf's. Locally sourced ingredients will be used when possible. Heirloom was conceived by John and Kimberly Skaggs, longtime members of the Columbus culinary community, who also run the My Catered Table home-delivery service and have been involved with Two Caterers, Northstar, and L'Antibes. SEE: http://www.wexarts.org/cafe/heirloom_20110823.pdf
New department name reflects Student Conduct role – Student Judicial Affairs has changed its name to Student Conduct to better reflect its mission. Student Conduct administers the non-academic aspects of the Code of Student Conduct, upholds university standards, and fosters ethical and safe decision-making. The old name was confusing to many, who thought that the process was the same or similar to the criminal justice system. In addition, Student Conduct has launched a new mediation program to help students resolve conflicts with roommates, co-workers, and neighbors or within student organizations. CONTACT: Andrea Goldblum, director, (614) 292-0748.
Events
Ohio State holds year-long "Conversation on Immigration." Ohio State’s Center for Ethics and Human Values will lead a year-long, university-wide conversation on immigration during the 2011-12 academic year. The conversation reaches across all academic disciplines to address complex social problems that have a significant moral dimension. Events throughout the year include an autumn and spring conference, six colloquia, and two related courses. First-year students will get involved through their summer book assignment, Outcasts United. SEE: www.immigration.osu.edu
New permanent garden installation – Sept. 15. The Wexner Center Roof Garden by New York artist and landscape designer Paula Hayes – a permanent outdoor garden just outside the Wexner Center – will be unveiled on Thursday (9/15), to coincide with the opening of the gallery show featuring green terrariums (cared for during gallery hours by Ohio State students) by Hayes and a full set of “eco”-themed exhibitions featuring three other artists. The Roof Garden—essentially at ground level—is located on the “roof” of the underground Film/Video Theater, on a nearly 3,500-square-foot plot of land just south of the center’s main entrance and adjacent to Maya Lin’s Groundswell, another permanent piece outside the Wexner Center. It features hearty sedum plants, grasses, and perennial plantings whose appearance and character will vary and thrive throughout all four seasons and will evolve over the years. It will also include several of Hayes’s signature sculptural planters made of silicone, and footpaths that will allow for visitor interaction. SEE: http://www.wexarts.org/ex/index.php?eventid=5913 CONTACT: Karen Simonian, Wexner Center for the Arts, (614) 292-9923 or ksimonian@wexarts.org.
Ohio State solar house competes in Washington – Sept. 21-Oct. 2. Ohio State’s 2011 Solar Decathlon team spent the summer building a solar house, which is being transported to Washington DC for the 2011 Solar Decathlon Competition. More than 50 students from 13 different majors have been involved in designing and constructing Ohio State’s entry in the 2011 National Solar Decathlon. Ohio State is one of only 20 teams selected to compete in this international competition to build a state of the art, affordable, energy-efficient home.
Ohio State finished in the top 10 in the 2009 contest. The team hopes their house, “EnCORE” wows judges and inspires people to consider some of the energy-saving technologies in their own homes.
The house will be judged in 10 contests that evaluate engineering, architecture, comfort and other aspects of the house. The teams will have to perform everyday tasks, including cooking, laundry and washing dishes, to test the energy efficiency of their homes.
Media open house takes place from 12:30 - 2 p.m. on Sept. 21, and the opening ceremony is on Sept. 22. Houses are open to the public Sept. 23 – Oct. 2. The winning team will be announced on Oct. 1. SEE: http://www.solardecathlon.gov
World premiere of Creative Campus theater show about foreclosure – Oct. 6-8. The result of a true cross-campus collaboration, HOUSE / DIVIDED by New York theater group The Builders Association is a multimedia theater show that explores the foreclosure crisis through the lens of Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath. The show, supported by a Creative Campus Innovations Grant and a Wexner Center Residency Award, has its world premiere October 6–8 in Thurber Theatre as part of the Wexner Center’s fall season. Over the course of the past year, The Builders have worked with students and faculty from the fields of architecture, business, history, comparative studies, agriculture, theater, and more for the research and development of this show (Weinland Park has proven to be an important reference point), and are now in the midst of their final creative residency here on campus. SEE: www.creativecampusosu.org. CONTACT: Karen Simonian, Wexner Center for the Arts, (614) 292-9923 or ksimonian@wexarts.org.
College of Public Health celebrates new LEED-certified home – Oct. 14. The College of Public Health is hosting its annual Champions of Public Health awards in a special location, the newly renovated Cunz Hall on Oct. 14. The gala will celebrate the first time the entire college has been under one roof. Save the date for a special ribbon-cutting ceremony, tours of the LEED-certified building, and the 2011 Champions of Public Health. SEE: http://cph.osu.edu/about/savethedate
Ohio State hosts annual personalized health care national conference is Oct. 6-7. Ohio State’s Center for Personalized Health Care is gathering academic leaders, industry experts, government policymakers and healthcare providers from across the country to discuss the latest developments in P4 Medicine, which is a novel approach to individualized medical care that engages consumer participation, predicts and prevents disease, facilitates health, and creates a personalized life strategy wellness plan for each individual. The conference will take place Oct. 6-7 at the Blackwell Inn. SEE: http://medicalcenter.osu.edu/mediaroom/releases/Pages/CPHC-conference-2011.aspx
Ohio State engineering prominent as Columbus hosts national Materials Science & Technology 2011 Conference & Exhibition – Oct. 18-19. Students in Ohio State’s Departments of Materials Science and Engineering and Welding Engineering are expected to participate in a national conference being held in Columbus in October. Students will try to get local high school students excited about the field at a materials mini-camp during the conference, and also offer hands-on demonstrations of welding engineering. Ohio State’s moonbuggy also will be on display. SEE: http://www.matscitech.org/.
New academic majors and minors
Ohio State launches exclusive personalized medicine program. The Ohio State University College of Medicine has introduced a novel course into its curriculum that focuses on health, wellness and preventive care, in addition to personalized treatment for patients: the P4 Scholars program. Ohio State is the first institution to implement such an integrated and innovative program, paving the way for lower healthcare costs and improved quality care and outcomes for patients.
Faculty of the P4 Scholars program, which began this summer, are training the next generation of physicians with emphasis on keeping individuals healthy and out of the hospital, a major shift to the tenant of the current healthcare model. P4 Medicine is individualized medical care that engages patient participation, predicts and prevents disease, facilitates health and creates a personalized life strategy wellness plan for each patient. CONTACT: Sherri Kirk, (614) 366-3277, or Sherri.Kirk@osumc.edu
First year of Ohio State engineering program comes to Ohio State Marion. The Ohio State University at Marion offers a new first year engineering program. Beginning autumn quarter 2011, Ohio State Marion students will have the option of scheduling first year engineering courses: Engineering 181 & 183. These classes are core courses for Ohio State’s undergraduate degree programs in engineering. The new program is a significant benefit for Ohio State Marion students who plan to complete their Ohio State degree in any of the engineering disciplines. Ohio State Marion also offers engineering core courses in math, physics, and chemistry to supplement the first year engineering program, in addition to other courses leading to an Ohio State engineering degree. CONTACT: Wayne Rowe, (740) 725-6316, rowe.31@osu.edu
New major - Atmospheric Sciences - Geography at Ohio State has a 90-year tradition of research and teaching in the atmospheric sciences; the cluster of faculty in Geography and the range of their expertise in atmospheric sciences exceeds those at any other university in Ohio. One faculty member, Jeff Rogers, is the State Climatologist for Ohio. CONTACT: Liz Alcalde, College of Arts and Sciences, alcalde.1@osu.edu
Major in Geographic Information Science (GIS): Digital mapping and GIS technology impacts millions of people daily and is rapidly transforming business operations, homeland security, tracking of diseases, police work, city and regional planning, and disaster prevention. The new GIS major will prepare students for careers in mapping and geospatial information professions. CONTACT: Liz Alcalde, College of Arts and Sciences, alcalde.1@osu.edu
Major in Neuroscience – The field of Neuroscience is an exciting and burgeoning field and the fourth most common major for accepted medical students. This new interdisciplinary major is a collaboration of the College of Arts and Sciences and the Ohio State College of Medicine. The goal is to provide undergraduates at Ohio State the opportunity to pursue an integrated course of study in Neuroscience. CONTACT: Liz Alcalde, College of Arts and Sciences, alcalde.1@osu.edu
Major in Sexuality Studies – The interdisciplinary major in Sexuality Studies explores the historical, political, biological, cultural, sociological, educational, legal, health, aesthetic, and psychological contexts of human sexuality. This new degree is designed to prepare undergraduates for careers in fields related to public policy, sexual health, social work and for graduate school in the humanities, social sciences, and education. CONTACT: Liz Alcalde, College of Arts and Sciences, alcalde.1@osu.edu
New program: New Media and Communication Technology – The New Media and Communication Technology interdisciplinary program integrates course work from communication, computer science, design, psychology, and business to help students understand interactive technology, evaluate the user experience, and communicate with users from varying levels of technical proficiency. Students learn to assess the needs of the end user and learn basic skills required to design information environments and multimedia online content systems. CONTACT: Liz Alcalde, College of Arts and Sciences, alcalde.1@osu.edu
New minor: Critical and Cultural Theory. The new interdisciplinary minor in Critical and Cultural Theory will train students to explore theories as instruments for organizing and advancing knowledge about the world and of how human beings interact with the world. The minor crosses a wide variety of disciplines, such as African and African-American Studies, Anthropology, Comparative Studies, Economics, English, Geography, History of Art, Linguistics, Philosophy, Political Science, Sociology, and Department of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies. CONTACT: Liz Alcalde, College of Arts and Sciences, alcalde.1@osu.edu
New minor: Oral Jewish History. Ohio State’s Melton Center for Jewish Studies will offer a minor in Oral Jewish History beginning in summer of 2012. https://meltoncenter.osu.edu/
The minor comes out of recent projects in oral history created by faculty and students.
This is the first program of its kind in the country that uses oral history, and the application of those methods, to the gathering of the stories of survivors of the Holocaust and the displacement of Jewish immigrants. CONTACT: Lori B. Fireman, Melton Center, (614) 292-0700, fireman.2@osu.edu.
Graduate Interdisciplinary Specialization in Second Language Studies (GIS in SLS). Second language acquisition is an important and rapidly growing field. Graduate students will move beyond being a well-trained teacher to understanding curricular choices in undergraduate language education and to designing language programs and course materials. http://sls.osu.edu/upcoming-events
New courses:
New course on Sustainable Energy and Society offered autumn 2011. Can we obtain enough energy from various sources including wind, sun, tides, geothermal, and nuclear, to support society’s rate of consumption? A new course, Electrical and Computer Engineering 294 “Sustainable Energy and Society,” being offered autumn 2011, will explore these questions. Intended for non-engineers, the only prerequisite is college algebra. The course explores how to estimate how much energy we actually use and for what, and how much the various sustainable sources could potentially provide. SEE: http://ece.osu.edu/news/ece294
New Online Computer/Technology Endorsement for teachers and school administrators. Autumn quarter enrollment is full with a waiting list for a new online Computer/Technology Endorsement created by Rick Voithofer, an associate professor of educational policy and leadership. Teachers and school administrators know that adopting technology in the schools is not just plug and play. It calls for choosing the right solution to meet goals. The four-course program prepares certified teachers and administrators in the schools to better plan for and use a variety of technologies to improve student learning. Read about the endorsement program here. CONTACT: Rick Voithofer, School of Educational Policy and Leadership, rvoithofer@ehe.osu.edu or (614) 325-2239 (his cell).
Introduction to Design in Mechanical Engineering. The Department of Mechanical Engineering will offer “Introduction to Design in Mechanical Engineering” this year as a test run before the switch to semesters next year. The abbreviated, quarter-long version of the new course reveals a lot about the future of engineering education.
Given the opportunity to reinvent the mechanical engineering curriculum, faculty swiftly agreed to address the major gap in design education that existed between the fundamentals of engineering course sequence (a pre-requisite to the major) and the senior-year capstone design course. And while the freshman course sequences included a design-build project, they also wanted to address the wide variance in the machine skills and experience of entry-level students. CONTACT: Nancy Speicher, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, (614) 247-1882.
Dance: Extraordinary Bodies: Dance, Disability, and Difference. This course considers the historical, aesthetic, social, and political context of disability performance, through the lens of dance. Students will be working with diverse populations in the community, gaining practical experience in preparing a collaborative performance with ARC, Industries. CONTACT: Liz Alcalde, College of Arts and Sciences, alcalde.1@osu.edu
Conversations on Morality, Politics, and Society. This course is being offered in parallel with Ohio State’s year-long Conversation on Immigration. Students will study processes of public discourse and critical evaluation on important matters of public policy and their contribution to democracy and citizenship. b>CONTACT: Liz Alcalde, College of Arts and Sciences, alcalde.1@osu.edu
Behind the walls: College students and prisoners learn valuable lessons from each other.
Spring quarter 2012, Ohio State Marion sociology lecturer Brenda Chaney plans to lead a group of college students on a journey behind the walls of the Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville to take part in the Inside-Out Prison Exchange, which opens the door for people to gain an education that emphasizes collaborative learning and problem-solving. Chaney learned of the program from Ohio State Newark assistant professor of sociology Angela Harvey, who has taken part in the Inside-Out Exchange Program with her students on the Newark campus. CONTACT: Wayne Rowe, (740) 725-6316, rowe.31@osu.edu.SEE: ttp://www.osumarion.osu.edu/news/behind-walls
For freshmen only – new Freshman Seminars offered
Freshman Seminars afford first-year students opportunities for contact with faculty in small group settings; introduction to academic areas, research, and frontier areas of scholarly pursuit. Here is sampling of this year’s Freshman Seminars. CONTACT: Liz Alcalde, College of Arts and Sciences, alcalde.1@osu.eduInnovation and Entrepreneurship—Rocket Fuel for Creative Minds. This seminar embarks on a quarter-long journey to explore, question, and understand how technologies, innovators, entrepreneurs, and companies succeed and fail in the global marketplace.
A Look in the Mirror: Body Image and Wellness. An examination of college students’ perceptions and attitudes about the body, and how they influence health choices such as dieting, exercise, body enhancing supplements, etc.
Pandemics to Preparedness Global Health in the 21st Century. Students are introduced to urgent existing and emerging global health topics. Students will have the opportunity to discuss these topics with experts in the health sciences. Eureka! Accidentally Found on Purpose. In this course students will examine how intuition has played an important role in research and discovery, and exercise our own Intuitive capacities as we develop competencies in doing research in Ohio State’s University Libraries.
Transgenes and Stem Cells and Clones, Oh My! Exploring Biology through Fiction. Can we learn anything about biology through fiction? How accurately is science portrayed in writing and in television? What are the methods and ethics behind our genetic manipulation of the world around us? Can we really clone people? Live forever?
The Geo-Spatial Revolution. Geographic information technologies such as online maps, GPS, smartphones, digital globes and location based social media are increasingly becoming part of our daily lives. Some call this the ‘Geospatial Revolution’ but what is this revolution all about and what does it mean? Students will examine the underlying theory as well as the many possible issues and implications of these technologies on society.
